Oilers play under Kris Knoblauch

[mcdingdong]

This isnt even true lol. We haven’t switched back to last years system.

We’ve just been better at breaking out of the zone because the players have started using the middle and actually moving the puck up with meaning rather than banking it off the glass or trying to push it along the boards and hope for the best.

Haha, exactly. Drives me nuts when people invent these things to drive their narrative. We are still playing a zone, watch an Oilers game for 2 mins fellas.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Ok.

Original point was he was a dud #1 pick in a shitty draft and the Oilers were unlucky to have the #1 that year vs. say #5 in the year Petterson was drafted.

I'll disagree that Yakupov was even a Top 10 talent in an average draft year (2012 was among the worst ever), but it's besides the point. The crowing the people do about "DUUUUUUR 4 #1 overalls!" as if the Oilers landed Stamkos, Tavares, McDavid and Matthews with those is stupid because the Oilers didn't have the fortune of timing to have #1 overall picks available to them of anything remotely resembling that quality for the first 3.

I feel like I constantly say this same point all the time like all drafts are the same.

Can you imagine tanking between 2017-2022

And then the first picks are:

Lafreniere
Power
Slafkovsky
Hirschier

And everyone keeps harping on how you need to be a contender cuz you have 4x 1st overall picks, and they change the entire draft rules because of these 4 players? And when you're still in the basement they say duurrrp! 4x 1st overall picks! derrp! I have absolutely zero resolution thought and will keep repeating 4x 1st overall picks like a video game NPC derrrrp.

 

[Coffey]

I have absolutely zero resolution thought and will keep repeating 4x 1st overall picks like a video game NPC derrrrp.

I mean, this is the majority of HF in a nutshell.

 

[Fishy McScales]

And he was, so. Bet there are a lot of Russians that go in the 7th round that have a shot and nothing else. Oilers actually have on in the system right now in Petrov (he was a 6th rounder - you'll have to forgive me for the error).

I'll stop derailing the thread though (because this conversation is besides the point), because any discussion about how shitty Yakupov was can be dug up from the time he was failing and his inability to play hockey was fresh in everyone's minds.

This is illogical. You can't look at a player's career and determine what round their accomplishments equates to.

Either they make it as NHL players or they don't. The earlier they get picked the better the odds.

When we evaluate prospects we look at their talent at the time and try to pinpoint those odds.

Even if scouts at the time generally didn't feel Yakupov was a #1 talent, I guarantee you none of them thought he should go in the 7th round.

 

[GOilers88]

You can't give the Jack Adam's to a coach who has McDavid.

They gave one to Bylsma.

 

[Coffey]

They gave one to Bylsma.

Cause 97 > 87.

 

[GOilers88]

Cause 97 > 87.

Gave one to Sather too.

 

[Coffey]

Gave one to Sather too.

CAUSE 97 > 99

WOOOOOoooooooo

 

[Coffey]

At least Scotty Bowman only won it twice.
The people knew he controlled some super-powered teams.

 

[mkatcherin00]

For all herp derp people who say they can't play D, they are like 4th in GA/G in the last 2 months. That's the biggest change. Making more lays to exit their zone and eliminating the High Danger chances (2nd best team after LA)

 

[Frank Drebin]

For all herp derp people who say they can't play D, they are like 4th in GA/G in the last 2 months. That's the biggest change. Making more lays to exit their zone and eliminating the High Danger chances (2nd best team after LA)

Yes but how many teams have Stuart Skinner between the pipes.

The fact that he's looking like an NHL goalie is a miracle.

 

[mkatcherin00]

Yes but how many teams have Stuart Skinner between the pipes.

The fact that he's looking like an NHL goalie is a miracle.

He went from 0.844 to 0.900 now. Been 0.929 or so the last large stretch. He doesn't see a lot of Grade AAA chances. The PK is obviously way better too. Miles better than Woodcroft, who used a ton of different guys, whereas KK uses very few and also values line chemistry.

Overall, the Oilers are like other teams. Heater will end, they are not as bad as when they started, and are somewhere in between. They got goalied hard in about 4 games during their sh** start as well. They were not being outplayed.

Shooting % is low as well. It's climbed up a tad.

For example, Hyman is the highest Oiler in shooting % and the Canucks have 7 guys ahead of him in shooting %

Also, their PP is only like 17.7% during this 9 game win streak. Not their typical 30%. McDavid is also in on much less goals than he used to be. Around 40%

 

[ManofSteel55]

I should have been more clear, has Knoblauch implemented a new system? Is he running a 1-3-1 trap? Or is this another Therrian/Bylsma situation where the coach just makes adjustments to the old coaches system?

I guess that depends on what you mean by system. They didn't go from all offense to trap if that's what you mean, but he has made strategic changes in how the team plays, in that he has put more responsibility on the defensmen moving the puck and making plays, rather than sitting back and just bombing the puck up the ice, or holding it waiting for McDavid to come get it. He and Paul Coffey have the team making better decisions defensively in terms of where players need to be and how they pressure the opposition. So yes, there are system changes. I don't think I would consider it only tweaking of what was happening before, but he also hasn't done the scorched earth, burn it down and start again approach.

 

[K1984]

This is illogical. You can't look at a player's career and determine what round their accomplishments equates to.

Either they make it as NHL players or they don't. The earlier they get picked the better the odds.

When we evaluate prospects we look at their talent at the time and try to pinpoint those odds.

Even if scouts at the time generally didn't feel Yakupov was a #1 talent, I guarantee you none of them thought he should go in the 7th round.

Why? That's the entire point.

Not all #1 overalls are equal and there is zero way to know that without hindsight. In hindsight Yakupov is a bottom of the draft talent, Hall/RNH are in the range of top 5 talents, but not clear #1, while McDavid is a clear #1 talent, same with Draisaitl even though he went 3.

 

[Ghetty Green]

They gave one to Bylsma.

He didn't have McDavid tho

 

[GhostfaceWu]

He’s coached about 24 games. Cool your jets there.
More importantly, I don’t see it as likely that he wins even if the team continues to play extremely well for a more meaningful sample size as they were pre season favourites already. And there are more deserving candidates as I previously mentioned.

lol this guy acting like the jack adams award nominees are made at game 40 ffs. Nobody cares about who you think is deserving candidates this isn't a thread entitled "should Knoblauch be a jack adams nominees lets ask wescoastorca?"

 

[Bank Shot]

12
12/37 = 32.5%
Lol. Indeed!

You must live in the universe where they award the Adams after 40 games.....

 

[Fishy McScales]

Why? That's the entire point.

Not all #1 overalls are equal and there is zero way to know that without hindsight. In hindsight Yakupov is a bottom of the draft talent, Hall/RNH are in the range of top 5 talents, but not clear #1, while McDavid is a clear #1 talent, same with Draisaitl even though he went 3.

The point of what? Your own mental exercise in evaluating prospects?

I feel like we're talking about different things until I read your second point, then you're suddenly contradicting yourself and admitting that you can't evaluate a player fully without hindsight and that not all prospects are created equal.

Could you take me through your actual standpoint step by step?

 

[K1984]

The point of what? Your own mental exercise in evaluating prospects?

I feel like we're talking about different things until I read your second point, then you're suddenly contradicting yourself and admitting that you can't evaluate a player fully without hindsight and that not all prospects are created equal.

Could you take me through your actual standpoint step by step?

I can’t believe it’s this complicated for you.

All #1 picks aren’t equal (my entire point) - agree? If so, you would need the benefit of hindsight to determine which teams ended up with the pick in years where the better player was available. When making that evaluation, thinking about how they ended up as a player in the end relative to where they were taken is part of it. Really simple.

I’m sorry that accurately calling Yakupov a bottom of the barrel player got your back up for whatever reason.

 

[Fishy McScales]

I can’t believe it’s this complicated for you.

All #1 picks aren’t equal (my entire point) - agree? If so, you would need the benefit of hindsight to determine which teams ended up with the pick in years where the better player was available. When making that evaluation, thinking about how they ended up as a player in the end relative to where they were taken is part of it. Really simple.

I’m sorry that accurately calling Yakupov a bottom of the barrel player got your back up for whatever reason.

Ah I get it now. You're essentially arguing about redrafts which are an entirely hypothetical fantasy.

Even in such a fantasy, Yakupov would not be selected in the 7th round. He played 350 games and scored well over 100 points.

I argued he was a top 10 talent as of June 2012. You are free to disagree, that's what we're here for. To say that he was a 7th-round talent, and backing it up with alleged scout quotes that I doubt those scouts would agree on, is revisionist and hyperbole. And before you fire back that there were reports of scouts doubting him, I'm aware of them and believe them, but I strongly doubt those scouts had him in round 7.

Now I would understand this hyperbole if it were tongue-in-cheek, but our exchange here has shown that it wasn't. You actually believe it.

 

[Despote]

Oilers are the best team in the league for sure. What a wagon.

 

[HockeyWooot]

Do good teams need a historic PDO run to go from an 83 point non-playoff team to a league leading team?

No, just an upgrade to competent management and coaching.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

We originally wanted Dave Hakstol but Seattle said 'no' to letting us poach him midseason. So, we settled for his doppelganger

View attachment 800348View attachment 800349

Then get me his non-union, Saskatchewanian equivalent!

 

[geebster]

They've been great, but not hugely different than what was expected of them.

For that reason, I don't have him in the Adams picture at all.

 

[GOilers88]

He didn't have McDavid tho

Had to settle for Crosby.