What 3 Players Need To Have The Biggest Years For Us?

McKappa

philip bruhberg
Oct 16, 2011
2,794
558
Edmonton
RNH-Become an true 1C with 70-80 points next year.
Scrivens/Fasth-Become a starting goalie
Yakupov-Bounce back with 30-30-60
 

ponokanocker

Registered User
Nov 17, 2009
3,835
6
Schultz. We need a top pairing D badly and he has the best shot to become it next season.

Any other D step up and play like a top pairing D. We have no one that did this last year and need at least 2 to be competitive.

Scrivens/Fasth. One needs to step up and become a solid starter if we are going to go anywhere.
 

Perfect_Drug

Registered User
Mar 24, 2006
15,573
11,918
Montreal
MacT - Because this roster is still a lottery team... 10th place if all stars align, and everyone exceeds expectations.

Eakins - Because he is a garbage coach

Eakins' Replacement - because he won't have the entire season to work with.
 

Consultant

Registered User
Sep 12, 2010
727
237
1) Anton Lander - Of course many think he has topped out which shows our fan base's lack of patience to properly develop players. I think he is actually now primed and ready for NHL duty. He has progressed to be a top AHL player and has the character to translate that to the NHL level I think, if he could show it this year that would be amazing for us.
2) Arcobello - We should know better than to write him off just cause he's small. He can and should improve with the experience of last year. He, Lander and Gordon are currently our 2,3 and 4 centre's, we need them all to take a step up.
3) Yakupov- obvious reasons.
 

McOvechking

Registered User
Apr 28, 2009
11,340
2,677
Edmonton, Alberta
MacT - Because this roster is still a lottery team... 10th place if all stars align, and everyone exceeds expectations.

Eakins - Because he is a garbage coach

Eakins' Replacement - because he won't have the entire season to work with.

Let's imagine for a second that everyone on this roster exceed expectations. The point totals will be:

Hall (90) - Nuge (70) - Eberle (80)
Perron (70) - 2C (XXX) - Yakupov (60)
Pouliot (50) - Draisaitl (50) - Purcell (45)

Schultz (50) - Petry (40)

That's not a 10th place team. That's a playoff team.
 

herashak

Registered User
Mar 24, 2013
5,381
562
Let's imagine for a second that everyone on this roster exceed expectations. The point totals will be:

Hall (90) - Nuge (70) - Eberle (80)
Perron (70) - 2C (XXX) - Yakupov (60)
Pouliot (50) - Draisaitl (50) - Purcell (45)

Schultz (50) - Petry (40)

That's not a 10th place team. That's a playoff team.
Ridiculous point totals tho
 

McDoused

Registered User
Feb 5, 2007
16,287
13,187
Katy <3
Yakupov, Purcell and Pouliot. We need these guys to step up and provide scoring depth. Hall, Eberle, RNH and Perron all proved they could score last year.
 

Jimmi McJenkins

Sometimes miracles
Jan 12, 2006
75,622
35,480
Alberta
The Nuge - For obvious reasons, needs to be a pillar down the middle and really bring the offense

Scrivens/Fasth - the Goaltending sunk the season before it began last season, these need to be competent the entire year

Marincin/Klefbom - take a (or 2) top-4 spots in this blueline on a regular basis to be the starting point of a core group back there

HM- Yakupov, just bounce back and get back to the Cellies.
 

ScrillaVilla

Registered User
Sep 22, 2008
777
6
Edmonton
RNH
Yakupov

Neither of these two have lived up to the billing of a 1st overall pick. RNH needs to have a 70+ point season and Yak needs to hit at least 25 goals. First overall picks are far too important to get such mediocre results like we've gotten.

The third player...

either one of our goalies. One of them needs to be a starter. I have my reservations, but that's what the team needs.

Agreed, the Nuge is looking like a 2/3C with average offence at best, and Yak...he looks to be the worst 1st overall in like 20 years. Don't let that first year fool you, a shooting percentage up over 20 and like half his goals coming in the last 10 games. Thats a streak he'll be lucky to see once again for the rest of his career. If he even has one in the NHL. Scary stuff for a couple first overalls.

So obviously then:

1. Yak
2. RNH
3. Pouliot b/c this org needs to have a free agent signing work out in the worst way possible. I like the signing, but if it doesnt work we need to can the entire pro scouting staff. To many fudge ups over the years.
 

4EDM14OIL93

Registered User
Jan 12, 2011
2,797
1,210
Agreed, the Nuge is looking like a 2/3C with average offence at best, and Yak...he looks to be the worst 1st overall in like 20 years. Don't let that first year fool you, a shooting percentage up over 20 and like half his goals coming in the last 10 games. Thats a streak he'll be lucky to see once again for the rest of his career. If he even has one in the NHL. Scary stuff for a couple first overalls.

So obviously then:

1. Yak
2. RNH
3. Pouliot b/c this org needs to have a free agent signing work out in the worst way possible. I like the signing, but if it doesnt work we need to can the entire pro scouting staff. To many fudge ups over the years.
Saying Nuge might be a 3rd line center with average offence at best really ruins your credibility...
 

Aceboogie

Registered User
Aug 25, 2012
32,649
3,896
RNH
Fayne
Scrivens

We need legit #1 C performance from RNH. 70 points, good 2 way play

Fayne- we need his performance to carry over. i predict he plays the toughest minutes on the team, need him to come through

Scrivens- need a legit starting goalie performance so we dont get sunk early on


Yakupov can have an average year (20g-35a) and wed still be good if the above guys showed up
 

skorf

Registered User
Jun 30, 2013
325
4
Harder question: Pick 3 players that we could stand having bad seasons.

Gazdic, Aulie, Joensuu

But of guys who are "important"
Niktin - we've got our "top 5" D back from last year and are adding Fayne in as well. I think Niktin could easily be a 4-5 guy on the team (even #6) so if he struggles and ends up 6-7 I don't think it's an absolute killer

Purcell - we need Pouliot more because he hits and plays some defensive hockey which we may need more than secondary scoring.... Purcell is soft, weak defensively, but provides some secondary scoring... I think a guy like Arco on the wing would be "grittier", play better defensively, and likely get as many points as Purcell if given the top 9 minutes that Purcell will get this year... so if Purcell bombs, I think we can find soemone to do a similar job.

Arco/Lander - since they will give Drai a spot regardless, I think we just need one of the 2 to pan out and be an asset

Fasth/Scrivens - basically the same as Arco/Lander, we only NEED one (ideally it'd be both playing well), if the other one bombs then the one playing well just plays more and more games
 
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ScrillaVilla

Registered User
Sep 22, 2008
777
6
Edmonton
Saying Nuge might be a 3rd line center with average offence at best really ruins your credibility...

Well he certainly didn't look like a #1 last year that's for sure.

1st 3 seasons of top 10 picks who might be considered #1 centers on their respective teams.

RNH - 132/182 = .72

Spezza - 166/179 = .92 points percentage
M.Koivu - 117/203 = .57
E.Stall - 201/245 = .82
Malkin - 304/231 = 1.32
Crosby - 294/213 = 1.38
Toews - 191/222 = .86
N.Backstrom - 258/246 = 1.04
L.Couture - 130/184 = .71
Stamkos - 232/243 = .95
Tavares - 202/243 = .83
Duchene - 150/219 = .68
Seguin - 121/203 = .59
R.Johansen - 96/189 = .51

So I suppose some hyperbole was involved in that statement as he is "in the range", also most of the guys who he tends to cluster with were not #1 centers there first 3 seasons. Also,if we compare to 1st overall picks only who have at least 3 seasons:

Crosby - 294/213 = 1.38
Stamkos - 232/243 = .95
Tavares - 202/243 = .83

So for a 1st overall he leaves a lot to be desired, although all the guys with the highest points percentage play in the east coast hockey league so...

I'd like to do a more in depth analysis as I suspect that his underlying numbers aren't quite as flattering although that has a lot to do with deployment, and since I am no fan of Eakins it wouldn't surprise me to see that he some of things Eakins has them doing are impacting performance in a negative fashion.

For example, MC79 is doing some interesting work that shows that after an OZ faceoff win last year with Gagner or RNH on the ice the oilers were terrible at generating shots for. This might be the result of a tactical deployment that has wingers more aggressively supporting a face off win which results in poor position making it easier for the opposition to regain the puck. His analysis did show that faceoff wins increased after a certain point last season but the drawback was that shots for after an OZ win plummeted.

So all in all, if RNH is our guy, this is his season to demonstrate that he's a number one center. Which is why I indicated that he needs to bounce back.
 

skorf

Registered User
Jun 30, 2013
325
4
1) Justin Schultz - we need him to be an offensive D who is adequate in his own zone. I'm hoping he gets some leeway this year and is allowed to be more of an offensive weapon. He's got the tools to be a 60 point D consistently (and I think we need someone like that to help ignite the offense and to run the PP if we are going to be successful)

My prediction: better year but Eakins stifles his play too much and he isn't where we need him to be if we are to be successful

2) Draisatl - Oilers are going to throw him in, I bet almost everyone here believes that. He will be our #2 C and really if we are going to be more successful, 2nd line C has to be better. We probably need him around 50 points and I think he'll fall 10-20 points short. Defensively, he'll likely be overmatched as well especially as an 18 year old in our division/conference. I'm not saying he's going to be a bad player, but to be successful he needs to have a MacKinnon like year and likely face better competition than Mac did... and I don't see that happening.

3) top line health and production - I'm against playing hall/nuge/eberle together but the oilers will when they're healthy. If we are to be successful, that has to be one of the best lines in hockey and has to stay healthy (if any one of the 3 go down or struggles, then we have a lot harder time to exceed expectations)
I'm worried about Hall and Nuge's health, and I think all 3 have to take the next step as well if we want to even sniff the playoffs

HM: One of the goalies (obviously)

-I know most people mentioned Yak, but I don't see Eakins even giving the kid a chance really. I think he'll be third line with Pouliot and Arcobello playing 12 minutes a night (10th on icetime for forwards). If that's the role that will be given him, he'll provide more offense than most 3rd liners in the NHL but he'll have limited upside because of playing time....
And honestly we shouldnt pointing at a third line guy as being the guy that HAS to step up, Yak will have to "earn" his minutes which is fair if it works like that for everyone... but I bet Drai won't have to earn them next year... my prediction is that Eakins does a few power trip jerks and we see Larionov coming over again and more trade rumors with Yak being moved for something underwhelming
 

6 God

Registered User
Jul 12, 2013
328
20
Yakupov needs to emerge. He needs to learn how to be more than just a shot option and round out his game. Scoring 25 goals would be a huge step for him.
 

Bank Shot

Registered User
Jan 18, 2006
11,408
7,044
1.Scrivens or Fasth

Great goaltending hides more warts than any other factor. If one of these guys steps up then at least the Oilers have a chance on any given night.

2. Schultz/Maricin/Klein on

Oilers are going into the season with 2, possibly 3 top four Dmen. One of these guys basically needs to become the Oilers best defenceman if we want a serviceable D core this season.

3. Draisaitl/Arco Bello

One of these guys needs to exceed expectations by a wide margin.

If this all happens and the Oilers have basically nothing else go wrong injuries or performance wise then they could be a playoff team.
 

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