Connor McDavid injured vs. Blue Jackets, won't return (upd: back after missing 3 games)

[gretzkyoilers]

I thought Oilers organization would look back to see how they won a Cup when the moved Gretz...but I guess the organization would rather have more individual trophies?

The Oilers were two goals away from the Cup. McDavid was KEY in getting his team that far. Just too many injuries and they ran out of gas. It happens...happened to Florida the previous year....

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

The Oilers were two goals away from the Cup. McDavid was KEY in getting his team that far. Just too many injuries and they ran out of gas. It happens...happened to Florida the previous year....

I don't understand why this is used as a counter-point, Oilers were also 2 goals from being eliminated in round 2 by the Canucks.

 

[Fatass]

McDavid plays a risky game. He Carrie’s the puck at high speed through collision zones. He’s done well to last this long. Great player. Let’s enjoy watching him at his peak.

 

[Hank Plank]

If Drai plays with increased motivation without McD...then Oilers should have traded McD, rounded out the team, mitigated their weaknesses and then maybe have a few cups to show for it... But maybe they like flash more than cups?

Works for me.

 

[jackjohnson]

I don't understand why this is used as a counter-point, Oilers were also 2 goals from being eliminated in round 2 by the Canucks.

I agree, if anything Oilers got lucky last season.

 

[featherhawk]

the oilers are an inferior team this year than last, the odds that they get back to the Finals this year is slim

 

[Duke74]

He is now over PPG and this includes his rookie season...he has now 15 points in the last 7 games without McD.

I know you will still try to find a way that he is no good.

That poster contorts himself trying to discredit Draisaitl. In another thread, he even claimed that Podkolzin was carrying Draisaitl

 

[Soundwave]

I thought Oilers organization would look back to see how they won a Cup when the moved Gretz...but I guess the organization would rather have more individual trophies?

They would have won 3-4 more Cups if they had kept Gretzky, don't kid yourself.

the oilers are an inferior team this year than last, the odds that they get back to the Finals this year is slim

They have double the number of wins at the same point from last year, lol (6 wins this year, 3 wins last year). They are slow starters, it's becoming basically a normal thing at this point. Last time they had a great start was like 4 years ago.

 

[featherhawk]

They would have won 3-4 more Cups if they had kept Gretzky, don't kid yourself.



They have double the number of wins at the same point from last year, lol (6 wins this year, 3 wins last year). They are slow starters, it's becoming basically a normal thing at this point. Last time they had a great start was like 4 years ago.

right but they are not as good as last year IMO. they are much older, 3 young guns gone, Broberg, holloway and Foegle...replaced by, well inferior players that are aged...

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

They have double the number of wins at the same point from last year, lol (6 wins this year, 3 wins last year). They are slow starters, it's becoming basically a normal thing at this point. Last time they had a great start was like 4 years ago.

Oilers look much slower, less tenacious and the goaltending is putrid.

Last year they got a bump from firing the coach, I doubt they get that this year

 

[Soundwave]

Oilers look much slower, less tenacious and the goaltending is putrid.

Last year they got a bump from firing the coach, I doubt they get that this year

They looked worse last year at the same time.

The shooting percentage is not going to stay bottom 2 in the league nor is the powerplay going to stay bottom 5 nor is the offense going to stay bottom 5.

They've done this same song and dance with poor starts in 4/5 seasons and ended up over 100 points in every year, it's just the same ol, same ol' at this point.

The last season they had a great start (5-0 to begin, 15-5 at game 20) was like 4 years ago, Dave Tippett was coach.

 

[ijuka]

Oilers need to trade for a goalie. Was no one really available? Or do they seriously think that Skinner is it? Guy's good for 2 softies a night. And Pickard is a career backup.

 

[Stive Morgan]

Oilers easily would've won last year imo (especially with Bobrovksy's collapse) if they had any half-competent goalie instead of Hologram Skinner who apparently left his physical body and all his talent in Swift Current.

Yes, they've regressed hard this year, but the amount of people trying to downplay what they accomplished last year is absurd. And I say that as someone with a distaste for the Oilers.

 

[daver]

Oilers easily would've won last year imo (especially with Bobrovksy's collapse) if they had any half-competent goalie instead of Hologram Skinner who apparently left his physical body and all his talent in Swift Current.

They had 19 shots in Game 2. And McDavid didn't show up until they were down 2-0 in games and down 4-1 in the 3rd period of Game 3.

They got beat, pure and simple. It is much more believable that the Canucks beat the Oilers if they aren't starting their 3rd string goalie.

The 2024 Oilers were an average SC finalist; not a team that "should have won" because they were that good other than their goaltending.

 

[Stive Morgan]

They had 19 shots in Game 2. And McDavid didn't show up until they were down 2-0 in games and down 4-1 in the 3rd period of Game 3.

They got beat, pure and simple. It is much more believable that the Canucks beat the Oilers if they aren't starting their 3rd string goalie.

The 2024 Oilers were an average SC finalist; not a team that "should have won" because they were that good other than their goaltending.

A team that had the guy with the 4th-most points in a playoff run and that came back down 3-0 in the Finals isn't an "average SC finalist."

 

[daver]

A team that had the guy with the 4th-most points in a playoff run and that came back down 3-0 in the Finals isn't an "average SC finalist."

Sure they are. The Panthers were an average SC winner and the Oilers could not beat them.

 

[Toby91ca]

A team that had the guy with the 4th-most points in a playoff run and that came back down 3-0 in the Finals isn't an "average SC finalist."

How does this explain a team that isn't average? The best team can have a guy that leads the league in scoring, an average team can have a can that leads the league in scoring and a bad team can have a guy that leads the league in scoring. 1 guy doesn't define a team.

 

[Stive Morgan]

How does this explain a team that isn't average? The best team can have a guy that leads the league in scoring, an average team can have a can that leads the league in scoring and a bad team can have a guy that leads the league in scoring. 1 guy doesn't define a team.

It was an above-average team I would say, as was Florida. Bouchard was also exceptional.

I just don't get why people (not saying you) are acting like the Oilers somehow lucked their way into Game 7 of the SCF. The Canucks series is irrelevant. There's no "almosts" in hockey. If the Canucks were so good/Oilers were that bad the Canucks would have won the series.

 

[bucks_oil]

right but they are not as good as last year IMO. they are much older, 3 young guns gone, Broberg, holloway and Foegle...replaced by, well inferior players that are aged...

You aren't comparing like for like. You are comparing our playoff roster last year vs our current roster.

Last year at this time:

• We had half as many wins
• Still had Jack Campbell on the roster (and still in the NHL)
• Holloway and Broberg were in the AHL because we didn't have the cap space to play them
• Did not have Henrique
• Did not have Perry
• Hamblin, Lavoie and Gagner were still on our daily roster

Our changes year:

• Pickard > Campbell
• Podkolzin (in NHL) > or = Holloway (AHL)
• Henrique > McLeod (when you factor in two-way play, not just skating for skating's sake)
• Emberson < Ceci
• LTIR < Kane... but he's coming back, so =
• J Skinner > Foegele
• Stecher/Dermott < Desharnais
• $4.6M projected space at deadline > $150K space at deadline

I count three clear positional upgrades (Skinner, Henrique, Pickard), two arguably neutral (Podkolzin, Kane for Kane) and two downgrades on RD.

But this is before factoring in the cap space and any deadline upgrades... by the time we hit playoffs Kane will be back, Philp will have taken minutes from D. Ryan and that cap space will have been spent on RD. We certainly need a significant upgrade on RD, but if we get that, we should be icing a team in the playoffs that is a step above where we were last year.

 

[3074326]

I don't understand why this is used as a counter-point, Oilers were also 2 goals from being eliminated in round 2 by the Canucks.

You don’t see how getting to game 7 of the finals is different than the second round?

Not surprising given your rooting tendencies

 

[bucks_oil]

They had 19 shots in Game 2. And McDavid didn't show up until they were down 2-0 in games and down 4-1 in the 3rd period of Game 3.

They got beat, pure and simple. It is much more believable that the Canucks beat the Oilers if they aren't starting their 3rd string goalie.

The 2024 Oilers were an average SC finalist; not a team that "should have won" because they were that good other than their goaltending.

???

• How did they beat Dallas in 6 then?... most pundits had Dallas in the finals.
• After being down 0-3, how did game 7 even happen then?
• Does an average finalist have two forwards and a D-man challenging decades-old records held by the likes of Lemieux, Gretzky and Coffey
• All offense you say?
  • The Oilers were 2nd in shots against per game during the playoffs at 25.1, Florida was third at 25.3.
  • During the finals, Oilers kept Florida to 24 shots or less in 5 of 7 games. Oilers had more than 30 shots in 4 of 7 games
• Does your typical NHL finalist make it there with a goalie batting 0.901? Or win with one who saves only 0.903 in the finals?

Seems to me like a pretty solid team that got out-goalied. It happened in the finals and it almost happened vs Vancouver.

 

[Toby91ca]

It was an above-average team I would say, as was Florida. Bouchard was also exceptional.

I just don't get why people (not saying you) are acting like the Oilers somehow lucked their way into Game 7 of the SCF. The Canucks series is irrelevant. There's no "almosts" in hockey. If the Canucks were so good/Oilers were that bad the Canucks would have won the series.

Perhaps...I wasn't even arguing whether they were an average team or not, just looking at rationale. McDavid scoring so many points in the playoffs last year says nothing to me about whether a team is average or not.

I agree though, they didn't just luck their way in the finals...though every team needs some luck along the way. It certainly wasn't a cinderella type run like they had in 2006 or whatever year it was.....they were a legit contender amongst probably 8-10 other teams.

 

[gretzkyoilers]

I don't understand why this is used as a counter-point, Oilers were also 2 goals from being eliminated in round 2 by the Canucks.

It's a valid counter-point. Winning the Stanley Cup is a game of mistakes. Going back to the post I replied to they implied to get rid of McDavid in order to build a "deeper" team in order to win the Cup. In this cap era, and even pre 2005, to win it all is very difficult. You need everything to go right. Look at the 1994 Rangers or the 2011 Bruins for example...VERY narrow margins to win....ditto for any team today...the Oilers on paper are better than last year....we'll see

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

It's a valid counter-point. Winning the Stanley Cup is a game of mistakes. Going back to the post I replied to they implied to get rid of McDavid in order to build a "deeper" team in order to win the Cup. In this cap era, and even pre 2005, to win it all is very difficult. You need everything to go right. Look at the 1994 Rangers or the 2011 Bruins for example...VERY narrow margins to win....ditto for any team today...the Oilers on paper are better than last year....we'll see

I agree with most of your points with exception that the Oilers are a better team on paper as I believe the oldest team in the NHL has never won the Cup...the season is a grind as is the playoffs, you need youth.

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

Sure they are. The Panthers were an average SC winner and the Oilers could not beat them.

Wait. A team that went to the finals 2 years in a row is an average SC winner? Could have potentially won 2 years in a row had Tkachuk not got injured in the finals.

I hate the Panthers, but calling them an average SC winner is a very bad take.