Oilers hype: Is HF buying in on a 2024 run?

[Figgy44]

Holland is committed. Skinner is a decent backup, but the problem is he’s already committed to campbell. Also still in flat cap hell, Edmonton has no,choice to sink or swim with these 2 guys.

the campbell contract was super risky because he gave him a 5 mil caphit to a goalie who has a history of being injured and most games he’s played in a year is 49, and Campbell is 31. Alarm bells should be going off on a goalie whose 30+ and most games in a year is 49, and Holland wants to sign him to 5x5…moron.

Holland still needs to blow a bunch of assets on a legit goalie they desperately need. It's not like they have no assets. They have tons of futures and solid prospects still vying for a spot. Blowing a blue chipper and a grade A asset for dumping Campbell and picking up someone like Vejmelka is still an upgrade to what they have without touching the roster and without blowing a hole in their pipeline.

It's not purely a commitment issue either. It's Holland being too slow and refusing to spend assets on a goalie. He missed out on guys like Grubauer, Kuemper, MAF, Markstrom etc. in UFA. Grubauer was due to him going after Smith first and refusing to move a few hundred K to make room for Grubauer's ask. Markstrom to be fair wanted to play with his buddy Lindholm in Calgary, MAF didn't want to play for a Canadian team.

There's been other solid goalies being traded and Boston is rumored to be wanting to move another solid one. Trying to convince Gibson to go to Edmonton could also be something. The fact of the matter is that Edmonton doesn't seem like they're actively in the chat for certain goalies that could potentially be what they want and need. Holland has often seemed like someone passive who picked up the scraps that were left on the market rather than aggressively chased someone who was on paper a better fit.

I still believe that once the Oilers have goalie they can trust, everything else falls into place and they get scarier.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Goalies is a problem in Edmonton but their defense is a much larger problem. Can put Vasi or Saros in Edmonton and they both would look like complete crap.

 

[Voight]

Holland is committed. Skinner is a decent backup, but the problem is he’s already committed to campbell. Also still in flat cap hell, Edmonton has no,choice to sink or swim with these 2 guys.

the campbell contract was super risky because he gave him a 5 mil caphit to a goalie who has a history of being injured and most games he’s played in a year is 49, and Campbell is 31. Alarm bells should be going off on a goalie whose 30+ and most games in a year is 49, and Holland wants to sign him to 5x5…moron.

People were chastising Dubas for not matching the offer or offering over 4 million per year on a short term deal. Holland was bidding against himself which kills me because he still got raked over the coals on the contract.

 

[centipede2233]

People were chastising Dubas for not matching the offer or offering over 4 million per year on a short term deal. Holland was bidding against himself which kills me because he still got raked over the coals on the contract.

I don’t think anyone wanted dubas to resign campbell at 4 mil per in Toronto, like no one…

 

[Artemi Panarin]

I'm fully bought in. LET'S GO BABY

 

[HolyGhost]

No one is buying it after last nights game

 

[jackjohnson]

Holland still needs to blow a bunch of assets on a legit goalie they desperately need. It's not like they have no assets. They have tons of futures and solid prospects still vying for a spot. Blowing a blue chipper and a grade A asset for dumping Campbell and picking up someone like Vejmelka is still an upgrade to what they have without touching the roster and without blowing a hole in their pipeline.

It's not purely a commitment issue either. It's Holland being too slow and refusing to spend assets on a goalie. He missed out on guys like Grubauer, Kuemper, MAF, Markstrom etc. in UFA. Grubauer was due to him going after Smith first and refusing to move a few hundred K to make room for Grubauer's ask. Markstrom to be fair wanted to play with his buddy Lindholm in Calgary, MAF didn't want to play for a Canadian team.

There's been other solid goalies being traded and Boston is rumored to be wanting to move another solid one. Trying to convince Gibson to go to Edmonton could also be something. The fact of the matter is that Edmonton doesn't seem like they're actively in the chat for certain goalies that could potentially be what they want and need. Holland has often seemed like someone passive who picked up the scraps that were left on the market rather than aggressively chased someone who was on paper a better fit.

I still believe that once the Oilers have goalie they can trust, everything else falls into place and they get scarier.

Holland reminds me of Burke and the Canucks back when Canucks were peddling Cloutier as their number 1 while having one of the best offensive teams in the league. Holland is allergic to good goalies

I'm fully bought in. LET'S GO BABY

Whenever I see Nurse on the ice, I keep thinking his head is a Photoshop because of that patch on his left eyebrow

 

[scoopscj]

So are the Oilers not "Waltzing" to the cup final then?

**************************

for the record, I think they're going to be awesome this year.

 

[jackjohnson]

I am sure you know a lot. Hopefully one of the things you know is not to jump to conclusions after one game.

I doubt anyone is jumping to conclusions but this is the same team as last year with no changes in the offseason. So we already saw this exact Oilers team in regular season and playoffs plus this game and know that they have weak D and weak goalie. What makes you think Campbell or Skinner will become prime day Hasek when we have known they were mediocre since last year and for Campbell it's many years lol. Also the mighty Oilers D consisting of Kulak, Nurse, Ceci, Bouchard, Broberg and Elkhom doesn't scream top 3 cup contenders. I will give them Elkhom, he is a good D but the rest aren't that good imo. Canucks D is similar and people here mock them for that being the reason why they won't make the playoffs. Not sure why Oilers get a pass for that terrible D and goaltending tandem just because they have McD and Drai on the team.

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

When you have the best player in the world anything can happen. But the Nurse contract is an abomination, a giant anchor. I honestly don't see them beating the top tier teams, which is crazy because they have McDavid, I hate their management and the decisions they've made. As a hockey fan I'll be heartbroken if McDavid never hoists a cup and I'm a Flyers fan. I always think about his interview with Gretzky and he said you're way too good to not win a cup. IDK I just hate how they've managed that roster in Edmonton.

 

[jackjohnson]

So are the Oilers not "Waltzing" to the cup final then?

**************************

for the record, I think they're going to be awesome this year.

Oilers will make playoffs as usual but don't see how they are a top 3 cup contenders. I don't see them in the finals because Vegas is still a superior team compared to Oilers

When you have the best player in the world anything can happen. But the Nurse contract is an abomination, a giant anchor. I honestly don't see them beating the top tier teams, which is crazy because they have McDavid, I hate their management and the decisions they've made. As a hockey fan I'll be heartbroken if McDavid never hoists a cup and I'm a Flyers fan. I always think about his interview with Gretzky and he said you're way too good to not win a cup. IDK I just hate how they've managed that roster in Edmonton.

You need an actual team behind that best player. This isn't basketball where you just give the ball to McD for the 3 pointer. Even in basketball you need like 3 to 4 superstars to win the championship. So Oilers need way more than just McD and Drai. They don't have a McD in goal or in D so they are not that complete of a team.

 

[HockeyWooot]

Oilers 3 biggest weaknesses:

1) Coach - too rigid and unadaptable
2) McDrai mentality - mindset of offense over defense, this filters down to the rest of the players
3) Goalies and defense - not good under pressure in the playoffs

They will finish top 5 in the regular season...playoffs are a coin flip.

Another aspect to consider is that McDrai's odds for a long injury increase every year, especially with their utilization rate.

Point 2 and 3 resonate for me. The dcorps and goaltnender the calibre that if they step and play perfectly they'd get by in the playoffs, the difference with elite players at these positions though is to perform at a high level consistently.

For McDrai they're all world, top two offensive players in the league. They step up big time during the playoffs too, it's hard to ask more.

However, if they can bring more to their game it'd make a world of difference particuion thr defensive side. I've always maintained that McDavid could be Fedorov-like as a top scorer and Selke calibre player, if he wants to.

You want your best players to some extent to define thr identity of the team. For recent cup winners Point comes to mind for TBL, MacKinnon for COL, Mashesault for VGK etc.

Beyond the scorersheet the way they play reflects the way the broader team plays. I don't think McDrai have peaked yet, once they find their way they'll be a cup winner.

 

[petterdaddy]

Takes more than a pretty looking roster with lots of points to win a Stanley Cup.

You want to know which teams win in a cap league? The teams that have the roster that has attention to detail. That is focused on winning the 1 on 1 battles. Know why "doing the little things right" is such a well worn hockey cliche? It's because it's f***ing true, it is an absolute truism of winning hockey. You need a coach that inspires that kind of top to bottom to a man play. The Oilers score goals and can score goals and will score many more goals. Unfortunately for them that's only half the game. The other half is keeping goals out.

It’s funny you say this because Tocchet has been saying the exact same thing in every interview this year. Hughes mentioned it about 5 times in his post game as well.

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

Oilers will make playoffs as usual but don't see how they are a top 3 cup contenders. I don't see them in the finals because Vegas is still a superior team compared to Oilers


You need an actual team behind that best player. This isn't basketball where you just give the ball to McD for the 3 pointer. Even in basketball you need like 3 to 4 superstars to win the championship. So Oilers need way more than just McD and Drai. They don't have a McD in goal or in D so they are not that complete of a team.

I know that, it's just almost unthinkable to me that they just aren't there every year in the finals when I watch how great that guy is, I hate Edmonton's management, it's fking disgusting.

 

[jackjohnson]

I know that, it's just almost unthinkable to me that they just aren't there every year in the finals when I watch how great that guy is, I hate Edmonton's management, it's fking disgusting.

That's because you need a good defense and decent goalie to get to the finals. If it was all about offense and having the best offensive players then Canucks would have 5 cups by now.

 

[34]

I don’t think anyone wanted dubas to resign campbell at 4 mil per in Toronto, like no one…

Heck no. Toronto dodged a bullet.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

I doubt anyone is jumping to conclusions but this is the same team as last year with no changes in the offseason.

Bingo. The Oilers re-arranged some deck chairs, but basically same team. Never could understand the optimism that Campbell would miraculously become substantially better.

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

That's because you need a good defense and decent goalie to get to the finals. If it was all about offense and having the best offensive players then Canucks would have 5 cups by now.

Yeah, I mean I agree, I'm saying it's a joke that they couldn't build around my generations greatest talent so far, weird. I'm a Flyers fan but I want to see the guy win it's good for hockey.

 

[DJJones]

This thread is going to part III

 

[Rob]

I’m a little shocked their management came into this season with a clear conscious without addressing goaltending after their last postseason. That Campbell contract is a real problem for them and Skinner isn’t a guy I’d ever let hold my teams cup chances with.

I'm not an Oilers fan but I just assumed that their management would go after a goaltender in the offseason. Guessing that Campbell contract is just not movable. What a huge mistake that was.

 

[J bo Jeans]

Well you heard it hear folks. After one game the Oilers should just give up and get demoted to the AHL.

Smooth brains.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

The commitment to defense last night was impressive. Especially love that Kulak - Ceci pairing, it’s going to be one of the best pairings this year.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Do the Oilers have any high end goalie prospects in their system?

Like a Wallstedt?

 

[Figgy44]

Well you heard it hear folks. After one game the Oilers should just give up and get demoted to the AHL.

Smooth brains.

Too bad you're missing the point that this one game is adding to the evidence and pattern that this should have been dealt with differently for at least 2-3 seasons now. The Oilers have more than enough futures and prospects to deal with the cap and acquisition situation for a good goalie. It's Holland that's the idiot.

After Smith and Koskinen, they should have used assets on a legit goalie, not gone with the cheap UFA option of Campbell (who wasn't even in the top 3 of desirable goalies that off season IIRC).

Like a Wallstedt?

IMO they should have drafted Wallstedt instead of trading down for Bougault. I really did think they'd draft him when he fell into their lap.

Even if Wallstedt was a few more years out, it's easier to pry a legit goalie from certain teams with a Wallstedt in the system vs a Bourgault in the system IMO (as the other team may demand a Wallstedt calibre G prospect in return, but not care about F or D prospects/picks as much)

 

[puckguy97]

Holland still needs to blow a bunch of assets on a legit goalie they desperately need. It's not like they have no assets. They have tons of futures and solid prospects still vying for a spot. Blowing a blue chipper and a grade A asset for dumping Campbell and picking up someone like Vejmelka is still an upgrade to what they have without touching the roster and without blowing a hole in their pipeline.

It's not purely a commitment issue either. It's Holland being too slow and refusing to spend assets on a goalie. He missed out on guys like Grubauer, Kuemper, MAF, Markstrom etc. in UFA. Grubauer was due to him going after Smith first and refusing to move a few hundred K to make room for Grubauer's ask. Markstrom to be fair wanted to play with his buddy Lindholm in Calgary, MAF didn't want to play for a Canadian team.

There's been other solid goalies being traded and Boston is rumored to be wanting to move another solid one. Trying to convince Gibson to go to Edmonton could also be something. The fact of the matter is that Edmonton doesn't seem like they're actively in the chat for certain goalies that could potentially be what they want and need. Holland has often seemed like someone passive who picked up the scraps that were left on the market rather than aggressively chased someone who was on paper a better fit.

I still believe that once the Oilers have goalie they can trust, everything else falls into place and they get scarier.

Campbell is still a tire fire, but I think this roster can scrape by with Skinner if they add a Pesce-type defender on the right side to balance out Nurse's adventures in the d zone plus a REAL third line center (no, Ryan MLleod doesn't count). Even then, they probably still require another bottom six C:

Kane-McDavid-Brown
RNH-Drai-Hyman
McLeod-XXX-Foegele
Janmark-YYY-Ryan

Nurse-ZZZ
Ekholm-Bouchard
AAA-BBB (Kulak and Ceci probably both have to be traded for the cap to add the above skaters)

Skinner
Campbell (or other after he's waived)