Post-Game Talk: Oilers suffer from narcolepsy again to start the season

[GOilers88]

Just finished listening to the Got Yer Back Podcast and towards the end of the podcast they bring up an interesting point...this team doesnt seem to have command of its 'A' game.
Historically it only seems to come out when the situation becomes desperate.
Not a good sign at all.

I feel like that's a players issue.

Every year the stumble out of the gates. For years they've never been ready coming off of long breaks.

At a certain point fingers do need to start aiming at the core regardless of how many points they can put up over a season.

However, 2 games in is not that point.

 

[CycloneSweep]

They should have just ate the bullet and matched on both players instead of losing them for a 2nd, 2x3rds and a prospect that will never play an NHL game. Worst case, you trade them next summer or buyout Broberg.

Management was to focused on adding at this years deadline instead of what those players can do for us today and long term. Zero point to slow play prospects only to let them walk for nothing when they’re on the cusp of being full time NHLers.

Okay great, we matched. Find $6.9mill in cap space to do so. That was the issue. Without moving one of Nuge, Kane, Hyman moving Kulak and Arvidsson, there was no one to keep them both.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Hopefully not because we shouldn't need a new coach bump to get our heads out of our asses.

It shows that Woodcroft wasn’t the problem. The problem is always the players. Weather its skill, buy in or effort. 3 coaches in 3 years is unacceptable. If the players need a new coach every year to play at their best there is major problem with the leadership.

However, i choose to believe the wheels will come back once the heads get screwed on. People can shit on the defense all they want,but when you score 2 goals in two games you aren’t winning much.

 

[Oilslick941611]

I feel like that's a players issue.

Every year the stumble out of the gates. For years they've never been ready coming off of long breaks.

At a certain point fingers do need to start aiming at the core regardless of how many points they can put up over a season.

However, 2 games in is not that point.

The offseason was really short. Players were saying the right things, but i wonder if they truly were ready for the start season. Speaking as a fan, who thought the people complaining about hockey in July were crazy, aka gimme all the hockey, I’m having a hard time getting back into the mind set of even just watching the games. I had to remind myself opening night there was a game. For some reason it just feels different.

Maybe they are reading their own press, maybe they aren’t ready for the season to start, maybe its something else, but all these signs points to issues with the players, not management or coaching staff. People joking around for a coaching staff aren’t just deluding themselves. Just let the player cooks and give them time to work it out.

I’m not saying you are saying that, but a lot here are and it’s so easy not to log on when the doomers have control of the boards. I agree with you that the players are the issues, and i feel like the players should have a chance to work through it for the first few weeks of the season.

There’s no point in panicking, getting mad, or making massive changes in October, let alone the first week of the season. Our core as earned as much.

You’re right he is. Playing mediocre at the very best, but has a few points to shield it.

His points were generous, 2 of his assists came as he sat on the bench. He wasn’t even on the ice when the goals were scored.

 

[K1984]

It shows that Woodcroft wasn’t the problem. The problem is always the players. Weather its skill, buy in or effort. 3 coaches in 3 years is unacceptable. If the players need a new coach every year to play at their best there is major problem with the leadership.

However, i choose to believe the wheels will come back once the heads get screwed on. People can shit on the defense all they want,but when you score 2 goals in two games you aren’t winning much.

Don’t talk about the leadership group, they’re sacrosanct and it isn’t their fault. The real culprits?

Chiarelli
Holland
Smith
Koskinen
Skinner
Top 6 wingers 2019-22 - then 2024 again now
Bottom 6 2017 - to date
Old players
Young players
Mclelland
Woodcroft
Tippett
Hitchcock
Hendricks for leaving a leadership hole in the room
Gagner for leaving a leadership hole in the room
Too many big physical players that are tough, but slow
Too many fast players that are soft

Did I miss anything? Just recounting all the culprits for being unable to play properly over the years. We’ve had pretty much every iteration of player around the leadership group, yet every single year there is at least one month between Oct - Dec where we are the worst team in the NHL.

The only thing we can be certain of? Definitely can’t possibly be anything to do with McDavid, Draisaitl, RNH or Nurse. They’re the only constants over this time, but can’t be anything to do with them. It’s a sin to suggest it’s anything to do with them.

 

[Oilslick941611]

They should have just ate the bullet and matched on both players instead of losing them for a 2nd, 2x3rds and a prospect that will never play an NHL game. Worst case, you trade them next summer or buyout Broberg.

Management was to focused on adding at this years deadline instead of what those players can do for us today and long term. Zero point to slow play prospects only to let them walk for nothing when they’re on the cusp of being full time NHLers.

No way, they aren’t worth the contracts and they wouldn’t have impacted any games we’ve lost.

 

[GOilers88]

The offseason was really short. Players were saying the right things, but i wonder if they truly were ready for the start season. Speaking as a fan, who thought the people complaining about hockey in July were crazy, aka gimme all the hockey, I’m having a hard time getting back into the mind set of even just watching the games. I had to remind myself opening night there was a game. For some reason it just feels different.

Maybe they are reading their own press, maybe they aren’t ready for the season to start, maybe its something else, but all these signs points to issues with the players, not management or coaching staff. People joking around for a coaching staff aren’t just deluding themselves. Just let the player cooks and give them time to work it out.

I’m not saying you are saying that, but a lot here are and it’s so easy not to log on when the doomers have control of the boards. I agree with you that the players are the issues, and i feel like the players should have a chance to work through it for the first few weeks of the season.

There’s no point in panicking, getting mad, or making massive changes in October, let alone the first week of the season. Our core as earned as much.


His points were generous, 2 of his assists came as he sat on the bench. He wasn’t even on the ice when the goals were scored.

I don't buy the short offseason thing. Maybe if they were coming off multiple consecutive deep runs and a cup, but they aren't.

That said we seem to agree. It's on the players to figure out, and I think they will like they always seem to. It's just past the point of pointing fingers at anything other than players.

 

[VainGretzky]

the team is outplaying the opposition they are not getting the goaltending and are facing better goalies and the over passing needs to stop ASAP

 

[McShogun99]

Okay great, we matched. Find $6.9mill in cap space to do so. That was the issue. Without moving one of Nuge, Kane, Hyman moving Kulak and Arvidsson, there was no one to keep them both.

They had the cap space to match if Kane went LTIR. Just means we’re not adding anything at the deadline.

 

[CycloneSweep]

They had the cap space to match if Kane went LTIR. Just means we’re not adding anything at the deadline.

They didn’t even have clarity on Kanes injury. Which has him coming back in March at the absolute latest. You do realize that would mean that the deadline would have us selling players to make room for Kane coming back right? Thats not something the team could chance.
You can really game the system in August with an injury that takes 5-6 months to recover from and then go “oh he suddenly needs 7 months” the league would instantly call us on it and we would be f***ed. The only way the team can have a chance at abusing the LTIR loophole is to use wait till near the deadline and go “oh he isn’t healing well”.

 

[McDNicks17]

It shows that Woodcroft wasn’t the problem. The problem is always the players. Weather its skill, buy in or effort. 3 coaches in 3 years is unacceptable. If the players need a new coach every year to play at their best there is major problem with the leadership.

However, i choose to believe the wheels will come back once the heads get screwed on. People can shit on the defense all they want,but when you score 2 goals in two games you aren’t winning much.

Nah, Woodcroft's implementation of the system was some peewee level stuff.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Nah, Woodcroft's implementation of the system was some peewee level stuff.

It was a mix of him and needing Manson to do so much of it with the d core. Which would be fine if his wife didn’t die like a month before the season.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

It shows that Woodcroft wasn’t the problem. The problem is always the players. Weather its skill, buy in or effort. 3 coaches in 3 years is unacceptable. If the players need a new coach every year to play at their best there is major problem with the leadership.

However, i choose to believe the wheels will come back once the heads get screwed on. People can shit on the defense all they want,but when you score 2 goals in two games you aren’t winning much.

Woodcroft screwed himself in the Vegas series by being too stubborn to pull Skinner when he was actively costing the Oilers games

No one did less with more than he did and was definitely the problem