Around the League - 2023/24

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Wildcard teams can only afford to lose 30-34 games in any given season. The Oilers have 12 losses, and 62 games left to play. They can only afford to lose 18-22 of those 62 games.

It ain't happening

Normally yes, but the West is a joke this year. Seattle hold WC2 right now with a below .500 record.

I think Edmonton could absolutely go something like 37-24-1 and get in with a 44-36-2 type of record. That would be 90 points, I can't see WC2 in the West being above that at this point.

 

[missionAvs]

It's like none of you have been listening to me saying the 2024 Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton Oilers are putting together an impressive season.

I'm here, I'm here. I've been listening!

 

[ABasin]

I still think the Oilers make playoffs fairly comfortably honestly. WC2 in the West right now is Seattle at 8-9-5 lol. Oilers are only 5 points back of that mark.

I think so also.

 

[Chiarelli]

is CBJ still playing Laine at center or have they figured out that’s a terrible idea yet?

 

[Deadsy]

is CBJ still playing Laine at center or have they figured out that’s a terrible idea yet?

Laine seems to be back at wing for now.

 

[dahrougem2]

I‘m sure the pts to make it in via wild card will go up from 78. But the west is god awful this year, the oilers have been a literal dumpster fire and are still only a couple games out of a playoff spot. If they get back to a level they’ve consistently played at they’ll easily pass teams like seattle, Arizona and Nashville.

The problem is just how many teams they have to climb over. Remember, these teams aren't going to lose games continuously all season long and be bottom-five teams.

They're going to be in the thick of the race, so say the Oilers go on a bit of a winning streak and a couple of teams ahead of them stumble. You still have a couple others who are likely to be winning. Then those teams who were struggling might start turning it around, too.

It's a big hill to climb from now. 5 teams to climb just to get into WC1.

Season is not over at all, but it's also not going to be a cakewalk. They've got Vegas, Winnipeg, and Carolina their next 3 games. They've also got the Rangers (x2), Lightning, Panthers, Kings, and Rangers all in the month of December.

They could realistically reach January 1st still outside of a playoff spot by a fair bit if they don't play .610+ hockey until then.

 

[S E P H]

Another 3 point game for McDavid. Hes back.

Anybody would be "back" in that division lol. That's why I never once posted that I think the Oilers will ever miss the playoffs. Winning divisional games is all that matters and they clearly the third/fourth-best team in that division at minimum. It also helps that Kraken looked like they took a big step backwards this year. With that said, Oilers won't make the playoffs if they don't improve that away form, 3-8-0 on the season can sink anybody's battleship.

Normally yes, but the West is a joke this year. Seattle hold WC2 right now with a below .500 record.

There are good teams in the West, it is just very top-heavy this year more so than others. The bottom teams in the Central got better, but are still not good enough to challenge the top clubs. The Pacific somehow got worse if that was possible...

 

[Pokecheque]

I'll be impressed when the Oilers start beating teams that are actually good on a consistent basis. Throttling the Ducks on a night when Dostal couldn't stop a speeding Squishmallow is not what I'd call "turning the corner."

On a side note, I've always felt Cam Fowler is an overrated, if not outright terrible hockey player, even when he was reasonably productive, but he's on another planet of bad now. Just randomly wanders up the ice last night leading to an easy breakaway goal against.

 

[The Abusement Park]

The problem is just how many teams they have to climb over. Remember, these teams aren't going to lose games continuously all season long and be bottom-five teams.

They're going to be in the thick of the race, so say the Oilers go on a bit of a winning streak and a couple of teams ahead of them stumble. You still have a couple others who are likely to be winning. Then those teams who were struggling might start turning it around, too.

It's a big hill to climb from now. 5 teams to climb just to get into WC1.

Season is not over at all, but it's also not going to be a cakewalk. They've got Vegas, Winnipeg, and Carolina their next 3 games. They've also got the Rangers (x2), Lightning, Panthers, Kings, and Rangers all in the month of December.

They could realistically reach January 1st still outside of a playoff spot by a fair bit if they don't play .610+ hockey until then.

I mean they have to leapfrog the Kraken, Coyotes, Predators, Ducks, Flames… not exactly a murderers row there. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t make it, but .600 hockey should be enough to leap frog a chunk
of those teams.

 

[AvsFan29]

They‘re 5pts out of a playoff spot right now. Them getting a wildcard and a 78pt pace is currently the pace for the last wild card spot. Edmonton could easily beat that.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think I've ever seen a wildcard team have less than 90 points

Normally yes, but the West is a joke this year. Seattle hold WC2 right now with a below .500 record.

I think Edmonton could absolutely go something like 37-24-1 and get in with a 44-36-2 type of record. That would be 90 points, I can't see WC2 in the West being above that at this point.

It's doable, especially if the west continues to suck...but edmonton has to go on a crazy rub AND the teams ahead of them, have to continue to play like shit.

 

[Frobbo]

Any idea why the Kraken didn't sign Sprong? He signed a $1 million one year contact with Det. Head scratcher to me.

 

[LOFIN]

I've to say, something's got to give eventually on the Perry situation. The twitter rumours going around are interesting to say the least.

Eventually they will have to bite a bullet and just let people know what's going on. The optics don't make it sound anything good. "A team decision", "Away for the foreseeable future"...

 

[mackinnon29]

the 23-24 Stanley cup champion oilers well be just fine once again lol mainly due to the wild calling out the Avs for diving the west is wide open this year, only Vegas seem to be a sure thing and they can’t score a goal right now. Crazy 20 game stretch

 

[Chiarelli]

I've to say, something's got to give eventually on the Perry situation. The twitter rumours going around are interesting to say the least.

Eventually they will have to bite a bullet and just let people know what's going on. The optics don't make it sound anything good. "A team decision", "Away for the foreseeable future"...

I feel like the rumours on X are to draw out the truth. The fact we aren't getting clarification.......

 

[dahrougem2]

I mean they have to leapfrog the Kraken, Coyotes, Predators, Ducks, Flames… not exactly a murderers row there. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t make it, but .600 hockey should be enough to leap frog a chunk
of those teams.

It is not the kinds of teams, it is the sheer volume of them.

The more you have to climb, the more help you need on a nightly basis.

 

[Pokecheque]

Any idea why the Kraken didn't sign Sprong? He signed a $1 million one year contact with Det. Head scratcher to me.

He actually signed for $2 million. I guess Seattle just didn't think he could reproduce such an insane season in a 4th line role again and opted instead for Kailer Yamamoto for $500,000 less.

 

[Balthazar]

I mean they have to leapfrog the Kraken, Coyotes, Predators, Ducks, Flames… not exactly a murderers row there.

The problem is those teams play each other a lot.

 

[LOFIN]

Boo that would've been spicy

 

[Gumballhead]

Boo that would've been spicy

The one where he's a turbo-boosted Eddie Haskell?

 

[LOFIN]

One more point made in this video BTW. Every time a hockey boomer tells you enforcers are a thing and needed to protect the players, show them this clip. DesLauriers is literally one of the toughest guys in the league, actively trying to get Trouba fight him. He literally hangs onto Trouba when Trouba destroys his teammate. Deterrence? Yeah, I don't think so.

 

[Pokecheque]

is CBJ still playing Laine at center or have they figured out that’s a terrible idea yet?

Tried him at center, moved him to the wing, moved him back to center, scratched him, and now he's back at wing.

Here's what I think is hilarious. In that comeback victory by the Canes against the Jackets, Johnny Hockey played quite possibly his best game in a Lumbus uniform, whereas Erik NotGudbranson got absolutely turnstiled every effing time he took the ice. Yet I'm fairly certain it'll be Gaudreau who gets the rough treatment before Gudbranson. That's always the problem with coaches like Vincent--they don't care if a player is actually good or not, they just want them to "play the right way."

 

[LOFIN]

 

[avalanche_country]

They fire Dean just to bring in Hynes? Good stuff

 

[LOFIN]

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Now trade us JEE you cowards!