Will the real Edmonton Oilers please stand up?

[Sniper99]

they're doing fine, no need to panic yet.

 

[Crow]

They are mediocre with top end talent and a lack of depth.

 

[Puckluck13]

Really? Because our Duo doesn't play Defense or play Goalie


Nurse Bear Klefbom Persson Benning Russell Smith Koskinen do that

Is this supposed to be a positive?

 

[Betelgeuse]

Of the last 20 first overall picks, DiPietro and Erik Johnson are probably near the bottom along with Nugent-Hopkins and Yakupov. So basically, half of Edmonton's 1st overall picks have been the bottom 10-20% of the last 20 years.

Then you get a bottom 10% GM trading one of your remaining 2 quality 1st overalls.

So we're left with 1/4 first overalls retaining any kind of value for Edmonton.

Bah.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

1 regulation win in 9 games is pretty bad regardless of how many pts they got along the way, they're obviously back to what you thought they were.

And while there's some regulars missing, it's not like those guys are huge impact players, not like the Avs missing 2/3 of their top line. In other words, there's no cavalry coming.

Despite it only being 17 games, i think it's already told us a lot. Oilers can win a lot of games against other mediocre teams who give open ice to McDrai. But when they're playing the upper echelon teams dialed in and playing good hockey, they have a tough time winning and taking any kind of stranglehold in games. It's where the lack of depth really shows.

Basically a WC contender. Better than last 2 years, but not a playoff lock.

 

[kthx]

Their goalie had more points than 2nd, 3rd and 4th line together last game.
Markus Granlund gets the "Tobias Rieder award" this year. (0 goals, 70+ games)

 

[Cup or Bust]

The best the Oilers could expect was to compete for a playoff spot. That is all anyone expected or hoped for going into the season so their start is a good one.

 

[Hustlr]

Think they just did show up..

 

[HandshakeLineRespect]

The Oilers are what you would call a front runner.

 

[ZenOil]

Been saying mirage for a while sadly. The depth is horrible at the moment and doesn't show signs of evolving into competency. Hope Tippet isn't too old school to know how to get the most out of younger less assured players. L
Almost anybody could coach McDrai.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

I feel like their flaws will get exposed in the second half. That's when teams begin tightening things up and the open ice disappears.

McDrai is a great duo but this is a bit much for anyone.

 

[voxel]

Tale of two teams so far this season?

After opening up with a 7-1 record, they’ve only won 3 of their past 9 games.

Which record is more indicative of what this team will actually do this season?

After a hot start (high PDO), they are middle of the pack in PDO (unlucky in a few games - i.e two shutouts) now.

Team Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick

If you believe in PDO then their 10-5-2 record is what it should be. Defense and goaltending are consistently good (not elite). McDrai are elite. Bottom-6 scoring? HORRIBAD. Basically a little better than a .500 team

McDrai also heat up in Feb/Mar/Apr. In the year they mad the playoffs in 16-17 they were on fire.

 

[vippe]

I'm not sold on the Oilers yet.. I think at some point you have to get support from your bottom 6. It's been absolute dreadful so far and when/if Drai and McDavid hits a slump it's not going to be pretty.

I'm in the miss the playoff camp right now, they have some stuff to fix before becoming post season regulars despite how amazing of a combo their 1-2 punch is.

 

[hockeyguru]

winning 3 of 9 is more indicative. the nhl gave the oilers an easy month of october so that their fans can gain hope in the team again. unfortunately the entire season can't be easy for them because they succ.

 

[powerstuck]

People have a really short term memory.

Latest Cup winner was dead f***ing last in January last year, last in the league. And yet, they played their last game on June 12th.

January is in two months time. It's a long way for a lot of games and a lot of ''won 5 last'' and lots of ''lost 4 last''.

 

[guzzy]

Of the last 20 first overall picks, DiPietro and Erik Johnson are probably near the bottom along with Nugent-Hopkins and Yakupov. So basically, half of Edmonton's 1st overall picks have been the bottom 10-20% of the last 20 years.

Then you get a bottom 10% GM trading one of your remaining 2 quality 1st overalls.

So we're left with 1/4 first overalls retaining any kind of value for Edmonton.

Bah.

Edmonton's problem has never been bad drafting in the first round. It's bad drafting in subsequent rounds. in the last 12 years there has been minimal success of any sort with Edmonton draft picks outside of first round. Games played, points etc....very bleak. Your depth comes from your ability in the later rounds.

I will give credit where credit is due, they seem to have turned a corner on later round drafting the last few years.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

IMO the Oilers are about as good as they were last year but the rest of the division has gotten slightly worse, so maybe a couple more points?

 

[Chips]

I have no sort of fan rivalry or anything, not to knock them, but 10, 20, or 30 games idc, I’m expecting them to be a middling team at best by the end of the year. I’d like to see McDavid in the playoffs though.

 

[Kranix]

How many times last night did Drai try to howshegoin a guy and blow by him but it turns out he's not McDavid and the guy swats the puck away and Drai has to do a wide turn like a bus and lumber back down the ice.

 

[Paradise Circus]

McJesus and Drai are unbelievable. Bear and Nurse are having very good seasons too and I'm a fan of Zack Kassian. Was the hot start a mirage? I guess we will find out in the next 2-3 weeks. RNH had a bad game, but I thought everybody was too hard on him, wasnt he mentioned as one of the best 2nd line centers in the league a few weeks ago?

 

[SoundAndFury]

People have a really short term memory.

Latest Cup winner was dead ****ing last in January last year, last in the league. And yet, they played their last game on June 12th.

Yes but everybody and their mother thought Blues are a pretty damn good team in September last year. So the people with short memory were ones who actually thought Blues might be a lottery team in January.

Oilers are absolutely the opposite. Everyone knew they aren't a good team. They got off to a good start and now are back to being what they were supposed to be. If you want to accuse someone of having a short memory in this situation it's the people who forgot that this was a terrible team which got very minor improvements in the offseason.

 

[Puckluck13]

People have a really short term memory.

Latest Cup winner was dead ****ing last in January last year, last in the league. And yet, they played their last game on June 12th.

January is in two months time. It's a long way for a lot of games and a lot of ''won 5 last'' and lots of ''lost 4 last''.

Lol yes lets compare the Blues who have one of the best D cores in the NHL and depth up front to the Oilers who have 0 depth and a below average D core.

Enjoy the cup run!

 

[powerstuck]

Lol yes lets compare the Blues who have one of the best D cores in the NHL and depth up front to the Oilers who have 0 depth and a below average D core.

Enjoy the cup run!

I don't care about Oilers. My team made the finals last year and so far have a good run this year. But I do know that it's not how you end up in October that matters, but how you end up in April and even more important if you are still playing throughout May and June.

 

[Coffey]

They won't make the playoffs as much as it hurts me to say.
You might as well be taking a bathroom break or baking a cake everytime the top line isn't on the ice.

Thanks Chia...

 

[These Are The Days]

The real Oilers ARE standing up right now. They're basically Drai/McDavid carrying 50% of the load at all times. It's not gonna get better until Neal steps up more and if the injury bug would stop killing their blue line. And plus Mike Smith.... that guy is a mystery and a half. It's less that the hot start is not indicative of what kind of team they have and more that said start is what the team CAN be when it's firing on all cylinders. What you see now otherwise is the same thing we've always seen. But truth be told this time there's a faint light at the end of the tunnel.