Post-Game Talk: Draisaitl is the only hockey player we have right now

[Ritchie Valens]

Is Ekholm injured or just sick AF? If he’s sick, down here there is still all kinds of various, nasty shit going around that’s putting people out of commission for 2-3 weeks. Doesn’t matter the age group, they’re all getting hit hard with it.

 

[Pip]

I definitely agree on Brown. He had a great game. There was that goal he missed, but imo that was a harder shot than it seems. It was on the rush and the defense was right there. Sure, a true top six scorer would have got that one in but Brown is what he is. He plays good defense and and has a bit of offense.

Yep. Like Podkolzin to an extend it’s not the players’ fault they’re being elevated to the top 6 because of a lack of better options.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Because for us to succeed in the playoff we need more than one line. And we aren’t going to find more than 1 line if the moment the team is down a goal the coach goes “don’t worry everyone, they will save us together!”

Probably makes the players feel real good when ever they go down a goal, he just puts McDrai together cause he doesnt trust anyone else to do anything.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

This what separates NHL media from other major sports. You would never hear this kind of stuff from people covering the NFL, NBA or MLB. The NFL and MLB in particular. People who cover those at a serious level can tell you nearly every player's shoe size and favourite breakfast serial. Many of the people covering the NHL know almost nothing about what happens outside their own teams and if they do it is usually just the teams in their team's division. At the national level it is slightly better but still not even in the ballpark of what you would see in these other leagues.

Interesting. There are some significant differences between the NHL and the other major North American pro leagues which might have contributing factors.

The other leagues have 2 Canadian franchises combined among them while the NHL has 8 including two of the original six cartel members. Might not be surprising that an American centric lens is a factor in media coverage and attention. The other leagues also have significantly larger national revenue generation activities through national level corporate partnerships and media deals which likely extends into content. NHL still has a larger percentage of revenue generation through bums in seats ticket sales so regional media attention and prioritization likely supports this critical localized need to fill buildings. The NHL in major American markets which has been the growth priority of the league for a generation now enters crowded, deeply established sports entertainment markets fighting for attention, dollars and relevance behind all major big boy sports leagues and likely big moneyed college athletic programs as well. Media will prioritize resources, time and personnel, to content that delivers audience and bucks.

The NHL's unique, distinct Canadian team product mix drives critical core revenue for the league. But not sure it drives the business priorities of a pro league increasing tilting to American interests of its 340 million population base and Godzilla size economic advantages. The Gretzky Effect of the 80s broke the NHL into some non traditional media coverage of its all-time great (talk shows, soap operas, SNL) but it ultimate took moving him to LA to change the league's growth trajectory. But it's still a lagging little brother in most all considerations.

EDIT: It doesn't help that non Conference teams only get one local market viewing per year of star players and elite teams. Stupidly enough the NHL actually went a few years without even that consideration so entrenched they were in building up regionalized rivalry conditions which is what their American audiences advised they wanted.

 

[McBeastMode]

Lack of production on this team is concerning..
Pickard had more points last night, than 14 of our players combined...

 

[EnufAlready]

Leos game has went through the roof! Limiting his giveaways, increased battle factor, huge improvement in his game away from the puck, and not only maintaing but improving his offensive ability that we have been blessed to watch for years. He is truly a treat to watch this season and is our MVP and likely the leagues as well.

 

[Duder54]

Is Ekholm injured or just sick AF? If he’s sick, down here there is still all kinds of various, nasty shit going around that’s putting people out of commission for 2-3 weeks. Doesn’t matter the age group, they’re all getting hit hard with it.

It seemed like Ekholm was fighting something pretty nasty before the 4 Nations (he could barely speak in interviews). Really, he probably should have sat the 4 Nations out and rested. Better to get healthy now for playoffs (assuming the Oilers still make them )

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Not sure why we care who wins MVP. I’m more concerned with the utter inability of the rest of the roster to contribute anything.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Lack of production on this team is concerning..
Pickard had more points last night, than 14 of our players combined...

View attachment 993087

This is just silly.

 

[TB12]

So… we lost all the likes we received in the last year?

Booooooo

Gotta do it for the love of the game, not the likes lol

 

[Drivesaitl]

Is Ekholm injured or just sick AF? If he’s sick, down here there is still all kinds of various, nasty shit going around that’s putting people out of commission for 2-3 weeks. Doesn’t matter the age group, they’re all getting hit hard with it.

Weeks ago I'd suspected it was a secondary respiratory infection. Even with best antibiotics, rest, these can take a longtime to clear up. Post Covid bets are off on all these kinds of things. Seen a lot of people get sicker than they ever have before after having had Covid. Seems like there could be after effects we don't know about. Just surmising but Ekholm looked sick as a dog for awhile. They took awhile to shut him down and I think waited too late.

 

[McDoused]

As my brother in law says, the day a man gets married, his wife puts his balls in her purse.

Anyways, Pickard is the starter now…back to “win and you’re in” rotating starters again.


I had a helluva time too with not getting the two-factor codes sent by email but they’re sending now (obviously-lol).

I had to reset my password but it wouldn't send me the email. Then I got 6 at 3:47am.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The Arvidsson, Henrique and Skinner (because they don't use him properly) signings are burning a major hole in the Oilers pockets and I'd also add in Ryan Nothing Happens who brings...what exactly outside of the ugly turnover that led to the game tying goal? Guys like Podkolzin, Brown and Janmark are fine because they combined make less than Viktor Ughvidssson makes alone so they play like $1m players and are paid accordingly. It's the overpaid guys (the guys that are playing like $1-2m players but getting paid much more) that are killing the Oilers now and they can't do anything about it because they all have NMCs lmao, two of them for another year and Nuge for....forever.
Oddly the lone signing that got shit on endlessly in Corey Perry is the only one paying off.

I dunno guy. Despite it being cap league I don't give players get out of jail cards just for being cheap. They occupy a spot in what are limited NHL rosters and lineups. Contender teams don't have this many nothing cards in the deck. Theres a huge cost the org made losing several of its prospects and glue players and replacing them with old cheap contracts. Of course we also lost futures and even reputation as young players would be avoiding wanting to be in this place now. This management set us back decades to where its now going to be tougher to even get high prospects to come here and not decline. You'll see players hoping not to get picked at draft by the Edmonton Oilers. Its back to that. You don't screw your prospects around like the Oilers have done and not have that payback.

This is what hurts even more than this being a lacking lineup, its the Oilers committed a cardinal sin regardingly prospects and completely devaluing them, and losing them. For what really?

 

[Drivesaitl]

I think he's still been a relative bright spot. He won't score 50 but he still brings a good work ethic and will go to the net. He's contributed something.

In the off-season, he will still be on the "keepers list" which is more than we can say for some of the guys who will be down at the bus station.

Sure. The Hyman work rate is there, you can still see it but NHL correction has occurred. What he was doing is spotted, covered, and he's not being left alone in areas now. The Oilers maybe telegraphing as well and this club has tended to go to the well of what scoring plays have produced fruit. 3 things particularly teams have covered more:

Drai onetimer Hyman backdoor, Booch bomb from the point. They've stopped 2/3. apparently Drai is unstoppable even with added coverage (but he always had serious marking)

For Drai its he's strong enough to just shake off defenders, powerful enough stride to create separation, and able to bounce off checks and reverse hits and just being Phil Esposito out there. More Frank Mahovlich in my view. You've probably seen both of those players.

Back to Hyman though something this year is off. From game 1 I was noticing he's not smiling Hyman anymore. Disposition being replaced with serious pained looks. Something is off. Who knows what but not seeing the same joy from him. I have my suspicions but don't want to go there.

 

[tardigrade81]

McDavid is a fool if he thinks he's worth more than Draisaitl.

Tell us how you really feel lol

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

McDavid is a fool if he thinks he's worth more than Draisaitl.

One down season doesn’t change the fact that McDavid is still the most valuable player in the league. The entire league would write him a blank check right now.

Come on.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Tell us how you really feel lol

McD and Booch both look like they are determined to reduce their contract price. heh. What a strange season. I had Leon pegged at 40G +100pts this season. He's blowing projections out of the water. he's 100% again healthwise and I'd wondered whether he ever gets there again with all the punishment he takes. He's a physical specimen. Ox, tank, whatever.

Yes I'm tongue and cheek. The asking prices at least with McD won't go down. But with Booch his peak wasn't sustained. Still huge value in a d with this kind of pts upside but now probably more affordable than off of last years sizzling numbers.

 

[Stoneman89]

Ty Emberson is not an NHL player. Period. He and Kulak have been getting absolutely caved. And Troy Stetcher has lots of try but he's tiny. So we have 2 weak midgets on the backend that are getting run over and manhandled every game. And Li'l Arvy and Brown are beyond useless. Fire Kapanen and Pod into the sun. All of these guys need to be gone next year.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

This team would probably be in a WC spot without 3 on 3 OT.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Ty Emberson is not an NHL player. Period. He and Kulak have been getting absolutely caved. And Troy Stetcher has lots of try but he's tiny. So we have 2 weak midgets on the backend that are getting run over and manhandled every game. And Li'l Arvy and Brown are beyond useless. Fire Kapanen and Pod into the sun. All of these guys need to be gone next year.

I get Stecher but who’s the other midget on the back end?

Please explain to me how Brown @ 1 million is “beyond useless” this season?

 

[Fourier]

I had to reset my password but it wouldn't send me the email. Then I got 6 at 3:47am.

I had a similar experience.

 

[Stoneman89]

I get Stecher but who’s the other midget on the back end?

Please explain to me how Brown @ 1 million is “beyond useless” this season?

Emberson plays like one. Gets constantly pushed off the puck.

And whether you're getting 3 mill or 1 mill, useless is still useless. Perhaps not beyond useless, just useless. or, the best of a bad bunch. Better for you?

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Emberson plays like one. Gets constantly pushed off the puck.

And whether you're getting 3 mill or 1 mill, useless is still useless. Perhaps not beyond useless, just useless. or, the best of a bad bunch. Better for you?

Much better.

I do think Emberson gets pushed to #7 or #8 when Klingberg / Ekholm are back.

 

[K1984]

Ty Emberson is not an NHL player. Period. He and Kulak have been getting absolutely caved. And Troy Stetcher has lots of try but he's tiny. So we have 2 weak midgets on the backend that are getting run over and manhandled every game. And Li'l Arvy and Brown are beyond useless. Fire Kapanen and Pod into the sun. All of these guys need to be gone next year.

Emberson’s game imploded completely after the 4 Nations. After the first 5 or so games of the year he stabilized and played well for a while, now it looks like he doesn’t know how to play hockey.

 

[Dirk Dangler]

Imagine thinking the empty net merchant is the mvp over Leon f***ing Draisaitl.

In 2022 Matthews finishes 17 points back of the leader (Mcdavid) but scores 5 more goals than the second place leading goal scorer (Drai). Wins the hart. All we hear about is how goal scoring is more important. This year Leon is 2 points out of the lead and has 13 more goals than the next closest and he’s in second place for votes. Make it make sense. If he doesn’t win it’s a big eff you to him and the team and makes the league look like a joke.