Maroon scored 27 goals playing with McDavid and Draisaitl & the Oilers mix at forward was much better for it (in spite of the fact that McDavid and Draisaitl would become significantly better players individually). The problem is Maroon could not follow that up, nor could Kassian follow up 30 goals in 140 games and you need someone to generate off the cycle & get to the net. It'd be nice if they could get that going with two bucks and a popsicle stick but you don't find that very often & Hyman has elite results in that exact role over the last few years. I won't comment on the long term risks of that deal. I don't think you're wrong to think that's a possibility. But I do think the Oilers are CLEARLY better at forward. Possibly the single most improved team from the perspective that they realistically added 30+ goals to the group while addressing a problem around the net and on the cycle.
Keith doesn't need to handle big minutes tbh. He's probably going to play 4 minutes less a game than he did last year. Darnell Nurse and Tyson Barrie establishing a productive, minute eating and successful top pair makes life so much easier on players like Keith and Ceci. And Adam Larsson, who had his best year last year probably in large part because he was firmly a second pair defenseman for the first time since the Oilers acquired him.
I think Hyman is a real warrior out there, but i dont see the need to improve our fw core when we arent gonna make a splash anyway, our goaltending is far from enough, Smith is 0-5 in playoff games with Oilers, a small sample but when in his age had his prime 10 years ago, makes it hard to swallow!
Against wpg, we lost to a better goalie then ours, he was average at best but had some real deciding f ups who cost us!
Even if every if on D will over achieve, its not a D you winning cup with!
Larsson is a shutdown D who can handle topminutes and he and Klefbom did it well especially 16/17 when we was a toronto call from conference final, Talbot was topnotch ,drai beasting and kassian lifted his game at playoffs.
Probably was Nurse the main reason for Larsson had a great season but i think his personal problems, played injured and that Klefbom got injured, that created a mess in our D, took almost a season to get it on right track again!
Who from our blueline chips could be ready a year from now? It isnt Broberg!
Probably Bouchard could make some impact next season, this season will be a learning process!
But we are stucked with Ceci for 4 years, no one will touch that contract if it goes south pretty fast! Keiths contract is only 2 years more.
Yes Nurse can handle Barrie 5on5 pretty well, but Keith/ Ceci must pk thats not easy minutes!
