The "New" Core

[PuckG]

After that awful game against the Sens, I'm curious as to who other Oiler fans consider to be part of the core.

It seems like many people are starting change their tune and want the team to trade anyone or anything (except McDavid) to see this team turn it around.

I'll start with my core:

McDavid (because he's McDavid)
Klefbom (our best defenseman who was trending up before his injury, hopefully he can fully recover from that infection)
RNH (the centre that's played against top competition for years, and done it well. He's 22, and I still think he's better than Draisaitl.)
Nurse (Too much upside to ignore. He's had a rough second half, but if his minutes can be reduced, we'll see him trend up again)

Two other players that I'm starting to love because of their compete level is Pakarinen and Davidson. Both are starting to look like reliable options for the bottom half of the lineup.

Anyone else is up for grabs in my opinion. Of course I'd prefer to keep guys like Hall, Draisaitl, and Eberle. But realistically, Hall and Drai could bring back a top tier defenseman, while Eberle could probably bring back a solid top 4 defenseman.

What do you guys say? Who's dropped off your list? Who's been added?

Edit: I didn't realize people would get emotional because I used the word "core." I'll rephrase; Who do you want on this team because of either their work ethic, compete-level, skill, potential, or whatever else it is that makes a player valuable to a team.

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[hawks889]

After that awful game against the Sens, I'm curious as to who other Oiler fans consider to be part of the core.

It seems like many people are starting change their tune and want the team to trade anyone or anything (except McDavid) to see this team turn it around.

I'll start with my core:

McDavid (because he's McDavid)
Klefbom (our best defenseman who was trending up before his injury, hopefully he can fully recover from that infection)
RNH (the centre that's played against top competition for years, and done it well. He's 22, and I still think he's better than Draisaitl.)
Nurse (Too much upside to ignore. He's had a rough second half, but if his minutes can be reduced, we'll see him trend up again)

Two other players that I'm starting to love because of there compete level is Pakarinen and Davidson. Both are starting to look like reliable options for the bottom half of the lineup.

Anyone else is up for grabs in my opinion. Of course I'd prefer to keep guys like Hall, Draisaitl, and Eberle. But realistically, Hall and Drai could bring back a top tier defenseman, while Eberle could probably bring back a solid top 4 defenseman.

What do you guys say? Who's dropped off your list? Who's been added?

Mcdavid Nuff said

 

[McRpro]

Mcdavid. That is all.

 

[Mr Positive]

imo Draisaitl should be considered a core guy. He hasn't been the best, but he brings a lot of size and scoring ability. He's a great complement to McDavid after he polishes his game and gains some consistency. A lot of successful teams have the really talented, speedy center, along with a bigger center who plays a bit different.

Hall, Eberle and RNH should be considered expendable. I am going to guess that Nurse is not moving just because he's practically the embodiment of a Chiarelli player.

edit: I'm fine with considering Talbot a core guy too.

 

[PuckG]

imo Draisaitl should be considered a core guy. He hasn't been the best, but he brings a lot of size and scoring ability. He's a great complement to McDavid after he polishes his game and gains some consistency. A lot of successful teams have the really talented, speedy center, along with a bigger center who plays a bit different.

Hall, Eberle and RNH should be considered expendable. I am going to guess that Nurse is not moving just because he's practically the embodiment of a Chiarelli player.

I'll deduce that your core would consist of McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nurse then.

I struggle with putting Draisaitl over RNH. He had a hot start, but he hasn't nearly done what RNH has. At the end of the day, it's a toss up between the two for me, because I'm a huge RNH fan, but Draisaitl is also the prototypical Western Conference player we need.

 

[Jephman]

Hall is an effective player day in day out. The same can't be said for pretty much any other Oiler besides Hendricks. Not having him on the list of core players is criminal if we are judging him by his on-ice performance.

McD
Drai
Hall
Maybe Klef or Nurse

I want more to stay like RNH, Yak, Davidson, and Hendricks, but to me those guys mentioned above should be here for good.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

McDavid
Draisaitl
RNH
1st round pick
Nurse
Klefbom

 

[duul]

It has to be only McDavid. You consider dealing anyone else to improve and balance the team.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

McDavid. Everyone else is expendable.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

McDavid


tired of this "core" crap...you don't assign a core...you build a core through play

 

[MessierII]

Mcdavid
Draisaitl
Nurse
Klefbom
The pick assuming it's top 3 is my new core.

 

[Speed220DChalavan]

 

[Senor Catface]

Whoa. I know how you feel.

 

[PuckG]

McDavid


tired of this "core" crap...you don't assign a core...you build a core through play

Yeah...so through play, who has made the cut? The players who I think have, I've posted above.

Let me rephrase; this team obviously has to make significant moves to turn it around. Who from the current group of players would you want to keep, whether it be because they play well enough, or they have great upside, or they compete hard etc...

 

[gqmixmaster]

Mcdavid, Klefbom, Nurse and Davidson

Everyone else reminds me of losing

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

Yeah...so through play, who has made the cut? The players who I think have, I've posted above.

Let me rephrase; this team obviously has to make significant moves to turn it around. Who from the current group of players would you want to keep, whether it be because they play well enough, or they have great upside, or they compete hard etc...

I'd have to add Davidson to it.

Even now when everyone else pretty much sucks, Davidson is still improving

 

[FanOfSadTeam]

New core:

Probably in their cribs right now

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Yeah...so through play, who has made the cut? The players who I think have, I've posted above.

Let me rephrase; this team obviously has to make significant moves to turn it around. Who from the current group of players would you want to keep, whether it be because they play well enough, or they have great upside, or they compete hard etc...

There is no core
Everyone is in play save McDavid

 

[Hockey Nightmare]

Stop with this core businesses. Almost nobody on this squad has shown they're untradeable.

 

[guymez]

McDavid
Draisaitl
RNH
1st round pick
Nurse
Klefbom

I understand this thinking but it really speaks to just how bad the Management has been the past 6 years.

The really scary thing is that despite the 5-6 years of rebuilding that core is going to need 3 or more years before the players are starting to find their game. So that essentially means the rebuild is still 3-5 years away from being finished.

So this is going to end up being a 10 year rebuild.

 

[Tyrolean]

Team is rotten to the "core". MacDavid, Klef, Drai, Talbot, Davidson. Talbot and maybe Nurse are the only ones that should be kept while creating the new core.

Nikitin, Ference, Shultz, Fayne, Purcell, Korps, Nilsson are the 1st ones out.

Letestu also out, cause' no offensive instincts.

Maybe keep Gryba, Kassian and Pak. Yak, also if he can see a psychologist.

 

[Originally Posted By*]

My opinion? McDavid is the core, everybody else from top to bottom is expendable.

Our core has got us nowhere in 6 years, not even better than a basement finish.

McDavid is the core and captain of this team, our old core should be dangled to help create a team that compliments each other; not a bunch of first overalls trying to force chemistry.

 

[PuckG]

My opinion? McDavid is the core, everybody else from top to bottom is expendable.

Our core has got us nowhere in 6 years, not even better than a basement finish.

McDavid is the core and captain of this team, our old core should be dangled to help create a team that compliments each other; not a bunch of first overalls trying to force chemistry.

Fair enough. Among the team we currently have, who do you think will be in this group that compliments one another? If we ignore the old "core," I personally think Davidson, Pakarinen, and possibly Kassian will have places in the bottom half of the lineup.

 

[5 14 6 1]

McDavid

Literally anyone else can be moved if we get a legitimate #1 defender coming back our way. In a perfect world I'd like to keep one of RNH/Drai and one of Hall/Ebs and Klef and Nurse however I am willing to move any of them if it means we get some legitimate defenders.

We need to bring in veterans to flank McD, guys who have won at the NHL level.

 

[NedPlimpton]

I'm at the point where I don't care to be honest.

McDavid is obviously untouchable but I think we need a whole new look. More hard working "grinders" or power forwards and less of the same 6000 wingers we have.

I don't know anymore

I'm so sick of it.