What Is Truly Wrong With The Oilers?

[ThePhoenixx]

3-1-2 since a really rusty Sekera returned.

Add a #3 who can play the right side and the Oilers make the playoffs next year. Benning needs to be no more than a #7.

No right shot unicorn required.

 

[T-Funk]

3-1-2 since a really rusty Sekera returned.

Add a #3 who can play the right side and the Oilers make the playoffs next year. Benning needs to be no more than a #7.

No right shot unicorn required.

Just 2 top 6 wingers, at least a 3rd or 4th line, a starting goalie, a coach, a GM, and POHO. We got this easy.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Just 2 top 6 wingers, at least a 3rd or 4th line, a starting goalie, a coach, a GM, and POHO. We got this easy.

Talking strictly on the ice.

Add that and they make the playoffs.

 

[T-Funk]

Talking strictly on the ice.

Add that and they make the playoffs.

With all the mailed in performances this year from our forwards and the fact that currently Russel, Benning, and Nurse can't be trusted to be on the ice, I just don't see how Sekera and a #3 solves it.

 

[Soundwave]

Culture is not really something one can just "obtain". That's something built over years of a group being together and going through ups and downs together.

Roster, coaching, and health are way more important and relevant. Good culture does not develop without having a good roster first. Then you must have a coach that is reasonably good at getting that roster to play to its strengths. Then you need to be healthy. The culture shit just develops after that, you'll develop a certain tone in the room and camaraderie develops, when you have sustained success you develop belief that you can do things, etc. etc. etc.

In any case the time to feel sorry for ourselves and litigate what happened 10 years ago is coming to a close. A new GM will be here soon, and really what I want to know is what are they going to do now.

You don't get to sit and cry in a corner. It's time to start making some smart decisions, and that's all you can do. Make one. Then another. Then another.

 

[thadd]

What is TRULY wrong:

• No matter how much we suck all tickets will still be sold
• Majority of fans feel like we're 1 trade away from wining a cup because Connor and Drai are so awesome.
• 6 weeks till Game of Thrones.

 

[frag2]

What is TRULY wrong:

• No matter how much we suck all tickets will still be sold
• Majority of fans feel like we're 1 trade away from wining a cup because Connor and Drai are so awesome.
• 6 weeks will Game of Thrones.

I dont know where you meet Oilers fans but everyone I've met knows we're multiple trades away. You sure you aren't talking to Leafs fans about the Leafs?

 

[thadd]

I dont know where you meet Oilers fans but everyone I've met knows we're multiple trades away. You sure you aren't talking to Leafs fans about the Leafs?

Talking IRL man. Majority of fans aren't on Reddit or HFboards.

 

[joestevens29]

3-1-2 since a really rusty Sekera returned.

Add a #3 who can play the right side and the Oilers make the playoffs next year. Benning needs to be no more than a #7.

No right shot unicorn required.

I think the addition of him and Gagner have helped. Sekera has brought a calm game to the bottom pairing with some nice passes to get the offense going. Gagner has brought energy to the forward group that looked dead for so long.

I also think Currie in his limited action hasn't been bad. Past 4 games he's been playing just under 12 minutes a night. He's found a way to be second on this club in plus and minus, and he's also found a way for Lucic to not be bleeding as bad. Seems like one of the best callups we've had that you aren't worrying about

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

3-1-2 since a really rusty Sekera returned.

Add a #3 who can play the right side and the Oilers make the playoffs next year. Benning needs to be no more than a #7.

No right shot unicorn required.

Need upgrades up front, on the back end, a better goalie, and complete team health.

Keep in mind that the only reason the Oilers are "in the playoff hunt" is because the bottom half of the West is woefully bad.

 

[frag2]

Need upgrades up front, on the back end, a better goalie, and complete team health.

Keep in mind that the only reason the Oilers are "in the playoff hunt" is because the bottom half of the West is woefully bad.

When everyone sucked, the Oilers decided to suck along with them.

In hindsight, it *might* be a blessing as it highlights how f'n brutal the roster Chia built is/was.
Then again, it's the Oilers and they love to keep Oilering

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

When everyone sucked, the Oilers decided to suck along with them.

In hindsight, it *might* be a blessing as it highlights how f'n brutal the roster Chia built is/was.
Then again, it's the Oilers and they love to keep Oilering

If the Oilers even maintained a .500 record after Klefbom went down they might be in a playoff spot today. But I think they've won like... 12 of their past 30-some games.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Need upgrades up front, on the back end, a better goalie, and complete team health.

Keep in mind that the only reason the Oilers are "in the playoff hunt" is because the bottom half of the West is woefully bad.

I said playoff team, not the cup. I think the goaltending (and everything else) improves with the defense and right now Kosk is putting up respectable numbers.

I'm fully aware of the state of the WC. It's not as if the other teams are going to magically improve next year. Some will be arguably worse.

Hence the prediction.

They probably won't find one anyway. I don't have a lot of faith in this bunch.

 

[edmoil3]

I don’t think the oilers are willing to make the changes that are needed. And it’s sad.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I said playoff team, not the cup. I think the goaltending (and everything else) improves with the defense and right now Kosk is putting up respectable numbers.

I'm fully aware of the state of the WC. It's not as if the other teams are going to magically improve next year. Some will be arguably worse.

Hence the prediction.

They probably won't find one anyway. I don't have a lot of faith in this bunch.

Again though you're relying on complete team health. Even one defenseman goes down and this group is toast. I mean this group just barely beat the worst team in the league after getting crushed by the Leafs the night before.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

I think the addition of him and Gagner have helped. Sekera has brought a calm game to the bottom pairing with some nice passes to get the offense going. Gagner has brought energy to the forward group that looked dead for so long.

I also think Currie in his limited action hasn't been bad. Past 4 games he's been playing just under 12 minutes a night. He's found a way to be second on this club in plus and minus, and he's also found a way for Lucic to not be bleeding as bad. Seems like one of the best callups we've had that you aren't worrying about

Lucic has still got it. He's had a rough ride. Nice to see him truly having fun again.

Also like Cage. Should keep him around. All three of those players are not scared to go in the corners and dig. Great energy. It must be nice to have Lucic on your line when you are a young rookie who has to go to the boards and battle. I remember the bus stop years..

 

[CupofOil]

I said playoff team, not the cup. I think the goaltending (and everything else) improves with the defense and right now Kosk is putting up respectable numbers.

I'm fully aware of the state of the WC. It's not as if the other teams are going to magically improve next year. Some will be arguably worse.

Hence the prediction.

They probably won't find one anyway. I don't have a lot of faith in this bunch.

The teams battling for wild card spots are historically bad. In most years, a near .500 record in early March is a death sentence for playoff possibilities so the Oilers being "only" 7-8 points out is deceiving. Just look at last year when they had a similar record and were long out of it by late January.

This is a bad team, average at the very best, that needs a restructuring. I don't think it needs a complete facelift like some others seem to think but it's not one decent player away from being a playoff contender.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

The teams battling for wild card spots are historically bad. In most years, a near .500 record in early March is a death sentence for playoff possibilities so the Oilers being "only" 7-8 points out is deceiving. Just look at last year when they had a similar record and were long out of it by late January.

This is a bad team, average at the very best, that needs a restructuring. I don't think it needs a complete facelift like some others seem to think but it's not one decent player away from being a playoff contender.

The Oilers absolutely need to shed at least 1 of their anchor contracts in the summer. Lucic and Sekera are unlikely but if you could move Russell or someone like that...

 

[Little Fury]

Hmm. Would you rather have Eberle at 22 or Yak at 1? JP at 4? The list of gems picked late in the first is long and you know it.

That doesn't change the fact that the odds of picking an impact player at the top of the draft is higher than grabbing one in the middle of the pack or later. That's just the facts.

I think it’s wrong to assert that picking at the top of the draft is the only way to go. I wish the Oilers has invested in scouting and their farm team. Instead they doubled down on a laughable scouting system and folded their AHL franchise. That’s how arrogant they were about tanking.

They weren't arrogant about tanking, they just aren't good at what they do. I really don't think they ever committed to tanking, they certainly didn't invest the time and resources into scouting and development.

I realize the most ethical team doesn’t always win. I think it’s wrong to take that fact and then say that it’s OK to be unethical. It’s pretty clear that the top picks are designed to be given out to the teams that are legitimately bad. Not the teams who intentionally make themselves bad in order to get charity from the league.

Except tanking teams are always bad already, so the line is pretty blurry. Remember how the Leafs traded two first rounders away that ended up being top 10 picks? Remember how the Oilers had two top 10 picks in the three years before they tanked?

 

[Little Fury]

I think the addition of him and Gagner have helped. Sekera has brought a calm game to the bottom pairing with some nice passes to get the offense going. Gagner has brought energy to the forward group that looked dead for so long.

Teams adds real NHLers, plays better, will wonders never cease.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Again though you're relying on complete team health. Even one defenseman goes down and this group is toast. I mean this group just barely beat the worst team in the league after getting crushed by the Leafs the night before.

And the Leafs were just crushed by the Islanders.

There is a big difference between being a Tampa Bay, etc and being a playoff team. Baby steps.

That #3 also allows the Bouchards' etc. to develop properly. This teams defense has been hot garbage since Pronger left. Coincidence that they have sucked ever since? There is a reason this bunch are failures and don't know what they are doing.

I bet they are all excited trying to find wingers and then one dman goes down...AHL third pairing again...bottom ten finish...trying to rush prospects to fill holes. Opposing coaches don't let teams get away with AHL pairings.

If they go in to the season with the defense as is and not a single dman gets injured, and they pick up some wingers, they might make it too.

Spend where it does the most benefit to the team. At the moment that is defense. When you don't have an AHL player in your top six then you are acceptable. At the moment that is not true. One injury and then they have two. Two injuries and then they have three AHL dmen.

I'd prefer 7 NHL dmen for next year but that is a bit much to ask from this bunch.

 

[CupofOil]

And the Leafs were just crushed by the Islanders.

There is a big difference between being a Tampa Bay, etc and being a playoff team. Baby steps.

That #3 also allows the Bouchards' etc. to develop properly. This teams defense has been hot garbage since Pronger left. Coincidence that they have sucked ever since? There is a reason this bunch are failures and don't know what they are doing.

I bet they are all excited trying to find wingers and then one dman goes down...AHL third pairing again...bottom ten finish...trying to rush prospects to fill holes. Opposing coaches don't let teams get away with AHL pairings.

If they go in to the season with the defense as is and not a single dman gets injured, and they pick up some wingers, they might make it too.

Spend where it does the most benefit to the team. At the moment that is defense. When you don't have an AHL player in your top six then you are acceptable. At the moment that is not true. One injury and then they have two. Two injuries and then they have three AHL dmen.

I'd prefer 7 NHL dmen for next year but that is a bit much to ask.

Are you advocating for them to keep the forward group pretty much the same? Next season is a complete write off if they don't make at least one significant addition to the forward group.

 

[CupofOil]

The Oilers absolutely need to shed at least 1 of their anchor contracts in the summer. Lucic and Sekera are unlikely but if you could move Russell or someone like that...

Those contracts aren't going anywhere until the expansion draft IMO, that's when the Oilers will be able to make some serious maneuvering.

In the interim, they need to shed the more manageable contracts like the aforementioned Russell, Manning, Benning and maybe Kassian. Reider's 2M comes off the books and Petrovic as well so they'll have a little wiggle room with the rising cap to add a decent player or two even if they don't trade a contract. The only players who need to be re-upped are Khaira and Puljujarvi who will get minimal raises at best so they should have a little breathing room to do something.

 

[frag2]

Again though you're relying on complete team health. Even one defenseman goes down and this group is toast. I mean this group just barely beat the worst team in the league after getting crushed by the Leafs the night before.

Klefbom and health are like mortal enemies

 

[frag2]

Lucic has still got it. He's had a rough ride. Nice to see him truly having fun again.

Also like Cage. Should keep him around. All three of those players are not scared to go in the corners and dig. Great energy. It must be nice to have Lucic on your line when you are a young rookie who has to go to the boards and battle. I remember the bus stop years..

Not for 6M