When the Oilers Will Make Playoffs

[Shibumi]

I think they will make it this year as long as the goaltending is above average. I think they will score at least 40 more goals this year than last and the defence is at least marginally better than last year.

 

[chance]

Head says 82-85 points and no

Heart says:

1) we've seen what piss poor coaching and mgmt can do but never what good coaching and mgmt can.
2) the old coliseum deserves a proper farewell

Playoffs 2016

I agree, would make for good memories to kick off a new era in Edmonton, I can see them making playoffs, it's destiny my friends. It's too good of a story for it not to happen.

 

[bucks_oil]

Think it's not this year, but we filled holes.

If you go into next year with this skeleton:

Hall-McDavid-BLANK
Pouliot-RNH-Eberle
Lander-Draisaitl-Yakupov
Korpikoski-Letestu-Hendricks

Klefbom-Sekera
Nurse-BLANK
Reinhart-Fayne/Schultz
Ference (if stuck with him) or LaLeggia

Talbot
Nilsson/Brossoit/Laurikainen

Come summer time, you only have to fill your RHD top 4 hole (short term, because Reinhart may get in there eventually) and a veteran for McDavid.

So if we honestly believe what you are proposing (and I *sorta do), this year we have only two blanks. A lack of a #2RD and a lack of a tough, two-way, top-6 RW.

I think on that basis, a team with only two holes should *already be a playoff contender.

The problems with how you presented it are:

1) Sekera is ideally your 2nd pairing RD, so you are actually missing your #1RD
2) If you were a betting man/woman, you'd probably be more comfortable saying that two of Nurse, Klefbom or Reinhart will be head-above-water as middle/top pairing D in 3 years, not this or next year
3) Our defensive depth down the middle is still probably bottom half of the league until proven otherwise.

I certainly agree with you on the potential of our lineup... even our current lineup... and because of that, we are reaching the point where there isn't much you'd change... except, unfortunately... TIME.

 

[rosemount289]

Might as well put.................???

Might as well put my two cents worth............I predict that the Oilers make the playoffs last season (don't Laugh).

Obviously, I am a Oiler fan so my heart says they will make the playoffs this season.

Just don't go to Vegas and spend too much money..........on my prediction.............but play it like a longshot that the Oilers are.

 

[Louis Cypher]

I think TMac alone will win us 10 more games. MacDavid wins us 3 more. Goalies steal us 3 more or better yet not lose us 10.

That's 32 more points than last year. We are close. If we can get some luck and create some magic I see us squeaking in. I can't emphasize how good it feels and the possitive effect it seems to have on the team to not have that idiot Eakin's black cloud and stupid coaching style hanging over them.

 

[Arpeggio]

The only way the Oilers make the playoffs this year is if the defence plays way over their head for the majority of the season. Not saying that isn't possible, that's just what it would take and it is quite unlikely.

I think they should make it next year. I expect them to be respectable this year.

 

[LTIR]

Oilers will make the playoffs next season I am sure..
We will have 20 million in cap space to:
sign goalies
re up Schultz or upgrade RD with someone better .

Hall-McDavid-Draisaitl
Pouliot-RNH-Yak
Korpi-Lander-Slepy
Hendricks-Letestu-Chase
Sekera-Nurse
Klef-Fayne
Ference-Reinhart

Combined 56M

 

[booyakasha]

Oilers will make the playoffs next season I am sure..
We will have 20 million in cap space to:
sign goalies
re up Schultz or upgrade RD with someone better .

Hall-McDavid-Draisaitl
Pouliot-RNH-Yak
Korpi-Lander-Slepy
Hendricks-Letestu-Chase
Sekera-Nurse
Klef-Fayne
Ference-Reinhart

Combined 56M

Eberle?

 

[LTIR]

Eberle?

screw eberle !!!

but yeh Eberle's 6M are also included in 56M

 

[LTIR]

Forwards Pos 2016-17
Taylor Hall LW 6,000,000
Jordan Eberle RW 6,000,000
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins C 6,000,000
Benoit Pouliot LW 4,000,000
Nail Yakupov RW 2,500,000
Lauri Korpikoski LW 2,500,000
Matt Hendricks C 1,850,000
Mark Letestu C 1,800,000
Anton Lander C 987,500
Connor McDavid C 3,600,000
Luke Gazdic LW RFA
Anton Slepyshev LW 925,000
Leon Draisaitl C 925,000
Defense Pos 2016-17
Andrej Sekera D 5,500,000
Justin Schultz D RFA
Mark Fayne D 3,625,000
Andrew Ference D 3,250,000
Oscar Klefbom D 4,167,000
Griffin Reinhart D 863,333
Darnell Nurse D 863,333


Forwards: 37M
Defense : 19M

 

[Broilers]

Here's something interesting:


2009-10 Oilers Season(Year we drafted Hall)

Visnovsky-Gilbert
Souray-Grebeshkov
Whitney-Smid



2015-16 Oilers Season(Upcoming Season)
Sekera-Fayne
Klefbom-Schultz
Reinhart-Gryba

Which Defense Core do Fans think is better?

This group will not last to trading D-line
Klefbom-Sekera
Reinhart -Fayne
Ference-Gryba
Schultz and Nikitin will be traded

 

[Paralyzer008]

So if we honestly believe what you are proposing (and I *sorta do), this year we have only two blanks. A lack of a #2RD and a lack of a tough, two-way, top-6 RW.

I think on that basis, a team with only two holes should *already be a playoff contender.

The problems with how you presented it are:

1) Sekera is ideally your 2nd pairing RD, so you are actually missing your #1RD
2) If you were a betting man/woman, you'd probably be more comfortable saying that two of Nurse, Klefbom or Reinhart will be head-above-water as middle/top pairing D in 3 years, not this or next year
3) Our defensive depth down the middle is still probably bottom half of the league until proven otherwise.

I certainly agree with you on the potential of our lineup... even our current lineup... and because of that, we are reaching the point where there isn't much you'd change... except, unfortunately... TIME.

I proposed that lineup because:

1) I think by the end of the year, Nurse is a No.4 D-man.
2) Klefbom will show to be a solid top 4 D-man like he already has.

This year, we are severely lacking another D-man to move guys down the order, and I don't see that depth giving us a playoff spot this season.

However, I'm excited for the potential of next year. The wait may suck, but at least McDavid should give us flashes of hope.

I think Klefbom as a No.3 and Nurse as a No.4, with Sekera as a No.2, is not out of range by year's end. We don't have a No.1, so that is unfortunate, but at least we could end up with several top 4 D to work with, and one more addition would be prime.

 

[Up the Irons]

This group will not last to trading D-line
Klefbom-Sekera
Reinhart -Fayne
Ference-Gryba
Schultz and Nikitin will be traded

Let's hope so.

 

[Everlasting]

Since 14/15, every year they havent is a failure.

They should play the playoffs last year. Management have no excuse since the rebuild has been going on for so long now. Its no longer sad but rather comedy.

That said, i wouldnt be suprised if Oilers were the worst team in the league, again. But i still belive there is a slight possibility. But they need to stay on top. Otherwise it wont be possible.

Also, whats up with the negative attitude here? I remeber my times on this board preseason 14/15. Everyone hated me when i said that this team would never make the playoffs and now your all like, "they wont and thats ok..."

 

[Broilers]

The only way the Oilers make the playoffs this year is if the defence plays way over their head for the majority of the season. Not saying that isn't possible, that's just what it would take and it is quite unlikely.

I think they should make it next year. I expect them to be respectable this year.

Nikitin looked good yestarday . Ference was not bad either. Sekera is number 2 guy ideally but where you can find bona fide number 1 defense man. I think that forwards need to over achieve as well Lander, Yakopov, Draisalt line is so inexperienced

 

[Broilers]

Oilers should start winning now if we ever want to contend SC. We have 12 forwards 6 defense man and no goalies under contract for the season 2016-17. Salary committed for them is 63M. If cap is 73M we will have 10M to sign Schultz, Talbot and backup goalie. If Ference is bought out There might be 2M for signing Gryba or some other right shooting defense man.

Improvement should happen internally or it will not happen at all. I believe annual improvement will be around 10 points a year in the next four seasons including this one.

Playoffs are not realistic for this season but not impossible. Next year must be a playoff year. In order to get there we are better to get 90 points this year. Is it possible? I think so:

62 pts season 2014-2015
10 pts internal improvement
10 pts improved coaching and offseason additions
10 pts giving up tanking. I think that we have lost close points last year by trading Petry and Perron. Chiarelli must improve the team during the season by moving one body to improve a weak area.

90-95 points seems to be reachable. Lower than 90 means that the core of the team needs to be changed dramatically.

 

[Kepler 186f]

Hoping for around an 85 point season this year.

Next season they should at the very least be in the race right until the end. 2017/18 they better be in a spot the entire season or it is time for massive player changes. And I do mean massive.

 

[booyakasha]

I'll say 97 points and playoffs this year....like CGY last year.

 

[Musashi]

This seems like an impossible question to answer until they start looking like a real hockey team. Hopefully this year is that year.

 

[Up the Irons]

Hard to say. They already look better and more organized then at any time this decade. If they can come together and start feeling good about themselves.... Who knows.

Playoffs are unlikely, but not out of the question.

 

[I am the Liquor]

Next year.

Book it.

 

[McOilers97]

Within 10 points this year and I'll be confident that next season is when they make it happen.

 

[nexttothemoon]

There's no reason to think they can't be as good (or better) vs the East as they were last year.

They had 33 pts in 32 games vs the East last year... and that was with ****show coaching for half the year and defense and goaltending that was AHL level.

Wow the East sucks.


The West of course is a different story... 29 pts in 50 games. Just 9 wins in those 50 games... and 11 games where they got loser pts from OT/SO losses. I don't expect them to suddenly be good vs the West... but I think we can get a little closer to .500 vs the West.

Let's say they win another 4 games vs the West + a third of those loser pt games are turned into wins as well... so another 12 pts there in total.

Is it reasonable to expect another 12 pts vs West teams? I think it is as that would still be only 41 pts in 50 games... still well below .500.

I think with improved goaltending/coaching + hopefully better cohesiveness between the forwards and defense as the season progresses under a competent system... this team should be good for another few wins vs the East as well.

Let's say another 5 wins vs the weaker East as well.

10 more pts versus the East... 12 more pts vs the West.

That would put them around 84-85 pts for the season.

Sure it's counting chickens before they hatch by thinking they'll have 20+ pts of improvement this season but I think that's achievable... won't be easy though as what I've watched from other Western teams so far... Sharks, Blues, Canucks... they've looked solid to very good.

So short answer... this year an improvement to around 85 pts which is probably ~10 pts short of playoffs... and then next season I'm hoping that 10 pt margin is a more manageable margin to cut into... especially if they can add a "real" top 2 dman and maybe a little more grit up front.

Can they make it this year... highly doubtful as there's just way too far to go. 10 years without playoffs ties the record.

Next season though I think they have a real shot at the post-season. Probably 50-50... where when you think about it.. with 8 out of 14 teams making it... is pretty close to what an "average" team has every season.

That's what I'm actually hoping this team can become in the short term... an average team where you at least have a 50-50 chance at playoffs right from the beginning of the season. Longer term comes higher expectations for true contender status... but that's several more seasons away... have to get through the playoff pretender level first as well.

 

[OilerPensfan97]

Next season.

 

[Jumptheshark]

18/19