Are the Oilers a top 5 contender next season with Jack Campbell?

[CantHaveTkachev]

CP =/= HFboards

You’re one of the biggest Oiler fans I see on these boards the amount you discuss the Oilers and are in every thread
I guess you did pretend to have season tickets…

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

This is pure ignorance talking. The Leafs are in a FAR tougher division than the Oilers. If Toronto played in the Pacific, they would've easily made it to the WCF. Chirping Leaf fans about losing to Tampa in Round 1 when the Oilers got SMOKED 4-0 by Colorado (the first decent team they faced) is kind of weak man.

Saying the Oilers made it to the WCF and the Leafs lost in the first round isn’t ignorance, it’s a fact.

 

[iCanada]

It's questionable whether Nurse is a 1D in spite of being paid like one.

And Draisaitl isn't such a dynamic skater anyway.

Draisaitl has a relatively strong first step and top flight speed. He isn't a speedster in style, but it's absurd to say barely being able to walk didn't effect his play.

 

[TheNumber4]

This is pure ignorance talking. The Leafs are in a FAR tougher division than the Oilers. If Toronto played in the Pacific, they would've easily made it to the WCF. Chirping Leaf fans about losing to Tampa in Round 1 when the Oilers got SMOKED 4-0 by Colorado (the first decent team they faced) is kind of weak man.

If the Leafs faced the Kings in the 1st round, the Leafs would have been out in 5.

 

[Zerotonine]

Nope. IMO that Campbell contract is going to be talked about as one of the worst in the league, and sooner rather than later. Paying a career 1B $6 million (Jacob Markstrom money) over 6 years is a pretty big risk. I wasn't impressed by his performance as a starter in Toronto, and neither were the Leafs who opted to go with Matt Murray instead.

Guess it's a good thing Campbell is only getting 5 m over 5 years.

As an oiler fan I don't like the contract myself. But let's let the guy play a game under said contract before we start throwing him under the buss

 

[SnipeShowJB11]

All I know is that they are well above anybody in the Pacific. You can smell the fear from down South though lol.

Weird because in the locked thread @SeanMoneyHands posts how the Oilers got worse because they lost Smith.

But some guys gotta spam threads.

The fear is strong. They know Edmonton is the better team lol. Only going to improve the roster from here on out.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I think a better question is whether they’re a top five contender in the West. And I think the answer is clearly yes.
Colorado is obviously way above the field. But then Edmonton, St. Louis, Minnesota and Calgary are all in the mix. I’d also watch out for Vegas who I think could surprise.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Get ready to read a lot of these types of articles

On Monday, the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender was pulled after he allowed three goals on nine shots against the lowly New Jersey Devils. That capped a month in which the team’s starting goaltender finished with a save percentage of .880 and a goals-against average of 3.57.

But thanks to the goal support of an offensive-loaded team, Campbell still pulled off a 5-1-0 record.

Admittedly, Campbell’s appearances in the net have gotten worse over the last stretch of games.

Alter: It’s way too early to panic about Jack Campbell

For Jack Campbell, January couldn’t end soon enough. On Monday, the...

theleafsnation.com

 

[HighNote]

They're in the 6-10 range. I'd personally put them closer to 10 than 6.

 

[HockeyVirus]

I think a better question is whether they’re a top five contender in the West. And I think the answer is clearly yes.
Colorado is obviously way above the field. But then Edmonton, St. Louis, Minnesota and Calgary are all in the mix. I’d also watch out for Vegas who I think could surprise.

Yes I can agree. McDavid gives them that edge over almost any other team. The west is really I think deep but not very elite. A lot of teams around the same skill level and most of them are bubble teams. Only a few at most can be considered contenders however in the context of the league. In the west though, I think the Oilers could and should win a round again and maybe even 2. But they won't win the west AND beat the winner of the east unless luck truly favors them. Oilers would be a bubble team in the east.

 

[Soundwave]

Yes I can agree. McDavid gives them that edge over almost any other team. The west is really I think deep but not very elite. A lot of teams around the same skill level and most of them are bubble teams. Only a few at most can be considered contenders however in the context of the league. In the west though, I think the Oilers could and should win a round again and maybe even 2. But they won't win the west AND beat the winner of the east unless luck truly favors them. Oilers would be a bubble team in the east.

Oilers would make the playoffs easily in the East or West. They had a freaking .724 win percentage under Woodcroft before making the Conference Finals ... that's a 119 point pace, lol.

The fact is this Oilers team is not the same one that started even last year. When you give McDavid and Draisaitl even a little help, the result is the team becomes competitive fairly quickly because those two are simply that dominant especially now that McDavid has learned to dominate in the playoffs.

Getting Evander Kane basically crossed the team from the "have some support" to "have decent support" upfront for McDavid and Draisaitl and that in itself causes a lot of problems now for a lot of teams. They went from a boxer who can hurt you with a punch to a boxer that can just flat out knock people out on their ass with the same punch basically.

Even Colorado (who has a ton of speed and skill, most teams can't play the Oilers that way) was having problems holding the Oilers offence in check, they shut them down for game 2, but the other 3 games the Oilers averaged 4+ goals per game. If they can do that to Colorado, a lot of other teams would be in trouble against Edmonton because most teams don't have a Makar and Toews and the other depth Colorado has on their D corps. And you saw that in the Calgary series, their "top end D" got turned into shredded cheese by the Oilers offence.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

The parallels between how the Pens tended to be built and how the Oilers are built is kind of funny.

-Two superstars that often have to carry the load offensively surrounded by good "complimentary" wingers who aren't exactly high end or elite.
-A questionable defense corps that you don't instantly think "Cup winning defense"
-A goalie who struggles with the mental part of the game and can range from unbeatable to sieve-like on any given day.

The one edge the Pens had (at least in 2016) is a Letang-caliber #1D. But the 2009 team and the 2017 had similar question marks about their D-corps that the Oilers do.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Oilers would make the playoffs easily in the East or West. They had a freaking .724 win percentage under Woodcroft before making the Conference Finals ... that's a 119 point pace, lol.

The fact is this Oilers team is not the same one that started even last year. When you give McDavid and Draisaitl even a little help, the result is the team becomes competitive fairly quickly because those two are simply that dominant especially now that McDavid has learned to dominate in the playoffs.

Getting Evander Kane basically crossed the team from the "have some support" to "have decent support" upfront for McDavid and Draisaitl and that in itself causes a lot of problems now for a lot of teams. They went from a boxer who can hurt you with a punch to a boxer that can just flat out knock people out on their ass with the same punch basically.

Even Colorado (who has a ton of speed and skill, most teams can't play the Oilers that way) was having problems holding the Oilers offence in check, they shut them down for game 2, but the other 3 games the Oilers averaged 4+ goals per game. If they can do that to Colorado, a lot of other teams would be in trouble against Edmonton because most teams don't have a Makar and Toews and the other depth Colorado has on their D corps. And you saw that in the Calgary series, their "top end D" got turned into shredded cheese by the Oilers offence.

In the other thread, he said the Oilers are the same team that lost to the Hawks in 2020.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

The parallels between how the Pens tended to be built and how the Oilers are built is kind of funny.

-Two superstars that often have to carry the load offensively surrounded by good "complimentary" wingers who aren't exactly high end or elite.
-A questionable defense corps that you don't instantly think "Cup winning defense"
-A goalie who struggles with the mental part of the game and can range from unbeatable to sieve-like on any given day.

The one edge the Pens had (at least in 2016) is a Letang-caliber #1D. But the 2009 team and the 2017 had similar question marks about their D-corps that the Oilers do.

Nurse is very good when healthy too. I wouldn't call him as good as Letang but he's a top pairing guy on a lot of NHL teams.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Oilers would make the playoffs easily in the East or West. They had a freaking .724 win percentage under Woodcroft before making the Conference Finals ... that's a 119 point pace, lol.

The fact is this Oilers team is not the same one that started even last year. When you give McDavid and Draisaitl even a little help, the result is the team becomes competitive fairly quickly because those two are simply that dominant especially now that McDavid has learned to dominate in the playoffs.

Getting Evander Kane basically crossed the team from the "have some support" to "have decent support" upfront for McDavid and Draisaitl and that in itself causes a lot of problems now for a lot of teams. They went from a boxer who can hurt you with a punch to a boxer that can just flat out knock people out on their ass with the same punch basically.

Even Colorado (who has a ton of speed and skill, most teams can't play the Oilers that way) was having problems holding the Oilers offence in check, they shut them down for game 2, but the other 3 games the Oilers averaged 4+ goals per game. If they can do that to Colorado, a lot of other teams would be in trouble against Edmonton because most teams don't have a Makar and Toews and the other depth Colorado has on their D corps. And you saw that in the Calgary series, their "top end D" got turned into shredded cheese by the Oilers offence.

You keep repeating the games were close but look at it this way.

Game 1: Firewagon game. The Avs amassed a big lead scoring 8 points. The Oilers were never really at the precipice of winning in spite of narrowing the lead late. This game was like a basketball game that’s never in doubt but a last minute 3 makes the score more respectable.

Game 2: Edmonton was dominated by Francouz in a decisive and comfortable win.

Game 3: Big push by Edmonton at home to make it a series. Close game. But not enough ammunition to close the deal. Game 3 was part of JT Compher’s highlight reel.

Game 4: Edmonton pushed ahead 3-1 going into the 3rd. Then the Avs woke up and decided it’s winning time. Twice Edmonton had a two goal lead but it was hardly insurmountable for a better and faster Avs team. This game was somewhat the inverse of game 1, except the Avs closed out game 1 when the Oilers couldn’t do the same in game 4.

In the 4 games, game 4 was probably the Oilers best total showing. But the Avs sleep walked through 2/3 of that game and still won.

Previously, I said the Avs were a faster team. I realize the Oilers like to play with pace because of 97. But there’s more to being a fast team than that. The Oilers had 1 or 2 elite skaters. The Avs had at least 4. But it’s not just about skating. It’s about playing fast which also means reading the game and having the skill to go with it. The Avs dominated the series because they’re a faster team than the Oilers in various regards.

Additionally, the Avs defensemen are night and day better than what Edmonton has. They also play fast and are a big reason Edmonton’s breakaways were negated. I know Oilers fans mostly remember their opportunities and near misses but I think they’re also forgetting how much of those games were played at their defensive end of the ice.

My opinion: the Avs have a big advantage in the brain trust running the team and I kind of feel like Edmonton would be better off replacing the dinosaurs. Holland isn’t awful but does he have the vision for 2023?

 

[Rubi]

Nurse is very good when healthy too. I wouldn't call him as good as Letang but he's a top pairing guy on a lot of NHL teams.

I like your thinking. Keep it up.

 

[The Panther]

I think because the Avs-Oilers series was a sweep, some people have got the idea that Edmonton got steam-rolled or something. They did not. Consider the following:

-- The Oilers were forced to play their top D-man (Nurse) with a major injury. He couldn't even skate to retrieve loose pucks and was a complete disaster.
-- The Oilers' top goal scorer (Drai) was injured.

So, okay, they had injuries, as did Colorado. But we're talking about their top Dman (30 min. per game and was useless in this series was giving goals away) and a recent Art Ross / Hart winner who was basically immobile.

Anyway, the actual games:

-- In game 1, the Avs blew a 7-3 lead and were at 7-6 in the third. The only reason it wasn't tied is the NHL's bizarre interpretation of "offside" that counters all known logic. Teams that are significantly better don't usually blow 4-goal leads in a playoff game, at home.
-- In game 2, the Avs were clearly better. (Even though all the damage was done in a 124-second span.)
-- Game 3 could have gone either way; a one-goal Avs' win.
-- Game 4 could have gone either way; a one-goal Avs' win in overtime.

Three of the four games were very "winnable" for Edmonton. I would suggest if the Oilers had had anybody but Mike Smith in goal for game one, it would have at least been to overtime or they might have won. Games three and four were coin-flips.

So, then, add in a healthy Nurse and Draisaitl and it's probably a five or six-game series.

Then, Edmonton should be a bit better this upcoming season, and I think Colorado should be a bit (not a lot) worse, though obviously it's debatable.


The one big advantage the Avalanche are going to continue to have over the Oilers is on defense. Makar is a law unto himself, and they just have a talented, super-fast puck moving D-core. The Oilers will not be able to match that anytime soon.

 

[The90]

I think because the Avs-Oilers series was a sweep, some people have got the idea that Edmonton got steam-rolled or something. They did not. Consider the following:

-- The Oilers were forced to play their top D-man (Nurse) with a major injury. He couldn't even skate to retrieve loose pucks and was a complete disaster.
-- The Oilers' top goal scorer (Drai) was injured.

So, okay, they had injuries, as did Colorado. But we're talking about their top Dman (30 min. per game and was useless in this series was giving goals away) and a recent Art Ross / Hart winner who was basically immobile.

Anyway, the actual games:

-- In game 1, the Avs blew a 7-3 lead and were at 7-6 in the third. The only reason it wasn't tied is the NHL's bizarre interpretation of "offside" that counters all known logic. Teams that are significantly better don't usually blow 4-goal leads in a playoff game, at home.
-- In game 2, the Avs were clearly better. (Even though all the damage was done in a 124-second span.)
-- Game 3 could have gone either way; a one-goal Avs' win.
-- Game 4 could have gone either way; a one-goal Avs' win in overtime.

Three of the four games were very "winnable" for Edmonton. I would suggest if the Oilers had had anybody but Mike Smith in goal for game one, it would have at least been to overtime or they might have won. Games three and four were coin-flips.

So, then, add in a healthy Nurse and Draisaitl and it's probably a five or six-game series.

Then, Edmonton should be a bit better this upcoming season, and I think Colorado should be a bit (not a lot) worse, though obviously it's debatable.


The one big advantage the Avalanche are going to continue to have over the Oilers is on defense. Makar is a law unto himself, and they just have a talented, super-fast puck moving D-core. The Oilers will not be able to match that anytime soon.

And if my aunt had balls…

 

[Three On Zero]

I think because the Avs-Oilers series was a sweep, some people have got the idea that Edmonton got steam-rolled or something. They did not. Consider the following:

-- The Oilers were forced to play their top D-man (Nurse) with a major injury. He couldn't even skate to retrieve loose pucks and was a complete disaster.
-- The Oilers' top goal scorer (Drai) was injured.

So, okay, they had injuries, as did Colorado. But we're talking about their top Dman (30 min. per game and was useless in this series was giving goals away) and a recent Art Ross / Hart winner who was basically immobile.

Anyway, the actual games:

-- In game 1, the Avs blew a 7-3 lead and were at 7-6 in the third. The only reason it wasn't tied is the NHL's bizarre interpretation of "offside" that counters all known logic. Teams that are significantly better don't usually blow 4-goal leads in a playoff game, at home.
-- In game 2, the Avs were clearly better. (Even though all the damage was done in a 124-second span.)
-- Game 3 could have gone either way; a one-goal Avs' win.
-- Game 4 could have gone either way; a one-goal Avs' win in overtime.

Three of the four games were very "winnable" for Edmonton. I would suggest if the Oilers had had anybody but Mike Smith in goal for game one, it would have at least been to overtime or they might have won. Games three and four were coin-flips.

So, then, add in a healthy Nurse and Draisaitl and it's probably a five or six-game series.

Then, Edmonton should be a bit better this upcoming season, and I think Colorado should be a bit (not a lot) worse, though obviously it's debatable.


The one big advantage the Avalanche are going to continue to have over the Oilers is on defense. Makar is a law unto himself, and they just have a talented, super-fast puck moving D-core. The Oilers will not be able to match that anytime soon.

That’s quite the mental gymnastics…. The series wasn’t close at all

 

[topshelf15]

Forwards are for sure, cup caliber....But you need a stacked blueline ,both Col and TB have had this,Montreal had a deep physical top 4 on their run...Without the defense you need to get lucky in matchups...So while Edmonton will make some noise they ultimately wont win

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Does Jack Campbell complete this team and push them to the top 5 for contending next season?

Is there anything bout him that made you think

"He's almost definitely so good that he elevates the entire team to that degree. And everyone is going to think so ."

Nothing really stands out to me about him. Might even prove to be a downgrade bc he hasn't exactly been a reliable stud

 

[The90]

Forwards are for sure, cup caliber....But you need a stacked blueline ,both Col and TB have had this,Montreal had a deep physical top 4 on their run...Without the defense you need to get lucky in matchups...So while Edmonton will make some noise they ultimately wont win

Montreal literally had all the luck and the dominos fell exactly as they needed to to go on their run. They didn’t have a stacked blue line they had Carey Price.

One of those things is not like the other lol

 

[topshelf15]

Montreal literally had all the luck and the dominos fell exactly as they needed to to go on their run. They didn’t have a stacked blue line they had Carey Price.

That blueline was condusive to that run,huge kept the front of the net clear and allowed Carey to see every shot...But it lacked speed and skill which in the end cost the the prize

 

[The90]

That blueline was condusive to that run,huge kept the front of the net clear and allowed Carey to see every shot...But it lacked speed and skill which in the end cost the the prize

^ Is revisionist history to what actually happened, aside from the bolded.

 

[topshelf15]

^ Is revisionist history to what actually happened, aside from the bolded.

No it isnt...Are you new to hockey??