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

[HolyGhost]

Calling my shot now. Oilers do not make the playoffs unless the get a new goalie

 

[Bgav]

Straight trash homie

 

[Church Hill]

It would be a damn shame if the Oilers end up winning a cup. Theirs will be a testimony that says that even if you draft poorly, develop talent poorly, and issue bad player contracts, you can still win a cup if you have a McDavid fall into your lap.

 

[kranuck]

They’ve yet to win a game beyond the 2nd round, that’s not a true contender. They are in the same tier as Toronto, pretender status.

Carolina also has a much tougher bracket to contend with in the East, but I wouldn’t consider them true contenders either

I disagree, the ridiculous play fo McDavid and Draisaitl makes them in a different tier than Toronto.

BUT I don't think they go deep. 2 guys don't make a team, and the Oilers aren't built to win when those two are off the ice.

 

[LemonSauceD]

Lmao

 

[dealwithit]

I'm confident they'll be contenders after another 3 first overall picks

 

[Nemesis Prime]

It would be a damn shame if the Oilers end up winning a cup. Theirs will be a testimony that says that even if you draft poorly, develop talent poorly, and issue bad player contracts, you can still win a cup if you have a McDavid fall into your lap.

and only nerds on the internet would care about that while the rest of the hockey world witnesses one of the GOATs win.

 

[Hank Plank]

If the Oilers don't win the cup this year McDavid just needs to demand a trade the f*** outta Edmonton.

What year is it?

 

[Sky04]

It would be a damn shame if the Oilers end up winning a cup. Theirs will be a testimony that says that even if you draft poorly, develop talent poorly, and issue bad player contracts, you can still win a cup if you have a McDavid fall into your lap.

Except they won't.

 

[ffh]

I'd hate to see what they'd look like if they didn't come to camp 2 weeks early.

 

[dealwithit]

What year is it?

How many cracks do they realistically have left? This year and next? Drai's contract comes up after next season and McD the season after. Wonder if they'll be able to bring both back now that they've given that. anchor contract to Nurse. The three of them could combine for a $40m cap hit.

 

[McFlash97]

Our team didn't get the memo. The next generational talent is 9. Wrong year to be tanking...

 

[Brookbank]

Lmao

Goalies struggle when they are there and improve when they leave. They are probably better than they seem

 

[Royal Puck]

Edmonton Oilers - you beat McDavid & Draisaitl you win the game. They are built so poorly.

2 best player in the world but what babies.

Gotta be up there with least likeable team in the league.

 

[archangel2]

8 years into McDavids career and the team still sucks. It is going to be fun watching them burm this season

 

[1989]

It's kind of insane McDavid has been in the league for 9 seasons and is turning 27 this January.

He's clearly the most talented player on the planet but the Oilers just can't surround him with success or the team just can't find a way to buy in the way that Stanley Cup winners do, even with less talent or worse coaching or goaltending or whatever it might be.

I'm not really talking about this 2 game start so much as it's a microcosm of how they've operated since the McDavid era, really.

 

[blankall]

It's kind of insane McDavid has been in the league for 9 seasons and is turning 27 this January.

He's clearly the most talented player on the planet but the Oilers just can't surround him with success or the team just can't find a way to buy in the way that Stanley Cup winners do, even with less talent or worse coaching or goaltending or whatever it might be.

Part of it's on McDavid. Great player. Poor leader. Zero personality. He doesn't inspire his teammates. Crosby was able to overcome his issues and mature into a great leader. It's possible mcdavid could do the same, but he hasn't yet.

 

[Hank Plank]

Part of it's on McDavid. Great player. Poor leader. Zero personality. He doesn't inspire his teammates. Crosby was able to overcome his issues and mature into a great leader. It's possible mcdavid could do the same, but he hasn't yet.

This will trigger Oilers fans. It's the burning truth.

 

[1989]

Part of it's on McDavid. Great player. Poor leader. Zero personality. He doesn't inspire his teammates. Crosby was able to overcome his issues and mature into a great leader. It's possible mcdavid could do the same, but he hasn't yet.

I mean, I don't know if I can attribute it to him as I have no insight behind the scenes, only on the ice.

McDavid doesn't play in goal. He doesn't make the coaching decisions to overload the line with Draisaitl. He doesn't make Darnell Nurse do Nurse things. And yeah, he very likely has input on many decisions but there's a lot of moving pieces.

I have watched some of his pressers and stuff and I think, "yeah, not the best-sounding captain I've ever heard" but it's not on McDavid to be the captain in a sense, either.
I firmly believe the best player does not have to be the captain on a team.
Leadership isn't natural to everyone even if it is a coachable skill.

The fact that we, the fans, haven't had the chance to watch McDavid really succeed (Olympics, even!) kind of sucks.

 

[Video Nasty]

Part of it's on McDavid. Great player. Poor leader. Zero personality. He doesn't inspire his teammates. Crosby was able to overcome his issues and mature into a great leader. It's possible mcdavid could do the same, but he hasn't yet.

What is he supposed to do when his goalie faces just 16 shots and gets caved in 4 times? Perceived lack of personality and inspiration isn’t the reason why Edmonton netminders can’t make even one big save it seems.

I understand the criticism at times, but it’s the same issue as before. If management could provide a remotely stable goalie, this team would have won already.

 

[Devonator]

Hilarious...people never learn...never ever ever judge a Hockey team by early season results....especially after 2 measly games.....

 

[Edgelord]

I mean, I don't know if I can attribute it to him as I have no insight behind the scenes, only on the ice.

McDavid doesn't play in goal. He doesn't make the coaching decisions to overload the line with Draisaitl. He doesn't make Darnell Nurse do Nurse things. And yeah, he very likely has input on many decisions but there's a lot of moving pieces.

I have watched some of his pressers and stuff and I think, "yeah, not the best-sounding captain I've ever heard" but it's not on McDavid to be the captain in a sense, either.
I firmly believe the best player does not have to be the captain on a team.
Leadership isn't natural to everyone even if it is a coachable skill.

1 aspect of McDavid's speed that never gets mentioned is his ice mates also have to try and move up ice at a pace beyond their ability to correct if possession is lost, for years I have seen the McDavid line gain posession>bolt through the neutral zone, usually gain entry but when they lose possession on the blue line the 5 guys are damn near the goal line by the time they realize it.
If I were an Oiler fan, I would want to see some more lateral movement in the neutral zone to allow all 5 to set up. Then attack entry, that way if entry fails the D men are not going mach 2 in the wrong direction.
Hell, having L.D and McDavid switch off in the neutral zone would open the middle of the ice up.
Fear of McDavids speed on the outside will force the center to play a lil more to McDavids side leaving more room for Drai down the middle.

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

This will trigger Oilers fans. It's the burning truth.

Oilers fans have disappeared off of the main forums...

Hilarious...people never learn...never ever ever judge a Hockey team by early season results....especially after 2 measly games.....

Have you not been watching the past 3-4 years? Same problem...

 

[archangel2]

Oilers fans have disappeared off of the main forums...

Of course they have

 

[1989]

1 aspect of McDavid's speed that never gets mentioned is his wingers also have to try and move up ice at a pace beyond their ability to correct if possession is lost, for years I have seen the McDavid line gain posession>bolt through the neutral zone, usually gain entry but when they lose possession on the blue line the wingers are damn near the goal line by the time they realize it.

I think this point is more common than you think - it's usually hidden as a McDavid vs Crosby debate in how Crosby's skillset is "the gifted grinder" even though he has above average footspeed and could put on the burners a bit early in his career, and McDavid is only perceived as Bure 2.0 with speed that leaves everyone, including teammates, behind.

It's probably fair to a certain extent.