What's our real problem?

oilphan

Registered User
Nov 21, 2005
1,742
0
Mods, move this if appropriate. So, we have changed our GM, our coach, and 40% of our roster. But absolutely nothing has changed and we are one of the worst teams in the league...again. Seems to me that the chamber is almost empty.

Are we coming to the realization that our amazing top end talent, is not that top end? That is certainly what I am starting to think. Or is it simply a matter of the team having to continue to be patient. I am certainly having a hard time taking it anymore.

Maybe we need an exorcism.
 

weems

Registered User
Jul 3, 2008
17,910
11,153
Compete level.
Oilers take way too many shortcuts. Dont win enough 50/50 puck battles. Backpressure from the forwards is brutal. ineffectiveness at clearing front of the net. Forwards bringing almost zero physicality to the table. The star players or the ones who are deemed star players arent nearly as good as some fans want to believe. You guys have a very skilled team but badly lack in the heart, grit and intangible's area. Edmonton has become a very easy team to play against and you dont know when they will actually show up and bring a honest hard effort.
 

McShogun99

Registered User
Aug 30, 2009
17,790
13,182
Edmonton
Team is poorly structured, to many of the same type of player, no checking line, no team toughness. One of Eberle or Yakupov, Gagner and Hemsky need to be replaced with grittier players. Need a reliable goalie. A legitimate 30 min/night top pairing D, 1-2 punishing defenceman. 2 more punishing bottom six wingers.
 

Gone

Fire KLowe
Aug 9, 2005
4,098
43
Earth
1) KLowe
2) Nepotism
3) scouting
4) inexperience at all levels (GM, Coach, players, etc)
5) goaltending, defence, forward depth
6) Burke said it best, build your team from the back out and down the middle. What did we do?
 

rosemount289

Registered User
Feb 12, 2008
1,090
0
Defence, Defence, Defence............!!!

The answer is quite obvious..........Defence wins..........Offence is for show.......!

What is the difference between us (Oilers) and teams like Montreal and Ottawa.......?

They have a better defence and better goaltending.

Last night game between Oilers and Leafs was a prime example.......the Oilers had the majority of shots and play but the Leafs were good defensively and capitalized on their chances when the Oilers got caught pinching in (ie, Justin Schultz).

It was not a 4-0 game........!
 

ZenOil

Fast Twitch Hitch
Sep 23, 2010
1,411
1,230
Vancouver
IMG_1418.jpg

Oilers stars
 

jukon

NHL Point Leader
Mar 17, 2011
3,336
1,703
They didn't change the entire coaching staff. Eakins is using the same losers from previous years. I would have liked Paul Maurice to join as an associate.

I know we would like to see ourselves similar to Pittsburgh and Chicago but we are more like Florida and NYI. We don't have Crosby or Keith and Seabrook. Its going to take more time but im sure we will get to that level.
 

GretzkytoKurri9917

"LIVE LONG AND PROSPER"
Oct 6, 2008
17,766
2,765
Gotham City
They didn't change the entire coaching staff. Eakins is using the same losers from previous years. I would have liked Paul Maurice to join as an associate.

I know we would like to see ourselves similar to Pittsburgh and Chicago but we are more like Florida and NYI. We don't have Crosby or Keith and Seabrook. Its going to take more time but im sure we will get to that level.

It seems as though if we are ever going to ''reach that level'',the Oilers are going to have to make a major upgrade on the defense core.Our defense is atrocious compared to the top teams.


Until we improve our defense,this team just isn't going to go anywhere.
 

CupofOil

Knob Flavored Coffey
Aug 20, 2009
46,280
39,510
NYC
1) The skilled kids are a bit overrated.
2) No balance in the forward group
3) No top pairing defenseman
4) No consistent NHL level goaltending
5) Revolving door of coaches over the last 5 seasons therefore making this a development graveyard
6) Probably most of all. The Buddy Club reigning supreme starting with Katz who not only fires Lowe as Gm but promotes him then Mr. 6 rings fires MacT and brings him back in a promoted role because he's his buddy because lets face it, MacT had no GM credentials whatsoever.
 

JustinCider

Registered User
Dec 15, 2005
3,350
0
Earth
too young, too much of the same type/size of players up front. They do have some valuable assets to move though, but the problem is, there is no one trade that will magically fix the Oilers. It's going to take multiple trades and everybody's favourite, time. You gotta give this coach and GM at least 2 full seasons to make their mark, after that, if there's no improvement, then I'm lost. But as someone already said, that was not a 4-0 game. It stinks losing, especially to the Leafs, but patience is the only real option right now, panic and knee jerk trades will only make things worse.
 

Butane Fan

Registered User
Jan 29, 2013
185
0
Cowtown
Injuries would be number 1 we were missing Hall, Perron, Smyth, Joensuu, Dubnyk
Once we get those players back then we can do some assessing. Lets calm down here folks. If we get on a mini roll we can be close. it is not like we are going to finish 1st but we can limp in. Some of the teams are going to settle back in. Our opening schedule has not really been kind to wounded club.
 

thadd

Oil4Life
Jun 9, 2007
26,717
2,718
Canada
1: Kevin Lowe - Hasn't hired the right people.
2: Have spent most of our first rounders on finesse and skill over the past 6 years.
3: Could have traded our first rounder for a proven winner 3 years in a row.
4: Coach of our farm team is horrible at dealing with our forwards. So many of our forwards' careers seem to have gone to die as soon as they've gone pro. It's like the coach is there to win and make himself look ready to coach in the NHL instead of being there to develop our prospects. Arcobello is the only forward who's ever come up through the Barrons to have ever seemed to fulfill his potential.
5: Scouting - Dave Semenko is our pro scout. Nuff said.
6: Constant change in coaches makes it hard for the players to develop chemistry and improve their skills because they're constantly switching everything around. Screw their foundation up.
7: The media is afraid to flame Lowe.
8: Katz trusts Lowe.
 

ManByng

It's Me OilTastic
Aug 4, 2009
5,191
516
St. Albert, Alberta
too many of the same players.....not enough toughness and grit....bad team defense and bad defencemen....bad goaltending, so-so scouting, bad management, too many coaches in too few years....basically most of the stuff all of you have just touched on.
 

McDeathbyCheerios*

Guest
We rely on one dimensional forwards to carry the brunt work after we rush them into the nhl and try and give them top line minutes. We are awful at developing our young players and are suffering for it.

Our defense is a bunch of 4-7 defenseman trying to up play and are struggling for it. We have a decent goaltender in Dubnyk who has had his confidence shattered cause even in games where he is stunning the team ***** the bed.

There is no team work, there is no sense of compete at all. We let in at least 4 goals every game except for a game where a goalie was playing astonishing. It feels like our team can't be a complete team. We get good at faceoffs and shooting the puck and lose all finish and special teams capabilities, which makes no sense. Gives us the finish from last year, our special teams and the improvements from this year and yeah, our defense would let in a lot of goals but we would be scoring more as well,

Honestly people blame MacT but he can't do anything when players don't want to play here. Can't force someone to join your team... Especially when it's a joke
 

thadd

Oil4Life
Jun 9, 2007
26,717
2,718
Canada
Injuries would be number 1 we were missing Hall, Perron, Smyth, Joensuu, Dubnyk
Once we get those players back then we can do some assessing. Lets calm down here folks. If we get on a mini roll we can be close. it is not like we are going to finish 1st but we can limp in. Some of the teams are going to settle back in. Our opening schedule has not really been kind to wounded club.

Injuries are no longer an excuse because they've been an excuse since 2 lockouts ago.
 

hmminvisiblecola1279

there are kids in it
Jul 9, 2002
3,764
3
no thanks
Visit site
The Oilers brand does an excellent job of blaming the fans for the team's ineptitude. Witness it with the reaction of some of the fanbase especially on here, we don't cheer enough or the players just aren't loved enough. The Oilers are not a team they are a BRAND as long as it is that brand some fans will support regardless of the results.
 

russ99

Registered User
Jun 9, 2011
3,499
2,435
Our new coach is forcing our players to play a style of hockey that they:

A. Can't play well
B. Are getting beat up playing - which the crazy ice time that only Eakins thinks is good for hockey players isn't helping
C. Think is a detriment to their success as players (stats) and as a team (wins)

Last night's presser was telling. Eakins comments about icetime means that even after our poor play and worst in the west record, and obviously disgruntled players he's still insisting on doing everything his way, and not adapting his systems/philosophy to the players he has.

If we had a roster like Phoenix, Nashville or New Jersey this would make sense, but we don't.

Look at the numbers our players have put up historically: Hall, RNH, Eberle, Gagner, Perron, Hemsky, Yakupov: these guys all have proven they can put up points at the NHL level. All of them couldn't just switch off all at once.
 

McShogun99

Registered User
Aug 30, 2009
17,790
13,182
Edmonton
Go hard for Weber, offer anything that isn't Hall or RNH. Him alone playing 30 minutes/night would make us a borderline playoff team.
 

GMofOilers

Registered User
Oct 15, 2007
15,664
4,196
Mountains
I have 0 faith in MacT to get this right. He is horrible at assessing talent.

I'll never ever forget when he said reasoner was as good as Sakic
 

Valic

BOOOOOOOOOO
Jun 12, 2007
8,829
5
Canada
Our problem is our team is full of young kids who are not good enough to play against other teams best players.

We have arguably the least consistent goaltending. The near worst defense in the league and not even one line of veterans who are defensive enough in nature to stop othe teams offensive talent.

We have a coach testing out AHL tactics, refusing to not play "power against power". All this while starting a whole new set of systems to learn.

Either he's showing how bad our team is to management by not hiding the young ones or he's over his head.

Either way it's bringing the pain.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->