This Years Unsung Hero

[McArthur]

who would have known, Lander would have turned things around Nelson style? A quite a few saw Klefbom working his way past Marincin on the depth chart. Not me, I thought Marincin had the tools to work his way past circumstance. Turns out, you have to still work hard to overcome circumstance, talent can't do it on its own. How about our 4th line... All season long! I want a wagon jersey... One of the games I got to watch live, I chanted "wagon" more than anything else. We've talked up and down on the difference Derek Roy made this year, and i'd still like to see him with Taylor Hall... Albeit, i'm enjoying watching Hall play center....

My pick is the Eakins guy that made good playing for Nelson. Keith Aulie. A few sheltered games, A few sheltered minutes. But on a losing squad, still not a lot of easy time. while providing a physical presence, and a defensive game. You rarely see him contained in his own zone, and has had to play up and down, where ever needed. In the balance of the season, has answered the call, and may have disappointed a few, but not many. but after 29 going 31 games is a +1 and may finish our best +/- player. not bad for the guy that is supposed to be a plug.

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[Seedling]

 

[Aerchon]

Gordon

Even Hendricks gets more love. Gordon extremely quietly give us quality NHL play night in and night out no matter who he is up against.

 

[Dorian2]

Fayne for me. Unassuming solid stay at home D. What this team needed.

Gordon and Hendricks are close runner ups. Very very close.

 

[Mr Positive]

Fasth was making some big strides under Nelson. It's a shame his season was cut short due to injury, and his loss was noticed on the team after.

Probably Aulie is a good answer though.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

Fasth was making some big strides under Nelson. It's a shame his season was cut short due to injury, and his loss was noticed on the team after.

Probably Aulie is a good answer though.

Fasth is a potential starter if he could only stay healthy

 

[The Nuge]

Gordon and Hendricks are probably our MVP's, but they're not unsung. With how little we've had to talk about, the same goes for most of the guys who would typically fall into that category. I'm probably going to take some flack for this, but my pick is... gulp... Purcell. I was his harshest critic the first half of the year, but he's quietly had a decent 2nd half. He still gets ragged on a lot, but he went from being butter soft, and less than useless defensively, to actually quite reliable, and has been using his size to win some battles, and protect the puck. His revival has been almost equal to Yak's imo.

Runner up is Fayne

Fasth is a potential starter if he could only stay healthy

Maybe in the AHL... He's bad for like 4 out of every 5 games, and has a garbage attitude. He can **** off back to Sweden and go yell at his teammates for his mistakes over there. I'm glad he's gone

 

[Mr Positive]

Gordon and Hendricks are probably our MVP's, but they're not unsung. With how little we've had to talk about, the same goes for most of the guys who would typically fall into that category. I'm probably going to take some flack for this, but my pick is... gulp... Purcell. I was his harshest critic the first half of the year, but he's quietly had a decent 2nd half. He still gets ragged on a lot, but he went from being butter soft, and less than useless defensively, to actually quite reliable, and has been using his size to win some battles, and protect the puck. His revival has been almost equal to Yak's imo.

Runner up is Fayne



Maybe in the AHL... He's bad for like 4 out of every 5 games, and has a garbage attitude. He can **** off back to Sweden and go yell at his teammates for his mistakes over there. I'm glad he's gone

he definitely was not bad 4 out of every 5 games, and that eruption he had early in the season was overrated. The team was brutal and deserved it. Under Nelson it was clear that the team was playing better and I think the players and coach liked him so I don't see the big issue. Fasth's shootout ability also helped the team with some key wins early in Nelson's early winning ways, which helped to build confidence within the team and took some pressure off.

edit: and btw I'm only saying Fasth because of that "unsung" part. Plenty of fans praise players like Gordon and Fayne

 

[Throttlehead]

Anton Lander all the way.

I can't imagine how bad we would look without a 3rd line centre (yes we could be worse), he has put up impressive numbers for his position, he has also solved our 3rd line centre issue while being a good PP player/contributor. He does well on PK as well.

He was on waivers and appeared to have no NHL future.

 

[AM]

The oilers fan base.

 

[StoveTopStauffer]

Ill nominate Benoit Pouliot, blew away my expectations. On pace for over 25 goals despite injury and a -1 on this defensive disaster.

 

[Supermassive]

Ill nominate Benoit Pouliot, blew away my expectations. On pace for over 25 goals despite injury and a -1 on this defensive disaster.

That's a great pick.

I'm not a fan of voting bottom-pairing d-men as unsung heroes, as they often post decent +/- but face the weakest opposition and also get blown up on the PK fairly often. Aulie has held his own, but he has been sheltered.

I remember when our unsung heroes used to be guys like Dave Lumley. He could score like crazy, or shut down anyone. Pat Hughes. Kenny Linseman. Just an embarrassment of riches.

 

[MoneyGuy]

Season ticket holders for paying high prices to watch this garbage team for 41 games.

 

[voxel]

Fayne, Pouliot, Gordon, Roy and then Lander. Oilers could use more blue collar types to compliment the flash and dash.

 

[NewBoysClub97*]

The fans who went to the games for me. They deserve a pat on the back for blowing their money on the product

 

[MessierII]

Gotta be Pouliot. Did not expect him to score like that.

 

[The Nuge]

he definitely was not bad 4 out of every 5 games, and that eruption he had early in the season was overrated. The team was brutal and deserved it. Under Nelson it was clear that the team was playing better and I think the players and coach liked him so I don't see the big issue. Fasth's shootout ability also helped the team with some key wins early in Nelson's early winning ways, which helped to build confidence within the team and took some pressure off.

edit: and btw I'm only saying Fasth because of that "unsung" part. Plenty of fans praise players like Gordon and Fayne

4 out of 5 was obviously an exaggeration, but he had a sub .900 SV% more often than above this year (14 vs 12). That's absolutely dreadful, and even a .900 goalie is barely able to be an occasional backup in the modern NHL. Fasth put up a .888 SV%. Even Lindback managed to do better than that, and he's pretty widely accepted as being in the running for the worst goalie in the NHL.

And you say that like he only blamed his teammates once for his own mistakes, but Fasth was yelling at people constantly. If people can complain that Ference calls people out after he himself plays poorly, why doesn't the same criticism apply to Fasth? The only thing Fasth helped this year was the tank.

 

[Mcnofool6110]

Poo, Fayne for me.

 

[McGoMcD]

I will go with Pouliot, not only did he play well but he never took a night off. The guy has a great work ethic and I think will be a huge leader for us going forward.

 

[Captain Catatomic]

I will go with Pouliot, not only did he play well but he never took a night off. The guy has a great work ethic and I think will be a huge leader for us going forward.

Its perron. Called out Schultz and Eakins. Only thing remotely close to heroic this season by anyone not named as Patrick Thoresons physical therapist.

 

[Up the Irons]

Todd Nelson

or, actually, whomever it was that called Mact into his office (cough-Nicholson or Katz) and said: "One guy is getting fired today. Its doesn't have to be two, but it can be'.

 

[KCC]

Fayne, Pouliot, Gordon, Roy and then Lander. Oilers could use more blue collar types to compliment the flash and dash.

I'd go with this list as well.

 

[YEGman]

Season ticket holders for paying high prices to watch this garbage team for 41 games.

45 including pre-season....fools that we are.

 

[McRobbiezyg]

Fayne for me. Unassuming solid stay at home D. What this team needed.

Gordon and Hendricks are close runner ups. Very very close.

I agree. I was thinking Fayne would actually be a great mentor for Hannifin should we pick him. Both played in college and fayne is, in my opinion anyway, a good role model. get him to live with him after going back to college for a year and I think that would be a solid plan for him. my opinion anyway

 

[LTIR]

The fans who went to the games for me. They deserve a pat on the back for blowing their money on the product

+1

The fans are the heroes 10th year in a row.

on ice.. I will go with Gordon. Only a -5 despite getting the tough defensive minutes. Hendricks, Lander and Pouliot as my other choices.