Defensive depth will save the day !

[oilexport]

Now is the time for Caleb Jones, Ethan Bear & William Lagesson to prove their NHL quality

So a good article a while back on Jones, Bear, and lagesson. We obviously have a couple 3 pairings ready. I also think Bouchard looked good in the NHL last season. A couple other prospects look to push as well.

So it looks to me that if Russel and Benning can get any return, especially on the wing, we got a pretty good team. Maybe trade one of the b prospects o D as well.

I say make the change, these guys are ready. Bouchard, I'd bet is the best righty to play with Nurse anyhow...

This could be a pretty good team. Might surprise...

So let's speculate that 3 or 4 of these guys blow the doors off of Benning....Russel....who to trade ? Who stays ? We can get a top 6 on the wing, real easy.

Click to read more...

 

[nabob]

I think that at least one of them will end up dealt by the draft next year. There’s no way we have all 4 of Jones, Bear, Lagesson and Bouchard all on the Oilers to start the 20-21 season. It’s almost an embarrassment of riches if you add Samorukov and Broberg to the mix.

 

[oilexport]

I think that at least one of them will end up dealt by the draft next year. There’s no way we have all 4 of Jones, Bear, Lagesson and Bouchard all on the Oilers to start the 20-21 season. It’s almost an embarrassment of riches if you add Samorukov and Broberg to the mix.

But why wait ? Development is great but these guys are 22ish and strong. call me crazy, but Bouchard was a top 4 for us last year(I know, doesn't say much). We fell apart on D after he left, other injuries contributed of course...

If these guys show well in camp, trade for young, good wingers now ! We dont need to wait.

 

[nabob]

But why wait ? Development is great but these guys are 22ish and strong. call me crazy, but Bouchard was a top 4 for us last year(I know, doesn't say much). We fell apart on D after he left, other injuries contributed of course...

If these guys show well in camp, trade for young, good wingers now ! We dont need to wait.

We don’t have much cap space or any roster spots open really. I’d be ok with them dealing one for an equally promising forward prospect. But at the same time you want to make sure you don’t deal the guy who ends up being a really solid top 4 Dman, while keeping the next Marincin or Seminov.

 

[oilexport]

We don’t have much cap space or any roster spots open really. I’d be ok with them dealing one for an equally promising forward prospect. But at the same time you want to make sure you don’t deal the guy who ends up being a really solid top 4 Dman, while keeping the next Marincin or Seminov.

Sometimes ya gotta rely on your scouting and take some calculated risks. Lots of these guys are in there 20's, there 2nd pairing guys. We have room for lots of error. We should not waste assets on the farm because we have no room on the big club.

Russel and a d prospect for a solid top 6 on the wing. Russel buys space, helps a team in need for D, that has abundance of wingers. Very doable...and so is playoffs for us !

There is always a surprise team that does very well, why cant we be one of them for once. To me, it's an easy decision, and the right one.

Asset management peeps !! Lol

 

[MinisterOfSinister]

When injuries hit, and typically they hit an already weak Oilers blue line on a regular basis, we need depth.
Theres no way we gut our current d group, which is already poor, and toss these guys to the wolves with zero vet presence like we have done with so many other young players.
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

 

[redgrant]

Perhaps there is a deal of some sort to be made with Seattle and one of these players. Not sure what but I like having the cupboard full rather than worrying they'll take someone that is irreplaceable.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

When injuries hit, and typically they hit an already weak Oilers blue line on a regular basis, we need depth.
Theres no way we gut our current d group, which is already poor, and toss these guys to the wolves with zero vet presence like we have done with so many other young players.
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

Agreed, all the soon to be waiver eligible players will get a chance to play in the NHL this year. Injuries are bound to happen.

 

[Aceboogie]

Not this again. It was the same thing with Musil/Gernat/Marincin and then even Reinhart

If you dont have actual NHL D depth, these guys are toast

 

[alphahelix]

Sekera buyout worst idea. Best mentor. Russell will be the Staios to our young Smids. Forget about everything useful and just clear the net and block some shots. We have seen this movie. Organization is enamored with and prioritizing things that are not scientifically supported as key indicators for win% success. f*** em. Trashpile

 

[Aceboogie]

Sekera buyout worst idea. Best mentor. Russell will be the Staios to our young Smids. Forget about everything useful and just clear the net and block some shots. We have seen this movie. Organization is enamored with and prioritizing things that are not scientifically supported as key indicators for win% success. **** em. Trashpile

Sekera would have been a fanastic mentor. He thinks the game so well and is a wealth of knowledge. For me, the Sekera buyout was a bad idea in that regard. I dont think hell be that good of a D on the ice anymore, but his mentorship would have been immensely valuable for all of our D

 

[CupofOil]

I'm shocked at how comfortable some fans (and management too apparently) are with the defense.
If anybody can name 10 worse defenses in the league, I'd be shocked.

Lets break it down...

Klefbom - Good when healthy but never healthy and even when healthy, his play tends to hit some peaks and valleys with last season being a prime example of that.

Nurse - Seems more offensively confident but his defense is still a major work in progress especially his positioning.

Larsson - What is going on with him? Two straight years of awful play, a liability. I was willing to write off '17-'18 as one of those years where everything went wrong with him on and off the ice but 2 straight years is a very disturbing trend. Not to mention these chronic back issues that seem to be nagging him. It's possible that he might never be what he was in '16-'17 again. Is anybody confident that he'll bounce back? I'm certainly not.

Russell - He is what he is. A #4/#5 who doesn't really hurt you but doesn't do anything to really help either. He's just sort of... there.

Benning - Another case of he is what he is despite being fairly young still as I don't see the growth potential. A competent enough bottom pairing D when he's on his game, a really bad one when he hits his rough patches. Sekera did a lot to stabilize his game last season, that safety net is gone now.

I really like the prospects but can't count on any of them to make a big impact next season.
The defense, as is, doesn't move the puck well to state the obvious and doesn't defend particularly well. Also, their best Dman can't stay healthy. What do they excel at? Are they even above average in any area?
I think part of the reason why Talbot tanked here was because the defense in front of him got progressively worse/less healthy. The defense won't be good enough until the prospects hit their stride which could take a couple of years.

 

[oilexport]

I cant see why we cant trade 1 of a half dozen prospects for a winger of same promise.

We dont have much for prospects up front. How are we gonna get into the playoffs with no scoring.

I agree with most comments here about our D being weak. I agree with not rushing youth, but you must deal and manage resources for a better team.

In other words, if we had 5 goalies that were good young prospects, and our present goaltending was a little weak, I would still trade 1 youngster for another weakness on the team.

We got nothing up front. Maybe Benson and Motto can step up, but we are definitely the worst team by a mile on the wings.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I eagerly await the entertainment that the third pairing will provide.

Make no mistake, the defense is still a tirefire.

 

[The Nuge]

I'm shocked at how comfortable some fans (and management too apparently) are with the defense.
If anybody can name 10 worse defenses in the league, I'd be shocked.

Lets break it down...

Klefbom - Good when healthy but never healthy and even when healthy, his play tends to hit some peaks and valleys with last season being a prime example of that.

Nurse - Seems more offensively confident but his defense is still a major work in progress especially his positioning.

Larsson - What is going on with him? Two straight years of awful play, a liability. I was willing to write off '17-'18 as one of those years where everything went wrong with him on and off the ice but 2 straight years is a very disturbing trend. Not to mention these chronic back issues that seem to be nagging him. It's possible that he might never be what he was in '16-'17 again. Is anybody confident that he'll bounce back? I'm certainly not.

Russell - He is what he is. A #4/#5 who doesn't really hurt you but doesn't do anything to really help either. He's just sort of... there.

Benning - Another case of he is what he is despite being fairly young still as I don't see the growth potential. A competent enough bottom pairing D when he's on his game, a really bad one when he hits his rough patches. Sekera did a lot to stabilize his game last season, that safety net is gone now.

I really like the prospects but can't count on any of them to make a big impact next season.
The defense, as is, doesn't move the puck well to state the obvious and doesn't defend particularly well. Also, their best Dman can't stay healthy. What do they excel at? Are they even above average in any area?
I think part of the reason why Talbot tanked here was because the defense in front of him got progressively worse/less healthy. The defense won't be good enough until the prospects hit their stride which could take a couple of years.

The defense might not be good, but it’s the old lesser of 2 evils. Our wingers last season were arguably the worst in NHL history. Rieder turning into a pumpkin, and Pulju/Yamamoto being unable to play at the NHL level meant we didn’t have a single top 6 winger. Heck, we only had one top 9 winger (Chiasson) until we got Gagner.

We have 3 legit top 4 dmen, and one who is debatable (Russell). That’s not the end of the world, and we weren’t harmed by guys like Jones and Bouchard last year. Both of whom look like damn near locks to be top 4 dmen sometime between next year and a couple years from now.

Meanwhile, our top 3 centermen AVERAGED 97 points, and we finished 20th in goals for.

 

[Louis Cypher]

If the kids show well at camp and in the Ahl I could see them trying to move Russel during the season.
That would open up a spot for Jones or Lagassen. Pearson or Bear should grab the one open on the right side out of camp. Cant see Bouchard jumping them right now. If he really forces the issue then maybe one of those on the right get traded.

We have how many that would have to go through waivers after this season? 4?

Bear, Jones, Lagesson and Pearson?

 

[LTIR]

We bought out our defensive depth.
We have one of the worst D group in NHL.. our AHL group might be close to the same level as our NHL group

 

[CupofOil]

The defense might not be good, but it’s the old lesser of 2 evils. Our wingers last season were arguably the worst in NHL history. Rieder turning into a pumpkin, and Pulju/Yamamoto being unable to play at the NHL level meant we didn’t have a single top 6 winger. Heck, we only had one top 9 winger (Chiasson) until we got Gagner.

We have 3 legit top 4 dmen, and one who is debatable (Russell). That’s not the end of the world, and we weren’t harmed by guys like Jones and Bouchard last year. Both of whom look like damn near locks to be top 4 dmen sometime between next year and a couple years from now.

Meanwhile, our top 3 centermen AVERAGED 97 points, and we finished 20th in goals for.

Obviously winger depth is an issue but that should be an easier fix than the defense especially with the centers the Oilers have.
All they need is somebody/anybody to score at an NHL level to have adequate scoring considering the top end talent.
I'd actually argue that #3C is just as big an issue.

Anyway, a team can't survive with a weak defense unless they have a Vezina level goalie backstopping them. Weak wingers can be covered up easier than a weak defense.
You say they have 3 legit top 4 D and while that may be true at times, the fact remains that one of those top 4 is injured a lot, the other has been far from a top 4 D the last 2 seasons and the other still has some big warts in his game. It's one of the worst defenses in the league and it won't get better until some moves are made and/or internal growth starts bearing some fruit.

I think most of us can agree that the Oilers have deficiencies at every level. Top 6 center is the only position of strength. Winger, #3C, defense, goaltending. All bottom of the league level.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Obviously winger depth is an issue but that should be an easier fix than the defense especially with the centers the Oilers have.
All they need is somebody/anybody to score at an NHL level to have adequate scoring considering the top end talent.
I'd actually argue that #3C is just as big an issue.

Anyway, a team can't survive with a weak defense unless they have a Vezina level goalie backstopping them. Weak wingers can be covered up easier than a weak defense.
You say they have 3 legit top 4 D and while that may be true at times, the fact remains that one of those top 4 is injured a lot, the other has been far from a top 4 D the last 2 seasons and the other still has some big warts in his game. It's one of the worst defenses in the league and it won't get better until some moves are made and/or internal growth starts bearing some fruit.

I think most of us can agree that the Oilers have deficiencies at every level. Top 6 center is the only position of strength. Winger, #3C, defense, goaltending. All bottom of the league level.

It's insane that the defense hasn't been upgraded once since the playoffs ended. And now Sekera is gone...

 

[BudBundy]

The defense is a huge question mark, as per usual. It could be good if the stars align. Klefbom stays healthy, Nurse’s brain catches up to his wheels, Larssons back holds up, and Russell’s decline in the second half is an aberration or can be covered off somehow by Persson, Benning etc and one or both of Bear and Jones take a step.

 

[BudBundy]

It's insane that the defense hasn't been upgraded once since the playoffs ended. And now Sekera is gone...

Pretty damning isnt it. The bright side, I guess, is that we didnt have Bouchard, Broberg, and Samorukov back then and the Nurse and Jones of three years ago are significantly better today and going forward.

 

[Mr Positive]

Sekera would have been a fanastic mentor. He thinks the game so well and is a wealth of knowledge. For me, the Sekera buyout was a bad idea in that regard. I dont think hell be that good of a D on the ice anymore, but his mentorship would have been immensely valuable for all of our D

I was thinking this as well, but you have to think that Sekera was a Holland type of D as well, and that he would have preferred to keep him and buy someone else out.

What this tells me is that the Sekera injury was worse than it seemed, and that he has truly lost a step. He looked good last season after coming back, but not amazing, and he was very heavily sheltered. I was thinking maybe he could have continued being sheltered on a sheltered third pairing with a rookie to mentor. But, perhaps we can't do that. Without a true elite top pairing, we need to roll three pairings.

That's also the problem I have with saying that maybe a rookie can solve our D problems. Sure, if we had a Dman like Suter, Hedman, or Giordano that could be done, but we don't have that luxury. So, that's why someone like Russell is valuable. Even if he's third pairing, it would be a third pair with a ton of minutes against some tough matchups. Sekera can't do that anymore. Maybe he can be sheltered in Dallas, with Klingberg and Heiskanen in their top 4, taking most the minutes

 

[Aerchon]

Not this again. It was the same thing with Musil/Gernat/Marincin and then even Reinhart

If you dont have actual NHL D depth, these guys are toast

Sekera buyout worst idea. Best mentor. Russell will be the Staios to our young Smids. Forget about everything useful and just clear the net and block some shots. We have seen this movie. Organization is enamored with and prioritizing things that are not scientifically supported as key indicators for win% success. **** em. Trashpile

I'm a huge fan of our defense "moving forward" and especially our prospects.

However.

I agree with those saying our prospects are unfortunately just that. As great as the group is we could easily have another... Schultz, Davidson, Musil, Marincin, Gilbert, and even Petry. Who was not good until his last year.

All of Jones, Bouchard, Lagesson Samorukov, Bear, Persson, and Broberg could easily be complimentary pieces at best and only after sucking for long periods of time. Extremely tough to have high expectations under the circumstances.

Keeping Sekera and moving Russell was a no brainer. Or even just keeping both.

For a GM speaking about not rushing prospects our defense this year is really relying on growth/development. Ditto next year.

In 3 to 5 years we "should" have a great defense. Long time to wait, a lot of growing pains, and likely not as good as one would think once all set.

It's an extremely long shot but having one of our guys, current or incoming, develop into a true 30 min a night #1 defenseman is honestly the only thing that will drastically improve our D.

 

[The Nuge]

Obviously winger depth is an issue but that should be an easier fix than the defense especially with the centers the Oilers have.
All they need is somebody/anybody to score at an NHL level to have adequate scoring considering the top end talent.
I'd actually argue that #3C is just as big an issue.

Anyway, a team can't survive with a weak defense unless they have a Vezina level goalie backstopping them. Weak wingers can be covered up easier than a weak defense.
You say they have 3 legit top 4 D and while that may be true at times, the fact remains that one of those top 4 is injured a lot, the other has been far from a top 4 D the last 2 seasons and the other still has some big warts in his game. It's one of the worst defenses in the league and it won't get better until some moves are made and/or internal growth starts bearing some fruit.

I think most of us can agree that the Oilers have deficiencies at every level. Top 6 center is the only position of strength. Winger, #3C, defense, goaltending. All bottom of the league level.

If it’s so easy to fix our wingers, and cover up weak ones, then why haven’t we been able to?

Teams like Washington, Toronto, San Jose, and Winnipeg all gave up close to as many goals as us. The difference? They weren’t in the bottom third in goals for.

13 of the 16 playoff teams were in the top 16 for goals for. The exceptions were the Stars, Preds, and Isles. Fix the forwards, or we’re never making the playoffs

 

[Weitz]

The defense might not be good, but it’s the old lesser of 2 evils. Our wingers last season were arguably the worst in NHL history. Rieder turning into a pumpkin, and Pulju/Yamamoto being unable to play at the NHL level meant we didn’t have a single top 6 winger. Heck, we only had one top 9 winger (Chiasson) until we got Gagner.

We have 3 legit top 4 dmen, and one who is debatable (Russell). That’s not the end of the world, and we weren’t harmed by guys like Jones and Bouchard last year. Both of whom look like damn near locks to be top 4 dmen sometime between next year and a couple years from now.

Meanwhile, our top 3 centermen AVERAGED 97 points, and we finished 20th in goals for.

I mean if you include a top line winger and the top 2 Cs you are right...

The D was bad last year. The wingers were worse. I think its more important to upgrade the D, but we did neither this year. Its easier to prevent scoring than to find scoring in the NHL. You need high level skill to win games by outscoring your opponents. We don't have the D that can stop scoring or the D that contribute to the high scoring. The D is a massive issue.