We should not blow it up and stay the course

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

Remenda was on Saskatchewan sports radio today talking about the Oilers.

He thinks that it's time to build around McDavid, Draisaitl and Nurse. He thinks the team needs to deal Hall (because he'll get a monster return), RNH (because he doesn't think his body will ever allow him to play an 82 game season) and Yakupov because, well, Yakupov. He's had one foot out the door all season.

He said he'd keep Eberle based on the fact he's a 30 goal scorer and has chemistry with McDavid.

Also said that this team can't stick to playing a system because it's hard. It's hard to win and easy to lose. Once they see how hard winning is, they quit and go back to old habits. That's a tough thing to get out of a team culture once it has set it. As it has here over the many years.

Said that this team needs to think about how the 80s Oilers looked at the ice bags on the joints of the 80s Islanders to figure out what it means to want to win.

I think Remenda is dead on. I know his board hates his guts because he doesn't coddle this team enough, but he's 100% correct; this team doesn't care to find out what it means to win because losing is so much easier.

And to make it clear, he never said that any of these guys are bad players... Just players who need to be moved out to bring a new culture in.

That doesn't make sense though. If you want to bring a new culture in, you trade Eberle. He is most guilty out of the old core of being complacent.

I also don't get how everyone is ready to anoint Draisaitl and Nurse as stalwarts of the new core. They haven't proven anything yet.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

That doesn't make sense though. If you want to bring a new culture in, you trade Eberle. He is most guilty out of the old core of being complacent.

I also don't get how everyone is ready to anoint Draisaitl and Nurse as stalwarts of the new core. They haven't proven anything yet.

yeah....I like Eberle's mitts but he just seems oblivious now in interviews.

 

[488fitter]

yeah....I like Eberle's mitts but he just seems oblivious now in interviews.

Eakinized perhaps?

 

[BlackDogg]

That doesn't make sense though. If you want to bring a new culture in, you trade Eberle. He is most guilty out of the old core of being complacent.

I also don't get how everyone is ready to anoint Draisaitl and Nurse as stalwarts of the new core. They haven't proven anything yet.

I think these guys just listen to the general opinion and then take a different approach just so they get heard and get some coverage. Does he actually believe Eberle is going to be a solution here? I think for every goal he scores or creates he allows one against.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Eakinized perhaps?

yeah, either that or just trying to be positive.

I think some of them still just play as if Kruger is their coach.

 

[488fitter]

yeah, either that or just trying to be positive.

I think some of them still just play as if Kruger is their coach.

Eakins tended to believe his own ******** and was in constant denial during interviews often saying things that were complete opposite of what occurred on the ice. Baffling spewage to stroke his own ego.

 

[I bleed Oiler blue]

It's funny that a ten that for so many years had to get by with no high end talent and simply rely on a hard working blue collar group. Now we've shifted to the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

I'd like to see them find that veteran blue collar culture again. Run the offense and playmaking through our two playmaking C's in Drai/McD and fill the wings with hard working two way guys and add a guy in the top 6 with a rocket of a shot. Clear out Eberle, Hall, Yak and if they can sign a guy like Backes I'd say move RNH as well. But I don't want to see them go into next season without a C that can play in the top 6 that has more then 300 NHL games.

I would like to see Chia clear out Eberle, Hall, Yak and possibly RNH and bring in some quality top 4 defensema and then go to guys like Eriksson, Backes, Lucic, Ladd, Brouwer and say look we've cleared out the crap, upgraded the defense, we've got cap space were willing to spend, we've still got high end young guys in McDavid, Draisaitl, whoever we draft this year and our plan is to bring in a group of veterans to surround them.

How do you move 3 players out of the Top six and not take a step backwards? I can see one big top six player trade, two is a stretch, but no way so they move three (and Yak). Personally I would move Hall as I think you need to clear him out in order for McDavid to thrive and I really do not like how he reacts to different situations on the ice (and he should give us the best return) My opinion.........

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Eakins tended to believe his own ******** and was in constant denial during interviews often saying things that were complete opposite of what occurred on the ice. Baffling spewage to stroke his own ego.

whereas Kruger was more "just let your talent ring true"
whatever that means.

 

[Suxnet]

They'd love to stay on the course, believe me.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

How do you move 3 players out of the Top six and not take a step backwards? I can see one big top six player trade, two is a stretch, but no way so they move three (and Yak). Personally I would move Hall as I think you need to clear him out in order for McDavid to thrive and I really do not like how he reacts to different situations on the ice (and he should give us the best return) My opinion.........

I think you ignored the fact that he said go out and sign a bunch of guys. Imagine they get Matthews, and sign Erikisson and Backes

McDavid
Matthews
Draisaitl
Eriksson
Backes
Maroon

 

[BigTime99]

I think he's correct in his assessment too. His part about certain players thinking it's hard to win, easy to lose and then falling into the same old bad habits is what I'm seeing too. This is the biggest reason changes need to be made with some of the guys who have been here the longest. This doesn't mean these players are garbage it's just that they've been broken here. The reasons why they've been broken don't even matter anymore. The longer they're here the more likely they are to pass on that defeated attitude to the younger guys. We saw the same thing happen with Horcoff and Hemsky. I'm ready to try something new.

Wtf! Another rebuild? Guys like Yzerman and Dustin brown remind me of halls current situation. Always on the trade block until they started winning. I remember Dustin brown rumored to be moved the year they won the cup. Everyone needs to take a pill and relax and abandone the everything must go mentality! And what dman does hall bring u, doughty? Pietrangelo, subban, Karlsson, other than those guys why would u trade for 2nd tier dmen? I think if hall goes, oilers lose that deal bad.

 

[Ninety7]

Chia should make marginal changes that address weaknesses. Add a D man of course, via FA or Trade. I am not saying we don't need any changes, but that we dont' need radical changes.

My reasons are pretty simple. This team will finish with 5-9 more points than it had last year. THe goal differential will improve by about 40 goals (-85 last year to -45 now). Given McDavid missed half the year and we have just a terrible stretch of bad luck with injuries none of this seems all that depressing.

Rebuilds take time and don't go as planned, the worse thing you can do is not recognize improvement when you have it. As long as the team is pointing up, then you don't make radical changes. As much as people want blood and change for change sake there is no reason for it.

Marginal changes have had no effect. Look how many D-men and Forwards we have brought in over the years. We need something RADICAL. We need an IMPACT player. We need a CULTURE CHANGE.

5-9 more points would still put us in the bottom 10 of the league. Thats remarkably disappointing for year 6 of a rebuild, let alone 10 years with no playoffs. McDavid is great, but he isn't the final piece to the puzzle.

How many more "improvements" are we going to have until we see tangible results? Another 30th place finish is not "looking up", in my books. I don't care for moral victories, I want to see results. Naive? Maybe. But after 10 years of this, enough is enough.

 

[Angry Boys]

They'd love to stay on the course, believe me.

Same Course, same result!

Its time someone has the courage to completely change the team dynamics,and sadly, that means shipping out some of these talented but tainted guys

You got to feel for the current young core. They came into an organisation where the front office rewarded mediocracy with promotion (Mr Lowe) or role changes.Every other sports organisation fires non performers. Ownership set a poor example and its translates over to the on ice performance.

There should be between 6 and 10 faces on opening night next season, with some of the current core gone. A new leadership group within the squad is a must

 

[SupremeTeam16]

How do you move 3 players out of the Top six and not take a step backwards? I can see one big top six player trade, two is a stretch, but no way so they move three (and Yak). Personally I would move Hall as I think you need to clear him out in order for McDavid to thrive and I really do not like how he reacts to different situations on the ice (and he should give us the best return) My opinion.........

I don't think it's really possible to take a step back for this team. But obviously there would be others coming in to take their place either in trade or UFA.

Something like Hall with a small + for Hamonic + Nelson. Gives us a real good defenseman while downgrading Hall to Nelson. Nelson isn't as explosive offensively as Hall but is more well rounded, has a great shot and is capable of 25 goals a year, and is much cheaper.

The only one that I absolutely want to see gone is Eberle. When he makes plays like he did against Calgary on their first goal. How does a coach or a teammate not give him an absolute earful after that. Play like that is absolute garbage and a disgrace and he's guilty of it week in and week out.

 

[rboomercat90]

Wtf! Another rebuild? Guys like Yzerman and Dustin brown remind me of halls current situation. Always on the trade block until they started winning. I remember Dustin brown rumored to be moved the year they won the cup. Everyone needs to take a pill and relax and abandone the everything must go mentality! And what dman does hall bring u, doughty? Pietrangelo, subban, Karlsson, other than those guys why would u trade for 2nd tier dmen? I think if hall goes, oilers lose that deal bad.

I'm not talking about another scorched earth rebuild. Nobody wants that and to be honest, I never wanted it in the first place. I argued it would be difficult and likely impossible for players exposed to losing for years to acquire top draft picks to not become losers themselves. That's where I think we are now.

I'm talking about retooling the roster by making hockey trades. Not selling your players off for picks. With 29 other teams out there and several of them not going to be happy with how their seasons have ended I think those deals are out there for a motivated GM and organization. The Oilers haven't had that motivation before and that's why we haven't seen these kinds of deals yet. I suspect Chiarelli is motivated now.

Some fans bought the fairytale six years ago that the players we were going to be drafting were going to lead us to another dynasty if they were just patient enough. They fear giving up on any of these players means giving up that dream. It doesn't.

 

[The Perfect Human*]

Gotta blow it up! When Chia goes about his business this summer you know very well the other GMs will be out to screw him hard. But still, he must push through even if the return is not ideal. It's basically reached an addition by subtraction tipping point now. The losing attitude of the old core MUST be purged before it infects McDavid, Draisatl etc. You can already see it creeping in (especially with the way Drai looks). It's the apathy and indifference towards losing mentality now. The fight is gone.

They've been beaten and abused for so many years they've succumbed to the other teams like a whipped child who had been kidnapped and tortured for years. Willfully obeying their masters and succumbing to their every whim. They're not right in the head anymore. It's sad and extremely frustrating to hear Hall and Ebs spew the same excuses year in year out, month in month out AND NEVER CHANGE THEIR WAYS!! Seriously this groundhogs day is maddening! End this insanity. There was NO WAY I thought we'd be back here in the EXACT same position in September with a proven new GM and coach and McDavid. But here we are! The constants... Hall Ebs and Nuge etc.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

One of Hall, Eberle and RNH needs to move. Even if it's just to send a message to the remaining 2. The status quo is no longer good enough and we have seen enough uninspired and boneheaded play from these guys for long enough. For me it's Ebs that I move 1st with Hall being 2nd. Of course the return for each guy would be the deciding factor.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

That doesn't make sense though. If you want to bring a new culture in, you trade Eberle. He is most guilty out of the old core of being complacent.

I also don't get how everyone is ready to anoint Draisaitl and Nurse as stalwarts of the new core. They haven't proven anything yet.

Exactly, Eberle is the worst offender of being completely invisible when the going gets tough and floating out there.

Drai showed great potential at times this season and overall has had a good season but he has hit the skids a good bit and RNH could well outplay him next season if RNH has been battling injuries this season and comes back healthy.

Nurse at this point is more of an idea of a core player than an actual core player. Lots to like but lots to be concerned about as well IMO.

 

[thadd]

If we trade Hall, Hopkins, Eberle, Yakupov and our first rounder for players who have a history of working their ***** off and actually playing like professionals and picking up a few free agent wingers we'll be a lot better off.

 

[rboomercat90]

One of Hall, Eberle and RNH needs to move. Even if it's just to send a message to the remaining 2. The status quo is no longer good enough and we have seen enough uninspired and boneheaded play from these guys for long enough. For me it's Ebs that I move 1st with Hall being 2nd. Of course the return for each guy would be the deciding factor.

I think one of Hall or Eberle needs to go. That's the entitled duo that needs to be broken up to wake up the remaining one. Not sure if just trading RNH impacts the other two by itself.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I think one of Hall or Eberle needs to go. That's the entitled duo that needs to be broken up to wake up the remaining one. Not sure if just trading RNH impacts the other two by itself.

Probably not. IMO Hall has a history of being a fiery and driven player so I'd think that it'd be easier to get that out of him again that it would be to get it out of Ebs.

 

[McHartRoss]

sign yak 5x5m extension. bring back schultz 5x5m extension. bring back sam gagner 4x4m. re-sign nikitin 8x4m. what could go wrong?

 

[Young Lions*]

You're comprehension of what I said has you on the far end of the spectrum regarding trades that don't carry fair value. I'm not looking to send the core off without getting impact players back. Ryder + Halak + 2nd aint gonna cut it.

But that's exactly what you're gonna get. You trade Hall, probably the most valuable chip, you get (I'm guessing) a 3-4D, a middle six forward and some scraps. The rest will get you even less. If you don't understand that, then nothing else matters.

 

[488fitter]

But that's exactly what you're gonna get. You trade Hall, probably the most valuable chip, you get (I'm guessing) a 3-4D, a middle six forward and some scraps. The rest will get you even less. If you don't understand that, then nothing else matters.

I hate to break this to you but your opinion isn't the end all be all. Chia is most likely smarter than your crystal ball so excuse me if I doubt the return you suggest is accurate.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

If we trade Hall, Hopkins, Eberle, Yakupov and our first rounder for players who have a history of working their ***** off and actually playing like professionals and picking up a few free agent wingers we'll be a lot better off.

I tend to agree but then again. Oilerz.

At this point you need to fire Lowe and MacT for curse purposes. Also find the ritual chamber that Prongers wife built and cleanse it.