Speculation: Rate your level of concern

[Drivesaitl]

Maybe get them away from bums like Puljujarvi who has been an absolute nightmare this season.

And believe it or not PP points do in fact count. Just as much as a 5v5 goal.

Crosby played much of his career holding guys up. Greats do that. Especially in capped times. In anycase McDrai have been together a fair amount in games this season in a stacked configuration and we're often enough losing those games anyway. Doesn't seem like thats all it is.

PP points do not exhibit the degree to which players are outplaying AT ALL, they are are artifice of having the man advantage. Imagine having to explain this on a hockey board.

Datysuk also had a borderline All-Star team around him that could win games even when he played like shit.

Matthews is having a mediocre season compared to last year and the Leafs still have a better record than the Oilers

The Oilers mean while can barely tread water with McDavid scoring at a 73 goal rate.



That was a nice gift to the LA Kings. Exactly what they would have wanted. "Hey lets take the one player we know LA can't stop and neuter his line with a play killing winger who has no confidence or hockey IQ".

When did Datsyuk play like shit? Tell me you didn't even watch the player without telling me.

Countless championship teams have been had on the backs of core players that were strong outscorers. That essentially tilted the ice. We're not getting that this season with McDrai. Particularly Drai has faltered in own zone play.

 

[Soundwave]

Crosby played much of his career holding guys up. Greats do that. Especially in capped times. In anycase McDrai have been together a fair amount in games this season in a stacked configuration and we're often enough losing those games anyway. Doesn't seem like thats all it is.

PP points do not exhibit the degree to which players are outplaying AT ALL, they are are artifice of having the man advantage. Imagine having to explain this on a hockey board.


When did Datsyuk play like shit? Tell me you didn't even watch the player without telling me.

Countless championship teams have been had on the backs of core players that were strong outscorers. That essentially tilted the ice. We're not getting that this season with McDrai. Particularly Drai has faltered in own zone play.

Yeah well I think people need to realize Crosby is an exception not a rule. McDavid is more like Gretzky and Lemieux .... oh boo hoo, poor Oilers. Can't build a consistently decent team with only a Gretzky/Lemieux tier talent.

As for Datsyuk right off the top of my head, he was pretty shit against us in 2006 when he got his ass shut down and outplayed by Horcoff in our series.

In fact for several years he had the label of a playoff choke artist because Detroit had a couple of playoff meltdowns there in the mid-2000s where he couldn't get it done.

Lets give McDavid and Draisaitl Lidstrom to play with and see how that would go. My guess is the complaints about defence would dry up rapidly when you have a generational D playing half the game every night.

The Oilers problem has been and continues to be stupid management who are gun shy about getting things done and/or do stupid things when they do finally decide to act.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

lol on what planet is this not on management?

What do you want from McDavid exactly? A 92 goal pace perhaps?

Kevin Lowe is the last time the Oilers had an average GM ... everyone since then has been bottom third in the league if not one of the worst GMs in the league flat out.

It was a rhetorical question.

 

[CycloneSweep]

How did they downgrade? They re-signed Kane and Kulak and went out and signed a starting goaltender.

They resigned a 3rd pairing defender, lost a second pairing defender and downgraded at goal. Campbell is worse than Smith or Koskinen ever was.

 

[belair]

They resigned a 3rd pairing defender, lost a second pairing defender and downgraded at goal. Campbell is worse than Smith or Koskinen ever was.

If you keep the second pairing defender, you don't have the cap flexibility to re-sign Kane. I get tired of these arguments because the negative outlook always ignores all of the context.

 

[McDNicks17]

If you keep the second pairing defender, you don't have the cap flexibility to re-sign Kane. I get tired of these arguments because the negative outlook always ignores all of the context.

Every GM has to navigate the cap while improving their team. Holland didn't. I don't know why that would be some kind of free pass.

 

[Spawn]

Crosby played much of his career holding guys up. Greats do that. Especially in capped times. In anycase McDrai have been together a fair amount in games this season in a stacked configuration and we're often enough losing those games anyway. Doesn't seem like thats all it is.

PP points do not exhibit the degree to which players are outplaying AT ALL, they are are artifice of having the man advantage. Imagine having to explain this on a hockey board.

Imagine pretending that McDavid and Draisaitl are the reason the Oilers are losing games.

Dense

 

[CycloneSweep]

If you keep the second pairing defender, you don't have the cap flexibility to re-sign Kane. I get tired of these arguments because the negative outlook always ignores all of the context.

Losing the second pairing defender isn’t a problem. It’s the not replacing him with someone who can fill the gap. And it’s not ignoring the context. You said the roster isn’t downgraded, I say yes it is and your argument is “well he didn’t have a choice”. Gms always have a choice. The fact of the matter is, our defence and goaltending is worse than it was.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Imagine pretending that McDavid and Draisaitl are the reason the Oilers are losing games.

Dense

Whatever. They occupy 23M of the cap, or works out to around 29% of the capspace of the entire club. Sure they fill the net with production. Both nets get filled when they're on the ice. They can become outscorers or not. Up to them. I Don't expect the two superstars in this lineup to be floating just barely above EV. The team is getting nowhere if this is there acceptable new normal.

My comments were specifically after last night where McDrai had extremely ordinary games, both were -1, McD took two braindead penalties and the two had one SOG each.

In the same game a line of Moore, Danault, Arvidsson owned the game and were much better than our superstars when they were on the ice together, or any time in the game. Thats a problem.

About 6 players on the Kings had better games than McDrai. Another problem.

Fact is McDrai play on home ice has been bad for most of the season. Another problem.

For years I was one of the last posters to ever fault McDrai for anything. Defended both resolutely. But its time for them to either make hay or become also rans for the foreseeable future.

 

[Spawn]

Whatever. They occupy 23M of the cap, or works out to around 29% of the capspace of the entire club. Sure they fill the net with production. Both nets get filled when they're on the ice. They can become outscorers or not. Up to them. I Don't expect the two superstars in this lineup to be floating just barely above EV. The team is getting nowhere if this is there acceptable new normal.

My comments were specifically after last night where McDrai had extremely ordinary games, both were -1, McD took two braindead penalties and the two had one SOG each.

In the same game a line of Moore, Danault, Arvidsson owned the game and were much better than our superstars when they were on the ice together, or any time in the game. Thats a problem.

About 6 players on the Kings had better games than McDrai. Another problem.

Fact is McDrai play on home ice has been bad for most of the season. Another problem.

For years I was one of the last posters to ever fault McDrai for anything. Defended both resolutely. But its time for them to either make hay or become also rans for the foreseeable future.

They were both -1 in a game where they were on the ice for an empty net goal against. The first game either of them have been held off the scoresheet in 10 games. A game where even though they didn't get any points, the only goal scored was a direct result of their hard forecheck. A forecheck curiously you were critical of last night suggesting Draisaitl shouldn't be taking runs at Doughty. The only two forwards with plus/minus better than either of them are Kane and Yamamoto who have been out for this latest stretch of bad games.

These are two who have consistently been outscorers for practically their entire careers. Even on some dreadful teams.

See here is the problem. You want to be critical of the players in the game. No problem. Argue away they didn't have a good game.

But then you turn that into them becoming "also rans."

It's a joke.

 

[Drivesaitl]

They were both -1 in a game where they were on the ice for an empty net goal against. The first game either of them have been held off the scoresheet in 10 games. A game where even though they didn't get any points, the only goal scored was a direct result of their hard forecheck. A forecheck curiously you were critical of last night suggesting Draisaitl shouldn't be taking runs at Doughty. The only two forwards with plus/minus better than either of them are Kane and Yamamoto who have been out for this latest stretch of bad games.

These are two who have consistently been outscorers for practically their entire careers. Even on some dreadful teams.

See here is the problem. You want to be critical of the players in the game. No problem. Argue away they didn't have a good game.

But then you turn that into them becoming "also rans."

It's a joke.

The joke is you can't read.

I said they have a decision if they want to be also rans. The inference being all zone hockey will be required of them to go further than they've been. But anyway since you're determined to misrepresent I'm done with the exchange.

 

[Soundwave]

Whatever. They occupy 23M of the cap, or works out to around 29% of the capspace of the entire club. Sure they fill the net with production. Both nets get filled when they're on the ice. They can become outscorers or not. Up to them. I Don't expect the two superstars in this lineup to be floating just barely above EV. The team is getting nowhere if this is there acceptable new normal.

My comments were specifically after last night where McDrai had extremely ordinary games, both were -1, McD took two braindead penalties and the two had one SOG each.

In the same game a line of Moore, Danault, Arvidsson owned the game and were much better than our superstars when they were on the ice together, or any time in the game. Thats a problem.

About 6 players on the Kings had better games than McDrai. Another problem.

Fact is McDrai play on home ice has been bad for most of the season. Another problem.

For years I was one of the last posters to ever fault McDrai for anything. Defended both resolutely. But its time for them to either make hay or become also rans for the foreseeable future.

Do you suppose it's possible Pittsburgh is better because their management is far more competent? Look at this number, specifically the win percentage WITHOUT CROSBY, and tell me with a straight face you honestly think the Oilers would be even close to this

Whitney and Bissonette are correct, without McDavid and Draisaitl, the Arizona Coyotes would beat the Oilers in a best of 7 series.

The Oilers management can't trade or draft for shit and their free agent adds are not that great either.

Seriously, in McDavid's 7 years here, the Oilers have won what? 1 trade total? Which was 6 years ago now? The Maroon trade. SIX YEARS AGO. I'm not even going to count that Talbot one because everyone and their grandma knows Sather did the Oilers a favor. And how many terrible trades? Hall for Larsson, Reinhart for a 1st + 2nd, Eberle for Strome for Spooner, Athansiou for 2 2nds? Etc. Etc. Etc.

Since picking McDavid in 2015, the Oilers have had like 50 different draft picks and not ONE SINGLE PICK makes a difference in winning or losing games more or less. Not one guy is a real impact player. Maybe Stuart Skinner finally breaks that streak but even if he does this is an abysmal record of drafting and it's not like Bourgault or Holloway are putting up sky high AHL numbers either (both below an AHL PPG).

They got lucky in having Kane fall into their lap by sheer fluke, otherwise the only really big impact players they've signed off UFA have been Sekera and Hyman. Barrie has been OK but really he does not move the needle all that much, lots of guys could collect gravy assists on the PP with McDavid and Draisaitl.

Cody Ceci is on the Oilers top pairing, whereas in Pittsburgh he was on their bottom pairing. That probably tells you a lot about both teams' roster construction.

 

[Lacaar]

Since McDavid's draft year we don't have a player in the lineup pushing the needle in favor of wins on the team that we drafted and developed. Ones that helped last year have regressed. This is in the context purely of this year. It's not saying they won't ever be good.. or weren't. But in the context of this season those 6 players have been dog f***ing shit collectively. Some I can excuse.. Holloway. But f***... someone pitch in and help this f***ing team for christ sakes.

1. Jesse
2. Kailer
3. Mcleod
4. Bouchard
5. Niemalainen
6. Dylan Holloway

I forgot Stuart skinner after writing all this. So yay.. he's been really good!

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Upgraded my vote to fingernails chewed off.

19 games in pretty much a quarter season and we are essentially a .500 team with problems everywhere and Mr Patience at the helm.

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

Yeah that'll be 2017-18 for me and probs like 10 games away from fire everyone.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

My concern levels remain the same.

My apathy levels, however...

 

[Oilhawks]

My concern isn’t the playoffs, it’s being contenders, which they aren’t. The overreactions about missing the playoffs etc I understand because this is a hurt and broken fanbase. I’m not ready to make that declaration 1/4 in after a junk schedule to start, but the contender thing is disappointing. Luckily they’ll have some cap next year to address those things.

 

[Harry Curry]

Yeah that'll be 2017-18 for me and probs like 10 games away from fire everyone.

If Holland hasn't made a move by the end of the month I'll be concerned. If the Oilers go 2-2 or worse over that stretch and he still hasn't made a move I will be really concerned.

 

[Soundwave]

If Holland hasn't made a move by the end of the month I'll be concerned. If the Oilers go 2-2 or worse over that stretch and he still hasn't made a move I will be really concerned.

lol he's not doing shit. Dude is out fishing until the trade deadline at least. Pretty sure this doofus does like 5 actual days of work for the Oilers org if that.

 

[CookiesAndMilk]

I hoped this team would be a contender but I never seriously believed it, that's what I'm realizing this morning and it sucks to feel that way. We lack at least 3 quality players to make a serious run.

Concern level stays the same but as @KeithIsActuallyBad said it accurately, apathy level is rising.

 

[Leonardlizard]

I upped my concern....

 

[Leonardlizard]

.I think my hope is if they get into the playoffs they'll magically turn into a beast of a team but then realized how many glaring problems there were last year through the series. No matter how much the big guys turn it on there's weakness that won't hold up in a 7 game series against a team like Boston or Carolina... As many have said it seems like the supporting cast are largely passengers and there's no free ride to the cup.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

At this rate we might not even make the playoffs. We needed guys like Holloway and Broberg to step in and make an impact and instead Broberg didn't look ready and Holloway was benched and demoted after his first mistake in a regular season game. Skinner looked like dog water tonight and Campbell gets hurt so we are basically screwed in net if Skinner struggles and Campbell is out for awhile. The defense is too soft and sucks, Kane being out hurts us big time and overall things are not looking good right now.

 

[Little Fury]

I've been tuned out for most of the year because after they basically stood pat in the offseason, I wanted to see if they were worth my attention and so far it's proving to be a great decision.

I think it's time to realize that they aren't winning s**t with McDavid and Drai in their primes and one or both won't be here in a few years. It is what it is.

 

[Soundwave]

At this rate we might not even make the playoffs. We needed guys like Holloway and Broberg to step in and make an impact and instead Broberg didn't look ready and Holloway was benched and demoted after his first mistake in a regular season game. Skinner looked like dog water tonight and Campbell gets hurt so we are basically screwed in net if Skinner struggles and Campbell is out for awhile. The defense is too soft and sucks, Kane being out hurts us big time and overall things are not looking good right now.

They're not ready to and frankly they both may just be another two in a long line of Oiler picks that are nothing that special to begin with.

Broberg is probably 1-2 years away from being what Bouchard is now and this version of Bouchard is doing dick all.

Holloway smells like he has a lot of Yamamoto/Puljujarvi-itis ... can generate the odd chance, but I'm not sure he has NHL level finishing ability.