Pre-Game Talk: Maybe Way Too Early Pre Season Thread

[Mr Kot]

Preseason coming up soon and hopefully we have a good one. Excited to see the young guns try to push their way into the lineup and maybe join the main group opening night.

Time to win cup this season

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[TB12]

Everyone get their narratives and complaints set early!

If Knobber doesn't play the vets very much then he's an idiot and they wasted too much time on developing guys who will never make the team and the top guys didn't get a chance to mesh and gel together.

If Knobber plays the vets lots and they start the year slow (or gasp, someone gets injured) then he's an idiot for running the horses into the ground early. It's a marathon and not a sprint.

etc, etc...

 

[K1984]

Preseason coming up soon and hopefully we have a good one. Excited to see the young guns try to push their way into the lineup and maybe join the main group opening night.

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Time to win cup this season

Any other season ticket holders struggling with the horrendous Oilers+ free promo login?

They emailed a promo code to access free Oilers+ for the year, but naturally they don't seem to allow you to apply it to an existing account. So I made a new account, but naturally there didn't seem to be a way to apply it there either.

Does anyone know how to work around this ridiculous system?

 

[Drivesaitl]

Everyone get their narratives and complaints set early!

If Knobber doesn't play the vets very much then he's an idiot and they wasted too much time on developing guys who will never make the team and the top guys didn't get a chance to mesh and gel together.

If Knobber plays the vets lots and they start the year slow (or gasp, someone gets injured) then he's an idiot for running the horses into the ground early. It's a marathon and not a sprint.

etc, etc...

Last seasons slow start had little to do with the team meshing. It was the team peaking too early in training, even according to McDavid who felt fatigued and not 100% at seasons start.

The topline this year will be identically the same. The players knowing each other in their sleep. The Drai line will need time to work together. Big changes there as well as D pairings I guess.

Last season schedule was odd as well. We played nucks 3X early and that seemed to be their Stanley Cup beating us early in season. Also tough games Florida, Carolina, Tampa etc.

Most of our troubled start was atrocious goaltending and coaching.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Any other season ticket holders struggling with the horrendous Oilers+ free promo login?

They emailed a promo code to access free Oilers+ for the year, but naturally they don't seem to allow you to apply it to an existing account. So I made a new account, but naturally there didn't seem to be a way to apply it there either.

Does anyone know how to work around this ridiculous system?

I had to email my rep to get that issue sorted out last season. Give them an email and they will send you the fix.

 

[The Panther]

Last seasons slow start had little to do with the team meshing. It was the team peaking too early in training, even according to McDavid who felt fatigued and not 100% at seasons start.

That's my feeling, too. There was this air about the club one year ago, like, "This time it's SERIOUS and we're going to accept nothing less than 110%!" Which is fine, but you can't really approach the season with that much intensity in training camp if you don't want to burn out before the playoffs.

I think MacTavish said the mood a year ago was "trying to win the Cup in pre-season".

I suspect this year the big guys will get a bit less ice-time (they're getting older, too), and in the first 9-10 games or whatever it is (before NHL contracts have to be signed with young players) we'll see some of the young'uns getting a fair shot. Even if they play .500 hockey for the first 15 games, they'll still be WAY ahead of where they were a year ago at that stage...

The topline this year will be identically the same. The players knowing each other in their sleep. The Drai line will need time to work together.

The most fun this season, I predict, will be watching the Draisaitl line (whatever it ultimately is) taking shape. The top six (actually the top nine) looks remarkably promising, so let's hope they can all start scoring at will again... because the defence looks damn suspect.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

Well have fun with the pre season peeps. I'll be visiting Quebec and a small part of New England over this pre season, celebrating my 5th wedding anniversary. It'll be nice to not think about hockey much until the regular season actually starts before I overreact and complain like the rest of you.

I'll check the score boards ever so often and do a creep here and there in HF but I won't be watching any games. Probably wouldn't even if I wasn't on a trip anyways TBH since OEG is hiding them beyond a paywall. I just can't get invested in pre season now that the decade of darkness is over besides. Hopefully Savoie impresses. That's all I ask.

 

[GreeningOil]

Everyone get their narratives and complaints set early!

If Knobber doesn't play the vets very much then he's an idiot and they wasted too much time on developing guys who will never make the team and the top guys didn't get a chance to mesh and gel together.

If Knobber plays the vets lots and they start the year slow (or gasp, someone gets injured) then he's an idiot for running the horses into the ground early. It's a marathon and not a sprint.

etc, etc...

As an Oiler fan, I too am angry about all decisions, especially in hindsight!!

 

[AM]

Everyone get their narratives and complaints set early!

If Knobber doesn't play the vets very much then he's an idiot and they wasted too much time on developing guys who will never make the team and the top guys didn't get a chance to mesh and gel together.

If Knobber plays the vets lots and they start the year slow (or gasp, someone gets injured) then he's an idiot for running the horses into the ground early. It's a marathon and not a sprint.

etc, etc...

Don’t steal them all.

 

[FlameChampion]

Last seasons slow start had little to do with the team meshing. It was the team peaking too early in training, even according to McDavid who felt fatigued and not 100% at seasons start.

The topline this year will be identically the same. The players knowing each other in their sleep. The Drai line will need time to work together. Big changes there as well as D pairings I guess.

Last season schedule was odd as well. We played nucks 3X early and that seemed to be their Stanley Cup beating us early in season. Also tough games Florida, Carolina, Tampa etc.

Most of our troubled start was atrocious goaltending and coaching.

I think the power play struggles were a huge part of it too. I think Woodcroft was a propped up with a historic powerplay and once it wasn’t… well

 

[FlameChampion]

Delete

 

[K1984]

Yeah I think getting off to a good start is really important. I think their starts have been pretty poor in general. Previous seasons it felt like PP just masked their issues but last season, the injuries and PP couldn’t mask the defense and goaltending.

Least with KK and PC they should be able to adapt and make changes.

Team really needs to get everyone going as well. Hopefully the Henrique/Janmark/Brown line has some chemistry from the playoffs.

Am excited what Skinner and Arvidson will do. I think both will be good. I think Arvidson just needs to stay healthy. I am curious how Draisaitl 5 on 5 looks like with 2 better wingers.

For years across multiple groups of players and multiple coaches our depth players have been complete ass until about January. Every year Leon and McDavid light it up and the power play lights it up until they get burned out in December and the team goes to shit. Then the bottom of the lineup gets going and the ship rights itself.

Difference was last year the power play and McDavid/Drai were ass to resulting in the disaster start. The key beyond all else IMO is the bottom of the roster players playing a role as soon as the season starts, not when they get chastised and the team is desperate.

 

[FlameChampion]

For years across multiple groups of players and multiple coaches our depth players have been complete ass until about January. Every year Leon and McDavid light it up and the power play lights it up until they get burned out in December and the team goes to shit. Then the bottom of the lineup gets going and the ship rights itself.

Difference was last year the power play and McDavid/Drai were ass to resulting in the disaster start. The key beyond all else IMO is the bottom of the roster players playing a role as soon as the season starts, not when they get chastised and the team is desperate.

Agreed that the bottom 6 doesn’t tend to have anything going until January. Hopefully not the case this year. If Henrique/Brown/Janmark are as good as they were in the playoffs, I’d like to see the line used as a checking line and used in some defensive and open net situations at end of the game just to get more guys going.

 

[Slats432]

Correction...