Tippett/Playfair

[_Del_]

If Edmonton can dig out of the cap problems (and avoid creating new ones), they have the foundation to be successful leaning on the established talent they already have and bringing in veteran support pieces. It's just getting those pieces without risky long-term contracts which should be difficult.

The roster is thin there, but there's no doubt they have much higher-end talent than Tipp ever had here. D needs a complete overhaul. You can fill the bottom six with the right style of garbage, and Tipp will be able to win games with just McDavid and Drai providing offense, so that actually works for them (or is at least viable) during the cap crunch assuming they fix the defense and goaltending. The hard part for the GM is deciding who gets cut loose to let you go get Tippett's guys to fill out the roster (Well, that and keepong Tipp away from BBQ's with ownership!).

I'm mostly interested in seeing what type of buy-in he gets from "the core". I'm guessing there will be quite a bit of mumbling press conferences complaining that "we just practiced that exact thing" and Hitchcock-esque "the coaching staff cannot want it more than the players" . Even failure won't be entirely on Tipp, because of the current mess, imo. I'm guessing he knows that, and that and the chance to reshape the roster and have Connor and Drai as foundation stones was too tempting to pass up. Good chance to rehab his resume.

By week two, if there is someone Dave has decided can't cut it right now, they need to trade him for a pick or veteran help immediately.

 

[_Del_]

I think DT will be a good boost for EDM initially. He'll get their spare part players to buy in and execute well and then they've got a few top end talent guys that can put them over the top. It'll be after a few years when the likes of Pulju and Yamamoto, etc. never get a shot and get chased off, and there are no reserves coming up through system that the mediocrity will set in. It'll always be a few star players and Tippett's favorite plumbers. Should be enough to fight for a playoff spot every year, but never go much further than that despite star-power.

I think that's pretty spot on, but they could go pretty far with a couple actual stars and the plumbers. Until they get too comfy and the next GM starts making comments about how chemistry is great, but it isn't resulting in wins.

 

[Jamieh]

If Edmonton can dig out of the cap problems (and avoid creating new ones), they have the foundation to be successful leaning on the established talent they already have and bringing in veteran support pieces. It's just getting those pieces without risky long-term contracts which should be difficult.

The roster is thin there, but there's no doubt they have much higher-end talent than Tipp ever had here. D needs a complete overhaul. You can fill the bottom six with the right style of garbage, and Tipp will be able to win games with just McDavid and Drai providing offense, so that actually works for them (or is at least viable) during the cap crunch assuming they fix the defense and goaltending. The hard part for the GM is deciding who gets cut loose to let you go get Tippett's guys to fill out the roster (Well, that and keepong Tipp away from BBQ's with ownership!).

I'm mostly interested in seeing what type of buy-in he gets from "the core". I'm guessing there will be quite a bit of mumbling press conferences complaining that "we just practiced that exact thing" and Hitchcock-esque "the coaching staff cannot want it more than the players" . Even failure won't be entirely on Tipp, because of the current mess, imo. I'm guessing he knows that, and that and the chance to reshape the roster and have Connor and Drai as foundation stones was too tempting to pass up. Good chance to rehab his resume.

By week two, if there is someone Dave has decided can't cut it right now, they need to trade him for a pick or veteran help immediately.

The Oiler's D is not nearly as bad as they play. I think once Tipp puts some defensive structure by everyone in place their present roster of D will look better. However they don't have top pairing D which is hard to overcome. Sekera, Klefbom, Larsson, and Nurse are all serviceable defenceman and they have promising prospects in Bouchard, Bear, and Jones. Of that group though only Bouchard looks to have possible 1st pairing potential and he's not there yet.

 

[_Del_]

They need someone to eat heavy minutes, and I cannot see a pairing there that can really do that. There are NHL defensemen there, but it's hard to parse out minutes with that D. And salary wise, they're in a bind on D, too.
Structure may help, but it historically hasn't made a difference there. If Tipp gets buy-in, maybe they rise to serviceable. I actually think Tipp will like Russell, even.
The trick is getting all those guys to slot-in lower in the lineup where they belong so they can shine, and not expose them. If you have to do that with what's there, it'll probably be ugly.
YMMV

 

[Jamieh]

They need someone to eat heavy minutes, and I cannot see a pairing there that can really do that. There are NHL defensemen there, but it's hard to parse out minutes with that D. And salary wise, they're in a bind on D, too.
Structure may help, but it historically hasn't made a difference there. If Tipp gets buy-in, maybe they rise to serviceable. I actually think Tipp will like Russell, even.
The trick is getting all those guys to slot-in lower in the lineup where they belong so they can shine, and not expose them. If you have to do that with what's there, it'll probably be ugly.
YMMV

I said that but you wrote they have no D and need a complete overhaul. Sekera if healthy might be a big help for them but I agree the 22 plus minutes guys just aren't there. But I still think they are better than last year's results.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

We are all assuming that he is going to run the same system in Edmonton - the trap, dump and chase. I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[Jamieh]

Also really hard to play D when you are very tense knowing your goalie can't catch the puck. And your forwards are at center.

 

[Mosby]

Still can't believe the Oilers allowed Chiarelli to give Koskinen that contract, only to fire Chiarelli two days later.

BTW the rumour is Chiarelli is joining the Canucks, reuniting with Benning (worked together in Boston)

 

[_Del_]

I said that but you wrote they have no D and need a complete overhaul. Sekera if healthy might be a big help for them but I agree the 22 plus minutes guys just aren't there

They have $25M wrapped up in their top seven D and noone who can eat minutes. How do you fix that without an overhaul?

Our top two minute eaters capable of heavy lifting cost us $13.25M combined, and those contracts are pretty good. Our total expenditure is ~$30M for the top seven. We're very heavily invested ($) in D compared to most teams.

You cannot fix that D without big turnover. Or you'll have 35+M wrapped up in the D along with Connor, Drai, RNH, Lucic eating huge cap.

There isn't money there to just add more talent. They have to overhaul the D.

 

[Jamieh]

They have $25M wrapped up in their top seven D and noone who can eat minutes. How do you fix that without an overhaul?

Our top two minute eaters capable of heavy lifting cost us $13.25M combined, and those contracts are pretty good. Our total expenditure is ~$30M for the top seven. We're very heavily invested ($) in D compared to most teams.

You cannot fix that D without big turnover. Or you'll have 35+M wrapped up in the D along with Connor, Drai, RNH, Lucic eating huge cap.

There isn't money there to just add more talent. They have to overhaul the D.

We have one D capable of eating those minutes and play them according. The Oilers have none capable of being 22 minute plus guys and try to force 3 of them to do it. A smart coach would realize their limitations and distribute the minutes better until someone shows they are able to do the increase. When the talent us available you clear the space. Bouchard might solve their top D issue??

 

[Summer Rose]

I agree mostly with what my fellow fans have said about Dave. A lot of them have been long-winded about him, which is understandable. Long story short:

Dave Tippett is stubborn.

 

[hbk]

Players love Tippett. Notable exception is Turris.

Mike Modano would assist in training camp. So he is capable of bonding with star players.

 

[Jakey53]

I agree mostly with what my fellow fans have said about Dave. A lot of them have been long-winded about him, which is understandable. Long story short:

Dave Tippett is stubborn.

I don't care if someone is stubborn as long as my team wins. DT has a winning record as coach over many years. That is all I care about. I think we should be more worried about our own teams coaching than someone else's team. Maybe some of us Coyote fans feel a little insecure with DT coaching the Oilers?

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Maybe some of us Coyote fans feel a little insecure with DT coaching the Oilers?

Not me. If anything, at least we know exactly how the Oilers are going to play. Not gonna be a lot of guessing about tactics with the Dave and Jim Show in charge.

 

[Jakey53]

Not me. If anything, at least we know exactly how the Oilers are going to play. Not gonna be a lot of guessing about tactics with the Dave and Jim Show in charge.

Ok, how are they going to play?

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Ok, how are they going to play?

They're going to run a conservative defense - not an outright trap, because they have better forward talent than they had here - and roll with a hard-forechecking perimeter game for the most part. No run'n'gun offense. McDavid's line will have more creative freedom than the rest, but by and large it's going to be a game of effort and board battles.

 

[rt]

DT has a winning record as coach over many years. That is all I care about.

That’s true. He’s been an NHL head coach for 1,114 games. He’s won 553, lost 533, and tied 28. So he’s won 20 more than he’s lost over 1,114.

 

[_Del_]

He generates almost all the offensive chances off neutral zone turnovers, and making simple plays with board work. McDavid could actually be scary coming out of the neutral zone with his speed in DT's scheme. David Moss, not so much.

I would not take a bet against Tipp having an aneurysm over the way the Oilers play in the offensive zone though. If he can convince them to buy -in where Hitch (and a host of others) have failed, they will be good. If not, there will be a lot more talk and questions in the EDM press about his grumbling than there was in AZ.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

They're going to run a conservative defense - not an outright trap, because they have better forward talent than they had here - and roll with a hard-forechecking perimeter game for the most part. No run'n'gun offense. McDavid's line will have more creative freedom than the rest, but by and large it's going to be a game of effort and board battles.

Um, nope. They will score on the rush like they always have. They have McDavid and Drai. They won’t play Dave’s Coyotes dump and chase.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Um, nope. They will score on the rush like they always have. They have McDavid and Drai. They won’t play Dave’s Coyotes dump and chase.

Did I say they'd play the Coyotes' dump and chase?

 

[SniperHF]

When the Coyotes had the players for it they tried to play off the rush all the time. Battle for puck in the corner, quick out by OEL/Yandle/Morris, Whitney/Vrbata. Upshall/Lombardi/Stempniak/Wolski before them. It's the crappier versions circa 2014-15-16-17 that stopped doing that save for a minor 3-4 month burst by Domi/Duclair. I don't think of scoring off the rush as inherently aggressive or conservative. If you're sitting back and taking what the opponent gives you via shotblock, board battle, or save then trying for a break out? That's conservative. I don't care which personnel are the ones doing the deed. If you're playing up high tight on the points or the half wall looking to generate turnovers ala Grabner/Richardson or making home run passes below the circles? That's aggressive.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

Did I say they'd play the Coyotes' dump and chase?

[QUOTE="The Feckless Puck, post: 162494517] - and roll with a hard-forechecking perimeter game for the most part. No run'n'gun offense. McDavid's line will have more creative freedom than the rest, but by and large it's going to be a game of effort and board battles.[/QUOTE]
Yep

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Yep

OK.