Roster Moves & Training Camp Discussion

[Delicious Pancakes]

Tippett has a bit of a ways to get back into my good books.

Special teams were fantastic but starting Mike Smith in game 1 set a tone for me - it was an awful decision. Very interested to see how the goalies are handled this season and I wish we could see how they're looking in camp - Smith's bubble camp was notoriously rough.

I've gotta say, listening to Tippett talk after the off-season I'll still be concerned about his coaching decisions until he's pushing the right buttons in the playoffs. His coaching in the regular season last year was generally pretty good and then he made some majorly bad decisions in the play-ins. Hopefully it was just the long layoff clouding some decisions and a continuity of the regular season through to the playoffs this year will lead to consistently positive coaching decisions.

If the forward lines and defense pairings can click and develop chemistry and the team can be a plus team at 5 on 5 this year then that will make it easier on Tippett for sure. There's not really any reason not to expect similar goaltending as compared to last year. I think obviously the biggest question mark is the defense but I'm optimistic they can provide a similar level of performance to last year's group. Losing Klefbom is a hit, but the depth should be better with Koekkoek added and Bouchard and Lagesson coming in hopefully confident after strong showings in Europe.

 

[LTIR]

Someone in my fantasy proposed a mcdavid - draisatl swap and it's confusing me. Is there something I should know or did this person just like mcd more then drai?

?? He is offering Draisaitl for McDavid?
The main difference is the addition of Kahun. It may mean RNH gets McD full time. Drai away from RNH wasn't as productive.

Also McDavid >> Draisaitl overall but if faceoffs, hits, goals are weighted higher then Drai = McD fantasy wise.

 

[fancy dan]

98 is a terrible number. he should pick another one.

 

[Cam98]

98 is a great number. He will be keeping it <3

 

[LTIR]

98 is a terrible number. he should pick another one.

96? Is that far enough from 99 or should we go 95 just to be safe?

 

[BobRossColton]

?? He is offering Draisaitl for McDavid?
The main difference is the addition of Kahun. It may mean RNH gets McD full time. Drai away from RNH wasn't as productive.

Also McDavid >> Draisaitl overall but if faceoffs, hits, goals are weighted higher then Drai = McD fantasy wise.

It's espn fantasy so it's mostly assists goals hat tricks +/-. And thanks for the reply.

 

[Delicious Pancakes]

96? Is that far enough from 99 or should we go 95 just to be safe?

If you rotate the 6 180 degrees it's just a 99 again, so better to go with 95. Plus NHL 95 was a pretty good game with some auto-goal dekes which would be good juju for Pulju...Puljuju if you will.

 

[McDrai]

Here is my prediction for opening night:

RNH/McDavid/Kassian
Kahun/Draisaitl/Yamamoto
Ennis/Turris/Puljujarvi
Neal/Khaira/Archibald

Nurse/Bear
Jones/Barrie
Russell/Larsson
Koekkoek

Koskinen
Smith

The season hinges on 3 things:
1. Goaltending (Does Smith have enough gas in the tank to even split games? Can Koskinen show that he can be a #1 goalie in the NHL and not have to split games?)
2. Defense (Can players such as Jones and Barrie step up in the absence of Klefbom? Can Bear replicate his great season last year?)
3. Third line (Can Puljujarvi and Turris prove that they can be positive contributors at the NHL level?)

 

[CycloneSweep]

Here is my prediction for opening night:

RNH/McDavid/Kassian
Kahun/Draisaitl/Yamamoto
Ennis/Turris/Puljujarvi
Neal/Khaira/Archibald

Nurse/Bear
Jones/Barrie
Russell/Larsson
Koekkoek

Koskinen
Smith

The season hinges on 3 things:
1. Goaltending (Does Smith have enough gas in the tank to even split games? Can Koskinen show that he can be a #1 goalie in the NHL and not have to split games?)
2. Defense (Can players such as Jones and Barrie step up in the absence of Klefbom? Can Bear replicate his great season last year?)
3. Third line (Can Puljujarvi and Turris prove that they can be positive contributors at the NHL level?)

I almost wonder if Pulju makes opening night roster. He is mostly an unknown for Tippett so he will have to show well in camp

 

[McDrai]

I almost wonder if Pulju makes opening night roster. He is mostly an unknown for Tippett so he will have to show well in camp

Yeah for sure. I have no idea what to expect from Puljujarvi at camp but I'm hoping he can at least show that he could be a serviceable player on this team...we will see

 

[CycloneSweep]

Yeah for sure. I have no idea what to expect from Puljujarvi at camp but I'm hoping he can at least show that he could be a serviceable player on this team...we will see

Chiasson and Neal always have the ability to push too so Puljujarvi is going to have to fight for a spot. He can easily earn a spot next to McDavid but it's all up to him.

 

[Deplorable Lenny]

Hemsky, Gagner, Paajarvi, RNH and Mcdavid all wore their birth years after being 1st round oilers picks. So why the hell can't Puljuarvi? Some people will bitch about literally anything.

Poor kid.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

His shoe choices are ageist.

 

[The Nuge]

Close to 99 is a thing now?
98 is as uncommon as 56.
Sergachev and Puljujarvi were atleast born in 98 so they have a good enough reason. Yama wearing 56 is stranger.

Yamo didn’t wear 56 in junior so I’ve just always assumed it was an assigned number like is the case for most prospects. Seems like maybe he likes it now though since there’s been no word on him switching

 

[McDrai]

Hemsky, Gagner, Paajarvi, RNH and Mcdavid all wore their birth years after being 1st round oilers picks. So why the hell can't Puljuarvi? Some people will bitch about literally anything.

Poor kid.

Yup. Chalk it up to dog days of summer (in this case, winter)

 

[Kepler 186f]

Close to 99 is a thing now?
98 is as uncommon as 56.
Sergachev and Puljujarvi were atleast born in 98 so they have a good enough reason. Yama wearing 56 is stranger.

None of them are strange. It's a number. Jesus, some people get wound up about the most inconsequential things.

Yeah, hockey's back!

GO Oilers!

 

[FanOfSadTeam]

I'm really interested in who'll get the 4C spot. Khaira, Haas, McLeod, Alan Quine or maybe Devon Shore...

Hoping for McLeod though I just wish Khaira could get on a positive roll. I feel there's an effective NHLer somewhere in there (beyond the PK).

 

[ZenOil]

Kassian maybe makes sense on the 1st line against physical teams with dirty players. He's 3rd or 4th line talent otherwise. Bizarre how such a low skill player is slotted in with the best player in the world. It's not the early 80s anymore. Every guy on the top line needs high skill. Even Nygard makes more sense then Kass most games.

 

[rboomercat90]

Tippett has a bit of a ways to get back into my good books.

Special teams were fantastic but starting Mike Smith in game 1 set a tone for me - it was an awful decision. Very interested to see how the goalies are handled this season and I wish we could see how they're looking in camp - Smith's bubble camp was notoriously rough.

Based on his coaching decisions, I got the impression that Tippett didn’t want to be in the bubble any more than Klefbom did.

 

[shoop]

Based on his coaching decisions, I got the impression that Tippett didn’t want to be in the bubble any more than Klefbom did.

It appears Tippett f***ed up with splitting up Draisaitl-Nuge-Yamamoto and starting Smith game one.

We never really know what the reason was for the decisions, but that doesn't mean Tippett was purposely tanking the play-in.

 

[Klimando Kostani]

I've gotta say, listening to Tippett talk after the off-season I'll still be concerned about his coaching decisions

Anyone else get the feeling he is a push over for the players?

I think we saw so much of Smith last year because of the bonus structure on Smiths' contract rewarded the total games played.

I think the Dynamite line of rnh-drai-yama was broken up to please Mcdavid.


I really hope this year he plays Kosk more and keeps the dynamite line together. We have a few more options to play with Mcdavid now including Turris and Benson (give mcdavid the puck, get open, shoot).

 

[McShogun99]

Anyone else get the feeling he is a push over for the players?

I think we saw so much of Smith last year because of the bonus structure on Smiths' contract rewarded the total games played.

I think the Dynamite line of rnh-drai-yama was broken up to please Mcdavid.


I really hope this year he plays Kosk more and keeps the dynamite line together. We have a few more options to play with Mcdavid now including Turris and Benson (give mcdavid the puck, get open, shoot).

I agree on the 2nd point but not the first. Smith was great after January 1st which was why he got most of the games. Him starting game 1 was more likely because of his playoff track record.

Putting RNH with Mcdavid was probably to keep him happy but also to spread the scoring out.

 

[LTIR]

It appears Tippett f***ed up with splitting up Draisaitl-Nuge-Yamamoto and starting Smith game one.

We never really know what the reason was for the decisions, but that doesn't mean Tippett was purposely tanking the play-in.

Well we know the reasons but we just don't agree with them. Hindsight is on our side too.

Wanted skill on McD line and Smith had great playoffs success up until game 1.

Neal seemed to have the jump and should've been tried with McD-Kassian.

 

[CupofOil]

Tippett has a bit of a ways to get back into my good books.

Special teams were fantastic but starting Mike Smith in game 1 set a tone for me - it was an awful decision. Very interested to see how the goalies are handled this season and I wish we could see how they're looking in camp - Smith's bubble camp was notoriously rough.

I keep seeing this sentiment and I find it odd.
Smith had 1 loss in January and February, he was the #1 goalie when the team made their run and he has had previous playoff success.
Furthermore, the Oilers lost 2 out of 3 with Koskinen in net in the playoff series so it's not like he was much better behind a team that played far better in those games than they did in Game 1.

The head scratching decision was breaking up RNH-Draisaitl-Yamamoto. The team looked lethal again in the 3rd period of Game 4 when they were put back together. Too little too late Tipp. The team didn't have the wing depth at the time to break up the one line that was working and I don't see much chemistry between RNH and McDavid, never did.

 

[Fourier]

Tippett made the decision to break up the RNH-Draisaitl-Yamamoto line before the playin's began. He had made the change in the last game of the regular season and decided to stick with it.

If I had to guess I think he will keep Nuge with McDavid.