The Biggest problem with this team

[Canovin]

so you're saying mcdavid's point totals are more important than team success? if he has to take a hit in points because the team becomes more defensively responsible but a better team that would be a bad thing?...

If the Oilers win the cup, McDavid will likely get the Conn Smythe as well

 

[the mcdavid era]

so you're saying mcdavid's point totals are more important than team success? if he has to take a hit in points because the team becomes more defensively responsible but a better team that would be a bad thing?...

Lmao how is McDavid's points total in conflict with team success? Defensive responsibility doesn't mean becoming worse offensively. McDavid is already defensively responsible. Oilers' offence has just come to a grinding halt lately. That's not a recipe for success long term.

 

[nturn06]

Lmao how is McDavid's points total in conflict with team success? Defensive responsibility doesn't mean becoming worse offensively. McDavid is already defensively responsible. Oilers' offence has just come to a grinding halt lately. That's not a recipe for success long term.

Well, sometimes in the past, when he who must not be named was coach, our players were cheating for offence, which lead to more goals being scored and much more goals against...

Now, our forwards seem to drop towards the crease more often, when on defence, which improves the defence but leads to fewer breakaways.

 

[RegDunlop]

We trapped like crazy during our 06 cup run.

Most of us didn't seem to mind that.


Also when we're battling for the division title by January, you'll change your tune.

We trapped against Detroit. At certain times. It was a good strategy and one that in not against.

Just don't want our team identity to be that.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

We trapped against Detroit. At certain times. It was a good strategy and one that in not against.

Just don't want our team identity to be that.

Even if we were gunning for the division? You'd want us to lose blowout games?

 

[nturn06]

We trapped against Detroit. At certain times. It was a good strategy and one that in not against.

Just don't want our team identity to be that.

Wasn't that the main reason our fans tried to run McT out of town...Which lead to the dark ages?

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Wasn't that the main reason our fans tried to run McT out of town...Which lead to the dark ages?

Not really.

MacT was fired because he was stale as a coach, and he got us to play the type of game that exposed an already flawed roster.

Kind of like TMac.

Tmac ran all the lines like McDavids line. Even the players mentioned this.

That's horrible roster optimization.

 

[RegDunlop]

Even if we were gunning for the division? You'd want us to lose blowout games?

I just wouldn't want our default to be that - a trapping team.
I don't have a problem with it employed at times as strategy.

 

[RegDunlop]

Wasn't that the main reason our fans tried to run McT out of town...Which lead to the dark ages?

Not that I remember.
Seems to me there was lots of credit go on to him at the time for doing whatever was needed to win the series.

 

[RegDunlop]

I always find it amusing on these boards how much more important it is for many to be right than have the team do well.

THE biggest problem by far LAST year was Talbot. It's not even a little bit close. He sunk at least 10 games of the first 40 with bad chl level goaltending.

Every goaltender knows if the team in front of them loses faith that the goalie can't stop a beach ball the team loses focus and loses period. This has always been the case.

You know what made a bad situation even worse. A dumb @#$ coach who is stupid stubborn to play said goalie 7 out of 8 games.

Talbot and McLellan threw away last season with both hands.

While this year was not as bad I think it's safe to say goaltending and coaching are/were again two of the biggest problems.

Even with a great 2016 2017 season Talbot has actually been more bad than good in Edmonton. I personally find how good he was in 2016 2017 gets exaggerated to suit peoples personal naritive.

If Talbot can get back to 2016 2017 levels it would be great. I don't have faith it will happen again in Edmonton.

Koskinen may not be able to sustain this level of goaltending. And obviously the team needs to be better in front of him. But let's not kid ourselves. Talbot was not supplying nhl playoff calibre goaltending and Koskinen is. A team HAS to have goaltending. Period.

I've heard the biggest reason for Buffalo doing well this year is... goaltending.

I'm glad you posted this - about the Talbot reality. Haven't heard much of this take. Only that he was great or the other side saying he sucks.

I'm not going to day I knee this or that in hindsight, just that I honestly don't think he is, was or ever will be a upper echelon tender. That's not to say hes never played good enough to take us to the too, or that he can't, just that IMO there's quite a bit of tenders much better than him.

And... to add, not sure how long it will last, but Koski's play totally makes me comfortable.
That's my word for him in net - comfortable.

 

[MaxR11]

Lmao how is McDavid's points total in conflict with team success? Defensive responsibility doesn't mean becoming worse offensively. McDavid is already defensively responsible. Oilers' offence has just come to a grinding halt lately. That's not a recipe for success long term.

absolutely it can be in conflict. when you need to expend that much more energy being even more responsible all over the ice it saps some energy for offence. you don't cheat that extra bit positionally to spring for offence as well. who knows how much it can deduct from his point totals. 10-15? who knows. but it certainly can.

look at datsyuk... one of the greatest players in the nhl in his prime and he definitely sacrificed point totals for a dominant overall game and was a shining example for the rest of the roster and thus the wings were a great team for a long time. same goes for yzerman.

not saying it will hurt connor's offence for sure because a lot of times nowadays, good defence and checking leads to offence and turnovers for offence. so who knows. all that matters is the team is better regardless of what numbers connor puts up.

 

[Summary]

I thought the biggest problem was pervasive entrenched nepotism and complacency at the highest levels of the front office and an organization fixated on individual players over systems.

But sure that other thing too

 

[MaxR11]

I thought the biggest problem was pervasive entrenched nepotism and complacency at the highest levels of the front office and an organization fixated on individual players over systems.

But sure that other thing too

agree. and that's part of the culture of how they've been doing things. it was prevalent when hall and ebs were here. they cater to them over the team. they didn't want to upset the golden boys.they figure it was going to be individual great players that would automatically lift this team out of the basement. what they didn't realize is, yes you need those talneted players, but you need to have the right culture in place first to bring it all along properly.

 

[Summary]

agree. and that's part of the culture of how they've been doing things. it was prevalent when hall and ebs were here. they cater to them over the team. they didn't want to upset the golden boys.they figure it was going to be individual great players that would automatically lift this team out of the basement. what they didn't realize is, yes you need those talneted players, but you need to have the right culture in place first to bring it all along properly.

It's also why we gleefully tanked in the first place, 'Heatly (or Hossa etc) won't come here, we'll too bad, can't say no if we draft them'

Tambellini was "So proud" to draft Hall, because standings didn't matter, superstars did

 

[Aerchon]

I'm glad you posted this - about the Talbot reality. Haven't heard much of this take. Only that he was great or the other side saying he sucks.

I'm not going to day I knee this or that in hindsight, just that I honestly don't think he is, was or ever will be a upper echelon tender. That's not to say hes never played good enough to take us to the too, or that he can't, just that IMO there's quite a bit of tenders much better than him.

And... to add, not sure how long it will last, but Koski's play totally makes me comfortable.
That's my word for him in net - comfortable.

Talbot when on his game eats rebounds and is a technically sound goalie. Plays angles well. When off his game he has serious focus and puck tracking issues. Not unlike Dubnyk during his time here.

Koskinen generally speaking does not have the rebound control and positioning that Talbot does when on his game but tracks the puck much better than Talbot, is more acrobatic/good at scrambling, and has the size to offset some of his issues.

The more comfortable Koskinen gets the more impressed I am with his overall game. I feel he can be an elite nhl starter but have not seen enough to say anything more than he is currently playing great.

I've always been a fan of goaltending. For me a goaltender does not need to be perfect but consistently good and... entertaining is important to me.

Fuhr, Roli, Ranford, and Cuju.

Some other goalies I really like MAF, Vokoun, Quick, Thomas, Richter, Holtby, Bishop, Ron Tugnut, and Hextal although as a GM he has tarnished his reputation.

I would love to have an Oiler goalie as one of my favorite players again.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Secondary scoring.

Or rather a complete lack of.

 

[redgrant]

Biggest problem with this team is Chiarelli traded away Schultz, Eberle, Hall, Maroon, Strome, 1st Rounder, 2nd Rounder and is left with Spooner and Larsson.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Team can't score, who knew?

 

[Tyrolean]

Katz, keeping OBC around and Chia too long.

 

[ConnorMcNugesaitl]

Chiarelli, Peter it's not rocket appliances.

 

[oobga]

Biggest problem is McDavid getting sick all the time. Gotta inject ColdFX to his veins.

 

[Lacaar]

The biggest problem with this team is that there's 30 other teams out there that do most things better than us. Soon to be 31
In no particular order.

1. Draft
2. Develop
3. Trade
4. Free agent sign
5. Pro Scout
6. Support
7. Culture
8. Coach

Whatever it is that makes a franchise operate successfully against other franchises. When you add up all the variables and pit them against other teams. We are the worst.
We may do some things better than other franchises. But those franchises do more of them better than us.

 

[Rafters]

Using a line that can’t score as a third line ... the identity line should be no more then a 4th line bang and crash line or sit some players , oilers have 3 centres that can distribute the puck .. adding some winger depth... and if the refs called a penalty when teams mug McDavid we could be alright , think Hitch has to roll the 3 centres we got and then stick 2 of them together for the occasional shift after a pk or something

Rieder/Spooner-97-Chiasson
Khaira/Rieder-29-Vykov
Caggiula-93- Puljujarvi/Rattie
Lucic -Khaira-Rattie

Just have to fjnd some chemistry with the wingers

 

[guymez]

Using a line that can’t score as a third line ... the identity line should be no more then a 4th line bang and crash line or sit some players , oilers have 3 centres that can distribute the puck .. adding some winger depth... and if the refs called a penalty when teams mug McDavid we could be alright , think Hitch has to roll the 3 centres we got and then stick 2 of them together for the occasional shift after a pk or something

Rieder/Spooner-97-Chiasson
Khaira/Rieder-29-Vykov
Caggiula-93- Puljujarvi/Rattie
Lucic -Khaira-Rattie

Just have to fjnd some chemistry with the wingers

Zykov will be an interesting add....hearing lots of positives about his game.