What's the odds on Draisaitl making the team?

[SterlingArcher]

Unless a two-C is added through trade so across lots down in the third line role he will be with us.

 

[Roof Daddy]

As many have said, unless we acquire a vet in the near future, it's basically Dr. Drai vs Yak2 vs Lander (I'm gonna gift one job to Arco). I don't consider Lander an option, so I'm gonna say 50/50.

 

[dookers9]

He be in. Like it or not.

Man, I hope the kid's ready to roll.

 

[Craig MacAtaracts]

100%

This is the Edmonton Oilers we are talking about here . Is Leon ready for the NHL is a completely different question.

 

[Throttlehead]

Well it certainly is not rare for a top 3 draft pick (in fact complete opposite) to be in the NHL the very next year, considering his size wont hold him back, it would be more of a surprise if he didn't play in the NHL next year. Just look back over the last 5 or 6 drafts.

 

[tiger_80]

100% unless a #2C is added through trade.

I think they do not really expect this season to be anything more than a development year. So I would not be surprised if they send Draisatl back to junior if he's not NHL ready. They have added big forwards in Pouliot and Purcell and Arcobello can probably do as good a job as Gagner would on the second line.

 

[Hynh]

 

[Mr Positive]

MacT has shown that he never wants to rush a prospect, and I would assume that goes double for a critical prospect. As a team, Gagner gave us a hard lesson in rushing a player, and we've also learned from our high end prospects that an 18 year old player is usually nothing special even if they play well.

Nurse was good enough to make the team last year. He was a standout during TC and the pre-season. He was still sent down. I have no doubt that Draisaitl has a very slim chance at making the team too. He could make it, but only if he absolutely dominates in the early going and proves that his weaknesses were over stated. I wouldn't be surprised if he got his 9 game audition this year. Nurse too.

It would be a good plan to have both make the team for the start of the 2015-16 season.

 

[McGlassbangers]

Unless we add a center, 100%. I'm hoping for 0% though. He is really lacking in terms of skating and defensive game.

 

[rec28]

Depressingly high.

 

[CupofOil]

MacT has shown that he never wants to rush a prospect, and I would assume that goes double for a critical prospect. As a team, Gagner gave us a hard lesson in rushing a player, and we've also learned from our high end prospects that an 18 year old player is usually nothing special even if they play well.

Nurse was good enough to make the team last year. He was a standout during TC and the pre-season. He was still sent down. I have no doubt that Draisaitl has a very slim chance at making the team too. He could make it, but only if he absolutely dominates in the early going and proves that his weaknesses were over stated. I wouldn't be surprised if he got his 9 game audition this year. Nurse too.

It would be a good plan to have both make the team for the start of the 2015-16 season.

They have no choice but to play Draisaitl. MacT has stated on many occasion that he wants to roll with 3 scoring lines which leads me to believe that Gordon will almost assuredly be on the 4th line. If the pursuit of a #2C fails which it seems that it has then it's Arcobello and Draisaitl as the #2 and #3 centers. There's absolutely no competition for those spots.

Nurse is a different story because they had prospect depth at that position and could afford to send him down.
The Oilers don't have anybody else in the system that could be considered a scoring center so unless something miraculous happens and MacT is able to land a #2 and #3 center, Draisaitl is the expected #3C unless he looks nowhere near NHL ready in the preseason.
He will have to prove that he is not NHL ready as opposed to having to prove that he is NHL ready is that makes any sense. It's his job to lose at least based on what MacT has been saying about him probably making the roster and wanting 3 scoring lines.

It appears that, once again, MacT is going into the season with a glaring hole at center and will be forced into playing players into roles that they aren't equipped to handle.

 

[Mr Positive]

They have no choice but to play Draisaitl. MacT has stated on many occasion that he wants to roll with 3 scoring lines which leads me to believe that Gordon will almost assuredly be on the 4th line. If the pursuit of a #2C fails which it seems that it has then it's Arcobello and Draisaitl as the #2 and #3 centers. There's absolutely no competition for those spots.

Nurse is a different story because they had prospect depth at that position and could afford to send him down.
The Oilers don't have anybody else in the system that could be considered a scoring center so unless something miraculous happens and MacT is able to land a #2 and #3 center, Draisaitl is the expected #3C unless he looks nowhere near NHL ready in the preseason.
He will have to prove that he is not NHL ready as opposed to having to prove that he is NHL ready is that makes any sense. It's his job to lose at least based on what MacT has been saying about him probably making the roster and wanting 3 scoring lines.

It appears that, once again, MacT is going into the season with a glaring hole at center and will be forced into playing players into roles that they aren't equipped to handle.

The only reason that Nurse didn't have a spot was that MacT went out and got a bunch of marginal D like Grebeshkov, Larsen, and Belov. My guess is that we will see similar moves. Maybe it will be Mueller.

I believe that is likely.

 

[CupofOil]

The only reason that Nurse didn't have a spot was that MacT went out and got a bunch of marginal D like Grebeshkov, Larsen, and Belov. My guess is that we will see similar moves. Maybe it will be Mueller.

I believe that is likely.

I doubt that Mueller keeps Draisaitl off the roster, he's just as big a question mark since he hasn't played in the NHL in a while and I believe played wing in his last NHL season.

I think MacT goes the trade route to bring in a center if anything. No half measures. I think he's either looking for a legit #2C or just be content with Arcobello. Even if he does bring in a #2C, Draisaitl will still likely make the roster as the #3C. The depth is still poor even with the addition of a #2, that's how poor the overall center depth is.

As far as Nurse is concerned, I don't believe that he was ever close to making the roster last season. I think they always had plans on sending him down, he was just too far down the depth chart (even if it was crap depth). And as we saw with Joensuu, preseason means virtually nothing as far as regular season readiness is concerned.

 

[Mr Positive]

I doubt that Mueller keeps Draisaitl off the roster, he's just as big a question mark since he hasn't played in the NHL in a while and I believe played wing in his last NHL season.

I think MacT goes the trade route to bring in a center if anything. No half measures. I think he's either looking for a legit #2C or just be content with Arcobello. Even if he does bring in a #2C, Draisaitl will still likely make the roster as the #3C. The depth is still poor even with the addition of a #2, that's how poor the overall center depth is.

As far as Nurse is concerned, I don't believe that he was ever close to making the roster last season. I think they always had plans on sending him down, he was just too far down the depth chart (even if it was crap depth). And as we saw with Joensuu, preseason means virtually nothing as far as regular season readiness is concerned.

We had a similar set up with Nurse though. We just ditched Whitney and the obvious hole in the lineup was a LHD to play with Schultz. MacT could have use Nurse, or even Klefbom. Instead he went out and brought in that depth. This was likely done specifically to keep those two young D off the roster.

The only difference with Draisaitl is that we haven't brought in those place holder players yet, but the summer is far from over. We acquired Grebeshkov at about this time last year.

 

[CupofOil]

We had a similar set up with Nurse though. We just ditched Whitney and the obvious hole in the lineup was a LHD to play with Schultz. MacT could have use Nurse, or even Klefbom. Instead he went out and brought in that depth. This was likely done specifically to keep those two young D off the roster.

The only difference with Draisaitl is that we haven't brought in those place holder players yet, but the summer is far from over. We acquired Grebeshkov at about this time last year.

The hole at center this season is much more obvious than the hole at bottom pairing D last season. MacT obviously wanted veterans on the bottom pairing to start the season.

I think the difference between Draisaitl and Nurse in MacT's mind is one, that Drai already has NHL size whereas Nurse was pretty lean and two, that highly drafted forwards tend to make an earlier impact than highly drafted D.
Add in the lack of any competition at center, and it's a virtual guarantee that Draisaitl makes the team. I think it's a mistake because he's still pretty raw but it is what it is and I have come to accept it.

 

[Aceboogie]

Way too high for my liking

Figures crossed Yakimov comes out of nowhere and can play 2c to a degree so LD can go to junior.

 

[Klimando Kostani]

As a team, Gagner gave us a hard lesson in rushing a player

It's not so cut and dry to think that Gagner would have been a better player had he been given another year or two in Junior.

I don't think so and I've seen this conversation drawn out many times and I know I'm not the only one.


Personally think that LD should be sent back for financial and long term reasons, to postpone his contract to ensure the years that we are paying him are the most beneficial to the team.

That said I think he'll do fine centering a sheltered line but that might hurt in 3 years time when we trying to decide how to extend him.

 

[lakai17]

Draisaitl vs Yakimov

 

[Aceboogie]

It's not so cut and dry to think that Gagner would have been a better player had he been given another year or two in Junior.

I don't think so and I've seen this conversation drawn out many times and I know I'm not the only one.


Personally think that LD should be sent back for financial and long term reasons, to postpone his contract to ensure the years that we are paying him are the most beneficial to the team.

That said I think he'll do fine centering a sheltered line but that might hurt in 3 years time when we trying to decide how to extend him.

Gagner was also given crappy line mates in the NHL, which compounded the issue.
Drouin will be a good comparable for Gagner. Both put up 2 ppg in the CHL, but both had really good linemates (Kane, Mackinnon). Drouin was left to develop, Gagner was not

If LD is stuck with Purcell and Pouliot, well see ya later development. If he has Perron/Eberle/Hall, hell fair off better

 

[Klimando Kostani]

Gagner was also given crappy line mates in the NHL, which compounded the issue.
Drouin will be a good comparable for Gagner. Both put up 2 ppg in the CHL, but both had really good linemates (Kane, Mackinnon). Drouin was left to develop, Gagner was not

If LD is stuck with Purcell and Pouliot, well see ya later development. If he has Perron/Eberle/Hall, hell fair off better

There's tons of comparables and reasons to speculate, I've made up my mind that Gagner could yes have been better with better linemates better coaching better structure, I mean, everyone would.

A guy could do worse for linemates than Pouliot and Purcell, much worse.

 

[skorf]

It should be 50/50 or even something like 40/60

but with the lack of top C's on our team, it's more likely 90/10

 

[oilinblood]

Well it certainly is not rare for a top 3 draft pick (in fact complete opposite) to be in the NHL the very next year, considering his size wont hold him back, it would be more of a surprise if he didn't play in the NHL next year. Just look back over the last 5 or 6 drafts.

Yup...oilers or not...the history of top ten forwards is they mostly play. Most factors for sending a player back? Lack of hockey iq for a 200ft game.

 

[MCDAVIDISH]

I think he'd make most team in the league, given he'd mostly play limited minutes. To start with of course. A lot of 1st round picks play for their teams and do fairly well in certain situations, I don't see why it's suddenly seen as such a negative thing or a joke when we do it. I know young players haven't changed our team around but it's not because they were rushed it's because there's been no supporting cast for them.

 

[nabob]

Way too high for my liking

Figures crossed Yakimov comes out of nowhere and can play 2c to a degree so LD can go to junior.

You should probably cross your balls to if that's what you are hoping for.

 

[Soundwave]

I honestly don't think we've rushed anyone.

6th and 8th picks like Monahan and Nichuskhin get to play right away these days, how can you really justify sending RNH back after 9 games where he led the entire team in scoring? Colorado played Duchene, Landeskog, and MacKinnon all immediately too, hell even O'Reilly played right out of his draft year I think and he's a 2nd round pick, lol ... why isn't there a problem there?

Hall was ready to play and there's noting the OHL would teach Yakupov either.

Paajarvi is the one I think that could've had an arguement for staying back another year, but he honestly played as well as Hall and Eberle in his pre-season stint here.

We almost made the playoffs in Gagner's rookie season.

The difference is in Gagner's rookie year the team had a good d-corps, OK goaltending, and forwards that did a lot of dirty work (Stoll, Glencross, Torres, Horcoff for a while).

Our issue is we haven't had a roster anywhere near that complete since.

Even though Joni Pitkanen was a headcase, his impact on the d-corps and moving the puck was really underrated too I think. Our record with him in the lineup vs. him out was pretty substantially different as I recall.