Speculation: Are We Fans Being Set Up Again With Late Season Success?

[ScrillaVilla]

All of those lineups were not contenders nor is the one for next year which looks like this:

Pouliot-RNH-Eberle
Hall-Roy-Yak
UFA-Lander-Purcell
Hendricks-Gordon-Klinkhammer

Klefbom-Schultz
NIkitin-Fayne
Ferrence-UFA

That said, our lineup was capable of many more wins that our record shows but we can't discount the negative effect Eakins had on everyone's play as well his strategies in general were terrible.

The potential lineup for next year looks better than last years, much better than the year before that, and is also much better than the lineup we have been playing with the last several games.

This lineup still needs key acquisitions and the emergence of LD and Nurse within the next 2 years but with Nelson or equally capable coach at the helm this lineup is at least watchable, which is all i'm hoping for next year.

That line up is a contender for one thing only, another lottery pick. Someone needs to get fired if thats what we roll into next season with.

 

[Mr Positive]

That line up is a contender for one thing only, another lottery pick. Someone needs to get fired if thats what we roll into next season with.

Add Boychuck to that and it's fine. And a goalie maybe

 

[TheGuyInTheChair]

Add Boychuck to that and it's fine. And a goalie maybe

Add Boychuck and a solid #1 goalie and it might be a bubble team.

 

[Klimando Kostani]

That line up is a contender for one thing only, another lottery pick. Someone needs to get fired if thats what we roll into next season with.

Obviously... and obviously

I'm just talking to what's likely to happen. We aren't going to fire MacT, the lineup for next year will be slightly better than this year, and the games should at least be as watchable as these last few weeks have been.

 

[Horseradish]

with positives like a new coach, more winning, and players who have been sleep walking most of the season like Yakupov starting to come to life, are we being set up to thinking we have yet again turned the corner, and with a few moves in the off season, we'll be contenders only to stumble out of the gate again for yet another year and be out of the playoffs by October or November? how many years in a row has this happened? opinions?

They have 25 points in 26 games under Todd Nelson.

That is on pace for 79 points. That would've finished 5th last in the entire league last year with that point total...and a number of those points can be literally chalked up to luck-- that's what shootouts are.

Sure, I guess we're playing well enough not to be the worst team in the league anymore. But it's not like it's some great step up either. I don't know who in their right god damned mind would think we're "turning the corner" based on a team that's putting up a point percentage that would've had them land in last year's lottery. And it's no fault of Todd Nelson's either, let me be clear.

If MacTavish sees *all this improvement* and thinks he doesn't need to make a bunch of BIG changes to make this team competitive next year, I wish he'd been fired yesterday.

This team requires 2-3 more d-men who would knock out 2-3 d-men in our current top-6, another NHL centre (at least), probably another 2-3 top-9 wingers, a starting goalie, AND progress from their young players. That is JUST to be competitive. As in, being in the playoffs discussion by March next year.

Anything short of 5-6 roster player upgrades and we'll be in at least the bottom 1/3 of the league again.

 

[Horseradish]

That line up is a contender for one thing only, another lottery pick. Someone needs to get fired if thats what we roll into next season with.

Yup. Garbage. And some people claiming that we just need a guy like Boychuk and a #1 goalie. Yeah, then, instead of being a 13th or 14th place team, we'll be an 11th or 12th place one. Maybe some people are so young or so jaded that this seems like competitiveness in the NHL. It's not. That's the kind of crap the Oilers were back in the early-mid 90s and everybody in town thought it was the end of the world. Now? It passes for "competitiveness."

 

[Klimando Kostani]

Yup. Garbage. And some people claiming that we just need a guy like Boychuk and a #1 goalie. Yeah, then, instead of being a 13th or 14th place team, we'll be an 11th or 12th place one. Maybe some people are so young or so jaded that this seems like competitiveness in the NHL. It's not. That's the kind of crap the Oilers were back in the early-mid 90s and everybody in town thought it was the end of the world. Now? It passes for "competitiveness."

Ooooook. There really isn't that many people (anyone even?) saying a Boychuk and a goalie will make us a fringe playoff team. I can't personally fire MacT anymore than you can so why does every fan have to be your level of discontent or be accused of not knowing what an NHL team looks like?

 

[s7ark]

Yup. Garbage. And some people claiming that we just need a guy like Boychuk and a #1 goalie. Yeah, then, instead of being a 13th or 14th place team, we'll be an 11th or 12th place one. Maybe some people are so young or so jaded that this seems like competitiveness in the NHL. It's not. That's the kind of crap the Oilers were back in the early-mid 90s and everybody in town thought it was the end of the world. Now? It passes for "competitiveness."

We are atrocious. It's going to take steps to become good. A reliable goaltending situation, and another 1(really 2) top 4 D would help this team immensely next season. Being better than a laughing stock is the best we can hope for at this point

I don't mind the forwards under not-Eakins. The D needs a work. But with some additions, it at least has the potential to be higher than the bottom of the West. At this point, I'd take that for next season.

 

[Tyrolean]

They have 25 points in 26 games under Todd Nelson.

That is on pace for 79 points. That would've finished 5th last in the entire league last year with that point total...and a number of those points can be literally chalked up to luck-- that's what shootouts are.

Sure, I guess we're playing well enough not to be the worst team in the league anymore. But it's not like it's some great step up either. I don't know who in their right god damned mind would think we're "turning the corner" based on a team that's putting up a point percentage that would've had them land in last year's lottery. And it's no fault of Todd Nelson's either, let me be clear.

If MacTavish sees *all this improvement* and thinks he doesn't need to make a bunch of BIG changes to make this team competitive next year, I wish he'd been fired yesterday.

This team requires 2-3 more d-men who would knock out 2-3 d-men in our current top-6, another NHL centre (at least), probably another 2-3 top-9 wingers, a starting goalie, AND progress from their young players. That is JUST to be competitive. As in, being in the playoffs discussion by March next year.

Anything short of 5-6 roster player upgrades and we'll be in at least the bottom 1/3 of the league again.

Every rational fan knows this. No point in arguing with illogical people.

 

[nexttothemoon]

The team HAS turned a corner in that they are now out from under the Eakins death cloud where you couldn't even begin to judge the actual true weaknesses and strengths of the players because the GM was sticking to having the team be led by an incompetent, egotistical, bike riding, carrot munching idiot.

Asskins had them on pace for a 50 pt season (great for securing McEichel no doubt)... but if Eakins was going to be a 10 year coach behind the Oilers bench... well McDavid's kids would still be watching this team draft top 5 every year.

Now at least they have Nelson who can actually coach the team and we are going to be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each player without them being purposely sabotaged by Eakins who literally seemed to get the worst out of everyone.

My level of optimism isn't high... but it's the highest it's been since Krueger was coach where I thought the team was slowly going to climb to at least mediocrity and they were actually getting marginally better each year.

They've regressed under Eakins and some permanent damage has been done imo... players have actually become more conditioned to losses and losing... and the team as a whole lost what little heart they had to compete.

That will take time to recover from and build back into a team that works hard every night and into one that has the passion and desire to believe in themselves and each other.

So yes... Nelson has them turning a corner in the sense that they are no longer under a loser coach shoving idiotic loser systems down their throats where everyone was playing to their weaknesses which would have kept the team as a 50 pt team for years to come and had any decent player looking for the 1st ticket out of town and would have meant no semi decent UFA would even think about signing here.

There was ZERO hope... now there is a sliver of hope again. Improvement... yes low bar but now the hockey is more entertaining again and instead of being bitter after the occasional win every 5-10 games where you knew the team was going nowhere regardless... now at least they are sometimes competitive and moderately entertaining to watch in many games where it's more of a coin flip what type of game you'll get from them.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

Every rational fan knows this. No point in arguing with illogical people.

I think the thing that makes it hard though is Eakins killed the confidence of the team played a clearly injured Hall for most of the year and everyone was on the decline. For all we know maybe our roster, without Eakins at the start could of been much much better, however we will never know.

I do think we need 2 solid middle six wingers on our 3rd Line so a single Hall injury doesn't sink us. I like what Roy has done for Yak but I want to believe that Yak doesn't need Roy and can do it with a better center. I also think we need an entire top pairing d line so Klefbom and Schultz don't have to play half of every game this early into their careers and we can kick out Ference and Nikitin cause Marincin and Fayne are a solid bottom pairing.

We also need a legit goal tender.

Pouliot-RNH-Eberle
Hall - Blank - Yakupov
Blank - Lander - Blank
Hendricks - Gordon - Klinkhammer

Blank - Blank
Klefbom - Schultz
Marincin - Fayne

Blank
Scrivens

Fill in the blanks with legit NHL players that actually fit that role and we have a competitive roster.

We have the picks to do it and we have cap strapped teams that could move some guys.

If we can move Purcell, Nikitin and Ference we have a lot of room and can maybe lure in some guys and get the rest with trades... That's the hope at least.

 

[Klimando Kostani]

I think the thing that makes it hard though is Eakins killed the confidence of the team played a clearly injured Hall for most of the year and everyone was on the decline. For all we know maybe our roster, without Eakins at the start could of been much much better, however we will never know.

We can actually evaluate players now

I do think we need 2 solid middle six wingers on our 3rd Line so a single Hall injury doesn't sink us. I like what Roy has done for Yak but I want to believe that Yak doesn't need Roy and can do it with a better center. I also think we need an entire top pairing d line so Klefbom and Schultz don't have to play half of every game this early into their careers and we can kick out Ference and Nikitin cause Marincin and Fayne are a solid bottom pairing.

I would take Roy back at around the 1-1.5mil, hopefully pick up another UFA C in a way we didn't last year

We also need a legit goal tender.

Pouliot-RNH-Eberle
Hall - Blank - Yakupov
Blank - Lander - Blank
Hendricks - Gordon - Klinkhammer

Blank - Blank
Klefbom - Schultz
Marincin - Fayne

Blank
Scrivens

Fill in the blanks with legit NHL players that actually fit that role and we have a competitive roster.

If we could at least get half of that done then we can at least not cringe every game next year and that may not be ideal but it is the right direction

We have the picks to do it and we have cap strapped teams that could move some guys.

If we can move Purcell, Nikitin and Ference we have a lot of room and can maybe lure in some guys and get the rest with trades... That's the hope at least.

If we could just move Ferrence, every team has a Nikitin or a Ferrence in their bottom pairing but having both hurts us immensely.

This is pretty much what I'm saying.

Luckily for us Eakins sewered Yak and Schultz's contract value, so if we could get rid of one or two of our useless contracts we can afford to get some of those blacks filled.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

This is pretty much what I'm saying.

Luckily for us Eakins sewered Yak and Schultz's contract value, so if we could get rid of one or two of our useless contracts we can afford to get some of those blacks filled.

I don't think we move Nikitins contract however I think we rotate him and Marincin next year, I mean he is perpetually inured.

Ference a team might be desperate enough to snag and Purcell would add decent depth to any team. We should retain what it would cost to buy them out so we get value back for them, as little as it may be.

 

[Horseradish]

I think the thing that makes it hard though is Eakins killed the confidence of the team played a clearly injured Hall for most of the year and everyone was on the decline. For all we know maybe our roster, without Eakins at the start could of been much much better, however we will never know.

I do think we need 2 solid middle six wingers on our 3rd Line so a single Hall injury doesn't sink us. I like what Roy has done for Yak but I want to believe that Yak doesn't need Roy and can do it with a better center. I also think we need an entire top pairing d line so Klefbom and Schultz don't have to play half of every game this early into their careers and we can kick out Ference and Nikitin cause Marincin and Fayne are a solid bottom pairing.

We also need a legit goal tender.

Pouliot-RNH-Eberle
Hall - Blank - Yakupov
Blank - Lander - Blank
Hendricks - Gordon - Klinkhammer

Blank - Blank
Klefbom - Schultz
Marincin - Fayne

Blank
Scrivens

Fill in the blanks with legit NHL players that actually fit that role and we have a competitive roster.

We have the picks to do it and we have cap strapped teams that could move some guys.

If we can move Purcell, Nikitin and Ference we have a lot of room and can maybe lure in some guys and get the rest with trades... That's the hope at least.

Pretty much this. Though I'd rather Pouliot be on a solid two-way line flanked by someone like Winnik to insulate a green Lander. And keep Roy as a utility player to move up and down the lineup as needed (and cuz you can never ever have enough NHL centres).

So a second line forward, something in the Kulemin mould would be ideal over two third-line checkers. I'd be okay with holding onto Purcell for that. His contract isn't ideal but for one more year it's not the end of the world.

 

[StoveTopStauffer]

I wouldn't mind if MacT tried to resign Petry this summer. I have a feeling Boychuk is a long shot. My dream would be Sekera + Petry signed while buyout Nikitin but that'll never occur.

 

[McDrai]

The GM template going into next season should be this:

Pouliot/RNH/Eberle
Hall/_____/_____
____/Roy/Yakupov
Hendricks/Gordon/Klinkhammer

______/_______
Klefbom/Schultz
Ference/Fayne

Scrivens
_______

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

Pretty much this. Though I'd rather Pouliot be on a solid two-way line flanked by someone like Winnik to insulate a green Lander. And keep Roy as a utility player to move up and down the lineup as needed (and cuz you can never ever have enough NHL centres).

So a second line forward, something in the Kulemin mould would be ideal over two third-line checkers. I'd be okay with holding onto Purcell for that. His contract isn't ideal but for one more year it's not the end of the world.

The thing is.. If we move Pouliot down.. We need another top 6 left wing. The Hall - RNH - Eberle line just doesn't work.

 

[Klimando Kostani]

The thing is.. If we move Pouliot down.. We need another top 6 left wing. The Hall - RNH - Eberle line just doesn't work.

It worked before Eakins and we haven't seen it post Eakins

Eakins

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

It worked before Eakins and we haven't seen it post Eakins

Eakins

Still, pushing down Pouliot means we need another top 6 left wing.. Which we don't have.. As we just shipped one out... Unless we get Eichel and he starts on the wing or something but still.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

The GM template going into next season should be this:

Pouliot/RNH/Eberle
Hall/_____/_____
____/Roy/Yakupov
Hendricks/Gordon/Klinkhammer

______/_______
Klefbom/Schultz
Ference/Fayne

Scrivens
_______

Sadly.. We won't find 2 2nd liners... So we will find third liners and move Roy and Yak up

 

[Klimando Kostani]

Still, pushing down Pouliot means we need another top 6 left wing.. Which we don't have.. As we just shipped one out... Unless we get Eichel and he starts on the wing or something but still.

I'm all for Poo being on the top line and Hall and Yak being together, that should be dangerous dangerous line.

Just saying that one cannot say the kid line doesn't work simply because they performed poorly under a coach that I am sure would have made Anaheim a playoff bubble team if given a year at the helm

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

I'm all for Poo being on the top line and Hall and Yak being together, that should be dangerous dangerous line.

Just saying that one cannot say the kid line doesn't work simply because they performed poorly under a coach that I am sure would have made Anaheim a playoff bubble team if given a year at the helm

True. Saying it doesn't work was false or me. To be fair it works but isn't highly effective anymore now that they are playing bigger minutes. Hall or Eberle can be on the line but just not together.

 

[Soundwave]

I think the forward group is OK if you re-up Roy.

Pouliot RNH Eberle
Hall Roy Yakupov
Drai/Pak Lander Purcell
Hendricks Gordon Klinkhammer

I think the focus should be trying to upgrade the D and goalie positions. Draisiatl can start in the AHL, but he'll be up with the big club by around Christmas time if not sooner, IMO, and can be eased in playing on Lander's wing.

Would prefer to dump Purcell but I don't think there will be a taker for him unless we take longer term salary back, in which case we just be better off riding his contract out and having good cap flexibility the following summer.

 

[Oilers10]

I've said this before but based on Nelson's track record with OKC, give him the first quarter of next season to get his roster sorted they will likely play mediocre. Then watch them soar later on in the season once he's figured out his rosters strengths. We will challenge for a playoff spot next season. The year after that I guarantee playoffs if Nelson is coach.

 

[Horseradish]

The thing is.. If we move Pouliot down.. We need another top 6 left wing. The Hall - RNH - Eberle line just doesn't work.

I suggested Kulemin...though he's really more of a 3rd liner now, I suppose.

Too bad Zuccarello's so small-- I'd love to bring him on, but this team can't get smaller, so it'd probably require at least a couple more deals to justify bringing him on. In fact, a Petry for Zucarello deal straight up could've been perfect.

There are so few LWs this UFA season, though, that it'd be tough to fill that role.

So yeah, maybe the best bet is to find two solid wingers for the third line after all.