The Nuge
Some say…
Such as? As soon as he got the puck, he had a guy hanging off of him. I know you hate Russell, but come on.
Which is a greater need, wingers who can score or D-men who can transition the puck to the forwards?
- Thread starter Soul8
- Start date
Such as? As soon as he got the puck, he had a guy hanging off of him. I know you hate Russell, but come on.
As I said, he could have dumped the puck out or he could have been more assertive skating back before the pressure arrived. He did neither, like he had a brain cramp. Losing the puck battle so completely was just salt in the wound.
PKSpecialist
Registered User
- Feb 6, 2010
- 1,750
- 838
The fact that we can argue over the positions of why this team sucks - skilled wingers/sniping wingers, puck moving d-men, adequate goaltending....
This honestly just shines a light on how bad asset management has been in this organization. The trading of two draft picks to move up in back to back years to draft goaltenders who it can be argued weren’t even the best ones available. The trading of two high-end draft picks for a former high pick with zero NHL experience and who had obviously had a shadow cast on his NHL career.
The truth is, this team is probably three years of solid drafting away from having a solid NHL team that also has depth to withstand injuries. As a fan, I am embarrassed. I can’t imagine how the players themselves feel.
This honestly just shines a light on how bad asset management has been in this organization. The trading of two draft picks to move up in back to back years to draft goaltenders who it can be argued weren’t even the best ones available. The trading of two high-end draft picks for a former high pick with zero NHL experience and who had obviously had a shadow cast on his NHL career.
The truth is, this team is probably three years of solid drafting away from having a solid NHL team that also has depth to withstand injuries. As a fan, I am embarrassed. I can’t imagine how the players themselves feel.
The Nuge
Some say…
Except he couldn’t have because Rattie’s play didn’t leave him enough time to do either of those things. He got the puck, looked around and realized he had no support whatsoever, and tried to backtrack to get away, but didn’t have time. Go rewatch the play. There’s literally nothing he can do there other than what he did, or quickly icing the puck
I've re-watched the play a dozen times. He had time, or should have but he's just too slow to make decisions and too weak to win the battle.
It's funny because he has no qualms about firing the puck off the boards when he's in his own zone with time to spare, yet the one time he should have made that play he did...that.
SupremeTeam16
5-14-6-1
Who cares, until they fix the underlying issues then it really doesn't matter. Their inability to develop players is astounding. They haven't produced any decent players in house in a decade. Players who come generally get worse and players who leave generally get better.
I typically hate Jeremy Roenick but he was bang on the other day when he shredded the Oilers, it's an absolute embarrassment that a bunch of guys who call themselves NHL players can't string together 2 crisps passes. I see multiple players on this team repeatedly making the same recurring mistakes and doing things out there that would get the BANTAM players I used to coach parked on the bench until they learned.
I typically hate Jeremy Roenick but he was bang on the other day when he shredded the Oilers, it's an absolute embarrassment that a bunch of guys who call themselves NHL players can't string together 2 crisps passes. I see multiple players on this team repeatedly making the same recurring mistakes and doing things out there that would get the BANTAM players I used to coach parked on the bench until they learned.
McGoMcD
Registered User
sigh, sadly. we were discussing last night how bad the oilers situation is. The thing is McDavid will drag us close to the playoffs every year. The reality is though he won't be able to win a cup with this roster. We are doomed to mediocrity for a while. The best player in the game surrounded by half an AHL roster.
Draiskull
Registered User
- Oct 26, 2005
- 23,344
- 2,192
we need to move some salary. Priority #1.
Enough of this Manning, Benning, Petrovic, Spooner garbage that Chia has accumulated.
If you are making over 1.5M, you better be contributing.
Really they "only" need one top 4 D man but they need 2/3 of the top 6 if they want to run our centres as centres.
xxx-McDavid-xxx
xxx-Drai-xxx
Lucic-Nuge-Pulju
Though ideally Lucic goes away and we replace him, so that means 5 new wingers.
Good thing wingers are just soooo easy to find.
xxx-McDavid-xxx
xxx-Drai-xxx
Lucic-Nuge-Pulju
Though ideally Lucic goes away and we replace him, so that means 5 new wingers.
Good thing wingers are just soooo easy to find.
Mcnotloilersfan
I'm here, I'm bored
Again, we have a lot of players who can play as the 3rd complimentary guy in a top 9. Furthermore, I truly don't believe that we need to have RNH on the 3rd line. One really good forward would make a world of difference. Let's just say we make a move for a guy like Stone (it could be any forward, but I'm using him as an example). Create 2 pairs using McDavid, Draisaitl, RNH and Stone. Players like Chiasson, Puljujarvi, Yamamoto, Kassian, Lucic etc. can fill that 3rd spot depending on your matchup.
What really made me upset was trading away Strome. I know he was struggling to find some offense, but I feel like he was starting to fit in nicely in a 3C role, and with 2 top lines taking pressure off of him next season like that, he could have maybe worked some magic with a rookie like benson and one of yama/pulju.
All that said, I still say our need for a dman in the realm of Klefbom or better is our biggest need. (Preferably right shot)
Even of you have two pairs, that means two of the guys you listed are playing up in the top 6 where they have no business being. I'm not saying they need two lines with three stars on each line, but we need upgrades on the talent level here and your post serves to underscore that.
Yep, Strome was and is a useful, if limited, player in his role and was playing well outside of production. Trading him for a worse player was inexplicable.
I don't disagree, but the odds of finding that player are very slim.
bucks_oil
Registered User
- Aug 25, 2005
- 8,398
- 4,612
Not only that, but if we had a couple 40 point two way wingers that can kill a penalty, that alone would be sufficient to change the face of this team.
We're a bad team presently because we can't bear down and finish off games, not because we aren't in them to begin with. We need guys that can win battles on boards, anticipate passes, get the puck out and not flub it when McD, Drai, or RNH pass them the puck.
Those guys make 3-5M a season and should be easily affordable when we rid ourselves of a few has-beens.
TopShelfGloveSide
Registered User
- Dec 10, 2018
- 18,243
- 24,932
I maintain the problem is a lack of elite talent regardless of position. Unfortunately, that's not a problem that we can solve anytime soon.
russ99
Registered User
- Jun 9, 2011
- 3,518
- 2,459
No amount of stretch passes can turn this sad sack group of wingers into goal scorers.
Besides the rush only matters for the first scoring chance and maybe a rebound or two, then we have to keep possession and create space to get additional scoring chances or it goes back the other way, frequently with mismatches due to players overcommitting to offense.
Really can’t wait until the puck and player trackers debunk all this puck movers/rush/Corsi nonsense.
