Rumor: Rumors and Proposals Thread | Defense Set, or Another Addition In the Works?

[K1984]

They were 5-3-2 in their last 10 before the shutdown. Hardly a team falling apart.

That was masked by some pretty strong goaltending. Off the top of my head Koskinen stole games against Dallas and Columbus prior to the shutdown (the Dallas game being particularly embarrassing from a flow of play perspective). I'm sure that there were one or two others in that stretch that where points were pulled out when they shouldn't have been.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

That was masked by some pretty strong goaltending. Off the top of my head Koskinen stole games against Dallas and Columbus prior to the shutdown (the Dallas game being particularly embarrassing from a flow of play perspective). I'm sure that there were one or two others in that stretch that where points were pulled out when they shouldn't have been.

 

[bucks_oil]

In my mind there were two versions of the Oilers last year:

1) Good version - forwards were getting back deep defensively and supporting the breakout as a unit. Heavy back pressure to stifle other team's breakouts and strong goaltending.

2) Bad version - forwards are blowing the zone as soon as the defense gets possession and completed passes become few and far between through the neutral zone. Point coverage and coverage in front of the net awful. Goaltending might bail them out (as happened a few times prior to the COIVD shutdown), or they get caved, but either way it isn't pretty.

The fundamental flaw with this team last year was consistency breaking the puck out efficiently. The common theme in both versions of the team above was shaky breakout passing and getting through the neutral zone with possession. To me the Oilers' success basically came down to how committed the forwards were to getting down low and helping the D move the puck out.

The good months (October, November, January, February) saw the Oilers forwards do the right thing in all ends of the ice. In the bad months (December, start of March, playoffs) the forward's commitment on their own half of the ice was terrible and they paid for it.

The solution long term is to have more d men that can actually make a consistent strong breakout pass, which should be coming (Barrie, Bouchard, Broberg, more ice for Bear and Jones). In the mean time the forwards have to commit every game to getting back and being competent in their own end. Nurse, Larsson, Russell and to a lesser extent even Klefbom are some mix of incapable of hitting a breakout pass or extremely inconsistent in doing so. Put a mobile, fast moving defense like Colorado has with our group of forwards and we would be unstoppable.

1) Forwards getting deep: Funny how that works huh!
2) Great post

 

[GOilers88]

That was masked by some pretty strong goaltending. Off the top of my head Koskinen stole games against Dallas and Columbus prior to the shutdown (the Dallas game being particularly embarrassing from a flow of play perspective). I'm sure that there were one or two others in that stretch that where points were pulled out when they shouldn't have been.

That's what successful teams do. They win games they shouldn't. The reasons are irrelevant.

 

[K1984]

That's what successful teams do. They win games they shouldn't. The reasons are irrelevant.

Agreed generally. But when goaltending wasn't masking the breakout and defensive deficiencies (playoffs) they couldn't beat a team worse than them in a series. A team that enters multi-game, or sometimes multi-week lapses of competent defensive play isn't going to win anything.

Good teams win games they shouldn't here and there, but they can't win consistently that way for weeks on end.

 

[GOilers88]

Agreed generally. But when goaltending wasn't masking the breakout and defensive deficiencies (playoffs) they couldn't beat a team worse than them in a series. A team that enters multi-game, or sometimes multi-week lapses of competent defensive play isn't going to win anything.

Good teams win games they shouldn't here and there, but they can't win consistently that way for weeks on end.

I feel like the circumstances around the play-ins are grossly understated here. I won't get into the whole four and a half month off season before the four game set, but I really don't think it's any indication of where the team actually is. I mean just the year before we watched CBJ take down Tampa in a quick series and that was when the season rolled right into the playoffs with no break like normal. It's really not a stretch to me to have seen Chicago win under crazy circumstances.

Im also not saying Koskinen and Smith are stellar goaltenders, but Smith helped the Oilers to a 12-3-4 record in the new year, so I guess I also think all this talk about our tendy situation being terrible is off base as well.

 

[CupofOil]

Why are you rolling your eyes? He's absolutely right.
Koskinen was superhuman in that stretch before the pause. The Oilers were getting massively outplayed the last 6-7 or so games before the final game when they seemed to right the ship a bit against Winnipeg. The 2 Vegas games, first Winnipeg game, Columbus game and most of the Chicago game (although it was 3 games in 4 nights I believe) were debacles, they were destroyed in those games quite frankly. The Dallas win was a flat out steal by Koskinen. They had no business winning that first Winnipeg game and getting a point out of the second Vegas game either.

I do think this team is better and "should" finish top 3 in the division but the concerns before the pause were very valid.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Why are you rolling your eyes? He's absolutely right.
Koskinen was superhuman in that stretch before the pause. The Oilers were getting massively outplayed the last 6-7 or so games before the final game when they seemed to right the ship a bit against Winnipeg. The 2 Vegas games, first Winnipeg game, Columbus game and most of the Chicago game (although it was 3 games in 4 nights I believe) were debacles, they were destroyed in those games quite frankly. The Dallas win was a flat out steal by Koskinen. They had no business winning that first Winnipeg game and getting a point out of the second Vegas game either.

I do think this team is better and "should" finish top 3 in the division but the concerns before the pause were very valid.

Goalies steal games on every team bud.

 

[CupofOil]

Goalies steal games on every team bud.

You rolled your eyes at a poster who said that the 5-3 record was masked by strong goaltending. He's exactly right.
Hell, just look through the game threads during that stretch. It was doomsday around here, the Oilers were getting massively outplayed regularly.

In any event, none of that matters now. I'm pretty bullish on the team this season (seems like a lot of us are, even the pessimists) and especially after this season when cap space opens up and the prospects start filtering in even more. Future is looking really bright.

 

[Snipes45]

I agree with the poster above. 100%. Forwards need to come back consistently and our breakout is downright pathetic. If you have dmen who can make quick decisions and throw the puck up, the forwards can get rhythm and not skate out while the Dman is just holding onto the puck. Nurse is one guy who I wish can improve on this. He holds the puck way too long skating out. Bear can do it. Klef was good, nothing special. I have a feeling it will be much better with barrie coming and Bouchard on the way.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

You rolled your eyes at a poster who said that the 5-3 record was masked by strong goaltending. He's exactly right.
Hell, just look through the game threads during that stretch. It was doomsday around here, the Oilers were getting massively outplayed regularly.

In any event, none of that matters now. I'm pretty bullish on the team this season (seems like a lot of us are, even the pessimists) and especially after this season when cap space opens up and the prospects start filtering in even more. Future is looking really bright.

Heh I guess. I do vaguely remember being in panic mode right before the shut down.

 

[CupofOil]

Heh I guess. I do vaguely remember being in panic mode right before the shut down.

We all do my friend. We all do, and it wasn't only due to Covid. All in the past now, things are looking up especially after this upcoming season.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

Vegas shopping one of Fleury, Pacioretty, Martinez and Marchessault according to Pagnotta.

 

[McTonyBrar]

Vegas shopping one of Fleury, Pacioretty, Martinez and Marchessault according to Pagnotta.

Yeah. What on earth are they doing?

 

[CycloneSweep]

Yeah. What on earth are they doing?

They are a million over the cap with 12 forwards, 7 d and 2 goalies. Have to be compliant with at least a bit of wiggle room for injuries and callups

 

[yukoner88]

Unfortunately for the Oilers, the play-in series was a mirror image of their last few games of the regular season, where things were starting to unravel a bit for them. Was it a one off bad week? Or was it a continuing trend that would have sunk them had the season continued 4 months earlier anyhow?

I don't quite think it was starting to unravel before things were shut down. The team went through cycles of surges and dropping off. We were just witnessing them cool off from a solid stretch of hockey which all but solidified a playoff birth. If the season had continued normally they would've rebounded with in a couple games. For most of the season the Oilers were pretty solid in not letting a slump spiral out of control.

 

[McTonyBrar]

That was masked by some pretty strong goaltending. Off the top of my head Koskinen stole games against Dallas and Columbus prior to the shutdown (the Dallas game being particularly embarrassing from a flow of play perspective). I'm sure that there were one or two others in that stretch that where points were pulled out when they shouldn't have been.

So we were not good in that stretch because we had strong goaltending? What?

 

[Snipes45]

They are a million over the cap with 12 forwards, 7 d and 2 goalies. Have to be compliant with at least a bit of wiggle room for injuries and callups

Que a call to Jim Dim Benning in Vancouver. Another favor coming lol

 

[North]

Yeah. What on earth are they doing?

They thought they were exempt from the salary cap.

 

[CookiesAndMilk]

Vegas shopping one of Fleury, Pacioretty, Martinez and Marchessault according to Pagnotta.

In a normal world without Covid I would be all in for Marchessault. Sadly, that's not the world we live in right now and Marchy to the Oilers has to wait.

 

[Pointteen]

I really like Tyler Johnson. I really like the idea of him being available with 2 mill retained.
I think 3 million is a gamble worth taking right now. Especially with his record of producing with Talent. He’s sneaky and right handed. Can take draws. Another forward who can do that, especially a righty, is worth a lot.

He adds several tools to our lineup that clearly aren’t lacking, but aren’t abundant in. Yet. I think Tyler Johnson at 3 million makes us abundant in scoring forwards. Imagine going into an offseason with the ability to focus on only one or two holes in the roster.

adding him does to our forwards what adding Charlie Coyle did to Boston. That one more offensive threat. Enough that it can tire out some defence just by how busy their minutes are.

and with a tired defence, McDavid does McDavid things even better.

 

[Oilers in NS]

Yeah. What on earth are they doing?

I hope everything blows up on them. Im sick of Vegas since they came in league.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

I feel like with 13.5M capspace, LA could get good really quick if they wanted to.

 

[Anarchism]

I really like Tyler Johnson. I really like the idea of him being available with 2 mill retained.
I think 3 million is a gamble worth taking right now. Especially with his record of producing with Talent. He’s sneaky and right handed. Can take draws. Another forward who can do that, especially a righty, is worth a lot.

He adds several tools to our lineup that clearly aren’t lacking, but aren’t abundant in. Yet. I think Tyler Johnson at 3 million makes us abundant in scoring forwards. Imagine going into an offseason with the ability to focus on only one or two holes in the roster.

adding him does to our forwards what adding Charlie Coyle did to Boston. That one more offensive threat. Enough that it can tire out some defence just by how busy their minutes are.

and with a tired defence, McDavid does McDavid things even better.

Tampa would love you!
Unfortunately for Tyler he doesnt fit here for the same reasons he is/has become an expendable player in Tampa.
Both Point and Cirelli are movin on up and with Tyler losing a step and his size he is not a premier 3rd line centre.....he is also signed for another 4 years ...making him risky. Part of what he could bring here we have in Turris....and I know Turris will spend substantial time on 1LW but even so....
If your thinking Johnson on 1 or 2 RW....?? The third line Jesse Puljujarvi experiment prevents this from happening also.
However i understand your need from the team viewpoint. Perhaps another player being forced down might be better suited for us. Montreal now has J. Anderson and Gallagher as their two top RW forcing Armia to the third. Montreal ends up with Lehtonen -Danault-Armia as their third.
Damn good. However with a fourth line already established they have Poehling and Evans knocking on the door --something will have to give.
Maybe Armia given the right offer might pop out of this.???

 

[oil Leaks]

Alex Killorn would be an interesting target from Tampa.