Is this the closet Connor McDavid gonna get to a Stanley Cup?

[Juicy Pop]

Should we all get our crystal balls?

How the f*** are we supposed to know lol

Just ask Perry

 

[BigGoalBrad]

Big pieces are pretty good. They can’t afford McDavid and Drais extensions together they will have to pay the Edmonton tax on both they should trade Draisaitl this summer and get 3-4 legit players.

Need to keep trying to upgrade in net and hope to strike gold somewhere.

 

[bert]

The biggest problem is, this team is not built to win the cup. Even though they have some decent players, it just seems like their biggest strategy is to ride McDavid/Draisaitl. I think up front they can get away with it, but they have serious holes on their defense and goaltending which will make it very difficult for them to win.

This is not accurate for how this team played or was built this year. Lazy response really. In the past it was accurate but did not depict this team at all. They were really good at shutting down teams. Played the best team in the league all year better than anyone else has and probably had the better of the play in the series dealing with some massive injuries. I thought Florida was going to take care of it in 5. I was very wrong.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Man the haters are out in full force eh. Kinda sad, especially the ones hating on Edmonton. Answer is yes he absolutely will win one and I think it will be in Edmonton. He's that good and he is a very loyal person.

There’s no absolutes in sports. Lots of good teams out there and the path to the Cup is a tough one. I agree though that he’s a good person.

 

[bert]

Their blueline is still nowhere close to NHL quality after Ekholm.

Oh yeah Bouchard isnt even and NHL player. 32 points in one playoffs he sucks.

There’s no absolutes in sports. Lots of good teams out there and the path to the Cup is a tough one. I agree though that he’s a good person.

He will win one, he's that good. He just had the best post season ever from a scoring perspective.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Oh yeah Bouchard isnt even and NHL player. 32 points in one playoffs he sucks.


He will win one, he's that good.

Maybe. The West has some great teams. We will see.

 

[karhukissa]

I was expecting a picture of Narnia closet, but apparently this is serious thread.

 

[Auston Marlander]

what about double ot?

God dammit you've got me!!

 

[ElLeetch]

1 goal loss in game 7 is literally the closets you can get to it withOUT

 

[JianYang]

It just feels like a matter of time for him. Despite oiler management not doing a great job of building a team around him and rotting some of his window.

Whether it's Edmonton or somewhere else, I don't know, but I'd wager it's coming.

 

[Grigowski]

got to Game 7 of the SCF without an "NHL quality blueline"

gotta be the most impressive feat in the history of hockey

No offense, but whatever came into Florida after Game 3, but this series should never went to 7, imho. Allthough i enjoyed watching it.

And LA in Round 1 was not any sort of competition. They got a very lucky seeding and had some injury luck (Vancouver and Demko for example).

Again, no offense, thats how playoff works and every f***ing team needs some luck und bounces down the way. Everything fine.

I dont take away anything from the Oilers, hell, i have outmost respect for their run, because they made it all the way with that G and Defense.

But i really hope for them that they dont think that they are going to repeat this run next year with that G and D. If so, they are in for a really rude awakening.

As an AVS-Fan, i witnessed this first hand.

 

[abo9]

1 goals game in game 7 on the Stanley cup finals is as close as anyone gets without actually winning it.

So you're basically asking if he'll win the Cup during his career...

I'd give it 50/50 if he sticks with the Oilers. Last 3 playoffs they lost to the Cup winner, and have a semi final and a finals appearance. And their supporting cast keeps getting better.

That said, there's quite a few rosters with a better supporting cast still. And McDavid is good enough to transform all but like, 5 teams in the league into a legit contender.

Also, given his insanely good individual performances in the playoffs, I don't think Cup or not will affect his legacy in the same way it did a Joe Thornton for example, who famously produced way less when it mattered the most.

 

[Kranix]

Ultimately I don't think Ken Holland did enough in his tenure, and he's an overrated manager, but the guy to blame for McDavid not having a cup yet is

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

No offense, but whatever came into Florida after Game 3, but this series should never went to 7, imho. Allthough i enjoyed watching it.

And LA in Round 1 was not any sort of competition. They got a very lucky seeding and had some injury luck (Vancouver and Demko for example).

Again, no offense, thats how playoff works and every f***ing team needs some luck und bounces down the way. Everything fine.

I dont take away anything from the Oilers, hell, i have outmost respect for their run, because they made it all the way with that G and Defense.

But i really hope for them that they dont think that they are going to repeat this run next year with that G and D. If so, they are in for a really rude awakening.

As an AVS-Fan, i witnessed this first hand.

of course you need luck

Oilers faced a 3rd place team then 3 straight division winners...make excuses all you want, but not "bad" teams" at all

Vegas in 2023, for example...faced a Wild Card team that barely made it in in the Jets, then two 2nd place teams (avoiding Colorado in the process)...then faced a very injured Cinderella Panthers in the Final (last team to eek into the playoffs)
yup, the benefit of winning the division, but they got "lucky" too

 

[JianYang]

No offense, but whatever came into Florida after Game 3, but this series should never went to 7, imho. Allthough i enjoyed watching it.

And LA in Round 1 was not any sort of competition. They got a very lucky seeding and had some injury luck (Vancouver and Demko for example).

Again, no offense, thats how playoff works and every f***ing team needs some luck und bounces down the way. Everything fine.

I dont take away anything from the Oilers, hell, i have outmost respect for their run, because they made it all the way with that G and Defense.

But i really hope for them that they dont think that they are going to repeat this run next year with that G and D. If so, they are in for a really rude awakening.

As an AVS-Fan, i witnessed this first hand.

I was the opposite. Based I what I saw from the first 3 games, I still thought going 6 games was plausible.

It went even tighter than I thought, and the oilers almost pulled it into OT with multiple chaotic moments around the crease in the 3rd.

Oilers definitely need to try and fix the middle part of their defense though, and I wouldn't feel overly comfortable with trying to repeat the journey with skinner, but on the other hand, it is probably reassuring in a sense for them that they found a way to deal with those warts and almost pull it off regardless, but that's not an invitation to them to rest on their laurels.

 

[Grigowski]

of course you need luck

Oilers faced a 3rd place team then 3 straight division winners...make excuses all you want, but not "bad" teams" at all

Vegas in 2023, for example...faced a Wild Card team that barely made it in in the Jets, then two 2nd place teams (avoiding Colorado in the process)...then faced a very injured Cinderella Panthers in the Final (last team to eek into the playoffs)
yup, the benefit of winning the division, but they got "lucky" too

That what i said.

Dallas, for example had to go through Vegas and Colorado, as winne of the west, btw. Do i think they were allready kinda gased in the WCF? Yup, i do. But thats the playoffs.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

That what i said.

Dallas, for example had to go through Vegas and Colorado, as winne of the west, btw. Do i think they were allready kinda gased in the WCF? Yup, i do. But thats the playoffs.

and yet, most here thought Dallas would easily win over the Oilers because of their "depth"

just more excuses

 

[Grigowski]

and yet, most here thought Dallas would easily win over the Oilers because of their "depth"

just more excuses

I voted Dallas in 6, btw.

 

[Frank Drebin]

That what i said.

Dallas, for example had to go through Vegas and Colorado, as winne of the west, btw. Do i think they were allready kinda gased in the WCF? Yup, i do. But thats the playoffs.

Vegas wasn’t a playoff team for the last 70 games of the regular season. Colorado lost to Seattle last year

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

The Canucks were probably the best team in the West this year when fully healthy, the 2nd round series against the Oilers was a gruelling intense series with many of the Oilers top players including McDavid & Draisaitl suffering injuries. Definitely wasn’t an easy path to the finals for the Oilers, they were basically limping at the end.

https://dailyhive.com/edmonton/oilers-mcdavid-injury-surgery

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

It's a tough question cause losing in the finals doesn't automatically mean you'll be there again. IMO, next year is his best chance cause Leon will be getting a huge contract the next season. Looking at past SCF losers, most never get close again, especially with the same core:

2023 - FLA, won the next year
2022 - TB, Nowhere close
2021 - MTL, Nowhere close
2020 - DAL, 3rd round this year
2019 - BOS, Nowhere close
2018 - VGK, Won in 23
2017 - NSH, Nowhere close
2016 - SJ, Nowhere close
2015 - TB, Won in 20, 21
2014 - NYR, 3rd round this year
2013 - BOS, SCF in 19
2012 - NJ, Nowhere close
2011 - VAN, Nowhere close
2010 - PHI, Nowhere close
2009 - DET, Nowhere close
2008 - PIT, Won in 09, 16, 17
2007 - OTT, 3rd round in 17
2006 - EDM, SCF in 2024

 

[Daishi]

Big pieces are pretty good. They can’t afford McDavid and Drais extensions together they will have to pay the Edmonton tax on both they should trade Draisaitl this summer and get 3-4 legit players.

Need to keep trying to upgrade in net and hope to strike gold somewhere.

Spot on. Watching Edmonton in the finals they absolutely don't need Drai at all. If they can still make a sales pitch for a king's ransom they should immediately pull the trigger on a trade. The team would be infinitely better.

 

[Northerner]

Imagine McDavid playing for the Avs, Knights, Panthers or Stars. Every one of those teams would be instantly absolutely incredible.

Well they're going to have to give up a ton to get RT McDavid. Fiala would look good w oilers. MacKinnon, too

 

[Daishi]

Well they're going to have to give up a ton to get RT McDavid. Fiala would look good w oilers. MacKinnon, too

It was speculation on if he would walk at the end of his contract and play at a discount for a contender for a year.

 

[bucks_oil]

It just feels like a matter of time for him. Despite oiler management not doing a great job of building a team around him and rotting some of his window.

Whether it's Edmonton or somewhere else, I don't know, but I'd wager it's coming.

My personal take is that Holland was dealt two aces and a deck of rotten cards otherwise. He made some mistakes for sure, but compare this roster to the one he inherited from Chiarelli and it's night and day.

Some of the terrible Chiarelli decisions took years to undo and/or compensate for:
Lucic --> Neal --> still dead cap on books
Koskinen --> prevented us being in the market for a goalie in the years where decent goalies were actually available, we then overcompensated with Campbell ... Holland's biggest mistake
Eberle --> Strome --> Spooner --> nothing. Just one example of the erosion of depth we experienced under Chiarelli. Trades like this are the reason we had Rattie, and Currie, and Chiasson and Kassian in our top-9 when Holland took over. It was bad.