News Article: Oilers' offseason report card: Grade - C

[ottomaddox]

"Oilers Offseason Goals

Looking at their lack of production, the Oilers needed more from a number of forwards, but most importantly, they needed wingers.
While Leon Draisaitl proves to work well on the wing with McDavid, he’s a player who needs to center his own line, and beyond him, the Oilers lack depth on the right side.

Given the shortage of productive wingers, Edmonton threw unproven youngsters Jesse Puljujarvi and Ty Rattie into bigger roles on the top-6 and put higher expectations on their shoulders, moves that did not pay off."

Oilers offseason report card: Darnell Nurse re-signing remains unfinished summer business

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[Del Preston]

The Oilers also brought in Tobias Rieder, a versatile forward who can play center or wing. He spent 78 games between the Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings last season, registering 12 goals and 26 points. As the speedy Rieder continues to improve his production -- his career-high is 16 goals -- he will add depth and could slot in on the right side.

While Rieder is a strong addition, he’s not primarily a right wing, and this could lead to the Oilers back where they started, putting young players into too big a role, which could hurt their overall development.

Rieder has taken 93 faceoffs in his entire career. He's a winger.

 

[OilerTyler]

Our roster isn’t obviously better than last season’s starting roster (it might actually be worse) so a C might be generous

 

[McShogun99]

I'd give this offseason an A.

- PC didn't get robbed in a trade.

- PC didn't sign an overpriced UFA

- PC didn't overpay in dollars or term for any of the teams RFA's

- PC addressed the bottom six by signing Brodziak and Reider to good deals

- Replaced all the assistant coaches

 

[Del Preston]

Our roster isn’t obviously better than last season’s starting roster (it might actually be worse) so a C might be generous

I think today's roster looks a little better than opening night 2017.

Brodziak > Letestu
Rieder > Jokinen
Rattie < Maroon
Gravel ??? Gryba

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Our roster isn’t obviously better than last season’s starting roster (it might actually be worse) so a C might be generous

But are they better than how they ended the season? I think they are
Cause that’s what “off-season acquisitions” means

 

[Aerchon]

Terrible article.

I give the offseason a B myself. With very limited options I was pleasantly surprised how well we did.

You can say we are approximately the same team as the start of last year, which is really the same team that almost made the conference finals, and were projected to make the cup final last year too.

If not for Sekera being injured I would be very happy with this offseason.

 

[PaPaDee]

A couple of days ago, I would've given the off-season a "B-" rating. Given how much cap space we had, I think we might some nice additions. However, with Sekera's injury, that puts at a "D+/C-" rating. We really needed our full complement of healthy Dmen to compete.

 

[McShogun99]

A couple of days ago, I would've given the off-season a "B-" rating. Given how much cap space we had, I think we might some nice additions. However, with Sekera's injury, that puts at a "D+/C-" rating. We really needed our full complement of healthy Dmen to compete.

We can't put the Sekera injury on PC but we can put what he does to address it. I think we will see a cheap, bottom pairing, veteran defenceman signed to a 1 year deal and Nurse signed to a long term deal after Sekera is put on LTIR.

 

[KCC]

I'd give this offseason an A.

- PC didn't get robbed in a trade.

- PC didn't sign an overpriced UFA

- PC didn't overpay in dollars or term for any of the teams RFA's

- PC addressed the bottom six by signing Brodziak and Reider to good deals

- Replaced all the assistant coaches

Which brings his current rating to a D because he was an F before, right? lol

 

[OilerTyler]

But are they better than how they ended the season? I think they are
Cause that’s what “off-season acquisitions” means

It really isn't hard to improve on the roster we ended the season with, especially when you consider we didn't have any important players going to UFA.

The real benchmark for our off-season has to be how our team will stack up next season compared to the team we started last season with IMO.

 

[PositiveCashFlow]

JJ and Woody out, Yawney and Viverous in.

That’s a good underrated offseason move.

 

[lakai17]

I'd give this offseason an A.

- PC didn't get robbed in a trade.

- PC didn't sign an overpriced UFA

- PC didn't overpay in dollars or term for any of the teams RFA's

- PC addressed the bottom six by signing Brodziak and Reider to good deals

- Replaced all the assistant coaches

A great offseason as Chiarelli didn't get crazy.

Rieder and Koskinen are decent gambles. Brodziak adds a little depth and experience too.

 

[AM]

I give this off season a K.

They havent won a game in 3 months.

 

[Weitz]

C- or D for me.

Team isn't going to be any better this year. How this is possible with arguably the best player in the world is beyond me.

 

[Digger12]

C- or D for me.

Team isn't going to be any better this year. How this is possible with arguably the best player in the world is beyond me.

We'll see. I think they can't help but be better, if for no other reason than that they'll be going into this season with absolutely zero expectations of them from outside the organization, as compared to last year when they were getting lots of buzz and had some media outlets considering them one of the top teams in the Western conference. Both Talbot and Klefbom *should* be better which will be a big help, the coaching can't be any worse, and Larsson should have a clearer head with his dad's passing behind him.

The big question will be how much will they improve. Could be a lot, could be a small amount. Either way I don't see them as a bottom 5 team as long as McDavid and Draisaitl continue to stay healthy and productive...but a playoff team will be a long shot unless a couple of teams above them fall on their faces.

 

[Smartguy]

I think today's roster looks a little better than opening night 2017.

Brodziak > Letestu
Rieder > Jokinen
Rattie < Maroon
Gravel ??? Gryba

The degree of difference between Maroon and Rattie offsets that entire spectrum a tonne. You can say no reider is a better player but last season jokinen was viewed as great under the radar signing and most expected around 40 points, I would say about the same as one would hope for reider this year. Brodziak letestu are a wash to me.

Either way, like how bad last season was, we will be better because so many players had down years unlike the year before having career years. But we still didn’t do enough to be a playoff team in my opinion so a C is suffice.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

D.

Easy a D for Chia's work.

 

[ZJuice]

As long as TMac is the Oilers coach he will be a C or less.
Last off-season I gave him an F.

 

[XXIV97]

B- or C+

- Made no trades (involving key roster players)
- Added depth
- Solid draft
- Decent signings

However, PC failed to acquire another top 4 D to play in the top 4. To add on, he has failed to replace Sekera's role on the team.

 

[CycloneSweep]

B- or C+

- Made no trades (involving key roster players)
- Added depth
- Solid draft
- Decent signings

However, PC failed to acquire another top 4 D to play in the top 4. To add on, he has failed to replace Sekera's role on the team.

He didn't replace Sekeras role because he didn't expect him to injured his Achilles..

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

It really isn't hard to improve on the roster we ended the season with, especially when you consider we didn't have any important players going to UFA.

The real benchmark for our off-season has to be how our team will stack up next season compared to the team we started last season with IMO.

no, the real benchmark is where the team was at at the beginning of the offseason...and where it is at the end of the off-season

Sekera injury aside, this team is an improved team from April.

 

[the4thlinegrinder]

C’s get degrees, but do they compete for playoff spots?...

 

[McFlash97]

Offseason report card is a D- at best. The plan is in full motion, Lose Sekera, sign a bunch of NHL head coaches to work as assistants, make no noticeable changes on the backend , sign Reider, Brodziak and pray to god that the Oilers fluke their way to another 100 plus point season on McDavid and Draisaitl's back.


meanwhile that bald b**** is sitting somewhere on a beach sippin on some pina coladas

 

[XXIV97]

He didn't replace Sekeras role because he didn't expect him to injured his Achilles..

I probably should have been more clear in my original post. Peter Chiarelli knew that the Oilers lacked defensive depth to deal with an injury to Klefbom, Nurse, Larsson or Sekera. However, as you said, I cannot blame Peter Chiarelli for an off-season injury in which he had no control of.

The reason why I gave the Oilers management staff a B- was for their off-season work before Sekera's injury. If they do not add a capable defensemen to replace Sekera's role, I would give them a C+.

Oilers management staff have over a month to find a d-man capable of replacing this hole. It isn't Chiarelli's fault that Sekera got injured but it is his responsibility to find a replacement.