Is this year....like....the worst year?

[BoldNewLettuce]

For a while now its seemed like every year has been worse than the last. I think after we got Nuge, maybe? I'm not sure it kind of all blends together. Like when we used to talk about moving Pajaarvi to defense? Those were classic times. The whirlwind of suck since then, though, my god.

I think part of it is perception. Every year had such promise, such hope and then the failure was just such a let down. But then...more than the perception....was that the actual team was in fact awful.....and yet still somehow left just enough juice in the tank to renew those hopes again for another season. We could add guys like Belov, Schultz or coast on the thought that Dubnyk was about the break through then throw in that new top prospect and the team just seemed more promising.

This year we landed a real coach, and McDavid --The Super Promise.
....in some ways we were ready....we've been through this before. But in other ways, losing McDavid, having the same weaksauce stretches where no matter what we won't get any points--is it a new low? Is next year worse? How can it get worse? Or is it this year? When is the bottoming out? IS IT NOW?

OH wouldn't that be great! I wish upon a star that this the lowest of the low.

Honestly though, I figured we can reminisce on the past decade or the current cluster****-Oilers and maybe come to some sort of psychological breakthrough.

Click to read more...

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

For a while now its seemed like every year has been worse than the last. I think after we got Nuge, maybe? I'm not sure it kind of all blends together. Like when we used to talk about moving Pajaarvi to defense? Those were classic times. The whirlwind of suck since then, though, my god.

I think part of it is perception. Every year had such promise, such hope and then the failure was just such a let down. But then...more than the perception....was that the actual team was in fact awful.....and yet still somehow left just enough juice in the tank to renew those hopes again for another season. We could add guys like Belov, Schultz or coast on the thought that Dubnyk was about the break through then throw in that new top prospect and the team just seemed more promising.

This year we landed a real coach, and McDavid --The Super Promise.
....in some ways we were ready....we've been through this before. But in other ways, losing McDavid, having the same weaksauce stretches where no matter what we won't get any points--is it a new low? Is next year worse? How can it get worse? Or is it this year? When is the bottoming out? IS IT NOW?

OH wouldn't that be great! I wish upon a star that this the lowest of the low.

Honestly though, I figured we can reminisce on the past decade or the current cluster****-Oilers and maybe come to some sort of psychological breakthrough.

This year is easier for me to accept.

Chia isn't spewing nonsense how we are great and look visually better and just being crazy. He admits there is a lot of work left and that this year we were going to see what we had. He was honest going in.

Same with McLellan, he says there is a lot of work and there is a work in progress and that there are a lot of things to do.

Management is deluded, they k ow what needs to be done and that helps me accept it.

Still hurts thogh.

 

[thadd]

Don't like how we spent so much on reinhart just to have him wasting his time and ours in the NHL this year.
Think we overpaid for Gryba.
Korp can get waived next year. Probably Lander too.

But yes... he made some moves to put together a skeleton hockey team for this season.

Refuse to believe he doesn't do something crazy like trade at least 2 of Hopkins, Hall, Eberle, Yak and Leon at the end of the season.

Nurse will be back next year.
Nurse and Hall should be safe, but you never know. Hall doesn't play super responsible hockey.

 

[Up the Irons]

no. They are final playing NHL calibre hockey. the last two years they wouldn't beat the Hershey Bears.

There's a light at the end of the tunnel. you can see something there. It's just a matter of swapping out failed projects to supplement the McD/Drai/Nurse core

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

Nah. It was expected. A lack of defense is essentially the root of all problems for the Oilers.

Goaltending is obviously largely a product of defense. Our bottom six scoring is terrible because none of our bottom pairing defenders can generate offense. Fourth liners tend to play with the top pairing, who haven't done much offensively. Our offense struggles unless it's a great high skill play because we lack point shots and consistent breakouts.

Petry for Sekera was a lateral move at best. We need to trade some assets for defense. Chia will get it don't. McLellan will get the team playing well too. We just need patience

 

[Diamondillium]

#herecometheoilers

 

[Soundwave]

Nah. McDavid will be skating again at practice in a couple of weeks and then he'll be back and that'll ease the pain. Last year was worse.

 

[Hopelesslucicfan]

Every year it gets worse.

I mean, sure theres that "light at the end of the tunnel" everyone keeps talking about which is nice, but that's been there for 10 years already.

I don't care what anyone tells me, this team is no better than it has ever been until it starts winning.

No stats will change my mind outside of wins, and this is just another year, where we don't have what it takes to get them.

This however, is the only year that I don't have a scapegoat that I fool myself into thinking is the problem like the coach or GM, as both of these guys have proven track records.

This year, it's 100% on the players. We shouldn't need McDavid to come in and save us from our lack of scoring, or our inability to make a save, but we're at that point, and it sucks.

I'm really having a hard time believing we will ever go anywhere with the core group we have. Outside of Mcdavid, Drai, RNH, Nurse, and Klefbom, I'm up for anything. It's time to realize the NHL is about more than just a skilled top 6, and a bottom six that can't score in a brothel.

 

[Tarus]

Nah, worst years were the ones under Mactavish, easily.

Nothing will ever top watching those team try to play hockey under the massive disaster of a coach that was Eakins, knowing that Mact would never be able to fix any of it because he was a colossal idiot, all the while feeling the hopelessness and despair of believing the new GM would never get fired because he was best buds with the owner.

I would rather watch the 2010 season from start to finish, 5 years in a row, than suffer through that again.

 

[KarmaPolice]

We're in almost every game. The team is being better coached, and they're buying into the system, which is mostly good. The problem is the depth. Our bottom 6 is awful (inherited from MacT), and our D is mostly awful (Sekera has been underwhelming, but not nearly as bad as Grebeshkov, Belov, Nikitin, Ference, Fayne and many more that MacT signed). MacT put us in a HUGE hole. Gonna take a while to get out of it and fill in the gaps with legit NHL players who are very skilled for the role they play.

So I wouldn't say it worse, but it's still bad. We still have a LONG way to go before we can realistically even THINK about making the playoffs. Get ready for another 2 years of waiting after this season.

 

[Up the Irons]

Every year it gets worse.

I mean, sure theres that "light at the end of the tunnel" everyone keeps talking about which is nice, but that's been there for 10 years already.

I don't care what anyone tells me, this team is no better than it has ever been until it starts winning.

No stats will change my mind outside of wins, and this is just another year, where we don't have what it takes to get them.

This however, is the only year that I don't have a scapegoat that I fool myself into thinking is the problem like the coach or GM, as both of these guys have proven track records.

This year, it's 100% on the players. We shouldn't need McDavid to come in and save us from our lack of scoring, or our inability to make a save, but we're at that point, and it sucks.

I'm really having a hard time believing we will ever go anywhere with the core group we have. Outside of Mcdavid, Drai, RNH, Nurse, and Klefbom, I'm up for anything. It's time to realize the NHL is about more than just a skilled top 6, and a bottom six that can't score in a brothel.

but there was no light last year. this organization was in complete disarray. they had no clue what to do next. then Mact trades Petry for a late 2nd. rock bottom.

You have to admit it's getting better. (Lennon/McCartney)

 

[Broilers]

Korp can get waived next year. Probably Lander too.

Why not this year there is no place in NHL for Lander. The bottom six must be traded away. Only Hendricks has justified him to be with the team. Both Nurse and Reinhart should be sent for AHL. They are learning bad habbits of losing .

 

[Broilers]

no. They are final playing NHL calibre hockey. the last two years they wouldn't beat the Hershey Bears.

There's a light at the end of the tunnel. you can see something there. It's just a matter of swapping out failed projects to supplement the McD/Drai/Nurse core

Hall McDavid Drai Nurse Klefbom 2016 pick are keepers
Core needs to be completed with powerforward, nro1 defense man and nro1 goalie. You trade whatever it takes to get them.

 

[Up the Irons]

Hall McDavid Drai Nurse Klefbom 2016 pick are keepers
Core needs to be completed with powerforward, nro1 defense man and nro1 goalie. You trade whatever it takes to get them.

why the 2016th pick? we of all fanbases should know that even a high pick is a crap shoot, even a 1st OA. We're only batting .500 on our 1st OAs.

If our 1st rounder ends up being 3rd or later, see if we can trade it Shattenkirk or something like that.

 

[Aceonfire*]

The Oilers will be stuck in this loop forever.

Nothing goes right. Even when we get a generational talent he only lasts 12 games before going on IR for 3-4 months.

The worst part is that we need to have patience. People want to trade away the core but that's the worst thing to do.

Turning over the roster every year and firing the coach every year has been part of the problem.

Eberle and Hall are the longest serving Oilers. That's mind boggling.

It sucks but they need to stay on this path. The Oilers are buying into the new system. The players are developing. They are also close and as fans that watch, we can see it.

They just need that one final piece to push them over the edge. And no..that piece isn't Matthews.

 

[Bangers]

Last year was the worst season in my decades of watching hockey and the only time I've actually considered giving up on the team - this time last year, it seemed like Lowe and MacT were entrenched in their positions and nothing was ever going to change. I can probably watch hockey for another 20 years and that will still go down as the worst year ever.

I wasn't too happy with the Reinhart move, but his season is as expected - he's too young to make an impact on a blueline that is a mix of too young or too inadequate.

I also didn't like Chia not buying out Nikitin and signing a veteran defenceman to buy Nurse and Reinhart some time.

Really though, this season hasn't been that bad (comparatively). They have played well on most nights; when you consider that they were hot garbage last year, have been learning a new/actual system, and have had a stupid number of injuries, it's hard to honestly see how they could be doing better than they are.

Plus, the (much earlier than expected) development of Nurse and Draisaitl, and the improvements to Klefbom's game have been definite positives.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

I don't like the idea of 'we're getting better'.


The entire league is getting better. The problem is, its at a faster rate than what we are. Look at Dallas, look at Carolina. Hell, look at Arizona.

Better isnt good enough until we get wins.

 

[Tarus]

I don't like the idea of 'we're getting better'.


The entire league is getting better. The problem is, its at a faster rate than what we are. Look at Dallas, look at Carolina. Hell, look at Arizona.

Better isnt good enough until we get wins.

That doesn't make any sense, it's not possible for the entire league to get better. Dallas/Arizona are improved, and Anaheim/Tbay and some others are worse as a result.

Carolina makes for a poor example as well. They were tied for last in the league with the Oilers as early as last Sunday, and probably will finish in the bottom 5 by the end of the year once again.

 

[thadd]

Nah. McDavid will be skating again at practice in a couple of weeks and then he'll be back and that'll ease the pain. Last year was worse.

Maybe he'll be in practice in a month. He can't even work out. He's been doing some basic movements so that his body does't heal the wrong way.

 

[Oilfan2]

no. They are final playing NHL calibre hockey. the last two years they wouldn't beat the Hershey Bears.

There's a light at the end of the tunnel. you can see something there. It's just a matter of swapping out failed projects to supplement the McD/Drai/Nurse core

Yeah, I'm sure you're right....

It wasn't that long ago we had Gagner, Cogliano and Nilsson that we were building our team around. We just needed some complimentary players and we were on our way....damn.

Yeah, but then we had a real group to build around...Hall, RNH and Eberle..Now that's a core. We should have no problems competing in the very near future with these guys......damn.

Ok, well it has to be McD, Drai and Nurse then. That will get us to the promised land...There's a light at the end of the tunnel, we are rounding a corner....damn.

Ok, I know we've said it's coaching for the last 9 years but this year is different. We're not going to be close to last place and be on our way.....damn.

 

[Hammertyme]

Hey did you expect better? Your Team was out muscled in nearly every place on the ice. We have skill and speed at the expense of battle. Skill is nice but if you constantly get our battled good luck.

 

[smokersarejokers]

Having McLellan, McDavid and Chiarelli makes me feel much better than past years.

Draisaitl is killing it right now.

Defence needs a lot of work, but I think Chiarelli will sort that out. Jakob Chychrun is a beast and is exactly what they need to add to this core.

Goaltending has me very worried...

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

There's always next year...

Losing just stops hurting after awhile. Last night's game felt like it was the Eakins years.

Visually they're better but they still make the same crucial mistakes that end up in the back of their net. Progress isn't made by continuing to lose.

 

[Halibut]

Personally I believe Katz sold the Oilers soul to get the knew arena built. Maybe once they're playing in it we'll be competitive again. If not I can hardly wait for the 2018 starting lineup where all our top 6 forwards will be 1st overall picks.

 

[thalegion]

Personally I believe Katz sold the Oilers soul to get the knew arena built. Maybe once they're playing in it we'll be competitive again. If not I can hardly wait for the 2018 starting lineup where all our top 6 forwards will be 1st overall picks.

Oilers wouldn't be in Edmonton today without Darryl Katz, people tend to forget that.