Around The League Thread | Let the Games Begin

[valkynax]

Agreed, the way the Oilers completely turned their season around last year, was a bigger story than the Canucks making big strides forward.

Yep, I'd jump on every chance to point and laugh maniacally at the Oilers, but the season has only started. The road to Lord Stanley is a ball-crushing marathon, and right now despite the early struggles I see no reason for them to panic. They did lose some key mid players (Broberg, why, just...WHY...), which I think is the main reason for their current quagmire. Given how last season panned out for them, I think they will still have lots of chances to right the ship.

Was checking the top scorers. McCann has really carved out a career for himself. From being a passed around the league so much to being a top line player with the Kraken. 9th most GP in the 2014 draft and 12th most points.

The guy basically was traded as a extra in the trade to Pittsburgh, then dumped to Toronto for next to nothing where he was then not protected in the expansion draft and then got picked by Seattle. What a wild career. It's also perfectly feasible that he reaches 1000 gp if he can stay relatively healthy.

Who cares, it's not like we drafted hi...

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Theodore reups in Vegas.

 

[Vector]

 

[Ernie]

I can't tell if this is a good thing or a bad thing for the Oilers. Probably the best outcome for them would have been for him to be out for the season though so they could upgrade their defence. I don't see the need for his skillset in their forward group right now.

 

[VanJack]

What kind of shocks me watching the Oilers right now, is just how 'slow' they look out there.

Sure they've still got McDavid and Draisaitl, but other than those two, there doesn't seem to be anyone who can generate any speed through the neutral zone.......and that includes Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman.

I'm sure they'll be better than they've looked so far as the season evolves. But in terms of the 'eye test' there's just no way they've replaced the speed and physicality of the players who left this off-season.

 

[StreetHawk]

Theodore reups in Vegas.

$7.45 mill which is higher than Hronek. Theodore turns 30 in 2025 when his current deal ends so this takes him to 37.

Front loaded deal in the $9’s for the first half of it. See if it’s mostly in SB to take advantage of NV no state income tax.

 

[ephmrl]

What kind of shocks me watching the Oilers right now, is just how 'slow' they look out there.

Sure they've still got McDavid and Draisaitl, but other than those two, there doesn't seem to be anyone who can generate any speed through the neutral zone.......and that includes Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman.

I'm sure they'll be better than they've looked so far as the season evolves. But in terms of the 'eye test' there's just no way they've replaced the speed and physicality of the players who left this off-season.

They're the oldest team in the NHL. The lack of speed shouldn't be shocking, and the fact that their management was comfortable going into the season with such an aging roster after shedding the young, fast, support players they had (McLeod, Holloway, Broberg) is a major indictment on them as a whole.

McLeod, Holloway, and Foegele did a lot of the heavy lifting in their bottom six when McDavid and Draisaitl weren't on their games, and they just replaced them with more old, one-dimensional scoring wingers.

 

[Ernie]

They're the oldest team in the NHL. The lack of speed shouldn't be shocking, and the fact that their management was comfortable going into the season with such an aging roster after shedding the young, fast, support players they had (McLeod, Holloway, Broberg) is a major indictment on them as a whole.

McLeod, Holloway, and Foegele did a lot of the heavy lifting in their bottom six when McDavid and Draisaitl weren't on their games, and they just replaced them with more old, one-dimensional scoring wingers.

The justification was that they were trying to find complementary players for McDavid and Draisatl so that they could play them on separate lines and dominate.

But now they are still playing together half the time at 5v5, but both are underwater when they aren't playing together.