What if Edmonton hits the Sophmore Slump Wall Next Year?

[McOilbleeder]

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.

Not only that, but I'm sure we could sign them to lifetime deals (around 10 or so years) after their ELC is up.

It'd lower the cap hit long term for us, while giving the players security.

I'm not super worried about keeping our key players, if we follow the Detriot model and build around them while changing the other pieces, we should be fine imo.

If we do hit the sophomore slump badly next season, I guess we'll have our choice in D-man next year. Rem Murray or Ebert or maybe we take Yakupov just to have an incredible top-6. The good thing about rebuilding and having 2 consecutive last place finishes is there is no disappointments league results wise. There is only plateau(another 30th place finish) or improvement

 

[McIce Whole]

Not only that, but I'm sure we could sign them to lifetime deals (around 10 or so years) after their ELC is up.

It'd lower the cap hit long term for us, while giving the players security.

I'm not super worried about keeping our key players, if we follow the Detriot model and build around them while changing the other pieces, we should be fine imo.

If we do hit the sophomore slump badly next season, I guess we'll have our choice in D-man next year. Rem Murray or Ebert or maybe we take Yakupov just to have an incredible top-6. The good thing about rebuilding and having 2 consecutive last place finishes is there is no disappointments league results wise. There is only plateau(another 30th place finish) or improvement

I think you mean Ryan Murray

 

[Wheatking]

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

We said the same thing about Gagner. He had 9 goals and 28 points in the final 28 games of his rookie season as our #1 center after Horcoff got injured. A lot of people(not just Oilers fans) thought he was too good to struggle as a sophomore but he did.

 

[mindmasher]

I'll give you guys one reason why I don't expect Hall to experience a significant sophomore slump: he already played top opposition in his rookie year (3rd among Oiler forwards for Corsi Rel QoC). Renney rarely line matched last season and opposing coaches liked running his bigs out against Hall and co.

There is no question that a lot of second year players have a tougher time adjusting to playing against tougher opposition (especially as defenders). Hall was already going out against the toughs and aside from MZA (17.8), Grabner (13.5), and Stepan (10.4) - two of them considerably older than Hall - he had 4th the best rookie Corsi Rel (10.3). So he's already an outshooter and is playing tougher opponents.

 

[Granlund2Pulkkinen*]

Remember pre-season when the Oilers were doing really well and people were talking about how they were going to make the playoffs, etc.?

Yeah... me too.

 

[mindmasher]

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.

I don't think the Oilers will be so criminally bad next season. Maybe 20-25. Hopefully 15-20. As long as we are playing some meaningful games near the end of the season and showing real signs of improvement I will be alright with it.

As an Oilers fan, another failed season will be unacceptable. Period. If the season sours at any point, I would fire Tambellini and Lowe plus the entire upper power structure.

 

[zeus3007*]

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?

If those guys have a sophomore slump, the Oil have their choice of Ryan Murray and Nail Yakupov.

 

[Lux Aurumque*]

It's not like the Oilers can get any worse than 30th place.

 

[Confound]

Who cares? Everybody knows they will fail for Nail anyway.

Hall-Hopkins-Yakupov

As your future first line, dynasty in the making?

 

[Confound]

Just keep stockpiling those first overall picks Edmonton.

 

[Mansfield]

I've always thought the oilers will be basically rock bottom next year as well. Imo the only team really challenging them for 30th will be Florida.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Just keep stockpiling those first overall picks Edmonton.

worked for Pittsburgh

 

[La Bamba]

Sophomore Slump = Nail Yakupov

 

[deanmoriarty]

I'm not sure about the other kids, but there's no way Taylor Hall hits a wall. He'll be twice the player by the end of next year.

 

[tfong]

Not only that, but I'm sure we could sign them to lifetime deals (around 10 or so years) after their ELC is up.

I'm not super worried about keeping our key players, if we follow the Detriot model and build around them while changing the other pieces, we should be fine imo.

The Detroit model doesn't include needing 2 or 3 back to back first overall picks to succeed. U guys better make the playoffs for the next 40 years with that kind of advantage if u are following a detroit model lol.

 

[nally]

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.

Okay, Am I the only one who sees the oilers suck for at LEAST another 2-3 years before they start thinking about playoffs? Unless we sign a couple of VERY astute FA's this offseason, the 2011-2012 team is going to be worse then last years. Of course thats assuming an avg. amount of man games lost to injury as well. If we are basically injury free, I can see us getting out of the bottom 5...barely.

Flame away if you want, but all of this sick talent we have is so many years away from making an actual impact in the NHL.

 

[Ainec]

They get to draft the best first overall pick in Yakupov since Crosby

 

[SDig14]

Anyways, back on topic, if we do have some sophmore struggles, then we will be a team the looks like last year's team, depending on any moves we make from now till training camp. It would be disappointing, but not the end of the world.

 

[Drew311]

If the Oilers tank once again next year and get the 1st overall, they may want to trade it to a rebuilding team looking to sell off a star. I know it's going to be a deep draft with a really good top 1 - 5, but you'd have to think that Edmonton management would be getting pretty sick of losing by that point. If the top players in next years draft are going to be that good, this just increases the value of the #1 pick. They could pick up an established top pairing d-man instead of waiting three years for one to develop. This would definitely speed up the rebuild. Just a thought

 

[BLAME CANADA*]

Well Edmonton hasn't done anything yet to make me think they wont be the worst team again for the 3rd year running... they'll have to make some huge moves in the offseason if they want to compete next year.

 

[BHD]

If the players hit a sophomore slump



If the players don't hit a sophomore slump

 

[Ogopogo*]

Well Edmonton hasn't done anything yet to make me think they wont be the worst team again for the 3rd year running... they'll have to make some huge moves in the offseason if they want to compete next year.

That's the beauty of a 30 team NHL. If you don't live in the local market, you probably don't have a clue what's going on.

Both times the Oilers have ended up with the first overall pick, they have been devastated by a massive amount of injuries - specifically to their best players. When a team that isn't very good loses its three best players for half a season each, that leads to the #1 pick.

All it would take for the Oilers to finish 10th - 12th in the conference is a little good health.

 

[McOvechking]

That's the beauty of a 30 team NHL. If you don't live in the local market, you probably don't have a clue what's going on.

Both times the Oilers have ended up with the first overall pick, they have been devastated by a massive amount of injuries - specifically to their best players. When a team that isn't very good loses its three best players for half a season each, that leads to the #1 pick.

All it would take for the Oilers to finish 10th - 12th in the conference is a little good health.

I agree 100%, but I think next year will be much of the same. An injury plagued season will leave us 30th overall.

If Hall, Eberle, Gagner, Whitney, Hemsky, Horcoff, Paajarvi, etc. all play 75-82 games this team will make the playoffs next year.

 

[BLAME CANADA*]

That's the beauty of a 30 team NHL. If you don't live in the local market, you probably don't have a clue what's going on.

Both times the Oilers have ended up with the first overall pick, they have been devastated by a massive amount of injuries - specifically to their best players. When a team that isn't very good loses its three best players for half a season each, that leads to the #1 pick.

All it would take for the Oilers to finish 10th - 12th in the conference is a little good health.

It's all just excuses! every team gets hit with injuries. I have a hard time believing that Oilers would be sitting just outside a playoff spot if they where healthy.

Also this stats doesn't even have the Oilers in the top 8 most injured team for this season.
http://mysportnews.com/nhl-news/the...in-the-nhl-during-the-2010-11-season-1850.php

 

[BLAME CANADA*]

I agree 100%, but I think next year will be much of the same. An injury plagued season will leave us 30th overall.

If Hall, Eberle, Gagner, Whitney, Hemsky, Horcoff, Paajarvi, etc. all play 75-82 games this team will make the playoffs next year.

Really? playoffs? we heard that song last offseason too. No way Oilers make the Playoffs who are they going to beat out for a spot? Canucks, Sharks, Preds, Wings, King, Yotes, Hawks, Kings or Ducks? cause Oilers as of now are not better than any of those teams.