Oilers now 13-12-1: THE THREAD THAT'S FUN FOR EVERYONE

[AmabileCassarole]

Tonight is when I realized for certain that McDavid and Draisaitl are 100% gone when their contracts are up, if not sooner. This was the final nail in the coffin. Why would they ever stick around for more years of this shit show? They have completely checked out and the team is broken. A new coach isn’t going to fix anything. The boat anchor contracts are unmovable. They can’t draft. They have no assets to fix the massive flaws in the roster. They have no cap flexibility. The McDavid era is cooked.

It's been cooked since Chia traded for Griffin Reinhart, honestly.

Time for another couple decades of darkness or so.

 

[rielledup]

People talk about their d but is it not basically the same d that they had last year? The big difference is that they were getting solid goaltending from skinner last season. If they're somehow able to get a decent goalie from somewhere I don't see why they wouldn't be able to be a good team again.

 

[AmabileCassarole]

Most of the posts about either trading McDavid or Draisaitl are nonsense. Campbell definitely needs to go and I think Bouchard would be another guy I would deal.

And who's gonna take either of them, exactly? Campbell literally went through waivers without anyone claiming him.

 

[Cup or Bust]

shyyyyys he must not know....

True, I didn't understand that dumb post. Campbell is useless that's what I know is a fact.

 

[Panthers Propaganda]

Fundamentally, this falls on their GM(s) plural.

First Chiarelli’s parade of f*** ups, which cost vital picks and trade fleecing. Followed by Ken Hollands…whatever this is.

The team is not deep enough. Foegele for example is not a second liner. If McDrai is not producing, who on the team can? Nuge and Hyman are alright but hardly can be expected to carry a line, decent accessories but eh…

In the modern NHL good teams can roll all 4 lines on you, ask yourselves this: can the Oilers? No.

Second, you have essentially 1 maybe 2 decent NHL caliber Dmen. Ekholm check, Nurse, yeah but probably a middle pairing guy. The rest…not so Bouchard has a good shot but not much else.

So fundamentally you have a top heavy roster, that does not have many well rounded players and a fringe D core that leaves the goalie out to dry.

Also don’t even get me started on this shitty zone D scheme they are trying to play, just play man for Christ sake, we rode it to the SCF last year.

So realistically you have to blow it up, but no one can make a trade in the cap environment really so not much of a way out of this.


Let’s say they win that 1OA, I would blow it up. Keep one of Drai or McDavid and move everyone else for a haul and pick up some UFAs.

 

[JKG33]

You just love to see it

 

[Cup or Bust]

And who's gonna take either of them, exactly? Campbell literally went through waivers without anyone claiming him.

Well assets would obviously would have to be in the deal. Either that or the Oilers have to eat the buyout. They can't upgrade their goaltending and keep another goalie making 5 mill.

 

[Matty Sundin]

Here is the lineup:

McLeod-McDavid-Hyman
Kane-Draisaitl-Foegele
'Holloway-RNH-Gagner
Lavoie-Hamblin-Ryan

Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Ceci
Kulak-Desharnais

Skinner

The forward-lines completely lack any defensive awarness. Not 1C that play good 2-way play. It`s all out offense, so no help from the forwards in your own zone. I`d actually try trading Draisaitl for a reliable 2-way C + adds. Hopefully some defensive hardnose wingers.
At D, Edmonton has the probably most overpaid D at the moment - Nurse. Stay-at home D:s missing. Try to get rid of Nurse with picks added and get some lowcost stay-at-home D:s

Goalies have been more than mediovre for ages on Oilers. It absolutely has something to do with the other lineup, because the goalies tend to be better as soon they get out or were better before. Still, the goalie isnt good enough.

I`d target for Draisaitl:

Carolina - Jesper Kotkaniemi C 4.8M until 2030 + adds. He is suddenly looking to become a reliable 2c

Florida - Luostarinen and Lundell + more

Arizona - Bjugstad, Maccelli + more

Dallas - Hintz staright up.


All give some more capspace and defensive play from forwards.

Their issues have been beaten to death the last month that it’s obvious at this point.

*goalie and defence has always been this teams issues during the mcdrais era

*Mcdavid is injured and not himself. That effects guys like Drais,Nuge,Hyman and others when he’s not scoring at insane pace.

*As they continue to slide, they lose confidence. This effects all of them but also their goalies, who weren’t elite to begin with but also makes them even worse.

*The league has figured them out after getting torch by them in previous seasons. One of them is just just collapse in your own zone, let them rush in and pinch and counter once you get possession and get an odd man rush. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve seen so similar goals happen and yet they don’t learn. You don’t even need to be a good team or need many chances to do this but it works. Look at the shot counts on all their games. Teams are clearly taking advantage of this.

There’s probably a few more I missed but it’s not just one issue it’s a combo of many. You add all that, you get what we’re seeing now. A terrible hockey team with a bad losing record.

It mostly all comes down to Holland just ignoring his teams issues for so long and now it’s coming back to bite him. He did the small patch with Ekholm and that’s it and he only just did that last year. He should have been working on building a D core when he first got there. He should have been fixing the goalie issue long before he went after Campbell when he didn’t have much options and going for a goalie that was still a bit unproven and starting to fall back to earth. There’s a reason why Leafs weren’t too eager to bring back.

The Oilers are playing their worst hockey since Eakins and now the most hopeless since with GM Chia cause it looks like the Mcdrais era might be ending. It’s really a waste of what Holland did or did not do.

 

[AmabileCassarole]

Fundamentally, this falls on their GM(s) plural.

First Chiarelli’s parade of f*** ups, which cost vital picks and trade fleecing. Followed by Ken Hollands…whatever this is.

The team is not deep enough. Foegele for example is not a second liner. If McDrai is not producing, who on the team can?

In the modern NHL good teams can roll all 4 lines on you, ask yourselves this: can the Oilers? No.

Second, you have essentially 1 maybe 2 decent NHL caliber Dmen. Ekholm check, Nurse, yeah but probably a middle pairing guy. The rest…not so Bouchard has a good shot but not much else.

So fundamentally you have a top heavy roster, that does not have many well rounded players and a fringe D core that leaves the goalie out to dry.

Also don’t even get me started on this shitty zone D scheme they are trying to play, just play man for Christ sake, we rode it to the SCF last year.

I disagree.

I think it falls on Darryl Katz.

Maybe if he wasn't busy bilking the city (remember when he got Gretzky to go with him to Seattle when arena negotiations were stalling?) for money, maybe if he wasn't so obsessed with the OBC, maybe if he did something, anything at all, the Oilers wouldn't be in this predicament right now.

Gregg Popovich once said that the Spurs won so much because the ownership got the hell out of the way and let him and his team do what needed to be done. They won so much that NFL and NHL teams sent agents to San Antonio to study the Spurs model.

That's exactly what I mean.

It all falls on Katz.

 

[TheRumble]

I hate the Oiler fans on this messageboard, they deserve all the hate they get for their shenanigans here.

I was also a huge Oilers skeptic going into the season. Didn't buy their Cup contender status for a second. But I didn't think they'd be this bad starting out. This is probably one of the most mysterious declines I've ever seen:

The Oilers offense last season was the third best offense of the lockout era. Even with all their issues, I expected them to be a lot better than 28th in offensive production.

Their powerplay was the best in the history of the league, even if they had a powerplay that was 10% less effective, it still would have been a top 10 powerplay in the league.

They didn't add or subtract any significant players in the off season.

Unless Klim Kostin was secretly the glue guy holding this team together them being this bad right away is baffling.

 

[jackjohnson]

Most of the posts about either trading McDavid or Draisaitl are nonsense. Campbell definitely needs to go and I think Bouchard would be another guy I would deal.

Campbell is already gone bro, you didn't hear he got waived earlier? Lmao

 

[Panthers Propaganda]

I disagree.

I think it falls on Darryl Katz.

Maybe if he wasn't busy bilking the city (remember when he got Gretzky to go with him to Seattle when arena negotiations were stalling?) for money, maybe if he wasn't so obsessed with the OBC, maybe if he did something, anything at all, the Oilers wouldn't be in this predicament right now.

Gregg Popovich once said that the Spurs won so much because the ownership got the hell out of the way and let him and his team do what needed to be done. They won so much that NFL and NHL teams sent agents to San Antonio to study the Spurs model.

That's exactly what I mean.

It all falls on Katz.

Yeah Katz and the old boys club certainly have a part in this too.

 

[AmabileCassarole]

I hate the Oiler fans on this messageboard, they deserve all the hate they get for their shenanigans here.

I was also a huge Oilers skeptic going into the season. Didn't buy their Cup contender status for a second. But I didn't think they'd be this bad starting out. This is probably one of the most mysterious declines I've ever seen:

I don't think it's really so mysterious. It's been a decades long habit for the Oilers to simply not give a hoot and coast because they think their crap don't stink. It's what got 'em McDavid in the first place, and it's likely what'll cost them him too. Remember, the same braintrust behind such stellar lines as "I know something about winning, if there's ever any concern" and "visually, to me, we're a better hockey team" are still mozying about up there.

It doesn't help when the owner thinks it's 1985 still and doesn't give a damn unless it's to jack up concession prices or bend the city over the barrel for an arena surrounded by the homeless.

Anaheim Angels on ice. When's all said and done, I think Moreno and Katz will be condemned by diehard fans of their sports for wasting four talents who could've done wonders to rebuild their sports' popularity.

Oh well.

 

[Bounces R Way]

If there's two fanbases who deserve it
...

It's definetly Edmonton.and Calgary.

Pretty artery clogging rich from the burn down your own city squad.
It's also spelt definitely.

 

[AmabileCassarole]

Yeah Katz and the old boys club certainly have a part in this too.

No, they have the only part. I don't buy that it's "insert coach/GM here."

It's all Katz. As much of a certainty as it was that the EIG couldn't afford to keep the team themselves, Katz buying the franchise effectively doomed it. The guy just doesn't care one bit. The fact that they're literally this far into the McDrai era and he hasn't even once considered cleaning house....

At least blokes like Mike Illitch and Steve Bisciotti are involved with their teams, and try to do right by them.

Katz is literally in the same category as Jimmy Haslam and Dean Spanos.

If there's two fanbases who deserve it
...

It's definetly Edmonton.and Calgary.

As far as I know, Calgary's fanbase, at least on here, doesn't actually believe Bettman and the refs are conspiring against their franchise.

But so many Oilers fans seem to think that Bettman is rigging the games against them, nevermind that if that were really the case, McDavid would've been in Toronto this entire time, with Matthews in Arizona to boot.

I guess folks just can't consider the fact that maybe, just maybe, the team sucks and doesn't need any help from up top sucking?

 

[mighty Stanley Duck]

It’s not going to be fixed until Nurse’s contract runs out.

I don't understand that contract, why that price. I agree, its hard to build strong, deep D group with his contract.

 

[jimmysheva]

Draisaitl for Johansen and Toews. Win-win. Edmonton need a 1st pairing D, Colorado need a 2C.

 

[Eternal Leaf]

Oh man, they actually lost to the Sharks.

This is straight-up crazy now.

 

[pomx]

they’re gonna win the first OA pick aren’t they…

 

[Martin Skoula]

I don't understand that contract, why that price. I agree, its hard to build strong, deep D group with his contract.

Unless they trade Drai for a #1 with a longterm deal, I can’t see why an actual #1 would look at a #3-4 making 9.25 and take a penny less. If by some miracle they draft one or one hits UFA, he’s gonna demand 11+ minimum from them.

 

[AmabileCassarole]

they’re gonna win the first OA pick aren’t they…

Nah. They'll likely win just enough games to screw 'em out of that, thank goodness. I foresee them being middle of the pack come lottery time.

 

[Garbageyuk]

For the delusional Edmonton fans who keep talking about a Campbell trade, here’s why it’s never going to happen:

No matter what assets get tacked onto the deal on Edmonton’s side, the other team would effectively be paying $20M for those assets. Let’s say that Edmonton were to send a 1st and Holloway (this seems to be the go-to proposal for this deal among Oilers fans) with Campbell to another team in a trade. What team is going to pay $20M for Holloway and a 1st round pick? $20M is more than 3x what both players combined would make on their entry level contracts. Yeah, not happening, ever. It’s like these people forget that this is a business involving real money.

 

[Hoglander]

 

[AmabileCassarole]

For the delusional Edmonton fans who keep talking about a Campbell trade, here’s why it’s never going to happen:

No matter what assets get tacked onto the deal on Edmonton’s side, the other team would effectively be paying $20M for those assets. Let’s say that Edmonton were to send a 1st and Holloway (this seems to be the go-to proposal for this deal among Oilers fans) with Campbell to another team in a trade. What team is going to pay $20M for Holloway and a 1st round pick? $20M is more than 3x what both players combined would make on their entry level contracts. Yeah, not happening, ever. It’s like these people forget that this is a business involving real money.

I find it funny how they keep trashing the rest of their team outside McDrai, but expect other teams to be all gungho for trading for 'em. It makes no sense to me.

 

[ricky0034]

if the Oilers were first in the league offensively like last year instead of near the worst in the league they would probably at least be in a wild card spot right now

they don't just have a defensive problem they have an everything problem, trading Draisaitl for a worse more defensively inclined player like some people seem to think would be a good idea wouldn't help with that imagine how bad they would be offensively then