Which is a greater need, wingers who can score or D-men who can transition the puck to the forwards?

[McSuper]

With Klefbom in, the D can tread water but you're never, ever winning anything with this group of wingers.

1 D man added and our D is fixed . Hope Bouchard can become better then Klefbom as it would fix our D and PP . Future D

Nurse Bouchard
Klefbom Larsson
Jones Bear .

 

[A91]

I agree . I do however believe in Benson if he can stay healthy and that is a big ?

I believe in him as well. But not as a goal scorer. We have need for skilled forwards in general so I have a lot of time for Benson. But we have a big need for goal scorers as well which outside of Maksikov is pretty sad.

 

[The Nuge]

It's the Dman. It's not close.

There's a reason why they say build from the net out. We really don't know how good our wingers could be without proper D to start them off.

Yes we do.

Alex Chiasson is our highest scoring winger, and has a career high of 35 points, and hasn’t hit 30 since his rookie year.

Our 2nd highest scoring winger, Khaira, has a high of 21 points

Third is Lucic, who had 2 goals in 2018.

Fourth is Kassian who has never hit the 30 point mark.

Adding prime Chris Pronger isn’t going to turn our pathetic wingers into real scorers.

It couldn’t be more obvious that it’s the wingers. Even McDavid’s talking about how our forwards can’t win games by skill, and we have to grind it out and hope for a low scoring game.

We spent so many years where the defense was the issue that our fanbase can’t seem to look past it. Our defense isn’t a strength since Sekera went down, but as Soundwave said, it can at least tread water. We’re drowning with these wingers

 

[Draiskull]

1 D man added and our D is fixed . Hope Bouchard can become better then Klefbom as it would fix our D and PP . Future D

Nurse Bouchard
Klefbom Larsson
Jones Bear .

looks pretty sad actually.
reminds of the "our future D" that had Marincin-Gernat in it.

 

[Soundwave]

looks pretty sad actually.
reminds of the "our future D" that had Marincin-Gernat in it.

That's four 1st rounders in your top 4 including three of the four being top 10 picks.

The Oilers have spent a massive fortune on that D for better or worse.

 

[Draiskull]

We spent so many years where the defense was the issue that our fanbase can’t seem to look past it. Our defense isn’t a strength since Sekera went down, but as Soundwave said, it can at least tread water. We’re drowning with these wingers

disagree. Wingers can tread water but the only reason we didnt make playoffs last year is that Chiarelli chose not to fill in the hole when Sekera went down last year. Same mistake this year.
When you have to send Russell out as an offensive Dman in OT you know you have issues.
pathetic management thinking Wideman\Garrison\Benning could replace Sekera\Klefbom

 

[Draiskull]

That's four 1st rounders in your top 4 including three of the four being top 10 picks.

The Oilers have spent a massive fortune on that D for better or worse.

We did have the following as top 6 once.
Hall-McDavid-Eberle
Draisaitl-Nuge-Yakupov

the first rounders didnt really too well that year (mostly thanks to Manning).

 

[The Nuge]

disagree. Wingers can tread water but the only reason we didnt make playoffs last year is that Chiarelli chose not to fill in the hole when Sekera went down last year. Same mistake this year.
When you have to send Russell out as an offensive Dman in OT you know you have issues.
pathetic management thinking Wideman\Garrison\Benning could replace Sekera\Klefbom

You think a group of 20 point forwards who are being outscored by our dmen are able to tread water? Seriously?

 

[Draiskull]

You think a group of 20 point forwards who are being outscored by our dmen are able to tread water? Seriously?

If there is someone to get them the puck or be a scoring threat from the blueline then yes I am fine with the Kassian, Khaira, Rattie etc.

 

[Soundwave]

We did have the following as top 6 once.
Hall-McDavid-Eberle
Draisaitl-Nuge-Yakupov

the first rounders didnt really too well that year (mostly thanks to Manning).

That lineup never played together more or less. Eberle was hurt at the start of the year, then McDavid got hurt.

McDavid + Hall + RNH + Klefbom + Draisaitl + Eberle never played a single game together.

And they were actually holding their own with no McDavid until December when Klefbom got that freak foot infection.

 

[The Nuge]

If there is someone to get them the puck or be a scoring threat from the blueline then yes I am fine with the Kassian, Khaira, Rattie etc.

Wait, what? You’re actually telling me you think adding a single dman is going to turn a bunch of 20 point grinders into 40+ point forwards? The Sedin twins couldn’t even get Kassian to 30 points

 

[Draiskull]

That lineup never played together more or less. Eberle was hurt at the start of the year, then McDavid got hurt.

McDavid + Hall + RNH + Klefbom + Draisaitl + Eberle never played a single game together.

And they were actually holding their own with no McDavid until December when Klefbom got that freak foot infection.

sure, lets make it 5 1st rounders in top 6. Point remains the same. Being a first rounder means shit 2 yrs after your draft.
No guarantees that Bouchard will be a top 4 Dman in the NHL let alone be a top pairing Dman. Jones and Bear may never be full time NHLers.
Not sure how that lineup of 1st rounders would be an upgrade over a healthy current lineup. (Sekera\Russell)

 

[Soundwave]

sure, lets make it 5 1st rounders in top 6. Point remains the same. Being a first rounder means **** 2 yrs after your draft.
No guarantees that Bouchard will be a top 4 Dman in the NHL let alone be a top pairing Dman. Jones and Bear may never be full time NHLers.
Not sure how that lineup of 1st rounders would be an upgrade over a healthy current lineup. (Sekera\Russell)

Every team goes through a phase where their young D are unproven.

The Oilers could use Petry and Schultz right now but they chose to keep bailing on guys before they reach age 27/28/29.

Develop your damn players. Nurse, Klefbom, Larsson, Bouchard did not come cheap.

 

[Draiskull]

Wait, what? You’re actually telling me you think adding a single dman is going to turn a bunch of 20 point grinders into 40+ point forwards?

nope. The forwards will still suck. I am just looking forward to a 40+pt forward who can score 15+ goals from the blueline. The D we iced this weekend, (Russell, Larsson, Benning, Gravel, Manning, Nurse) have a combined 16 goals this year.

 

[Draiskull]

Every team goes through a phase where their young D are unproven.

The Oilers could use Petry and Schultz right now but they chose to keep bailing on guys before they reach age 27/28/29.

Develop your damn players. Nurse, Klefbom, Larsson, Bouchard did not come cheap.

No one is arguing that. We just can wait on them to be our top 4 in 2 yrs and not look to fix the D.

 

[Soundwave]

No one is arguing that. We just can wait on them to be our top 4 in 2 yrs and not look to fix the D.

We don't have any Taylor Halls left that we can trade so yes, if now taking several years is what it takes, then that's what it takes.

No more dumb shortcuts to "fix the D".

 

[Canovin]

Whether a #1D is a greater need or not, we aren't getting one. Might as well get that over with.

Now just go after the top 6 wingers, they're easier to come by.

 

[The Nuge]

nope. The forwards will still suck. I am just looking forward to a 40+pt forward who can score 15+ goals from the blueline. The D we iced this weekend, (Russell, Larsson, Benning, Gravel, Manning, Nurse) have a combined 16 goals this year.

So we’re just pretending like our best dman doesn’t exist to try and prove that our dmen, that are outpacing our wingers, are actually the problem, and not the wingers?

 

[Soundwave]

Whether a #1D is a greater need or not, we aren't getting one. Might as well get that over with.

Now just go after the top 6 wingers, they're easier to come by.

Yup team just needs to accept they're not going to be a defensive juggernaut. You need a Doughty tier guy to do that and they don't have that.

Should've built like Pittsburgh, Toronto, even Winnipeg and Washington are forward first teams.

 

[McFlash97]

Wait, what? You’re actually telling me you think adding a single dman is going to turn a bunch of 20 point grinders into 40+ point forwards? The Sedin twins couldn’t even get Kassian to 30 points

It Definitely will save you from Putting Russell out on 3 on 3. The weekend was a disaster in OT. 2 wins handed away.

 

[pabst blue ribbon]

That lineup never played together more or less. Eberle was hurt at the start of the year, then McDavid got hurt.

McDavid + Hall + RNH + Klefbom + Draisaitl + Eberle never played a single game together.

And they were actually holding their own with no McDavid until December when Klefbom got that freak foot infection.

RNH also missed a good chunk of that year

 

[Aceboogie]

D who can transition the puck. That can turn average wingers into good ones

Klefbom is good with transitioning the puck. Not elite, but good
Larsson is below average, he can get the puck out with control, but doesnt happen all the time and still does alot of dump outs
Sekera was fine at it when healthy. Just below Klefboms ability
Russell is god awful. Very likely one of the worst transition D in the league (who plays in the top 4). Cant be overstated just how bad he is with puck transition.
Nurse is/was solid. Makes some bonehead plays, but his elite skating covers issues

We have 2, maybe 3 D who are above average. No D who are great or elite. This lack of puck moving ability neuters McDavid so much. He is a player whos elite on the rush, and we can rarely get the puck to him with control on the breakout

 

[The Nuge]

It Definitely will save you from Putting Russell out on 3 on 3. The weekend was a disaster in OT. 2 wins handed away.

Not having 2 of your top 3 dmen on the IR is what keeps you from having to play Russell 3 on 3, and Russell isn’t the reason we lost either game.



Can someone please tell me why it’s our defense’s fault we can’t score when they’re outpacing our wingers?

D who can transition the puck. That can turn average wingers into good ones

Except we don’t have average wingers. We have catastrophically bad wingers who are being outscored by our defense that supposedly can’t transition the puck

 

[onetweasy]

I will say we need to acquire a high end winger only because I like our D prospects a lot more than anything we have up front.

We are not going to be able trade or sign any top pairing D and get fair value so I think we are stuck hoping and waiting to see if Bouchard is legit.

I would also like to see us fire the goaltending coach into the sun.

 

[Aceboogie]

Not having 2 of your top 3 dmen on the IR is what keeps you from having to play Russell 3 on 3, and Russell isn’t the reason we lost either game.



Can someone please tell me why it’s our defense’s fault we can’t score when they’re outpacing our wingers?



Except we don’t have average wingers. We have catastrophically bad wingers who are being outscored by our defense that supposedly can’t transition the puck

Going forward, well likely have 2 of Yamamoto/Benson/JP int he top 6 as good wingers, which will help a lot.