Edmonton Oilers 2015-16 Season in Review

[HotToddy75]

I don't get this team and it's obsession with injuries. In 2009-10 the Oilers lost 530 man games due to injury and had 10 different guys that were shut down including Hemsky, Khabibulin, Smid, Gagner and Souray. This year, 368 man games lost. The team even keeps track of this stat! And posts it on its website! Most teams don't do that, and if they do, only for the current year (not a history going back 6 years). Type "NHL man games lost" into google, and the fourth website listed is "Oilers Injuries: Lead NHL in Man Games Lost". At this point, It's just starting to feel like an excuse to me.

My theory is that on playoff calibre teams, the players will play through injuries for each other. On teams like our Oilers, the players take every chance to sit out and stay healthy.

Would any of us risk a career to play an extra few games with the Oilers?

 

[Ferocian]

Oh, people on HFoil have corrected my statistical reasoning all the time. it's a great community for collectively figuring out why and how our team is so ******* awful.

Yeah I'm impressed. A friend of mine told me about these boards. I'd previously been really active on the /r/edmontonoilers subreddit but the quality of posts here are much higher. It's funny how a lack of voting system can actually encourage quality submissions more by allowing for critical thought without having to worry about if your post is "mainstream" enough. Either that or the type of people to frequent an oldschool style of message board are more likely to be smart.

 

[McDraekke]

My theory is that on playoff calibre teams, the players will play through injuries for each other. On teams like our Oilers, the players take every chance to sit out and stay healthy.

Would any of us risk a career to play an extra few games with the Oilers?

I realize that this is a theory... but you have no way of having any kind of evidence to support this. Nuge alone shows you that he will play through injuries, and when he does this people get upset. But you're saying it's a negative thing if a player sits when he is injured? This is a very strange post.

 

[Aceboogie]

Oh, people on HFoil have corrected my statistical reasoning all the time. it's a great community for collectively figuring out why and how our team is so ******* awful.

The injuries thing was surely a factor this year, but it's really hard to quantify definitively. One thing I will say is that the addition of players back to the lineup rarely made a difference. McD comes back, our points per game stays the same. Eberle, RNH, same. If any injuries really mattered this year, I think the Klefbom and Davidson ones did.

I actually really agree with your assessment. Although when McDavid came back the team started to become unglued a bit. They were no longer losing 1 goal games, they were losing 2-3 goal games. I think they had that excitement for first 30 games and it died by Jan. So its hard to say that McDavid coming back and the team not turning around prove it wont happen next year with a healthy McDavid.

To the person who stated Oilers had more man games lost in 2009. I think the more important figure is quality of man games lost. I mean is losing Ference or Robidas really equal to losing Klefbom? Or losing Gagner equal to losing McDavid

On that same note, Columbus led in man games lost and quality of man games lost last year. Look at where they are this year. It is far from a guaratnee that an unhealthy team will rebound in the next year

However I think injuries played a big part (amongst poor play). I do not think wed be a playoff team or anything, but wed probably see a significant amount more of close games, and probably 6 or 7 more wins.

 

[Aceboogie]

My theory is that on playoff calibre teams, the players will play through injuries for each other. On teams like our Oilers, the players take every chance to sit out and stay healthy.

Would any of us risk a career to play an extra few games with the Oilers?

This is actually the direct opposite of what has happened with Oilers in past 10 years. Players have actually been rushed back from injury and gotten further injuries because of it. No player on any team is going to willfully sit ou when healthy no matter the team. That is points they are giving up and potential money in FA they are giving up, or chance to cement your name and legacy

Really odd post, and completely made up

 

[McGoMcD]

Despite people calling it an excuse and saying teams should just some how win no matter what. The biggest factor in deciding how good your season will go is injuries. Team with horrible injuries are always at the bottom. This team just had brutal injuries all year. Think if Klef didn't get staf and McDavid never broke his collar bone, nothing else, just say those injuries didn't happen. I think this team wins 4-5 more games. Still would have been a disappointing year, but no one would be that down about it. We would have been the playoff mix and every one would be exited going into next year.


On a further note we clearly need to get better in the goals for department next year. This team should not be 26th in goals for.

 

[Hopelesslucicfan]

Despite people calling it an excuse and saying teams should just some how win no matter what. The biggest factor in deciding how good your season will go is injuries. Team with horrible injuries are always at the bottom. This team just had brutal injuries all year. Think if Klef didn't get staf and McDavid never broke his collar bone, nothing else, just say those injuries didn't happen. I think this team wins 4-5 more games. Still would have been a disappointing year, but no one would be that down about it. We would have been the playoff mix and every one would be exited going into next year.


On a further note we clearly need to get better in the goals for department next year. This team should not be 26th in goals for.

With some improvement on the PP, and a couple top 4 puck moving Dmen, I think we jump into top 15 next year imo.