Post-Game Talk: Christmas graduates again

[Oilers in NS]

Not saying Larsson is a #1 Dman but Nurse is making him look worse than he actually is. Right now Nurse is playing like a #7. THANK GOD we bridged him because he's taken the biggest step back than anyone on this team IMO.

And the wife bought me a Nurse jersey for XMAS. The Oilers store should start putting the numbers and names in Velcro so they can be easily removed.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Run this when healthy:

Draisaitl - McDavid - Chiasson
Khaira - Nuge - Pulju
Reider - Brodziak - Kassian
Caggiula - Spooner - Rattie

Klefbom - Larsson
Nurse - Russell
Sekera - Jones
Gravel

Flip a coin for net

If they can't win with that roster, can Chia immediately and trade what you can for picks at the TDL.

I like what ya done here but the word of the day is HEALTHY. As always in Oilerville, we get a guy back and lose 2.

But I do like your line-up. Lucic is finished

 

[Oilers in NS]

I ain’t sad. Missing the playoffs means Chia is gone.

Yes, but McDavid could be gone as well

 

[Oilers in NS]

Man, it looks like its time for something extreme like that. Theres been hardly any shelter from these storms. Fortunately I'm pretty diversified and able to ride out the storm. Even if this becomes more of an unprecedented meltdown. As it is its been worse than anything seen since the Depression. This isn't junk bonds or housing and loans fiascos and select investors getting hit. Its virtually everything tanking.

I watch the Oilers and get hammered, watch the Eskimos and get hammered, watch the markets and get hammered. I liked Christmas though.

I watched Packers and Oilers both get hammered. You know who is not getting hammered? ME! That is changing tonight. I'm drinking a pile of vodka and acting Russian

 

[Oilers in NS]

Jarmo looking like a genius passing over JP. Our scouts have been pure garbage for over 10 years and this organization is paying the price for it...

Is it our scouting or development or both?

 

[Oilers in NS]

well, i'm not quite sure connor's gonna have the patience for a significant improvement (serious cup contender) that may take a few years yet. i said it last novmeber but i think time is running short on connor's patience here. at this point it would not surprise me at all in a year or two if connor and the org just throw up their hands and part ways. the org might have the appetite to do this because of the vast wealth of assets he would bring in in a trade. obviously no where near ideal but it would not surprise me....

Yes Chia could trade him for Cody Ceci and a 2nd

 

[GMofOilers]

Injuries are a huge concern for us right now.

Nashville was the top/deepest teams in the league, then injuries hit them.

They are 3-6-1 in their last 10

 

[Lacaar]

Is it our scouting or development or both?

When you've lost as much as the Oilers have over the last 15 years. It's more than just that.
The whole Organization is fail. From the scouts, gm's, coaches, players, trainer's, farm system, CEO, President, Owner.
There's a sickness in this organization and changing a limb or an organ just results in an infected limb or organ.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Injuries are a huge concern for us right now.

Nashville was the top/deepest teams in the league, then injuries hit them.

They are 3-6-1 in their last 10

There's no question, but there are still problems with the roster overall. 4 straight losses, it's probably time to make a change at GM.

 

[fuswald]

Considering we are missing

Klefbom
Russell
Caggiula
Khaira
Chiasson
Caggiula

this game I feel we did quite good.
Khaira back next game, possibly Caggiula, Chaisson and Russell real soon we should get back to winning.

 

[Oilers in NS]

When you've lost as much as the Oilers have over the last 15 years. It's more than just that.
The whole Organization is fail. From the scouts, gm's, coaches, players, trainer's, farm system, CEO, President, Owner.
There's a sickness in this organization and changing a limb or an organ just results in an infected limb or organ.

Maybe certain people get too much power? I look at some of the drafts and I cringe. I start the recent problems at 2007. You might wanna get a drool bib because this will make ya have a stroke. I will be called a critic because "hey, hindsight is a great thing" .

2007 - Oilers have three (yes 3) 1st round picks in the top 21 picks.
- 6(Gagner), 15(Plante), 21Nash (complete failure)
2007 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com
2008 - 22(Eberle) I'll give a pass but Carlson was at 27
2009 - 10(Paajarvi) (complete failure, Ryan Ellis went 11)
2010 - 1(Hall) (pass, Hall had great numbers) (3 picks in the 2nd Round - Pitlick, Marincin, Hamilton)
2010 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com
2011 - 1(RNH) pass, 19(Klefbom) pass
2012 -1(Yakupov) complete failure. I attended prospects game in Halifax that year. To me, Yak wasn't even in the top 20 on the ice that night. I wanted Rielly from what I seen. Reminded me of Coffey. Rumors the Yak pick was forced by upper management. 11-13 scouts wanted Murray but upper management stepped in. Reilly injured for a good part of year
2013- 7(Nurse) still up in the air. We needed defence. I wanted Horvat
2014 -3(Drai) pass
2015- 1 (McJesus) Pass. Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles would pick him
2016- 4(Puljujarvi) fail so far. Finn GM passes on him and Chia runs to the stage. Tkachuk, Sergachev, McAvoy there who all were proven
2017 -22(Yamamoto) jury still out, very small. Bowers at 28
2018- 10 (Bouchard) pass so far

The Oilers drafting team sure wasted lots of picks drafting players from the WHL and BCHL. In golf terms, they are trying to hit a 300 yard drive with a putter. I wish they would explore their horizons more. There are players out there.

 

[GMofOilers]

There's no question, but there are still problems with the roster overall. 4 straight losses, it's probably time to make a change at GM.

Nashville has lost 5 in a row, obvious the GM didnt make sure he had enough depth in his roster for his injuries.

 

[elmeroil]

Those d man injuries are killing them. Some people say you can't use it as an excuse but yes that is the problem. No secret the team is ultra thin on depth (Chia's fault) bit Hitch really had them believing while they were healthy. All we can hope is that this team gets healthy and goes on a run. Might be too late by the time Klef gets back though.

 

[elmeroil]

There's no question, but there are still problems with the roster overall. 4 straight losses, it's probably time to make a change at GM.

I think we all agree a new GM is needed but I don't see how that helps this season. Going forward after this season for sure but what could a new GM do right now?

Edit: nevermind I changed my mind, he could still do a lot of dumb things between now and the trade deadline so getting rid of him asap is the right move.

 

[nexttothemoon]

I don't agree with it. A lot of chatter. Or awkward silences.
We are gonna see a change.

I definitely can see Chia getting canned... I just didn't have a very specific date worked out yet where I saw it happening whereas with McLellan I had a certain day strongly burned into the timeline where the change would happen.

I think with this team out of a playoff spot now again... and if/when they trail off from here further... you could certainly see Chia gone sooner rather than later.

Next 13 games before the All-Star break:

Dec 29th Home vs SJS... better team than the Oilers
Dec 31st Home vs WPG... much better team than the Oilers
Jan 2nd Road vs ARI... equal team to the Oilers
Jan 5th Road vs LAK... worse team than the Oilers
Jan 6th Road vs ANA... slightly worse in goal differential than the Oilers... but higher in the standings
Jan 8th Road vs SJS... better team than the Oilers
Jan 10th Home vs FLA... equal team to the Oilers
Jan 12th Home vs ARI... equal team to the Oilers
Jan 14th Home vs BUF... better team than the Oilers
Jan 16th Road vs VAN... better team than the Oilers
Jan 19th Home vs CGY... much better team than the Oilers
Jan 20th Home vs CAR... slightly worse team than the Oilers
Jan 22nd Home vs DET... slightly worse team than the Oilers


Let's go through and try to pinpoint a logical ChiaDead day here...


2 more home games to end the year...

I can see a loss to San Jose as the Sharks are a better team and are playing better. Chalk that up as an expected loss. Divisional losses hurt a LOT when you're a GM hanging on by a fraying thread.

A Winnipeg loss is pretty much baked in at this point. They are both a much better team than the Oilers and playing better as well. This loss really doesn't hurt Chia badly imo because it's entirely expected. A miracle point out of this game would probably give him an extra few breaths.



Then comes what could be the 4 game road trip of doom...


Arizona isn't playing much better than the Oilers recently so here's a road game that in theory they should be able to sneak a point out of... if they can't... this one is another strong stake in Chia's heart because it's a good litmus test for the Oilers vs a similarly placed/skilled team.

LA is actually playing much better recently after their horrible start. This will be another huge test for the team because going into LA is never easy and with that team starting to sort themselves out, this is a very likely loss for the Oilers as well. Another stake in Chia's vital organs because on paper this is technically a worse team BUT they are playing much better than the Oilers recently. Optics are never good when you lose to a supposedly "lesser" team that's also a divisional rival.

Ducks are another tough litmus test... they actually aren't playing very well recently either so this is another game where the Oilers should be able to sneak out with a point... but it's doubtful that they do and again, a loss vs a divisional rival is a doubly strong blow obviously. Looking very gloomy for Chia by this point.

Game vs Sharks in San Jose? No hope there and this could be a killing blow for Chia as it could be the final rotten cherry on a rancid 4 game road trip to start 2019. The team could be well and truly out of a playoff spot by that point. Chia could be dead here.


If Chia survives that road trip somehow...


Back in Edmonton they play Florida who are playing reasonably well recently. This is a game where if the Oilers lose... they look like they are losing vs an inferior team BUT in reality the Panthers are better so it's another optical death blow to Chia.

Then they play Arizona on home ice who again should be beatable and this should be 2 pts for the Oilers... I can't see any way to spin a loss here as anything but a huge failure which would likely plummet the team into the basement in the conference at this point.

Buffalo is next... another home game and although the Sabres have cooled off a lot from their earlier season winning run, they are still better than the Oilers and I expect the Oilers to have trouble with them as well. Eastern conference lossed don't hurt as badly... but a McDavid led team losing to an Eichel led team is optically not a good look on the team or Chia either.



Then a short 1 off road trip to Vancouver...

This has LOSS baked in as the Oilers will have played 6 games in 10 days before 1 day off then having to play the Canucks who are playing well recently... much better than the Oilers. Another very deadly blow to Chia is he's even still around by then.



Then they come home to start a 3 game homestand before the all-star break...

Starting with Calgary. Do you think the Oilers can win this? I highly doubt it as the Flames are leaps and bounds better than the Oilers so far. Losing to Shelbyville in your own barn is cyanide/strychnine and Chia is completely off life support at this point if this game isn't salvaged by a McDavid miracle performance.

Carolina is next the very next night after the sure-to-be intense Flames game... if Chis is still alive by some McJesus miracle... losing to Carolina (a team very similar in quality/placement to the Oilers) is yet another blow to Chia's bruised and battered body. Have you seen that corn field scene from Casino? Ya that's what it's like at this point.

Detroit is the last game before the All-Star break and should be a winnable game for the Oilers seeing as how the Red Wings really are just limping along all season long.. consistently mediocre... but at this point the previous 12 games will have told the story and if Chia is still there, winning this game isn't going to help him as it's a game they should win. Losing this one puts another nail in the coffin obviously but if the Oilers managed to get though the previous 12 games this one likely doesn't kill him either.



So what's a logical day to circle on the calendar for Chia's departure...

January 1st... new year... new GM... new hope. Optically this is a good day for change as the team will likely still have an outside shot at the playoffs with likely losses to SJ and Winnipeg to end the year. A new GM will bring in a fresh start/fresh look and at that point the team will have played 39 games... pretty much halfway through the schedule. Actually if they lose vs the Sharks on Dec 29th I could see Dec 30th as a logical firing date as well.

McLellan got 20 games (about 1/4 season) and was canned. Could Chia get about a half season before he's canned? Highly possible... but again this recent rash of injuries likely gives Chia a bit of rope... but it also exposes the lack of offensive/defensive depth built into the roster/org as well... because every team deals with injuries and the forwards have been weak outside of a handful of players and with Chiasson possibly out even short term you are back to only 3 functional forwards... RNH/McD/Drai.

Next logical date on the calendar is January 9th. That's after the 4 game (likely brutal) road trip to start the new year. If the team shits the bed there with 0 pts or maybe a loser point or 2... well it's another logical spot for a Chia termination order. I think this date is a strong possibility because by then this team is likely well out of a playoff spot by half a dozen pts or more and a new GM would be sensible to bring in to get a lay of the land so to speak... leading up to the trading deadline on Feb 25th. Oilers will have played 43 games at that point.

If Chia survives that road trip somehow... the next logical spot for a firing is sometime during that 3 game homestand. I think January 13th after a potential loss to Arizona would be a target date. That would be at the 45 game mark.

If he survives that 1st homestand... well there's that litmus test game against Vancouver. If they limp along to start the month until then and have Russell and Sekera(possibly) back at that point and still lose vs Vancouver (a team they should be better than) I think that optically that's another key firing date for Chia. Pencil in January 17th as a strong possibility as well. 47 games at that point.

The next kill date is after that back to back vs Calgary/Carolina at home. 2 shit performances there would be tough to swallow as they get ready to go into that extended All-Star break. Pencil January 21st as another potential execution day. 49 games at that point... and just over 1 month until the trade deadline.

Last logical date is January 23rd after that last home game vs Detroit... going into that huge 10 day All-Star break for the team. The team doesn't play again until Feb 2nd vs Philly. The top prospects showcase game is also on January 23rd as well and you'd think they'd want a GM in by then as well. Gut feeling is they won't wait this long to make a GM change... it will be done previously in January.


So the dates again:

December 30th
January 9th
January 13th
January 17th
January 21st
January 23rd

My prediction... January 9th is the day Chia will be fired... but I was off 1 day on the McLellan firing so I'm moving it up 1 day to January 8th... ironically the day of a San Jose game... which is when McLellan was fired as well.

So there you go... Chia is gone on January 8th 2019.

I wouldn't be shocked if it happened sooner either. A change will be made as this season is quickly going into the tank.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I think we all agree a new GM is needed but I don't see how that helps this season. Going forward after this season for sure but what could a new GM do right now?

Well what's going on now is really not helping. It doesn't have to be the permanent guy, it could be interim to the end of the year like Hitchcock, but just make the change to show the level of dissatisfaction with the state of the team that the fans clearly feel.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Nashville has lost 5 in a row, obvious the GM didnt make sure he had enough depth in his roster for his injuries.

You can't possibly view these situations as the same. Also, I would bet if the get it together health wise and fail in the playoffs in the again, Nashville might look for a new GM in the offseason.

 

[elmeroil]

Well what's going on now is really not helping. It doesn't have to be the permanent guy, it could be interim to the end of the year like Hitchcock, but just make the change to show the level of dissatisfaction with the state of the team that the fans clearly feel.

Sorry I just edited my post as you were replying....I agree, get rid of him.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Sorry I just edited my post as you were replying....I agree, get rid of him.

No worries, it just makes such a statement to the fanbase that "yes we get it"

 

[GMofOilers]

You can't possibly view these situations as the same. Also, I would bet if the get it together health wise and fail in the playoffs in the again, Nashville might look for a new GM in the offseason.

Every roster has holes in it.

Nashville is heavy on D and not so much on offence. Injury bug hit them on O, and they are losing because of it.

We dont have much depth on D, and injuries to 3 of our top5 dmen are killing us.

Situations are very similar.

 

[elmeroil]

No worries, it just makes such a statement to the fanbase that "yes we get it"

Yeah I wasn't really thinking about the dumb things he might try out of desparation before the deadline. I would hope that any deals he wants to make right now he has to get approved first. Although they've let him do some pretty dumb things already....

 

[Daryls Friend]

Every roster has holes in it.

Nashville is heavy on D and not so much on offence. Injury bug hit them on O, and they are losing because of it.

We dont have much depth on D, and injuries to 3 of our top5 dmen are killing us.

Situations are very similar.

I get what you are saying but the situations arnt remotely similar. You are suggesting we have depth on forward? That of course is ridiculous. We have depth nowhere. In fact we might have more depth on D than at forward.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Every roster has holes in it.

Nashville is heavy on D and not so much on offence. Injury bug hit them on O, and they are losing because of it.

We dont have much depth on D, and injuries to 3 of our top5 dmen are killing us.

Situations are very similar.

You're right, very similar situation. This team just fell out of the playoff picture after missing the playoffs last year, where as the Preds are still 2nd in their division (which is in the playoffs) after their season ended in the 2nd round last year (and in the finals the year before)

Absolutely injuries are having an effective on the Oilers' effectiveness, but there is plenty of reason to fire the GM, and injuries should absolutely not be a free pass for him.

 

[GMofOilers]

I get what you are saying but the situations arnt remotely similar. You are suggesting we have depth on forward? That of course is ridiculous. We have depth nowhere. In fact we might have more depth on D than at forward.

Nuge
Drai
Mcdavid

Thats some luxury on forwards that most teams in the league dont have.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Is the dumbo GM fired yet?