What if Edmonton hits the Sophmore Slump Wall Next Year?

[4thliner*]

lol, if the Oilers tank again, and get a top 3 pick in the 2012... watch out. They are trying to rebuild the dynasty team.

This is the cap era. Unless they luck out on a cup (i.e. everyone gets good quick and learns how to win in the playoffs while they are still in their entry level deals) it is not happening, as in multi cup teams.

In a cap era it is better to have a generational or a dominant superstar or 2 like Crosby and Malkin etc and solid supporting cast than 5 lottery picks that pan out but none of them is top 5-10 player in the game.

 

[Wheatking]

But when Hall, RNH, and Murray are asking for their 7 mil raise..... Oil fans go from to

I doubt any of them get 7M but I'm sure we'll be able to afford them all. Just look at your Ducks. Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan may not all be top 3 picks but they're top 3 talents. You guys have managed to re-sign them all and stay competitive...and I doubt one of them will need to be traded once Fowler gets his raise.

If a GM is smart about things he can re-sign his star players and still keep his team well rounded. Hopefully Tambellini is up to the challenge.

 

[Talks to Goalposts]

Its certainly not like the team could do any worse. Besides, the softmore slump phenomea is typically a matter of a rookie playing over his head and coming back to earth in the second year rather than a general trend.

 

[Joseppi]

I doubt it.

Sophomore slumps usually happen because a rookie forward, who gets the soft parade his first season, gets bumped up in terms of quality of competition.

Hall and Eberle saw the opposition's top pairing from about a quarter way through the season on. I can see Omark slumping a bit though, and an outside chance for MPS.

 

[Forgot About Drai]

It would suck so bad, but adding Yakupov or Murray to our core would be unreal.

 

[Gobo]

Hall faced the best competition night in and night out.
Eberle was basically the only skilled player (MPS as well) on the team with 15 games left to go.
Mags looks ready to breakout after he finished the year strong.
Omark might struggle.
Petry played roughly 30 games which should give him a nice introduction to the pro level.
Hartikainen might struggle.

 

[Roof Daddy]

But when Hall, RNH, and Murray are asking for their 7 mil raise..... Oil fans go from to

Before that time you guys have to sign Perry and Getzlaf - in the same off-season no less. Are you worried? Probably not because they are priority one, much like the 3 you mentioned would be to us. If RNH plays 1 more year of junior (99% sure he does), his ELC expires the same time Horcoff's brutal contract does. We'll be OK.

 

[Joey Moss]

But when Hall, RNH, and Murray are asking for their 7 mil raise..... Oil fans go from to

How so?

We have 14M cap space right now, the cap is going up and big contracts like Khabibulin, Foster, Brule will be expired. When Hall, Eberle, MPS, RNH are making big money, Horcoff and Gilbert won't be either. That's 9.5M alone between those two players that will be expired. I think we'll be fine.

 

[Sarava]

Yeah I think the Oilers future is sick. I do expect them to suck one more year, which is good for them. There's too much talent in next year's draft to put it together right now.

Go ahead and fail for Nail....then sign a key free agent or two next summer...and then worst to first could be possible.

 

[s7ark]

I don't think Edm should get the 1st or very high overall pick if they finish last again. They've had enough time to become a semi-competitive team. It would seem to much like a tank to me.

Pittsburgh picked 1(Fleury),2(Malkin),1(Crosby),2(Staal) to build their team.

 

[syz]

I don't think Omark, Petry or MPS did anything to the point of a slump being significantly noticeable.

They already struggled for a season while they tried to figure everything out.

 

[JSmith81x]

Losing is not tanking. Just because they're not good enough yet, it doesn't mean they want to be in last place.

Quebec
1988 - Curtis Leschyschyn at #3, Daniel Dore at #5
1989 - Mats Sundin at #1
1990 - Owen Nolan at #1
1991 - Eric Lindros at #1
1992 - Todd Warriner at #4

No one probably had a problem w/ that, except QUE fans who were tired of losing. Three stars (two future HoFers), one regular player, one depth player, and one bust. Plus they got Sakic in 1987 at #15.

 

[McIce Whole]

I doubt it.

Sophomore slumps usually happen because a rookie forward, who gets the soft parade his first season, gets bumped up in terms of quality of competition.

Hall and Eberle saw the opposition's top pairing from about a quarter way through the season on. I can see Omark slumping a bit though, and an outside chance for MPS.

This. It happened with Gagner and Cogs because they got sheltered minutes in their rookie years but Hall, Eberle and Paajarvi didn't get sheltered minutes. None of them played better then what we expected either. Hall and Ebs played consistently against the other teams top lines and Paajarvi didn't go up against easy competition either. If anybody hits the sophomore slump next year, I think it's going to be one of Petry or Omark but there is always a chance that Hall, Ebs and MPS do hit it.

 

[matt trick]

Worst case scenario 1st overall (well I guess worst would be being the worst team and having another top 5 wins the lottery). With this worst case, they get to draft either the most touted Russian since Ovechkin, or from one of the deepest defensive groups in the last ten years, which includes potential premier talents like Murray, Ebert, and Reinhart.

Other scenarios: Draft #2-9. Get one of Grigorgenko, Galenchyuk, Dumba, Trouba, Koekkoek or one of the aforementioned four. Sure a couple of these guys will likely fall out of the top ten, but by the time the draft rolls around, others will have risen, and still others will pull Strome or Skinner's and rise from unranked, to first rounders, to top 10.

Best case scenario (although some may argue this in the opposite direction): They make the playoffs. This means RNH, Hall, Eberle, MSP, Gagner, Omark, Petry, and Peckham, or others have improved dramatically as a unit. That would not be a bad thing.

That said, as nice as it would be to pick up these elite prospects (and I do think they will get one), I think in the long term the team would do well to improve markedly on this season. Adding a few quality vets at above market would be wise.

 

[17Kurri]

We always hear about that dreaded sophmore slump thing that seems to bother alomost every second year player in the league at some point or another.

Now look at the Oilers and how many rookies they had this year that will likely be playing bigtime roles next year as sophmores.

Taylor Hall, Linus Omark, Jeff Petry, Jordan Eberle, MPS, etc..

What if many of them hit the sophmore slump? Could Edmonton be the worst team in the league again next year?

This isnt a hate thread by any means, but something like this could happen and could it cripple some of these kids confidence if they all struggle together next year?

I think it's a very real possibility, unfortunately.

If we can avoid the sophomore slump and the seemingly inevitable rash of serious injuries, however, then I think we may surprise a lot of people, including me, and maybe just miss out on a playoff spot.

 

[Wheatking]

This. It happened with Gagner and Cogs because they got sheltered minutes in their rookie years but Hall, Eberle and Paajarvi didn't get sheltered minutes. None of them played better then what we expected either. Hall and Ebs played consistently against the other teams top lines and Paajarvi didn't go up against easy competition either. If anybody hits the sophomore slump next year, I think it's going to be one of Petry or Omark but there is always a chance that Hall, Ebs and MPS do hit it.

Paajarvi didn't go up against very difficult competition but it's not like overachieved and put up a 60 points. He won't be going up against the oppositions best players next season either. Hopefully there will be some progression as a player plus some extra ice time now that Penner isn't on the left side. It took him a little while to find his offense so he spent the majority of the season on the 3rd line. When Hemsky was injured and Penner was traded, Paajarvi and Omark moved up to the 2nd line and did well.

 

[AwesomePanthers]

It would suck so bad, but adding Yakupov or Murray to our core would be unreal.

If Oilers get a top 3 pick next year, they can't afford miss-out on a defenseman (granted they take RNH this year). Murray or Eberte would be a very good selection.

 

[doubledown99]

If Oilers get a top 3 pick next year, they can't afford miss-out on a defenseman (granted they take RNH this year). Murray or Eberte would be a very good selection.

I don't know..... top two lines that look like:

Hall-RNH-Eberle
MPS-???-Yakupov

...would be pretty sick (though I prefer Murray since we do need dmen and the kid possesses character and leadership which would be a welcome addition)

 

[Joey Moss]

I don't know..... top two lines that look like:

Hall-RNH-Eberle
MPS-???-Yakupov

...would be pretty sick (though I prefer Murray since we do need dmen and the kid possesses character and leadership which would be a welcome addition)

Hall - RNH - Yakupov
MPS - Pitlick - Eberle

That's more like it.

Although, I would also rather have Murray or Ebert next year. We need a #1 defenseman.

 

[umwoz]

Then they get Ryan Murray, simple as that.

 

[McIce Whole]

Paajarvi didn't go up against very difficult competition but it's not like overachieved and put up a 60 points. He won't be going up against the oppositions best players next season either. Hopefully there will be some progression as a player plus some extra ice time now that Penner isn't on the left side. It took him a little while to find his offense so he spent the majority of the season on the 3rd line. When Hemsky was injured and Penner was traded, Paajarvi and Omark moved up to the 2nd line and did well.

Once Hall went down, Paajarvi was going up against other teams top players though since we no longer had Penner. I agree with Paajarvi not going up against the oppositions best players next season either, unless Hall gets injured (hopefully he doesn't) but Paajarvi is the perfect player for your 2nd line IMO. He is very good offensively and defensively. Plus once he learns to use his size and speed more to his advantage (which at times he did), he will be a very good player. I just don't see Paajarvi, Hall or Eberle hitting the sophomore slump next year because none of them really got sheltered minutes or overachieved. It's just going to be almost the same competition (going up against top players etc.) except this time they will be more prepared (hopefully).

 

[Wheatking]

I don't know..... top two lines that look like:

Hall-RNH-Eberle
MPS-Gagner-Yakupov

...would be pretty sick (though I prefer Murray since we do need dmen and the kid possesses character and leadership which would be a welcome addition)

If Gagner is the worst player(20 goal/55 point player) in our top 6, we'll be stacked up front.

 

[Rhaego]

I don't think it matters if you hit your "sophomore slump", you guys have been last in the league 2 years in a row. Can't get much worse....

 

[Backlund]

They draft Ryan Murray and wait for how crazy their team will be.

 

[lakai17]

To be honest, I never had to think about ''the sophomore slump'' with these guys. . . they're ''that good''.


We all know the potential of Hall and Eberle.

Omark is a magician with the puck.

Petry will be making a name for himself this season. Watch him skate. His dad played in the bigs, so can he. . .offensive defenceman with size.

Pajaarvi, wow Paajavi, wait til he cracks his shell, better yet, we should do a thread or poll on ''How many games til Paajarvi cracks his shell?''


and now Nugent-Hopkins!! thank-you hockey gods. Oilers should throw him in the AHL next season, let him dominate world juniors..