Real Talk. I'm scared. Are you?

[tardigrade81]

Yamamoto will save us

Yes...... that guy.....

 

[Yeah15]

We were actually 13-7-3 against Montreal, Boston, Buffalo on the road this decade which is actually really good considering how horrawful this team has been for most of the decade. But yeah, we've been getting absolutely destroyed in Toronto at 1-6-2 since the start of 2010.

 

[BlackDogg]

How do to change my vote to Perpetually Terrified?

Working on Comfortably Numb.

 

[nexttothemoon]

It ain't over yet folks... if this team is serious about AHL callups... (and they should be at this point)... there are hungry players down there capable of injecting this lineup with decent work ethic and skill.

Benson
Marody
Gambardella
Persson
Lagesson
Bouchard
Starrett

Yep I can already hear most saying... that's all inexperienced junk with no chance of positively impacting this Oiler lineup but I think just the opposite. There's definitely good 2-way players down there who will impact this roster positively and play well in the roles they are placed in on the Oilers roster.

Benson/Marody/Gambardella all are upgrades on Khaira/PRussell/Granlund.

Neal's minutes have to be reduced as well at evens because he's a negative unless he's a net front presence and on the PP.

Klefbom/Larsson have to have much reduced minuets as they aren't good enough to be playing the minutes they are.

Benning/Persson/Lagesson playing more balanced minutes on the pairings will definitely increase the defensive effectiveness of this team. Bouchard on the PP would be a revelation.

I honesty would run with 7 dmen on this roster because 12 good forwards are hard to find and I'd want to distribute the defensive minutes more evenly among 7 dmen and have players like Bouchard/Persson/Bear be PP point options... and have the PP units play with 2 dmen which is also easier to do with 7 dmen in the lineup.

Smith needs to do a stint in Bako and have Starrett come up and take over the backup duties. If Starrett fails... so be it.. then you know you have to look elsewhere, but he deserves a look and Smith deserves time down in Bako.

This season is definitely salvageable with the team just 4 pts out of top spot in the Pacific (and yes a weak Pacific this year does help).

Holland and Tippett have to make some hard moves and push more players through waivers as this current roster mix isn't optimal... but there's definitely a playoff team here if the correct personnel are put together. They simply just can't let it go down in a slow burn... bring up the fresh hungry Calvary to get this team back on track.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

All the AHL callups in the world won’t make a difference if Smith/Koskinen don’t play Vezina caliber hockey.

 

[nexttothemoon]

All the AHL callups in the world won’t make a difference if Smith/Koskinen don’t play Vezina caliber hockey.

I agree they need solid goaltending.

If Smith was 91% this year that would go a long ways towards this team still being at the top of the Pacific right now... ~89% isn't cuttng it. That difference in save % would be about 9 less goals against which is several more wins most likely.

I don't think Vezina goaltending is needed... just league average.

 

[tardigrade81]

All the AHL callups in the world won’t make a difference if Smith/Koskinen don’t play Vezina caliber hockey.

Agreed. We are averaging 2 goals in our last 12. Calling up a couple guys won’t help that. If we had price playing prime price we would win a few more but we don’t unfortunately have that.

 

[Aerrol]

It ain't over yet folks... if this team is serious about AHL callups... (and they should be at this point)... there are hungry players down there capable of injecting this lineup with decent work ethic and skill.

Benson
Marody
Gambardella
Persson
Lagesson
Bouchard
Starrett

Yep I can already hear most saying... that's all inexperienced junk with no chance of positively impacting this Oiler lineup but I think just the opposite. There's definitely good 2-way players down there who will impact this roster positively and play well in the roles they are placed in on the Oilers roster.

Benson/Marody/Gambardella all are upgrades on Khaira/PRussell/Granlund.

Neal's minutes have to be reduced as well at evens because he's a negative unless he's a net front presence and on the PP.

Klefbom/Larsson have to have much reduced minuets as they aren't good enough to be playing the minutes they are.

Benning/Persson/Lagesson playing more balanced minutes on the pairings will definitely increase the defensive effectiveness of this team. Bouchard on the PP would be a revelation.

I honesty would run with 7 dmen on this roster because 12 good forwards are hard to find and I'd want to distribute the defensive minutes more evenly among 7 dmen and have players like Bouchard/Persson/Bear be PP point options... and have the PP units play with 2 dmen which is also easier to do with 7 dmen in the lineup.

Smith needs to do a stint in Bako and have Starrett come up and take over the backup duties. If Starrett fails... so be it.. then you know you have to look elsewhere, but he deserves a look and Smith deserves time down in Bako.

This season is definitely salvageable with the team just 4 pts out of top spot in the Pacific (and yes a weak Pacific this year does help).

Holland and Tippett have to make some hard moves and push more players through waivers as this current roster mix isn't optimal... but there's definitely a playoff team here if the correct personnel are put together. They simply just can't let it go down in a slow burn... bring up the fresh hungry Calvary to get this team back on track.

Did you and @Mr Positive trade roles? It seems like even he's had the optimism beaten out of him but you're still at it this year lol.

 

[space321]

It ain't over yet folks... if this team is serious about AHL callups... (and they should be at this point)... there are hungry players down there capable of injecting this lineup with decent work ethic and skill.

Benson
Marody
Gambardella
Persson
Lagesson
Bouchard
Starrett

Yep I can already hear most saying... that's all inexperienced junk with no chance of positively impacting this Oiler lineup but I think just the opposite. There's definitely good 2-way players down there who will impact this roster positively and play well in the roles they are placed in on the Oilers roster.

Benson/Marody/Gambardella all are upgrades on Khaira/PRussell/Granlund.

Neal's minutes have to be reduced as well at evens because he's a negative unless he's a net front presence and on the PP.

Klefbom/Larsson have to have much reduced minuets as they aren't good enough to be playing the minutes they are.

Benning/Persson/Lagesson playing more balanced minutes on the pairings will definitely increase the defensive effectiveness of this team. Bouchard on the PP would be a revelation.

I honesty would run with 7 dmen on this roster because 12 good forwards are hard to find and I'd want to distribute the defensive minutes more evenly among 7 dmen and have players like Bouchard/Persson/Bear be PP point options... and have the PP units play with 2 dmen which is also easier to do with 7 dmen in the lineup.

Smith needs to do a stint in Bako and have Starrett come up and take over the backup duties. If Starrett fails... so be it.. then you know you have to look elsewhere, but he deserves a look and Smith deserves time down in Bako.

This season is definitely salvageable with the team just 4 pts out of top spot in the Pacific (and yes a weak Pacific this year does help).

Holland and Tippett have to make some hard moves and push more players through waivers as this current roster mix isn't optimal... but there's definitely a playoff team here if the correct personnel are put together. They simply just can't let it go down in a slow burn... bring up the fresh hungry Calvary to get this team back on track.

nah dude, it's pretty much over. this team doesn't have good enough players in its middle 6, none of our AHL callups are going to fix that problem unless a miracle happens.

I have more confidence if Puljujarvi was coming back but we all know how that went. f***ing Hitchcock just kept dicking him around on the 4th line while claiming to "fix" him. lmao.

 

[McShogun99]

I think we make it. Every team hits a rough patch. Our Division is weak right now and we have 5 teams fighting for 3 spots.

 

[I am the Liquor]

It ain't over yet folks... if this team is serious about AHL callups... (and they should be at this point)... there are hungry players down there capable of injecting this lineup with decent work ethic and skill.

Benson
Marody
Gambardella
Persson
Lagesson
Bouchard
Starrett

Yep I can already hear most saying... that's all inexperienced junk with no chance of positively impacting this Oiler lineup but I think just the opposite. There's definitely good 2-way players down there who will impact this roster positively and play well in the roles they are placed in on the Oilers roster.

Benson/Marody/Gambardella all are upgrades on Khaira/PRussell/Granlund.

Neal's minutes have to be reduced as well at evens because he's a negative unless he's a net front presence and on the PP.

Klefbom/Larsson have to have much reduced minuets as they aren't good enough to be playing the minutes they are.

Benning/Persson/Lagesson playing more balanced minutes on the pairings will definitely increase the defensive effectiveness of this team. Bouchard on the PP would be a revelation.

I honesty would run with 7 dmen on this roster because 12 good forwards are hard to find and I'd want to distribute the defensive minutes more evenly among 7 dmen and have players like Bouchard/Persson/Bear be PP point options... and have the PP units play with 2 dmen which is also easier to do with 7 dmen in the lineup.

Smith needs to do a stint in Bako and have Starrett come up and take over the backup duties. If Starrett fails... so be it.. then you know you have to look elsewhere, but he deserves a look and Smith deserves time down in Bako.

This season is definitely salvageable with the team just 4 pts out of top spot in the Pacific (and yes a weak Pacific this year does help).

Holland and Tippett have to make some hard moves and push more players through waivers as this current roster mix isn't optimal... but there's definitely a playoff team here if the correct personnel are put together. They simply just can't let it go down in a slow burn... bring up the fresh hungry Calvary to get this team back on track.

 

[I am the Liquor]

I think we make it. Every team hits a rough patch. Our Division is weak right now and we have 5 teams fighting for 3 spots.

 

[DaGap]

Lol I've been expecting this since July 1st.

 

[Broilers]

I am absolutely not worried. This team is better, top to bottom.

I felt like that and this maybe true comparing to the last year. However, if they do not turn around quickly 70 pts Coulthard be possibility

 

[nexttothemoon]

It easy to be too optimistic when things are going well... and again to be too pessimistic when things are going poorly.

On average though, the team is better this year (though certainly not showing that recently).. but my main belief is that this roster mix still isn't optimal and what they already have in the org will improve the roster enough to get them back to that ~100 pt mark this season.

Benson
Marody
Gambardella
Persson
Benning
Lagesson
Starrett

Those 7 players can and will make a positive net impact on this roster.. especially because it means less minutes for these players...

Forwards who need less minutes...

Granlund (gone to Bako... good move)
PRussell
Khaira
Neal (at evens his minutes must reduce)

Dmen who need less minutes...

Klefbom
Larsson
Bear
Jones (should be back in Bako)

Smith (needs to be switched with Starrett)


The ingredients are there for this team to be better but Holland and Tippett have to actually make the right moves (which is obviously doubtful because it's hard for them to dump "vets" for lesser experienced players)... but that's EXACTLY what needs to happen for this team to get back to a more optimal roster of better 2 way players from top to bottom and players that play their roles in the lineup to an optimal level.

 

[ElysiumAB]

It would be such an Oilers thing to happen if making the playoffs this season came down to how well Taylor Hall plays in Arizona. Ugh.

 

[BlackDogg]

Still scared. Hopefully Calgary develops their lack of team cohesion again due to the incident.

 

[LaGu]

Agreed. We are averaging 2 goals in our last 12. Calling up a couple guys won’t help that. If we had price playing prime price we would win a few more but we don’t unfortunately have that.

You were right, calling up one guy was enough

 

[tardigrade81]

You were right, calling up one guy was enough

This team has really turned a corner! Let’s just hope it keeps up!

 

[EchoesoftheEighties]

As it stands there are 9 or 10 teams competing for 7 spots. It's really tight but if the oil take care of business they can sneak in. The hot start really helped.

Just keep picking up points

 

[replacement]

Woah, just checking out this thread. It's weird how before the new year @nexttothemoon wanted a bunch of guys called up, and not one of them was Kailer Yamamoto.

 

[GRadio]

It would be such an Oilers thing to happen if making the playoffs this season came down to how well Taylor Hall plays in Arizona. Ugh.

I’m half expecting a playoff series against Hall and the Coyotes.

 

[OfCorsiDid]

 

[SwedishFire]

Woah, just checking out this thread. It's weird how before the new year @nexttothemoon wanted a bunch of guys called up, and not one of them was Kailer Yamamoto.

To be fair, ALl Yamamotos earlier stints was him thoreed in, being rushed, and didnt do anything, more hurted his developement. So thats why everyone wanted to keep him down in Bako, to protect his developement from being "MacTavish´d". Now, he got a good start, playing in a line that could be a 1st line. WHile McDavid trying to get used to play a bigger role, and axles more responsibility.

This teams needs a good forward. Like very badly, yesterday. I think the thought Jurco would have grown into that role. But he didnt.

NHL has become tight to squeeze in. Holland should act wise here, and find a trade that doesnt affect the lockerroom, cteam chemistry bad. I guess Khaira is well liked, so I guess thats what makes it hard to trade him.
Maybe Neal is dangled. But IF they trade him, and probably eat salary, then Oilers have a lot of renetition from the Lucic/Neal saga.

 

[Zenos]

Maybe Neal is dangled. But IF they trade him, and probably eat salary, then Oilers have a lot of renetition from the Lucic/Neal saga.

The cost to move Neal almost certainly wouldn't be worth it.
Besides, despite his warts, he's still a valuable player - even if he doesn't bring a whole lot 5-on-5, he's likely a 30 goal scorer this year. How do you replace that? And then there's the expansion-draft implications.