Player Discussion Dillon Simpson

[Aceboogie]

OBC is real on many teams. But for the Oilers it has been a big part of their 10 years of darkness.

I've actually watched a lot of AHL games... in seasons past... None this last year. But following the snippets/reports that I have from last year. Reinhart had a good year, ditto Fayne... can't say I heard enough chatter/hype about Simpson and in my previous viewings is that he does everything average at the AHL level.

Extremely hard to imagine a guy who is average or above average in the AHL ever being an NHL level player.

I think of a guy like Taylor Fedun and how good he looked even after his terrible accident and I think how Simpson will likely never be Taylor Fedun level good.

OBC and crappy GMing is a LOT different then picking a former players kid in a late round in a draft. Simpson then went on to do extremely well in the NCAA and someone Id call a good pick where he was drafted

Simpson is at or above the level was Davidson was at after 3 years. I must have read different things because I saw glowing reports. But those are all moot as the only thing that happens is what he does/doesnt do at training camp. Just tired of seeing people write off players because they have some sort of connection to OBC or they spent additional time in minors. Hes not a surefire NHLer but hes not a surefire minor league only player. Hes somewhere in the middle

The reason he is here is because he won major accolades in NCAA (first team allstar, NCAA champsionship, top 3 finishes for conference-best D/best player) and then good play in AHL

 

[tiger_80]

Guess he'll be fighting with Jones for 3rd pairing LD while Sekera is out.

Klefbom-Russell
Nurse-Larsson
X-Benning
Gryba

is how I see it. Simpson has paid his dues though so if all things are equal I guess he'll get the spot over Jones. I assume Simpson needs go through waivers too if he's sent down, so that adds another thing in his favor.

I think they will bring in a veteran d-man capable of playing up and down the depth chart and not thrust Nurse and Benning into the top 4. Simpson will be competing for the spot, but I see him more as the first call-up option at this point.

 

[tiger_80]

Hmm... not sure I'd break up the Klefbom/Larsson pairing. I'd also like to see how Russell can perform on his stronger side while Sekera is out.

Klefbom - Larsson
Russell - Benning
Nurse - XXX (Maybe Fayne?)
Gryba

I am surprised by the treatment Fayne received from the coaching staff. He's by no means a world beater, but he was more than capable playing on the bottom pairing. Certainly better than Gryba.

 

[oilynutz]

Klefbom-Larson
Nurse-Russell
Simpson-Benning
Gryba

Or

Klefbom-Larson
Russell-Gryba
Nurse-Benning
Simpson

In the second lineup I would expect the 2 bottom parings to be switched depending on the type of team we are playing. Russell and gryba playing more for the cycle/ crash and bang lineups and nurse and Benning for the quicker more skilled teams

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

All depends on training camp. Hopefully he sets the world on fire.

I don't think he has it in him to set the world on fire, but he is ideal as a depth defense man, cause he doesn't make many mistakes, not the type to pull off miraculous heroics, but he won't lose you a game like a Brad Hunt type would. Reminds me of a poor man's version of Mark Pysyk.

Accusations of nepotism in the selection of Simpson seem kind of weak to me, he is a pretty good player particularly in that portion of the draft, and unlike Musil he didn't seem like he was taken too early and doesn't have a fatal flaw like he can't skate at an NHL level. While sure it would be nice to have a crystal ball and take Gaudreau, Pageau, Manson, or Palat over him; he's above average for where he was selected and seems like he could potentially play 100+ games in the NHL.

 

[Shathar]

The ONLY thing that kinda (still) bothers me about the OBC is Lowe and MacT still being here. And I"m not even sure that bothers me anymore.

Here's to hoping that Dillon continues to progress and sticks with the team sooner rather than later.

 

[Pointteen]

I don't think he has it in him to set the world on fire, but he is ideal as a depth defense man, cause he doesn't make many mistakes, not the type to pull off miraculous heroics, but he won't lose you a game like a Brad Hunt type would. Reminds me of a poor man's version of Mark Pysyk.

Accusations of nepotism in the selection of Simpson seem kind of weak to me, he is a pretty good player particularly in that portion of the draft, and unlike Musil he didn't seem like he was taken too early and doesn't have a fatal flaw like he can't skate at an NHL level. While sure it would be nice to have a crystal ball and take Gaudreau, Pageau, Manson, or Palat over him; he's above average for where he was selected and seems like he could potentially play 100+ games in the NHL.

Palat would have been special. But lately our later draft picks seem at least tolerable.
Wish we kept Pitlick, but I understand why we want to bank on someone more likely to play 82 games

 

[The Panther]

It is increidbly ironic that Oilers fans pine for this long winded, Detriot style development (keep em in NCAA/junior for as along as possible, then 3/4 years in AHL). Then when it actually happens the same fans use it as a knock against them to question why they took so long to get to NHL. Damned if you do, damned if you dont I guess

I think you're stretching to try and draw any comparable with Detroit in the two past decades -- the difference being that Detroit was the best team in the NHL from about 1993 to 2012, while the Oilers were quite literally the worst team in the NHL from 2006 to 2016. If a borderline NHL-er spent years trying to crack the Red Wings' lineup, there's no shame in it.

No disrespect to Simpson; I'm just saying he's been eligible for six years and has thirty minutes' career NHL experience. For five of those six years, the Oilers were at the bottom and their #1 problem was lack of stable defensive defencemen. Despite this, they didn't deem Simpson worthy of getting a chance.

I wish him the best -- seems like a nice kid. Maybe this Sekera injury will be his big break...

 

[Aceboogie]

I think you're stretching to try and draw any comparable with Detroit in the two past decades -- the difference being that Detroit was the best team in the NHL from about 1993 to 2012, while the Oilers were quite literally the worst team in the NHL from 2006 to 2016. If a borderline NHL-er spent years trying to crack the Red Wings' lineup, there's no shame in it.

No disrespect to Simpson; I'm just saying he's been eligible for six years and has thirty minutes' career NHL experience. For five of those six years, the Oilers were at the bottom and their #1 problem was lack of stable defensive defencemen. Despite this, they didn't deem Simpson worthy of getting a chance.

I wish him the best -- seems like a nice kid. Maybe this Sekera injury will be his big break...

Im more talking about 2012 and on when Oil fans still demanded Detroit style development because Tartar, Nyqvuist etc were all 23 and in the minors so our guys should as well

On a side note: Detroit is quite possibly the worst drafting and developing team in the NHL over last 5/6 years. All those guys that were "marinating to perfection" in AHL were in reality just not all that good. Detriots been pumping out dud after dud for a while now, and at best they get a 2nd line guy like Tartar. All these guys like Jurco, Sheahan, Pulkinnen, Sproul, Frk etc all kind of just faded off after mass hype

 

[TheRebuild]

The ONLY thing that kinda (still) bothers me about the OBC is Lowe and MacT still being here. And I"m not even sure that bothers me anymore.

It only bothers me when they stick their stupid ******* faces out on TV...particularly Lowe. I swear, if they even show Lowe's face on TV up in the pressbox the Oilers start losing. If he does a between periods interview...instant blowout. He should have to wear a bag on his head when he attends games.

 

[jebs]

Where are these glowing reports from the AHL? I certainly haven't heard anything all that promising on his season.

He's also always been meh in camps, while with Davidson you could see the potential.

 

[yukoner88]

Where are these glowing reports from the AHL? I certainly haven't heard anything all that promising on his season.

He's also always been meh in camps, while with Davidson you could see the potential.

When Davidson began cracking the line up he was 23. Simpson is now 23. He's aged another year and developed another full season in the AHL. Lets wait to see how Simpson does at the next camp before writing him off.

 

[nabob]

I don't really feel strongly one way or the other on the player but if he actually cracks this years line up even as a #8 with as little as he has shown you got to wonder how many moves. Marincin, Davidson, Musil, and Reinhart were made with him in mind. He used to buried so far it was a pipe dream of playing even 10 games in the NHL for the Oilers. Still should be from how little he has shown.

To say that any of those moves were made for any other reason than the players themselves is a farce. I'm sure Simpson was viewed as being a better all around talent than any of them IMO.

And it might be time to let Marincin go. The guy quit in the AHL and was rightfully unloaded.