GDT: Bob Nicholson Press Conference 12:30

[McTonyBrar]

They are handling him about as well as they handled Yakupov.

He shouldn’t even be in the NHL.

He didn't even have a bad season. He had a so so season with lots of signs of progress

 

[McTonyBrar]

I really disagree with this.

JP has played signficant time in the AHL so far. It's not all GP too remember. Consider that their season is about half as long so even though he's spent only around 50 games in the AHL vs 93 in the NHL, his total days in the AHL is better than that ratio. Yak played zero time in the AHL

Also, he doesn't have to play on a team as bad as what Yakupov had to deal with. That's a huge factor on it's own.

JP's development path is basically the same as Draisaitl's. It's just that JP is slower in hitting his stride. Don't count him out. He's not even 20 yet. Drai's breakout season was when he was 20 years old. The season before that, people were saying Drai was a bust and were swearing at MacT for keeping him in the NHL as much as he did.

Its also funny that usually Finnish players take longer to hit their potential. Granlund, Koivu, etc.

 

[KCC]

Well, it's official. After last year and heading into this season with more hope in over a decade. I'm going to be a very casual fan next year with Chiarelli back. It'll be very difficult for him to get out of the mess he's made.

 

[Soundwave]

I really disagree with this.

JP has played signficant time in the AHL so far. It's not all GP too remember. Consider that their season is about half as long so even though he's spent only around 50 games in the AHL vs 93 in the NHL, his total days in the AHL is better than that ratio. Yak played zero time in the AHL

Also, he doesn't have to play on a team as bad as what Yakupov had to deal with. That's a huge factor on it's own.

JP's development path is basically the same as Draisaitl's. It's just that JP is slower in hitting his stride. Don't count him out. He's not even 20 yet. Drai's breakout season was when he was 20 years old. The season before that, people were saying Drai was a bust and were swearing at MacT for keeping him in the NHL as much as he did.

Yakupov (2nd year): 63GP, 11G, 13A, 24 Points

Puljujarvi (2nd year): 65GP, 12G, 8A, 20 Points

Draisaitl (2nd year): 72GP, 19G, 32A, 51 Points

Right now Puljujarvi is a lot more Yakupov than Draisaitl. To his credit at least he's not -33, but quite a bit of that was due to Eakins' swarm.

 

[Sempiternal]

I stopped watching after he said Peter Chiarelli would be the Oilers GM again next season. BS.

 

[Soundwave]

People who think the Edmonton media is tough ... listen to Bergevin getting roasted straight up in an interview here in Montreal. Is Chia or Nicholson even gonna give a interview with Softball Stauffer?



Can you imagine anyone daring to speak like this straight to Chia or Nicholson?

 

[Little Fury]

The thing about the rosters you're pointing out with 'elite' talent is the heavy majority of them developed a significant amount of those players internally. It's almost as if you're saying this team was doomed from the get go because I can tell you for certain that none of those teams is backed by a poor defense. These teams have done a good job finding talent and elevating it to the next level by finding the right situations to play them in.

Here's the thing: the Oilers have had a poor drafting/development record. They also have a poor track record with bleeding out talent, a trend that hasn't really stopped yet. We can agree that is why where we are and why the hole is so deep.

Boston isn't a team that I'd describe as being loaded with 'elite' talent, for example. They have Pasta, Marchand, Krejci and Bergeron, but they've had a significant number of young players step up and elevate their games. Riley Nash put up 40 points. So did Danton Heinen and Jake Debrusk. They are the definition of a blue collar team and there is no reason to think our roster cannot outperform theirs with a quality season from our key contributors.

Yeah that first list has three guys who'd be the second best player on the Oilers, so I don't think talent is an issue. But yeah it would be nice if the Oilers could draft layers like, uh, Riley Nash too.

We don't need elite line-mates for Connor McDavid. Leon Draisatil just needs a couple of guys who can handle his passes and shoot the puck. The two of them both need to get better in their own end. The two of them are going to open a lot of doors for our team over the next few years while our organizational depth is still relatively poor.

My point is we have two elite forwards, one of whom has yet to show he can drive results without high end linemates. It's just not enough. Lots of scrubs will get their stats zoomed playing with them, but that does not the nucleus of a championship team make, not when there's also a lack of difference makers on the back end.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Winnipeg kept faith with their skilled players and did not do panic trades like Chia , they now probably have the closet group in the NHL their core has been together for years and let their young talent develop within it , not selling off it's skill for junk.

I guess, I mean that will come to a head shortly because of expense.

 

[Little Fury]

I guess, I mean that will come to a head shortly because of expense.

Probably won't see them dealing off Laine or Connor for second pairing D men tho.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Probably won't see them dealing off Laine or Connor for second pairing D men tho.

Because they will be in the same situation. Good point, and Hall isn't Laine.

Edit: Just because you've all decide to forget where the Oilers ACTUALLY were in their desperation for defensive help like Larsson, doesn't change the reality of it.

 

[callighenfan]

I'm excited by your plan. When can we expect to see a plan of the plan? Perhaps we should evaluate when that plan can be unveiled.

Yes, a forensic evaluation can only help make this plan even better. Maybe we can trade those twenties for a couple of fives! Blue is a much better fit for our culture than green.

(In truth, the thing we should be scared of is that this season was the result of a plan. Cripes.)

 

[Drivesaitl]

I assumed they had a plan when Nicholson spoke on HNIC weeks back and told us when we saw their plan we’d get behind it. Was he talking about a new plan today or the same one as back then? Bobby is pretty good at talking out of both sides of his mouth.

The one thing I found interesting was when he was asked point blank about whether Mclellan and his assistants were a package deal or not. He wanted no part of answering that question. Makes me wonder if that indeed is why we don’t have the same definitive answer on Mclellan’s future that we do on Chiarelli’s.

My feeling is that these pressers should be about some disclosure. They should at least be an attempt to answer questions. In both pressers Chia and Nicholson simply deferred on the question when they wanted to.
The coaching tandem question was key and something of a lot of interest. "I'm not going to answer that". What answers did we get in the last couple days.

Chia "the team will do things off the ice to get ready for games. These things will be in place, to answer your question" lmfao

Nicholson; I like a lot about Chia, how he thinks about things, thinks through things, his drafting. His analysis"


Frankly I don't know how anybody could watch the Nicholson interview, this, or any prior and feel that this is a man who's really sharp in assessment. Yet that's what he's brought in here for. Forensic audit, finding problems and righting the ship. Yet he's not exhibited to be analytical in the slightest.

My biggest impression always of Nicholson is he's a glad hander. Another tire salesman. The guy with the smile and firm handshake that makes business acquaintances and makes people feel comfortable because he remembers the name of your son or daughter or wife. To me he's just old school business like that. Friendly, personable, and has parlayed that a long way. What else has he really exhibited as skill based tools?

The Nicholson presser frankly made me avoid posting for 24hrs. Its like I couldn't, I couldn't even care to respond to that gibberish of a presser before getting a sleep in between.

It is possible Nicholson might have been a sharper man earlier on in his life but those tools aren't in the cupboard at present. Its going to take more than a smile and old man boyish charm to impress me. Frankly he never has. Classic figurehead.

 

[Little Fury]

Because they will be in the same situation. Good point, and Hall isn't Laine.

Yeah Hall had to carry a team on his back and liane actually has support and an organization with a clue and a plan.

Edit: Just because you've all decide to forget where the Oilers ACTUALLY were in their desperation for defensive help like Larsson, doesn't change the reality of it.

The reality that it was a self inflicted wound that failed to adequately address the D while opening a gaping hole up front that's yet to be filled?

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

The reality that it was a self inflicted wound that failed to adequately address the D while opening a gaping hole up front that's yet to be filled?

Yeah it was, we know that. So Chiarelli is to blame for the Decade as well now? Look we should just have a Stickied Locked Thread with a GIF of a flickering Candle for Taylor Hall.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Yeah it was, we know that. So Chiarelli is to blame for the Decade as well now? Look we should just have a Stickied Locked Thread with a GIF of a flickering Candle for Taylor Hall.

No, Chia is to blame that we sent out Hall, Eberle, 1st, 2nd and all we have to show for it is Larsson and Strome and we still have a massive hole at defense.

 

[McDrai]

So far what i said a few months ago is going according to plan. Mclellan and Chia stay, Chia f***s up the team some more this offseason and Mclellan cant get the team anywhere near a playoff position and are out of it by January. Mclellan is fired mid way through the season when the season is a write off anyway. Chiarelli is kept for another season and continues to f*** up the team even more until he is finally fired in 2020. By then I'll probably be a Jets fan anyways so I guess it doesnt really matter.

 

[VainGretzky]

UM NOTHING what we got in 2 press conferences . This team is screwed.

 

[frag2]

So far what i said a few months ago is going according to plan. Mclellan and Chia stay, Chia ****s up the team some more this offseason and Mclellan cant get the team anywhere near a playoff position and are out of it by January. Mclellan is fired mid way through the season when the season is a write off anyway. Chiarelli is kept for another season and continues to **** up the team even more until he is finally fired in 2020. By then I'll probably be a Jets fan anyways so I guess it doesnt really matter.

We'd be lucky if we were even still in it by end of November. We were pretty much out of it this last season around then.

 

[McDrai]

We'd be lucky if we were even still in it by end of November. We were pretty much out of it this last season around then.

True, maybe I'm being a tad optimistic hoping the Oilers will last until January

 

[Little Fury]

No, Chia is to blame that we sent out Hall, Eberle, 1st, 2nd and all we have to show for it is Larsson and Strome and we still have a massive hole at defense.

And up front.

 

[CupofOil]

People who think the Edmonton media is tough ... listen to Bergevin getting roasted straight up in an interview here in Montreal. Is Chia or Nicholson even gonna give a interview with Softball Stauffer?



Can you imagine anyone daring to speak like this straight to Chia or Nicholson?

Thanks for posting this. The Montreal media is relentless.

Just to summarize, they called out Bergevin for signing Alzner because he's too slow then called him out when he compared Chara to Alzner (yep, he actually did). Asked him why he hasn't been able to find a center in 7 years while others have then used the Staal, Johansen and Turris examples while Bergevin continued to make excuses.

Then they asked him when are the Habs going to stop relying completely on Price and said other GMs build more of a balanced team because they are doing their job (used Washington succeeding with a backup as an example). It was a great listen, the Oilers media is such a joke.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Thanks for posting this. The Montreal media is relentless.

Just to summarize, they called out Bergevin for signing Alzner because he's too slow then called him out when he compared Chara to Alzner (yep, he actually did). Asked him why he hasn't been able to find a center in 7 years while others have then used the Staal, Johansen and Turris examples while Bergevin continued to make excuses.

Then they asked him when are the Habs going to stop relying completely on Price and said other GMs build more of a balanced team because they are doing their job (used Washington succeeding with a backup as an example). It was a great listen, the Oilers media is such a joke.

Just imagine if our media was even half as tough as Montreal's.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

IMO Nicholson was right that Chia has done a good job with the scouting department. Like it or not we need a solid cupboard to bring new players through the organization or to use them via trade. That said we are not in a position to overpay for an asset unless it means that we are keeping our core intact while doing so. ie. getting Karlsson without giving up Drai, Nuge, Klef, etc.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Just imagine if our media was even half as tough as Montreal's.

IMO our media showed some sack with Chia and more so with Ncholson while they lobbed softballs at McLellan.

 

[CupofOil]

IMO Nicholson was right that Chia has done a good job with the scouting department. Like it or not we need a solid cupboard to bring new players through the organization or to use them via trade. That said we are not in a position to overpay for an asset unless it means that we are keeping our core intact while doing so. ie. getting Karlsson without giving up Drai, Nuge, Klef, etc.

Has he done a good job with scouting? There are some promising prospects but until even one establishes themselves as a pro, I'm skeptical.

Also, Nicholson said that the Oilers have a good development system in place. Who exactly have they developed? 3 years in and I'm not seeing much outside of the obvious elite talents. It takes time obviously but as of now, it looks like same old same old.