Confirmed with Link: Oilers sign Tobias Rieder (1 Year $2M)

[Dazed and Confused]

He was well on his way to 20 last year until McLellan decided to make some puzzling decisions with him. Get him away from Lucic. Give him 16-17 minutes per night in the top 6 instead of 13, and more than 44 seconds per night on the 2nd PP (and actually play him at the spot on the PP where he should be) and I guarantee you he will hit 20+ goals this season.

Hopefully Rieder steals that 2nd line LW spot due to Leon, forcing TMac to go with RNH-McDavid, Rieder-Draisial as the LW-C combos in the top 6.


Honestly Lucic and Pulju shouldn't be deployed together, they mesh like ice cream on pizza...

It's a pity Slepyshev left as he was a good fit with Lucic, and I wouldn't have minded seeing him with Strome and Lucic. Though you still have Kassian, and I could see him working well with those two.

Lucic-Strome-Kassian... Sort of like a far crapper version of Lucic-Krejci-Horton.

Would leave you with Khaira-Brodziak-Aberg/Caggiula as the 4th line.

Does that work as a bottom 6?

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Yah. Lucic being 3lw 1pp might work.

 

[Draiskull]

Yah. Lucic being 3lw 1pp might work.

not again!!!!

Lucic needs to earn that role.. Being a big $6M pilon that can screen the goalie should not be enough to get him that role.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

not again!!!!

Lucic needs to earn that role.. Being a big $6M pilon that can screen the goalie should not be enough to get him that role.

As long as they are winning (if they have upper tier goaltebding) then they should spoon scoring minutes onto lucics greasy furrowed brow to max out his value.

 

[JetsOilersfan]

Form Dec 12 onward he had 54 points in 28 games. That's 1.92 points per game. That pace would have put him second in PPG. He had 15 points in his last 10 games as well which over the course of the WHL season would have been 108 points.

Sure, and he had 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points in 7 playoff games. I'll repeat - I didn't see anything from him this past season that told me he was ready to make the jump to the NHL. That doesn't mean he won't, I have no idea what kind of training camp he'll have. But I also maintain that for him to be an effective NHL player this coming season he'll have to really dazzle, he's too small to be a fringe player and if that's all he is he'll need to hone his craft in the AHL. Unless of course, you like having a stake in the draft lottery every year. If you do, then for your sake I hope Yam is our #1 RW this coming season lol

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Sure, and he had 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points in 7 playoff games. I'll repeat - I didn't see anything from him this past season that told me he was ready to make the jump to the NHL. That doesn't mean he won't, I have no idea what kind of training camp he'll have. But I also maintain that for him to be an effective NHL player this coming season he'll have to really dazzle, he's too small to be a fringe player and if that's all he is he'll need to hone his craft in the AHL. Unless of course, you like having a stake in the draft lottery every year. If you do, then for your sake I hope Yam is our #1 RW this coming season lol

We can send him to Bako if he struggles. See what he can do with a chance and then make the call.

 

[Bangers]

I'd rather do the opposite and play Lucic in the top 6 at ES and keep him as far away from the PP/PK as possible.

 

[Fourier]

Sure, and he had 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points in 7 playoff games. I'll repeat - I didn't see anything from him this past season that told me he was ready to make the jump to the NHL. That doesn't mean he won't, I have no idea what kind of training camp he'll have. But I also maintain that for him to be an effective NHL player this coming season he'll have to really dazzle, he's too small to be a fringe player and if that's all he is he'll need to hone his craft in the AHL. Unless of course, you like having a stake in the draft lottery every year. If you do, then for your sake I hope Yam is our #1 RW this coming season lol

He was hurt just before the playoffs started and played hurt throughout.

No one is advocating that he be given a spot. But if he earns it he earns it.

 

[Mr Positive]

I'd rather do the opposite and play Lucic in the top 6 at ES and keep him as far away from the PP/PK as possible.

Lucic on the PK is madness, but on the PP he makes sense.

I know it hasn't worked there last season but imo it is only because our PP was not functioning properly. His role is to stand in front of the net and pick up the garbage, but that strategy only works if you have good cycling and shots from the point. Lucic plays a strong territorial game, but our team could only find offense in transition plays, which is the opposite of a territorial game. Even McDavid isn't quite the PP player he could be, and it's not because he's not good enough. Our PP simply cannot cycle the puck correctly, and cannot get shots from the point through, and in that situation you will opt for quick, piercing plays rather than territorial play like cycling.

I swear if that is a measured stat, we would be dead last. Something like "average time of puck control in the offensive zone". I don't mean total time over a game, but the average length of a single possession in the offensive zone

 

[CycloneSweep]

Lucic on the PK is madness, but on the PP he makes sense.

I know it hasn't worked there last season but imo it is only because our PP was not functioning properly. His role is to stand in front of the net and pick up the garbage, but that strategy only works if you have good cycling and shots from the point. Lucic plays a strong territorial game, but our team could only find offense in transition plays, which is the opposite of a territorial game. Even McDavid isn't quite the PP player he could be, and it's not because he's not good enough. Our PP simply cannot cycle the puck correctly, and cannot get shots from the point through, and in that situation you will opt for quick, piercing plays rather than territorial play like cycling.

I swear if that is a measured stat, we would be dead last. Something like "average time of puck control in the offensive zone". I don't mean total time over a game, but the average length of a single possession in the offensive zone

Yeah Woodcraft was literally throwing shit at the wall last season. I saw Lucic in a shooting role on the PP. With real shooters on the PP you need a good net front guy. No one in the org is harder to move from the net than Lucic.

Just....don't put him in a shooting role...

 

[Mr Positive]

Yeah Woodcraft was literally throwing **** at the wall last season. I saw Lucic in a shooting role on the PP. With real shooters on the PP you need a good net front guy. No one in the org is harder to move from the net than Lucic.

Just....don't put him in a shooting role...

Lucic actually has shooting good skill, but the problem is that half of scoring is positioning. Lucic's positioning along the boards will always be lacking because he lacks skating acceleration. Lucic's positioning in front of the net will always be great because the puck will bounce off the goalie and he will be right there in the slot when the rebound comes, and he owns that territory, and the goalie is at the mercy of the chaos after the rebound.

This is how every other power play in the league looks btw. Shots from the point create chaos, and that chaos breaks down defensive structure and the goalie's positioning. Our PP strategy seems to be to pass it into the net, or even worse, scoring rushes from McDavid that start in our defensive zone.