Do the Oilers make the playoffs?

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

People need to get the **** over it already.

People should also understand that a lot of things went right for the Oilers last year, including multiple injuries to other teams which resulted in a very mediocre Western Conference and the Oilers being almost perfectly healthy the entire year.

 

[Joey Moss]

People should also understand that a lot of things went right for the Oilers last year, including multiple injuries to other teams which resulted in a very mediocre Western Conference and the Oilers being almost perfectly healthy the entire year.

I can't think of anything other than Quick in LA and they were still garbage down the stretch with both Bishop and Quick so...

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I can't think of anything other than Quick in LA and they were still garbage down the stretch with both Bishop and Quick so...

Uh, Dallas?

 

[Joey Moss]

Uh, Dallas?

Sure, Dallas had injuries to mediocre players like Hemsky, Janmark, Hudler, Sharp. They also had the worst goaltending in the league. Injuries had nothing to do with them being worse than us.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Sure, Dallas had injuries to mediocre players like Hemsky, Janmark, Hudler, Sharp. They also had the worst goaltending in the league. Injuries had nothing to do with them being worse than us.

And yet with all those mediocre players they were the top team in the West the year before.... Injuries had an effect. With our so-so forward depth injuries like that would kill us.

And considering we're already missing someone on the back end...

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Of course not but Anaheim is just a teensy bit better than the Oilers. Their defense is also vastly better than ours.

Actually you should say that the Ducks and the referees combined are a bit better than the Oilers.

 

[Joey Moss]

And yet with all those mediocre players they were the top team in the West the year before.... Injuries had an effect. With our so-so forward depth injuries like that would kill us.

And considering we're already missing someone on the back end...

Dallas lost Goligoski, Russell, and Demers and decided to replace them with youth. We gained Lucic, Russell, Benning, and Larsson (all major upgrades only losing Hall) while Klefbom, McDavid, Draisaitl all took huge steps. That had a lot more to do with each teams' success than injuries did.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

And yet with all those mediocre players they were the top team in the West the year before.... Injuries had an effect. With our so-so forward depth injuries like that would kill us.

And considering we're already missing someone on the back end...

Oilers had 351 games lost to injuries last year. Your argument concerning Dallas is untrue and baseless.

 

[McDeepika]

The gap between McDavid and the next best player in the division is massive. That right there should pretty much guarantee us a spot.

 

[Aceboogie]

I'd say yes but I'm not 100% sure. Any of our major players get injured or have a down year and we could miss

 

[KCC]

I'd say yes but I'm not 100% sure. Any of our major players get injured or have a down year and we could miss

I think it's strange how so many think they will be in the finals or cup contenders esp on the main boards. No one expected them to be where they were last year so they did overachieve. Now so many think it wasn't a fluke. I think they will be a bubble team and could even miss just like last year except this season it'll happen. Back down to reality. But what do I know

 

[Hockeyholic]

Babcock, who is considered one of the best coaches, has won 1 Stanley Cup, and Todd was his assistant on that team. It's not easy to win a Cup, and until you win one as a head coach, there will always be questions and doubts. Maybe, it was the main players that he had in SJ, maybe they didn't have what it takes, it's impossible to know. But to write him off because SJ fans and you don't believe he has what it takes to get a team over the top, seems a little silly. There are many teams that would love to have Todd as their head coach. I'm not ready to say he doesn't have what it takes, and I definitely feel he's one of the best coaches in the NHL.

Meh. If the Oilers could get Quenneville I'd be ecstatic.

 

[McTrashBoat]

The gap between McDavid and the next best player in the division is massive. That right there should pretty much guarantee us a spot.

For forwards who's the next best in the whole west?

Benn, Kane?

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Oilers had 351 games lost to injuries last year. Your argument concerning Dallas is untrue and baseless.

You know how many of those were taken up by Ference and Hendricks?

 

[T-Funk]

I think it's strange how so many think they will be in the finals or cup contenders esp on the main boards. No one expected them to be where they were last year so they did overachieve. Now so many think it wasn't a fluke. I think they will be a bubble team and could even miss just like last year except this season it'll happen. Back down to reality. But what do I know

Just like Chicago and Pittsburgh getting good, it's completely unexpected until it actually happens. Then it "was so obvious" with players like kane toews Fleury Crosby Malkin mcdavid draisaitl Talbot.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

You know how many of those were taken up by Ference and Hendricks?

No, I don't know. Can you please look it up for me?

As an aside, not sure what that's got to do with the argument.

 

[rboomercat90]

We should but it's by no means a given. Teams will be gunning for the Oilers next year and we're already starting off the season with injury problems.

Teams were already gunning for the Oilers last year. That's what happens when you have a player like McDavid. How many times did Calgary get a teams number two goalie last year and we got the starter? They weren't taking anybody by surprise. Not sure why you keep discrediting the season they had. They were full value for their 103 points. Injuries could happen to any team at any time and enough of them could derail the season of any team. Not sure why you'd bring that up. Sekera will miss some time but we have other guys that can step up short term.

We saw what appeared to be a much tighter dressing room last year with the deletion of Taylor Hall. I think it'll be even tighter moving forward now that the entitled Eberle is gone too. It had to burn some guys to look across the room and see one of the highest paid players on the team not contribute and just float along while they are sacrificing their bodies to try and win. That element won't exist anymore and the result will be a better team. The Oilers move from good team to elite team this year, of course they'll make the playoffs.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

No, I don't know. Can you please look it up for me?

As an aside, not sure what that's got to do with the argument.

Well 82 of those games went to Ference. Hendricks missed about half the season, and Pitlick mised 51 games.

We had 8 players play the entire 82 game season, including our top 5 scorers. Klefbom also played the entire season, Maroon missed 1, Sekera missed 2, Kassian and Larsson missed 3 each and Letestu 4.

Oh and let's not forget that Talbot played a staggering 70+ games.

The only mainstays that missed significant time were Russell (14 games) and Nurse (38 games). The Oilers had a very, very healthy season.

 

[rboomercat90]

Well 82 of those games went to Ference. Hendricks missed about half the season, and Pitlick mised 51 games.

We had 8 players play the entire 82 game season, including our top 5 scorers. Klefbom also played the entire season, Maroon missed 1, Sekera missed 2, Kassian and Larsson missed 3 each and Letestu 4.

Oh and let's not forget that Talbot played a staggering 70+ games.

The only mainstays that missed significant time were Russell (14 games) and Nurse (38 games). The Oilers had a very, very healthy season.

I'm sure it's only a coincidence that we became a healthier team when we became a much more physical team.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Well 82 of those games went to Ference. Hendricks missed about half the season, and Pitlick mised 51 games.

We had 8 players play the entire 82 game season, including our top 5 scorers. Klefbom also played the entire season, Maroon missed 1, Sekera missed 2, Kassian and Larsson missed 3 each and Letestu 4.

Oh and let's not forget that Talbot played a staggering 70+ games.

The only mainstays that missed significant time were Russell (14 games) and Nurse (38 games). The Oilers had a very, very healthy season.

Ference missing the season still hurt the Oilers as there were off-season cap implications. Hendricks missing "about half the season" sounds like you are just pulling things out of the air. Besides, Hendricks was very productive when healthy. A healthy Hendricks would have helped. Pitlick was going to score 20-25. He was a big loss.

If you want to know more important Oiler players that were injured you can look at the post above mine that you ignored.

It actually appears that the Oilers had more injury woes than Dallas, not the other way around. Interesting.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Ference missing the season still hurt the Oilers as there were off-season cap implications. Hendricks missing "about half the season" sounds like you are just pulling things out of the air. Besides, Hendricks was very productive when healthy. A healthy Hendricks would have helped. Pitlick was going to score 20-25. He was a big loss.

If you want to know more important Oiler players that were injured you can look at the post above mine that you ignored.

It actually appears that the Oilers had more injury woes than Dallas, not the other way around. Interesting.

Don't kid yourself, Pitlick wasn't going to score 20-25 goals. He was shooting at a high percentage and he got hurt on a routine hit.

McDavid, Draisatl, and Klefbom all played the entire season along with Talbot playing 70+ games. Those are our most important players and the fact that all of them were healthy helped the Oilers significantly.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Don't kid yourself, Pitlick wasn't going to score 20-25 goals. He was shooting at a high percentage and he got hurt on a routine hit.

McDavid, Draisatl, and Klefbom all played the entire season along with Talbot playing 70+ games. Those are our most important players and the fact that all of them were healthy helped the Oilers significantly.

So, all of Dallas's stars were healthy last year too. What's your point?

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

So, all of Dallas's stars were healthy last year too. What's your point?

But they still suffered because their depth took a beating. The Oilers didn't suffer too much from the injuries they had.

The point is the Oilers had a very healthy season. Their most important players were completely healthy and the only real significant piece they lost for any significant time was Nurse and even then they were able to overcome it.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Well 82 of those games went to Ference. Hendricks missed about half the season, and Pitlick mised 51 games.

We had 8 players play the entire 82 game season, including our top 5 scorers. Klefbom also played the entire season, Maroon missed 1, Sekera missed 2, Kassian and Larsson missed 3 each and Letestu 4.

Oh and let's not forget that Talbot played a staggering 70+ games.

The only mainstays that missed significant time were Russell (14 games) and Nurse (38 games). The Oilers had a very, very healthy season.

so were the Flames, Ducks, and Sharks (until the final 10 games)

any team that stays healthy will perform better and injuries can happen to any team...not sure what makes the Oilers so unique

 

[ThePhoenixx]

But they still suffered because their depth took a beating. The Oilers didn't suffer too much from the injuries they had.

The point is the Oilers had a very healthy season. Their most important players were completely healthy and the only real significant piece they lost for any significant time was Nurse and even then they were able to overcome it.

So what you are saying is that the Oilers have much better depth than Dallas does. Sounds like they can't lose anyone without it hurting them big time.