Around THE League; 2025 Playoff Edition

[Canucks LB]

Rantanen might have the worst contract in the league if this continues

 

[pitseleh]

he was benched because he was making some pretty routine mistakes on defensive coverage/giveaways

philosophically, you could have a team that is ok with their star players not being held accountable for defensive mistakes, or you could have a team that isn't. i'd rather the latter but i can see an argument for the former, though you need mcdrai-level players for it to work.

I don’t think you can win unless you have elite offensive talent or strong two way players at the top of your lineup.

But Kuzmenko is more of a complementary player than a star player. Teams with great top end talent can use their strengths to their advantage in integrating those types of players even if they have defensive warts. E.g. Colorado did this with Burakovsky, Vegas has gotten great value out of Olofsson this year (and I expect Dorofyev would be similarly viewed if he weren’t on Vegas), and the Canucks did this with Kuzmenko for a period.

I’m not surprised it’s working for him again on a great two way team like LA when it didn’t in Calgary or Philly.

Whether that was worth $5.5 million/year is more questionable.

 

[God]

Ekholm's absence is very concerning.

he is pretty much the only acquisition i've liked for them during the mcdrai era. if they don't get a cup, to quote doug ford's campaign manager, it's "f***ing malpractice".

 

[Zanon]

Knobhead already resorting to McDrai 5-on-5. Desperate times. Nice work by McDavid to feed Draisaitl for the one-timer.

 

[Tables of Stats]

This Oilers team really knows how to chop water and carry wood.

 

[thecupismine]

The Oilers letting their entire second wind go just to sign a bunch of old, slow injury prone dudes has to be amongst the stupidest things a management team has done since Benning got canned, except with even worse consequences.

Mcdavid and Drai aren’t kids anymore (28 and 29 respectively). Crosby won his last cup at 29, and they ran out of juice/resources to get another one after that. The Oilers let their versions of Guentzel, Sheary, etc. go (Holloway, Broberg, McLeod, etc.) and instead are asking their stars to play like they’re 22 again while carrying a bunch of old guys.

If they don’t get it together and win at least one, it has to be amongst the biggest fumbles I’ve seen in watching any of hockey, football, or basketball in my life. Two MVP guys who at some points were 1/2 in the league on insane contracts with nothing to show for it.

 

[bbud]

bouchard is so bad and i can't wait for edmonton to pay him 10M AAV

Him and nurse best d in nhl for 20 million lol

 

[LemonSauceD]

bouchard is so bad and i can't wait for edmonton to pay him 10M AAV

if theyre smart they trade him and rework the D

 

[bbud]

The Oilers letting their entire second wind go just to sign a bunch of old, slow injury prone dudes has to be amongst the stupidest things a management team has done since Benning got canned, except with even worse consequences.

Mcdavid and Drai aren’t kids anymore (28 and 29 respectively). Crosby won his last cup at 29, and they ran out of juice/resources to get another one after that. The Oilers let their versions of Guentzel, Sheary, etc. go (Holloway, Broberg, McLeod, etc.) and instead are asking their stars to play like they’re 22 again while carrying a bunch of old guys.

If they don’t get it together and win at least one, it has to be amongst the biggest fumbles I’ve seen in watching any of hockey, football, or basketball in my life. Two MVP guys who at some points were 1/2 in the league on insane contracts with nothing to show for it.

Me guys not team guys can't win with that

 

[bbud]

Ronnie is gonna crap his pants making excuses for oil soon lol

 

[Flik]

Bust or Bust for the Oilers this year apparently. What a shame.

Don't they know they are CANADA'S TEAMSLDGKHASKREBS

 

[Bubbles]

I don’t think you can win unless you have elite offensive talent or strong two way players at the top of your lineup.

But Kuzmenko is more of a complementary player than a star player. Teams with great top end talent can use their strengths to their advantage in integrating those types of players even if they have defensive warts. E.g. Colorado did this with Burakovsky, Vegas has gotten great value out of Olofsson this year (and I expect Dorofyev would be similarly viewed if he weren’t on Vegas), and the Canucks did this with Kuzmenko for a period.

I’m not surprised it’s working for him again on a great two way team like LA when it didn’t in Calgary or Philly.

Whether that was worth $5.5 million/year is more questionable.

Exactly. For sure, Kuz is insulated by playing with Kempe and Kopitar, who are excellent two way forwards. But he was forechecking hard on that assist, maybe he's also learned a bit?

Kuz's 39 goals came with a two-way Petey and Mikheyev, also great defensively. I think he got scapegoated in Vancouver when Boeser was making the same defensive mistakes and never gets benched.

 

[ephmrl]

Lalonde doesn't have the personality for TV, but I appreciate his insights from a coaches perspective

 

[bbud]

Bust or Bust for the Oilers this year apparently. What a shame.

Don't they know they are CANADA'S TEAMSLDGKHASKREBS

Let em bust to 8 more Lotto picks f em

 

[Rotang]

Stars tied it up!

 

[God]

I don’t think you can win unless you have elite offensive talent or strong two way players at the top of your lineup.

But Kuzmenko is more of a complementary player than a star player. Teams with great top end talent can use their strengths to their advantage in integrating those types of players even if they have defensive warts. E.g. Colorado did this with Burakovsky, Vegas has gotten great value out of Olofsson this year (and I expect Dorofyev would be similarly viewed if he weren’t on Vegas), and the Canucks did this with Kuzmenko for a period.

I’m not surprised it’s working for him again on a great two way team like LA when it didn’t in Calgary or Philly.

Whether that was worth $5.5 million/year is more questionable.

We know that he's more complementary than star now, but at the time he was fresh out of a top 20 finish in goals scored and it looked like we found a star winger for free, so I get where they were coming from with the accountability aspect. And the team really needed an aspect of accountability that simply wasn't there with the previous regime.

 

[tantalum]

Just for fun…the last 2 LA goals screen capture. The defensive coverage lol.

 

[AwesomeInTheory]

Any second now, the Oilers immaculate defensive play and top-tier PK will come back.


Annnnnny second now....

Don't they know they are CANADA'S TEAMS

If that's the case, f***ing annex us, then.

 

[Attack Vector]

Edmonton's waking up now, it just took 4 goals to do it.

 

[bbud]

Give coach knob 2 for being a bit.h lol

 

[God]

walman shouldn't be allowed to crosscheck kuzmenko 3 times and get away without a penalty just because edmonton is already shorthanded

 

[Bubbles]

I know Jack Michaels is the Oilers regular announcer, but this is a national game. He's such a homer. He literally creamed his pants on the Oilers goals and when LA scores, it sounds like his dog just died.

 

[bbud]

Kuz earned a pp f you stripes useless buttman f..ks

 

[God]

good. go f*** yourself walman

 

[bbud]

I know Jack Michaels is the Oilers regular announcer, but this is a national game. He's such a homer. He literally creamed his pants on the Oilers goals and when LA scores, it sounds like his dog just died.

Homer simpson level brains on cheaper beer