Speculation: So Now What Do We Do?

[Dan Kelly]

Oilers are out again when we all thought this might have been the year. What shore up moves do we make to actually with the cup next year and how do we afford it?

Click to read more...

 

[Duke74]

Bye, Yamamoto.

Hello, $3 million in capspace.

 

[Soundwave]

Bye, Yamamoto.

Hello, $3 million in capspace.

Straight into Bouchard's bank account, lol.

 

[Mr Kot]

Do everything to move cap out, start playing our young guys to see what they can offer. Round out the goaltending. I would like to see what Holloway, Savoi, Borgoult, maybe even Tulio look like with some minutes.

Ceci out
Yamamoto out
Foegle out

Dreams: Campbell out

Sign/trade a big name goalie, shore up replace cecic with a more steady D, doesn't need to be elite, just better overall.

Nicholson possibly being gone maybe means better moves, though this IS old boys club, so maybe not.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Kinda whatever anyone likes, but enjoy summer and expect the team to fill holes as it builds toward next season.

That and Edibles, highly recommend, no pun intended.

 

[alphahelix]

with the cap seemingly not moving it ought to be practically impossible to improve the team, unless we can get in on a big 3 for 1 type trade and move players for player.

 

[McBigYak]

Fresh off a season exit, natural to think moves need to be made. But honestly, this team does not need to do much.

If they get decent goaltending they had a real shot at winning the cup this year.

Going into next year, replace Yamo in the top 6 and add another top 4 d man. That's probably all you need to do. If the goaltending is still sub par at the trade deadline, buy a goalie.

 

[Soundwave]

Fresh off a season exit, natural to think moves need to be made. But honestly, this team does not need to do much.

If they get decent goaltending they had a real shot at winning the cup this year.

Going into next year, replace Yamo in the top 6 and add another top 4 d man. That's probably all you need to do. If the goaltending is still sub par at the trade deadline, buy a goalie.

That's be fine if we had an extra $7 million in cap space laying around but we don't. Yamamoto's money is going to be dumped for example, so sure you might think "great we have cap room!" ... no you don't. That money goes straight into Bouchard's bank account, not to an upgrade winger.

 

[McBigYak]

That's be fine if we had an extra $7 million in cap space laying around but we don't. Yamamoto's money is going to be dumped for example, so sure you might think "great we have cap room!" ... no you don't. That money goes straight into Bouchard's bank account, not to an upgrade winger.

Realistically, they could go into next season with the identical team, get even mediocre goaltending in the playoffs, and win the cup.

It's natural to want to blow shit up after an event like this but this is a pretty good team that was hell bent on riding a rookie goalie to their demise. I doubt they make the same mistake again next year. Don't think they need to do anything crazy.

That said, I think it will be Ceci and Yamo going.

 

[Soundwave]

Realistically, they could go into next season with the identical team, get even mediocre goaltending in the playoffs, and win the cup.

It's natural to want to blow shit up after an event like this but this is a pretty good team that was hell bent on riding a rookie goalie to their demise. I doubt they make the same mistake again next year. Don't think they need to do anything crazy.

That said, I think it will be Ceci and Yamo going.

I think they can win 1-2 rounds every year just off raw talent ... the problem is round 3/4.

The issue is these other teams are pretty good and they get better as the playoffs go on until eventually you do run into a team that will make you pay for all the lazy/little mistakes the Oilers are prone to making (ie: players like Nurse and Ceci and Desharnais and Skinner).

 

[jukon]

Probably start watching NBA instead. The NHL is a garage league.

 

[CornKicker]

#1 priority is getting rid of dustin schwartz, the oilers cannot afford to have skinner regress, we need him to progess.

replace ceci with a better RH defender

trade yamamoto and replace with holloway.

find someone who battles and plays similar to kostin for the bottom 6

pump development time, $, whatever into broberg having him on an ELC playing bottom 4 minutes will be instrumental to keeping ekholm/bouchard together for a full season and playoff run.

 

[McBigYak]

I think they can win 1-2 rounds every year just off raw talent ... the problem is round 3/4.

The issue is these other teams are pretty good and they get better as the playoffs go on until eventually you do run into a team that will make you pay for all the lazy/little mistakes the Oilers are prone to making (ie: players like Nurse and Ceci and Desharnais and Skinner).

Desharnais played bad during the LA series and almost cost them it yeah but he played pretty damn good in the Vegas series.

Ceci was average, Nurse was average. They need to be a bit better yeah but not worth going out and scrambling the team for.

Skinner on the other hand got them torched. You cannot gift the other team, on average, one goal a game or you are screwed.

But even then, that's on Woodcroft. Campbell should have been in the net game 4.

Can't imagine they will do much. This current group can win the cup. Few tweaks here and there. Yamo out, Holloway in. Yamo's money goes to Bouchard.

Find a way to deal Ceci and some draft capital for an upgraded D man at similar salary. If the goaltending is shit at the deadline, buy one.

I also could easily see a Campbell buyout. It's a pretty buyout friendly contract and obviously they do not see a future with him at all.

 

[Soundwave]

Probably start watching NBA instead. The NHL is a garage league.

That reminds me, time to go cancel my Sportsnet Now sub.

 

[Little Fury]

I said at the start of the year that I just don't see this team ever winning a Cup in the current McDavid/Drai window and I'm more convinced of that than ever. Too many self-inflicted wounds, too many hangers-on, no killer instinct. Maybe a new GM comes in with a new approach and is creative enough to patch the holes, but this just does not seem like a team that, as the kids say, has that dog in them. They've got two years to fix it, which seems unlikely.

 

[McShogun99]

I'll make a guess for next seasons opening day roster.

RNH-Mcdavid-Sprong
Kane-Draisaitl-Hyman
Foegele-Mcleod-Ryan
Holloway-Bjustad-Lewis
Kostin

Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Severson
Broberg-VD
Niemo

Skinner
Campbell

Yamo, Ceci and Kulak out as cap casualties and to make room for Broberg and Holloway.

 

[McBigYak]

I'll make a guess for next seasons opening day roster.

RNH-Mcdavid-Sprong
Kane-Draisaitl-Hyman
Foegele-Mcleod-Ryan
Holloway-Bjustad-Lewis
Kostin

Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Severson
Broberg-VD
Niemo

Skinner
Campbell

Yamo, Ceci and Kulak out as cap casualties and to make room for Broberg and Holloway.

Would be brutal to lose Kulak after how good of a season and playoff he had.

 

[McShogun99]

Would be brutal to lose Kulak after how good of a season and playoff he had.

I think so as well but it’s what they might do to save some cap and get Broberg full time minutes.

 

[DynamiteKid]

Play McDrai less during the regular season and the other 3 lines more. Maybe that will: help them feel like they are more part of the team and not have to rely on 2 players to do it all.

If Ceci stays, break up the pairing with Nurse. It just wasn't working. It wasn't working all season and for some reason, Woody refused to break them up.

Figure out a way to deal Campbell for Hellebuyck

 

[BlackDogg]

If Woody couldn't make minor adaptations this year, why would he next year.

 

[Sweetpotato]

Yamamoto+Ceci+Kulak out.

Wilson and Parayko in.

Move Campbell it you feel you need the cap space even though I thought he played well in the small amount of time he had.

 

[Slats432]

Yamamoto+Ceci+Kulak out.

Wilson and Parayko in.

Move Campbell it you feel you need the cap space even though I thought he played well in the small amount of time he had.

Parayko was poor this year based on what the folks in STL were saying. So, no.

 

[Oilhawks]

Oilers are out again when we all thought this might have been the year. What shore up moves do we make to actually with the cup next year and how do we afford it?

I’m far from the most negative Oilers fan, but the bolded certainly doesn’t apply to me and likely many other posters here. Aside from the glaring weaknesses on the right side wing and D (you expect holes on a contender but these are too big of holes to overcome in a 4 series playoffs), Woody went to the Skinner well far too often to expect a win. Unfortunately my feeling is Vegas goaltending gets exposed by a more committed team next round.

Move out Yamamoto, Ceci, walk from a few of the expiring deals and only keep those that want to stay for cheap. Most important moves would be non roster, though. Staios as GM with Holland upstairs (Holland was fine but it’s time) and most importantly upgrading the goalie coach which is long overdue.

 

[Kanedogg]

Trade nuge while his value can be argued to be high.

We need a good playoff team not a regular season team.

 

[ThreeOfAPerfectPair]

Trade nuge while his value can be argued to be high.

We need a good playoff team not a regular season team.

He has a full NMC.