Post-Game Talk: Double The Fun!

[The Panther]

Man, it's sad to see that McDavid is in a dead-heat with Kucherov in points-per-game. He's not going to win the Art Ross (Kucherov will deservedly win that and the Hart trophy), but depending on these last six games, you'd have to figure that McDavid would win his third straight Art Ross if not for missing two games to illness and two games to a (highly dubious) two-game suspension.

Unbelievably, assuming Drai gets one more point, the Oil are going to be the third NHL team in history to miss the playoffs with two 100+ point scorers (after Quebec in 1988 and Pittsburgh in 1990). Even more unbelievably, they currently have the 2nd and 4th leading scorers in the League, and will miss. By comparison, Quebec did it with number 5 and 9, and Pittsburgh with number 4 and 9.

That's incredibly depressing.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Sniped more goals in. But never protected the puck or had the creativity or playmaking as he has had this year. And this year was riddled with roadblocks like injuries and suspensions. Also, his PPG is better this year than last year anyways if we want to reduce it to pure stats. The flashes of skill he's shown this year points to a player who's only just begun to show his true form. I'd like to see this through. Or we could do what the Oilers always do, when we ONCE IN BLUE MOON actually draft and develop depth from the lower rounds we trade them to supplement another teams depth (ala. Petry, ala. Pitlick)

“His true form” is a 4th liner with some offensive upside.

 

[TheNumber4]

“His true form” is a 4th liner with some offensive upside.

I think otherwise. And even if so, Boyle was super effective on the 4th line for lots of teams. Khaira can easily be that for us, and that would be great. Unless you want to keep trying the Letestus, and the Cammilieris, and the Jokinens of this league.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Yes to this.

There is an unprecedented event happening this summer in the NHL. The contractual landscape has been shifting to larger 2nd deals and this summer the shift will be seismic.

Never in the history of the NHL will so many 2nd contract young players be signing massive long term deals requiring their parent teams to ditch existing players to make cap room for them.

We are talking quality defensemen and 2nd 3rd line wingers, exactly what this team needs.

Without cap space available to take these deals and a willingness to move the first pick we will not be fishing in these rich waters. Our rivals however will be. Talent will be redistributed. But not to us meaning we risk falling further behind.

We’re talking quality players under contract and team control. Not free agents.

This is why I have been espousing the need to move Russell and or Lucic this summer which means the probable trade of JP at the same time.

This isn’t a great draft year and unless we draft in the top 3 it’s a good year to clear the space, and be in a position to trade for a 25-27 year old under contract that can help us now.

I agree with ya. To move Lucic, we will have to throw in a pick to entice a team to bite. I’m not ready to give up on Puljujarvi . I seen this man in jr and he was a force for Finland. I had big hopes for him and Saifin. Unfortunately, both of them suffered similar injuries. They are both very big men who can skate. Saifin plays his offwing.
I find in Edmonton that the coaching staff can ruin players. I realize ice time has to be earned but they seem to be playing head games with them. One day they are on line 1, next day line 4, next day press box. Hard on the confidence

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Yes. Trending up. As with all things hockey evaluation related, look at the games, the context, the performances rather than the black and white stats. He was playing his best hockey, making plays like he's never made before, then got injured. He came back, found his groove again, get's suspended. I'm banking on him continuing to improve and being an impact player for us. And I bet given a clean no injury, no suspension season my bet will pay off. You think otherwise, which is fine, neither of us can prove anything at this point, but I'm telling ya, we'll regret trading Khaira.

If Khaira is a useful trade piece (he probably is) it's because other GMs have identified his potential like I have, and like some hockey commentators have when talking about Khaira's game as well. We'll lose this trade because his current value isn't equal to his potential value (if whoever's scouting him scouts him correctly)

Agree he was playing some good hockey before suspensions and injury derailed his season. He’s a useful player but I think your overestimating his upside at an average of 41 points per year. I think a career year would be 30-35 points and his mean around 25. That makes him a fantastic 4th liner with the ability to play up the lineup on occasion as he’s demonstrated.

Teams this summer like Toronto are going to be looking to shed salary and take 4th line value players and prospects for better players that they are forced to move due to cap constraints.

I believe Khaira can help us get a much better player with proven scoring abilities this summer than wait and hope he develops into something that I don’t think he can become.

 

[dssource]

That was a fun game to watch. When the scoring started in the first I told my kids I wanted them to put up 10 on that pc of s##t team, but was hoping for 12.

Congrats to Drai on his first hatty! And with his dad in the stands watching. Very nice. What a player we have here. Does he have another level for next year? Hard to believe, but not out of the impossible.

Congrats to Nuge on his hatty as well. That was a special gift for @Drivesaitl

The captain with another 4pt night. Has he peaked or does he also have another level for next year? He and Drai playing like this when hope is lost. How do they play when we actually have a chance? Really pissed he likely won't win the scoring race this year.

Kosk doing his best Jonathan Quick impersonation. What a terrible contract signing that was. I really hope he gets help over the summer and puts things together for next year.

It's nice seeing that LA look completely defeated. Now that their players are at their lowest value, Kopitar for a 3rd? Doughty for a 6th? We'd be doing them a favour, right?

 

[fuswald]

I can imagine Penner there as well holding up a stack of pancakes

 

[MikeYEG]

Such a shame McDavid missed 4 games (2 of them thanks to this bush league). If he hadn't, he might win his 3rd straight Art Ross with crazy numbers, maybe 130+ points. And Drai would have more goals by now too, I'm sure.

 

[TheNumber4]

Agree he was playing some good hockey before suspensions and injury derailed his season. He’s a useful player but I think your overestimating his upside at an average of 41 points per year. I think a career year would be 30-35 points and his mean around 25. That makes him a fantastic 4th liner with the ability to play up the lineup on occasion as he’s demonstrated.

Teams this summer like Toronto are going to be looking to shed salary and take 4th line value players and prospects for better players that they are forced to move due to cap constraints.

I believe Khaira can help us get a much better player with proven scoring abilities this summer than wait and hope he develops into something that I don’t think he can become.

Khaira's trade value won't be near his value to us even if he just slightly improves again next year imo. Other GMs will want him if they are smart, but will low ball us due to his stats, injury, and suspension last year. Trending up players, we keep, or someone else gets the fruits of our development labor imo.

 

[Little Fury]

I prefer to have a plan/goal.

The goal is to win the Cup. The plan is to get NHL players who can get you there. I'm not sure what else there is.

 

[nally]

To think that Brandon Manning trade may have sewered our whole season makes me absolutely irate.
Do we win 3-4 more games with Caggiula here instead of B. Finng Manning? Probably... **** Chia!

Don't forget the 3rd

 

[ThePhoenixx]

The goal is to win the Cup. The plan is to get NHL players who can get you there. I'm not sure what else there is.

So you just go in there with no plan. I want to have set goals for a defense and an offense. A type of team that will win the cup. Sounds like you will just go, "He can play hockey. Trade for him."

I guess it doesn't matter what position he plays, his contract, or how he fits in to the team structure as long as he is good enough to play in the NHL.

Strange.

 

[Maverick41]

Man, it's sad to see that McDavid is in a dead-heat with Kucherov in points-per-game. He's not going to win the Art Ross (Kucherov will deservedly win that and the Hart trophy), but depending on these last six games, you'd have to figure that McDavid would win his third straight Art Ross if not for missing two games to illness and two games to a (highly dubious) two-game suspension.

Unbelievably, assuming Drai gets one more point, the Oil are going to be the third NHL team in history to miss the playoffs with two 100+ point scorers (after Quebec in 1988 and Pittsburgh in 1990). Even more unbelievably, they currently have the 2nd and 4th leading scorers in the League, and will miss. By comparison, Quebec did it with number 5 and 9, and Pittsburgh with number 4 and 9.

That's incredibly depressing.

It's not really the same, because it was a lockout season, but Tampa missed the playoffs in 2013 with St.Louis (60) and Stamkos (57) finishing #1 and #2 in scoring.

 

[Little Fury]

So you just go in there with no plan. I want to have set goals for a defense and an offense. A type of team that will win the cup. Sounds like you will just go, "He can play hockey. Trade for him."

I guess it doesn't matter what position he plays, his contract, or how he fits in to the team structure as long as he is good enough to play in the NHL.

Strange.

For a guy who whines about other people being disingenuous and things of that nature, you're sure being disingenuous here.

I made it pretty clear that the basis of the plan should be to acquire good NHL players. That those players would need to fit into the existing salary structure I would think would go without saying. However, as I already made clear, they need to avoid fixating on a specific area of need (like, for example, the defense) at the exclusion of others. That's all.

But since we're on the subject, what does your plan look like? Is it a five year plan like Chia's?

 

[ThePhoenixx]

For a guy who whines about other people being disingenuous and things of that nature, you're sure being disingenuous here.

I made it pretty clear that the basis of the plan should be to acquire good NHL players. That those players would need to fit into the existing salary structure I would think would go without saying. However, as I already made clear, they need to avoid fixating on a specific area of need (like, for example, the defense) at the exclusion of others. That's all.

But since we're on the subject, what does your plan look like? Is it a five year plan like Chia's?

I already laid out my plan for the defense. You criticized it by saying that I shouldn't have such a plan.

 

[Little Fury]

I already laid out my plan for the defense. You criticized it by saying that I shouldn't have such a plan.

LOL no I didn't.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

LOL no I didn't.

The last place the Oilers need to "cut" is the defense. It's razor thin as it is...one important dman goes down and they are done again. They need more NHL players, not less in an effort to cut costs.

If the Oilers could package some extras with Russell (he is still a useful, fan/player favorite, kind of dman. A serviceable 4/5) and turn him in to a right side 2/3, then they could pick up a 5/6 in free agency or small trade and have a good defense that could make the playoffs and sustain an injury.

Still haven’t got a #1 dman . Hard to believe but in 2-3 years, we will have a surplus of defence

And still have only three decent forwards. Doesn't matter how "serviceable" the d corps is, a team with this kind of forward depth is the furthest thing from a contender.

 

[Little Fury]

I didn't say anything specific about your plan, simply pointing out a fact.

But if you insist...

You want to upgrade the D to make this team a playoff club. Fine. But the likelihood of acquiring a 2-3 for Russell (an expensive 5-6 with a 10 team trade list) is slim to none. They'd be better off looking for a cheap 5-6 who can step up to a 4 spot in a pinch. the D is thin, but serviceable when healthy and it's only going to get better as players like Jones matriculate. The real gaping hole is up front. That, and goaltending, is where the focus should be this offseason.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

I didn't say anything specific about your plan, simply pointing out a fact.

But if you insist...

You want to upgrade the D to make this team a playoff club. Fine. But the likelihood of acquiring a 2-3 for Russell (an expensive 5-6 with a 10 team trade list) is slim to none. They'd be better off looking for a cheap 5-6 who can step up to a 4 spot in a pinch. the D is thin, but serviceable when healthy and it's only going to get better as players like Jones matriculate. The real gaping hole is up front. That, and goaltending, is where the focus should be this offseason.

Opinion as fact. Interesting.

Their record since Sekera returned does not support your argument.

 

[Little Fury]

Opinion as fact. Interesting.

???

Do you think all opinions need to be specifically identified as such because you're bad at reading context clues?

Their record since Sekera returned does not support your argument.

They are 10-8 with a +2 GD in that span, so I'm not sure what you think that record proves.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

???



They are 10-8 with a +2 GD in that span, so I'm not sure what you think that record proves.

With a recovering Sekera (75%) and Klefbom who was banged up again. Larsson playing hurt because he had to play for three dmen a good chunk of the season. Russell still playing above his role on his wrong side.

One does what I propose and the Oilers make the playoffs.

Let's take a look around for a team that is looking to rebuild/build and has a #3 available. Who gives a crap about this years pick sans winning the lottery. That player wont be ready for three years anyway. Add some more to it if you have to.

The defense should be first priority. It's sucked since Pronger left except for one year.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Khaira's trade value won't be near his value to us even if he just slightly improves again next year imo. Other GMs will want him if they are smart, but will low ball us due to his stats, injury, and suspension last year. Trending up players, we keep, or someone else gets the fruits of our development labor imo.

I agree we need to keep trending assets but I guess we have to respectfully agree to disagree on how far up Khaira is trending.