Post-Game Talk: Kostko is back en vogue

[joestevens29]

Hemmer was never soft or lazy. He had excellent skating and talent, but never had that elite vision that all the best players have. My lasting impressions of him are skating round and round in the offensive zone, unable to find an opening or a teammate available, unwilling to shoot, until he either lost the puck or got drilled by an opponent waiting for him after a round or 2. He pretty much maxed out on what talent he had when he was here.

I thought he had pretty good vision, but the unwillingness to shoot is what hurt him.

He was able to make a lot of passes that caught guys off guard as they didn't think it was possible. But like you say when there was no pass option he'd just get lost in the offensive zone.

Him not working on his game was part of the reason he could never hit that next level. He was a guy with some elite tools, but to take the next step he had to add something and he never really did.

 

[WaitingForUser]

He did great with Guerin and Nedved (First time)

And with Sykora and with Samsanov as well. Also he was magic with Spezza both in Ott and Dallas

 

[Zenos]

Stoll is another guy who’s career was completely destroyed by a dirty hit. The year after we made the finals the oilers sat 1st in NW at Christmas and he had 60 points playing between Hemsky and Torres/Sykora. He scored a goal against the ducks and in retaliation Sammy Phaullson drove him head first into the boards from behind. He suffered a major concussion and missed the rest of the season and half of the following year. This lead to major depression and his eventual coke addiction. He was tracking to be a number one center before that. Alas this mixed with Smyths knee injury and eventual trade caused the oilers to slip outa the race and lose 18 of the remaining 20 games after the deadline. Add in Pisani and his colitis issues and we never recovered.

I have no doubt that this injury did a lot to damper his promising career, and I'm truly sorry to hear that it probably contributed to some mental health and addiction battles (wouldn't wish that on anyone).
... But the guy was unfortunately also a major league dingus long before suffering any concussions. Anyone of the right age living in Edmonton at the time probably remembers some of his (and Raffi Torres') antics.

Let's just say the guy liked to party. He was a young and handsome millionaire and the girls loved him for it - a fact which definitely wasn't lost on him

 

[Arpeggio]

And with Sykora and with Samsanov as well. Also he was magic with Spezza both in Ott and Dallas

He never played with Guerin.

 

[joestevens29]

No one can say that an injury derailed Stoll's career. If he was that messed up from a concussion he wouldn't have played the warrior role he did for so many years in LA.

If the guy was willing to dish out the hits he did in LA and always lead them in shot blocks then it wouldn't have impacted his willingness to go into tough areas in the offensive zone.

When looking at his offense in LA i don't think anyone in that organization was disappointed. This is a guy that put up 41 points in 74 games when Kopitar only put up 66 in a full year. The simple fact is LA wasn't a full offensive team when he was there and Stoll still put up points to rank in the top 5 among forwards there his first few years.

 

[WaitingForUser]

I have no doubt that this injury did a lot to damper his promising career, and I'm truly sorry to hear that it probably contributed to some mental health and addiction battles (wouldn't wish that on anyone).
... But the guy was unfortunately also a major league dingus long before suffering any concussions. Anyone of the right age living in Edmonton at the time probably remembers some of his (and Raffi Torres') antics.

Let's just say the guy liked to party. He was a young and handsome millionaire and the girls loved him for it - a fact which definitely wasn't lost on him

Oh he was a partier before that for sure but the addiction was caused from depression from the concussion. That is very well documented.

No one can say that an injury derailed Stoll's career. If he was that messed up from a concussion he wouldn't have played the warrior role he did for so many years in LA.

If the guy was willing to dish out the hits he did in LA and always lead them in shot blocks then it wouldn't have impacted his willingness to go into tough areas in the offensive zone.

When looking at his offense in LA i don't think anyone in that organization was disappointed. This is a guy that put up 41 points in 74 games when Kopitar only put up 66 in a full year. The simple fact is LA wasn't a full offensive team when he was there and Stoll still put up points to rank in the top 5 among forwards there his first few years.

He was never the same player after the hit. Yes he was a solid if 2nd3rd line center but never got to the level he was at in 07 again. That hit cost him a year and half of his prime development years. He had 60 points the year before in 07 he had 60 by Christmas. So yes it did derail his career.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

 

[ManByng]

Well the Oilers beat the almighty Ducks, hip hip horray, they should have beaten them like this when they played them at home, but let’s not kid ourselves here beca3 or 4 games over .500 is as good as this team can get in my opinion and Holland still needs to make a move or two on the back end before this team has a chance of improving!

 

[WaitingForUser]

Well the Oilers beat the almighty Ducks, hip hip horray, they should have beaten them like this when they played them at home, but let’s not kid ourselves here beca3 or 4 games over .500 is as good as this team can get in my opinion and Holland still needs to make a move or two on the back end before this team has a chance of improving!

Talk to me in April when we are solidly in the playoffs. The oilers have always been a second half team. Not just since Holland arrived but going back to the Copper and Blue days even. The only exception was 16/17 where they were in a playoff spot from game 1 to game 82.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Well the Oilers beat the almighty Ducks, hip hip horray, they should have beaten them like this when they played them at home, but let’s not kid ourselves here beca3 or 4 games over .500 is as good as this team can get in my opinion and Holland still needs to make a move or two on the back end before this team has a chance of improving!

No one is kidding themselves, they're just happy with a dominant win, more positives with Kostin and Desharnais having a good introduction to the NHL.

Even Campbell has some nice moments last night. You can take positives, even from a game you are "supposed" to win.

 

[Kerberos]

Well the Oilers beat the almighty Ducks, hip hip horray, they should have beaten them like this when they played them at home, but let’s not kid ourselves here beca3 or 4 games over .500 is as good as this team can get in my opinion and Holland still needs to make a move or two on the back end before this team has a chance of improving!

The depressing reality of the situation is you just know the boys in that room and the coach are satisfied with that performance last night when there's really nothing to be satisfied about. If the only teams they manage to beat on this roadtrip are the Ducks and Sharks, it doesn't change the equation and once again confirms this team is much closer to being a basement dweller than a contender.

I can't imagine an actual contending team sounding as satisfied as the Oilers do if they were sitting at basically .500 halfway through a season, one in which they were expected to meet the easily achievable expectation of winning the worst division in hockey.

 

[ManByng]

Talk to me in April when we are solidly in the playoffs. The oilers have always been a second half team. Not just since Holland arrived but going back to the Copper and Blue days even. The only exception was 16/17 where they were in a playoff spot from game 1 to game 82.

I haven’t given up hope on this team yet but they should have been much further along in the team development than they are at the moment and indeed we’re wasting year after year of McDavid and Leon!

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

I have 2 Hemsky jerseys.

I wore the MacFarlane designed 3rd to the Colorado game the other night. Lots of people loved it.

Could you imagine him being the right handed onetimer option on todays PP?

 

[Stoneman89]

He did great with Guerin and Nedved (First time)

Depends what your definition of "great" is, I suppose.

 

[McShogun99]

Well the Oilers beat the almighty Ducks, hip hip horray, they should have beaten them like this when they played them at home, but let’s not kid ourselves here beca3 or 4 games over .500 is as good as this team can get in my opinion and Holland still needs to make a move or two on the back end before this team has a chance of improving!

Obviously they're not a good team but they beat Vegas and Dallas last week. Still have to take the bad teams seriously. The effort the team put forth today is how they should be treating all bottom feeder teams since half of our remaining games are against Bedard lottery teams.

 

[Pass the Saitl Sauce]

We have a half dozen players that are better producers than Zegras and we just shot holes in the ducks yet again and zegras when last seen wasn't even moving and people are pining for not having this player?

Man people get weird fixations with certain players. Also point out that the notion expressed by some that Zegras would get more pts here is unsubstantiated. In Duck farm every puck is thrown to Zegras because they have nobody else. So that Zegras gets the steady diet of pucks that he wouldn't on a good team. he gets all the quality minutes too that he wouldn't be getting in a lot of other places. A Zegras here would be on 2nd unit PP and not even in topsix here a lot of the time. He might get 40-50pts here and bring nothing else. Frankly I'd rather have a Kostin than a Zegras.

It’s why I still claim boldy was the correct pick over broberg and zegras

 

[Fourier]

He did great with Guerin and Nedved (First time)

Didn't Nedved play with Dvorak and Torres after he came from the Rangers?? I don't remember him playing with Hemsky. Hemsky was playing with Horcoff or York and Smyth.

 

[T-Funk]

Didn't Nedved play with Dvorak and Torres after he came from the Rangers?? I don't remember him playing with Hemsky. Hemsky was playing with Horcoff or York and Smyth.

2nd time around he played with Hemsky I believe

 

[Stoneman89]

Well the Oilers beat the almighty Ducks, hip hip horray, they should have beaten them like this when they played them at home, but let’s not kid ourselves here beca3 or 4 games over .500 is as good as this team can get in my opinion and Holland still needs to make a move or two on the back end before this team has a chance of improving!

Wasn't more than a week or so that this same pathetic Anaheim team shut out the conference leading Dallas Stars and beat the division leading Las Vegas Knights. We're not exactly the juggernaut 1980's Oilers and the league is at the point where if you don't bring it every night, you stand a good chance of losing. We've already lost to these jokers once before, so you take every win and point that you can.

 

[Oilhawks]

Wasn't more than a week or so that this same pathetic Anaheim team shut out the conference leading Dallas Stars and beat the division leading Las Vegas Knights. We're not exactly the juggernaut 1980's Oilers and the league is at the point where if you don't bring it every night, you stand a good chance of losing. We've already lost to these jokers once before, so you take every win and point that you can.

Agreed. There are definitely teams that you “shouldn’t lose to” as a “good” team, but any team can win any night has become a reality and there aren’t any guarantees. Bettman parity / parody tends to rule the day. Not really any free bingo spaces and you don’t know if that basement dweller won’t have the games of their season against a top squad.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

It’s why I still claim boldy was the correct pick over broberg and zegras

Personally I think it was between Cozens and Broberg. A big right shooting centre/wing option who can fly would have addressed an organizational weakness. Cozens goes to Buffalo at 7 and Oilers opt to shore up a chronic weak area with Broberg.

But instead of onboarding behind/with Klefbom, Nurse and Larsson ... here we are.

 

[9GWG9]

Keep spreading it around woody your on to something. And the negative Hemsky chatter tisk tisk......other than looking disinterested which I think was just his demeanour he was lightning in a bottle.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Keep spreading it around woody your on to something. And the negative Hemsky chatter tisk tisk......other than looking disinterested which I think was just his demeanour he was lightning in a bottle.

I guess, he was a very good player, but calling him not a franchise player isn't a huge stretch. There are plenty of very good players who are also good people, that aren't that elite.

 

[tardigrade81]

Seattle wirh 7 straight wins now. This division sheeesh

 

[MessierII]

He did great with Guerin and Nedved (First time)

Bill guerin was long gone when Hemsky broke into the league. I don’t think Hemsky had even been drafted when guerin was an oiler.