The Pacific

[snipes]

In order for us to have any chance at the playoffs or climb out of the basement we have to win consistently in division and start conquering the California teams (put Arizona in there too). That's the reality, we don't play in the East and we've built our team like an Eastern team up front and it simply hasn't worked.

We have lots of skill and talent down the middle which is what you want. Our future at Centre looks very, very good IMO. Drai and McDavid are untouchable up front. We will have a lethal 1-2 punch down the middle that will give teams in our conference fits for years to come.

In order to win in the Pacific we need:
1. More big wingers in the mold of Maroon/Kassian
2. Big, puck moving defenceman
3. Continue to get mentally and physically tougher
4. 3rd and 4th line players who grind down the other team (i.e. Kassian, Hendo line)
4. Have a **** you attitude
5. Play a north/south game
6. Continue to outhit teams and be unafraid of the nasty stuff

What do you guys think we need to do in order to start being successful in the Pacific? I think these things are so obvious and most of us have bought into Chia's vision. I tend to agree with his formula.

Click to read more...

 

[hallhopkinseberle]

disagree. We don't need drastic changes, we need to simply add two top four defensemen that could move the puck out of the zone.I do think we need to rebuild our right side. Size we are actually good right now and we are not a soft team no more.


Hall-Drastaitl-Yakupov
Maroon-McDavid-Laine
Pouliot-Nuge-Shaw
Hendricks-Letestu-Kassian
Pakarinen

Sekera-Hamonic
Yandle-Klefbom
Davidson-Fayne
Osterle

PP1
Pouliot-McDavid-Drastaitl
Hall-Yandle

PP2
Laine-Nuge-Shaw
Klefbom-Yakupov

PK1
Hendricks-Nuge
Davidson-Hamonic

PK2
Letestu-McDavid
Klefbom-Fayne


PK3
Shaw-Pouliot


Trading Block
1.Jordan Eberle
3.Lauri Korp
4.2nd picks to 7th round picks


Trade #1
Jordan Eberle for Travis Hamonic

Draft Laine 2nd Overall

Trade #2
2nd round pick +Lander for Andrew Shaw


Sign Keith Yandle 5 year 6mil lntc

 

[snipes]

disagree. We don't need drastic changes, we need to simply add two top four defensemen that could move the puck out of the zone.I do think we need to rebuild our right side. Size we are actually good right now and we are not a soft team no more.

I agree with that. We've played very tough lately. It's almost more of an attitude that these guys bring too. Do you know what I mean? It's an attitude of **** you we're done being bullied and that's something we absolutely need.

Hopefully this carries over to next year and Rogers Place becomes a raucous environment and teams hate coming to our barn. Not an easy cakewalk anymore.

Obvious puck moving defenceman need that we've beaten to death here.

 

[Philly85*]

I don't think there's a real tried and true formula tbh. LA has won a couple times with size and depth and D, while Chicago has won 3 times with a combo of skill, speed and just excellent team chemistry, and very good defense too of course.

I think Chicago and LA, while still remaining competitive, are winding down in their eras of dominance. Anaheim could win one more time maybe but Getzlaf and Perry are getting older and exiting their primes. A lot of the core players on these championship teams have tons of hard miles on them, who's best years are behind them (aside from Doughty and maybe Kane).

The Oilers don't need to make drastic changes. The natural cycle of things will begin to take its course.

Connor McDavid has potential to go, as Lowetide likes to say, "supernova". He has ability to win games by himself. That covers up a lot of potential deficiencies and allows your team to get away with maybe not having the greatest defense.

They already have guys like Maroon and Kassian, and they should keep them. I wouldn't say Drai is untouchable. There is only one untouchable on the roster and that is 97. Chiarelli needs to add 2 more Dmen and pray for Nurse or Klefbom to become bonafide #2's themselves, and that the team can produce quality depth 1-6 on the blueline, because the opportunity to develop a stud #1 D has came and gone, there is no one in the org who has the potential to become a top 10, top 15 Dman in the league.

Doubt a deal is out there for a Karlsson or Subban or OEL that wouldn't somewhat destroy what you have built up front.

I hope Chiarelli doesn't drastically change too much, or if he does, that he manages to sign one or two guys to fit in the top 6.

I also think one or Nurse or Klefbom is gone this offseason in a package.

When all is said and done I see them looking more like a Chicago type team, based on balance and depth, with better top end offensive talent.

They'll never be an LA, Anaheim or Boston type team. You have to build around what you got and what they have is McDavid, that should be the identity. Smarts, compete, and speed.

 

[KCC]

I don't think there's a real tried and true formula tbh. LA has won a couple times with size and depth and D, while Chicago has won 3 times with a combo of skill, speed and just excellent team chemistry, and very good defense too of course.

I think Chicago and LA, while still remaining competitive, are winding down in their eras of dominance. Anaheim could win one more time maybe but Getzlaf and Perry are getting older and exiting their primes. A lot of the core players on these championship teams have tons of hard miles on them, who's best years are behind them (aside from Doughty and maybe Kane).

The Oilers don't need to make drastic changes. The natural cycle of things will begin to take its course.

Connor McDavid has potential to go, as Lowetide likes to say, "supernova". He has ability to win games by himself. That covers up a lot of potential deficiencies and allows your team to get away with maybe not having the greatest defense.

They already have guys like Maroon and Kassian, and they should keep them. I wouldn't say Drai is untouchable. There is only one untouchable on the roster and that is 97. Chiarelli needs to add 2 more Dmen and pray for Nurse or Klefbom to become bonafide #2's themselves, and that the team can produce quality depth 1-6 on the blueline, because the opportunity to develop a stud #1 D has came and gone, there is no one in the org who has the potential to become a top 10, top 15 Dman in the league.

Doubt a deal is out there for a Karlsson or Subban or OEL that wouldn't somewhat destroy what you have built up front.

I hope Chiarelli doesn't drastically change too much, or if he does, that he manages to sign one or two guys to fit in the top 6.

I also think one or Nurse or Klefbom is gone this offseason in a package.

When all is said and done I see them looking more like a Chicago type team, based on balance and depth, with better top end offensive talent.

They'll never be an LA, Anaheim or Boston type team. You have to build around what you got and what they have is McDavid, that should be the identity. Smarts, compete, and speed.

Chiarelli has said he is trying to duplicate what he did in Boston so would that not mean he is trying to build EDM like them? IE bigger, tougher?

 

[Young Lions*]

Chiarelli has said he is trying to duplicate what he did in Boston so would that not mean he is trying to build EDM like them? IE bigger, tougher?

That's a pretty simplistic way to look at it. Boston had some big, tough guys, but they also had guys like Marchand, Krejic, Recchi, Kelly, Seguin up front. They were a pretty skilled team that happened to have a few huge players that literally tilted the scales. The lesson there is you need balance.

And a HHOF #1D.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I think if there's one strategy/blueprint, it's having a strong puck moving defence that can control the play and generate offence (as a unit, not just one player)


If this team had most any other other team's defence, I'd be willing to bet they'd be a playoff team. Make it a high end defence and this team is a contender. The forwards and goaltending are good enough, but regardless how nice the car looks, if it has a s**t engine (defence), it's not going to perform well.

 

[Oilfan2]

disagree. We don't need drastic changes, we need to simply add two top four defensemen that could move the puck out of the zone.I do think we need to rebuild our right side. Size we are actually good right now and we are not a soft team no more.


Hall-Drastaitl-Yakupov
Maroon-McDavid-Laine
Pouliot-Nuge-Shaw
Hendricks-Letestu-Kassian
Pakarinen

Sekera-Hamonic
Yandle-Klefbom
Davidson-Fayne
Osterle

Not good enough...

Yak will be gone and Hall and Drai aren't the types to normally finish checks as Yak does and push the D back(not sure I've ever seen Drai check actually). They need something else on that line..a Backes perhaps. Drai uses his size well to shelter/protect the puck but they need at least one player on the line who will check.

Putting 'another' rookie in the top 6 in Laine won't improve the goal-scoring/pushback.

Don't need Shaw unless he's on the 4th as Kassian is just fine as a 3rd line wing(provided he's resigned..which I believe he will be).

Defense is fine as you have...

 

[nexttothemoon]

Good goaltending
Good D
Good 2 way forwards
Some grit/size/physicality throughout the lineup

It's not rocket science what needs to be on a roster in order for a team to succeed, it's just obviously difficult to get every category to an above average level... takes good management obviously (which the Oilers haven't had... but hopefully now they do).

Personally, I think a team is only as strong as their weakest link so if they are especially weak in one area it negates strengths in others.

I think if you can get to at least average levels in most areas without major weaknesses in the roster... the team can actually be better than the sum of its parts... so basically they can be better on the ice than they are on paper (which many "balanced" teams are).

Whereas the Oilers have been the exact opposite... they look like they should be a much better team when you look at their skill... but the lack of balance and weaknesses on the roster results in them being worse out on the ice than they theoretically are on paper.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

Defense. Then defense.

If you look at the impact of defense on forward production for the Oilers and compare it to other teams, it's appalling.

 

[snipes]

The need for puck moving D is #1 priority. More size on the wing is #2 priority. I like where we're at down the middle. Drai and McDavid will be a frightening 1-2 punch for years to come.

Looking at the D in our division: Doughty, OEL, Burns, Gio, Brodie we have no one even close to that (Klefbom has the potential to get there but it's just potential right now).

We simply lack excellent skating, puck moving D (stating the obvious, I know). Davidson shows flashes of that calm transition game, but we still need that much more.

To beat the quick dump and chase forecheck relied upon in our division, you need D men who can retrieve the puck and transition it back up ice to the forwards quickly before the forecheck gets there. All year we've seen teams dump it in, our D panic and get hemmed into our own zone.

If a guy like Pietro or Hamonic (or both!) are available via trade, we have to pull the trigger even if it hurts and we lose a "core" winger or our first round draft pick. We'll never compete without high calibre Dmen in the Pacific.