What are the expectations for the Oilers this year?

[Mr Hockey]

I expect another missed playoff

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Draisaitl isn't a complimentary piece, but I don't think he is elite either. There are definitely benefits to playing on a line with the best player in the world. If Draisaitl was centering his own line he would be closer to a 30 goal 75 point guy, which is still really good.

The same could be said of a vast majority of elite players who also benefit from playing with an elite linemate. Otherwise, there's maybe 3 or 4 "elite" players in the entire NHL if the criteria is being able to score 100+ points with average linemates.

 

[Hattrickkane88]

Eliminated by decemember, Mcdavid let’s it leak that he is very tired of the oilers but doesn’t confirm it himself. This sets him up for the next season to fully demand a trade by the deadline.

 

[joe dirte]

Cheechoo scored 28goals in his sophomore season, during the dead puck era, playing with mike Ricci. Then Thornton came so really hard to tell just how good he was without him.

What makes his “odds” against it? If your excuse for calling a 100pt player a “complimentary” piece is that he scored at a 60pt pace as a rookie when not with McDavid , then why is 95pt Marner not also one since he was a 60pt player before Tavares too?

Maybe he is. Butbwe cant be sure of it like we can draisaitl.

But scoring at a 60 point pace is not the evidence i point to. Its, like you pointed out, he played the bulk of a season without mcdavid and scored only 20. (Its the same every year).

 

[bukwas]

Oilers i expect to take a step forward. Perhaps not a big step but up into the mid 80's would be a positive. Do that for a couple years, which could happen if the young d-men live up to their potential and they can be a playoff team before long.

 

[YakDavid]

Tough to judge. We will have great top line offense with McDavid and Drai. After that there are question marks that will make or break the season. Will Neal revert back to before Calgary self or is he done? Holland brought in a bunch of bottom 6 players which was a weakness for the team last year. Will they bring up secondary scoring or we relying on top line offense again. Can Nuge repeat last year and remain consistent. Will Tippet help with penalty kill which was brutal last year. Can Smith come in and create competition for Koskinen in net?

Lots of questions in the team which makes it tough to judge. I will say they will be more improved then last year but its unsure how much. My thinking is towards wildcard

 

[TJ Hooker]

Make the playoffs. Demonstrate competent head office abilities.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I think they improve a bit but still miss. This off season had some positives like dumping the Lucic contract but Holland just didn’t do near enough to address their lack of forward depth. I’m actually kind of surprised by that because it looks like there were some options out there.
I expect much more moves next off season.

 

[Turin]

I don’t think they make it unless they have some prospects take a surprise jump.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

This thread is not about Marner. There are tons of threads where you can go talk about him.

 

[780il]

We still only have 3 good forwards but added a bunch of pk/defensive bottom 6ers so Tippett can make that work

Nurse and Klefbom are our only good dman

We lack top 6 wingers, 2/3 good dmen, and 2 good goalies

 

[viceroy]

I predict Mike Smith has a career year in terms of assists.

I predict Smith gets the most pts ever by a goalie in a season. McDavid hits 125 pts. Draisaitl gets 70 goals. RNH is PPG. Neal hits 50 goals. Oilers are out well before the All Star game.

A 50G/100 pt player is not a complimentary piece. Get a grip.

How many pts does McDavid get on the Sens? I'd argue a comparable amount. Does Draisaitl hit anywhere near 70? Not on your life.

 

[wonton15]

We still only have 3 good forwards but added a bunch of pk/defensive bottom 6ers so Tippett can make that work

Nurse and Klefbom are our only good dman

We lack top 6 wingers, 2/3 good dmen, and 2 good goalies

That doesn't sound good... You're missing a whole team basically

 

[780il]

That doesn't sound good... You're missing a whole team basically

Yeah pretty much, it's what happens post-Chia. At least we have a shit ton of good d prospects and are loaded with goalies.

We just need to add forwards somehow

 

[Bounces R Way]

My expectation is that they will continue to spin their wheels and waste McDavid's career.

Until they get a dependable top pairing and some decent wingers this is not a playoff team.

 

[Spektre]

I expect another missed playoff

I second this idea. They have elite top end skill but next to no depth.

 

[Oddbob]

I guess the sole silver lining with CMD's injury is that the team does not default to the "pass to McDavid" playbook. If they can put together a semblance of an effective system without CMD, then add CMD back when healthy, they have a chance at ending the season off in the bubble or higher.

It worked here,



....at least for awhile!

 

[Mickey Marner]

I can't decide whether they'll make McDavid's hair fallout, or turn grey.

 

[Johnnybegood13]

Guess what, haters? The Oilers have five Stanley Cups. Hate on that.

Meh, Leafs have 13 cups, I never seem to see their fans bring it up.

 

[Bank Shot]

Meh, Leafs have 13 cups, I never seem to see their fans bring it up.

Flames fans always the first ones to complain about the Oilers Cups.

 

[Johnnybegood13]

Flames fans always the first ones to complain about the Oilers Cups.

I stopped complaining about their cups 30 years ago when we finally broke threw, I wouldn't care if you had 20 cups as long as I can look at this...

 

[nbwingsfan]

I predict Smith gets the most pts ever by a goalie in a season. McDavid hits 125 pts. Draisaitl gets 70 goals. RNH is PPG. Neal hits 50 goals. Oilers are out well before the All Star game.



How many pts does McDavid get on the Sens? I'd argue a comparable amount. Does Draisaitl hit anywhere near 70? Not on your life.

Anywhere near 70? So how many points do you think he gets on the sens last season?

 

[hockeyguru]

to miss the playoffs, yet again. the team is terrible and they will become the 1st team ever to miss the playoffs in 13 of 14 seasons.

 

[Fig]

We still only have 3 good forwards but added a bunch of pk/defensive bottom 6ers so Tippett can make that work

Nurse and Klefbom are our only good dman

We lack top 6 wingers, 2/3 good dmen, and 2 good goalies

IMO, that is looking at it the wrong way. Plenty of teams have made it into the playoffs with less talent than what the Oilers currently employ on the roster:

- CMD
- Drai
- RNH
- Klefbom
- Larsson
- Nurse

Minus maybe the goalie, that's still a solid core of talent to work with. The roster has enough pieces that it shouldn't be near the bottom of the league even if surrounding that group with replacement level players. IMO Tippett and a mentality change will be a bigger factor in dragging that team to the playoffs. Tippett made do with far less in Arizona. Hopefully he can get the team to buy in and get enough points on the board to make it to the post season.

 

[CupofOil]