Post-Game Talk: Parental guidance advised

[Fishy McScales]

Doesn't this boil down to Connor Browns contract costing us contract space. Wasn't the amount deferred? I find that a lot of takes on this which ever side of the deal one is on are creative. In fairness its an unorthodox contract. Bottom line for me is I didn't want the player here at all. He's been significantly better than last season, I'll cede that.

We are at 45/50 contracts. We're fine.

 

[Soundwave]

Connor Brown is like 4th highest on the team for 5-on-5 points/60, higher than RNH.

For 1 million bucks that's not bad, the shit contract structure from last year is on Holland for being a dummy, doesn't have anything to do with his current contract.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Easy Path? They had to beat the top 2 seeds in the west to get to the finals and played the #2 seed in the east (a 110 pt team) in the finals.

I get that yesterday was a bad loss but the hysterics around here are absurd. They were 11-2-1 in their previous 14 before yesterday beating some elite teams along the way, crushing a few of them. Some folks just need to take a break from hockey for a while.

It isn't simply "hysterics" that a SC contending club that is in only now contention and that has lost several futures prospects just for the now is sitting in 3rd place in division this far into the season and is only 3ts into a playoff spot at all. That said I maintain as I have all along the Oilers will make the playoffs. But unless we solve the problem that McD and Drai are doing basically everything offensively this club isn't going as far. Its a given this playoffs we'll be facing Vegas. We got a reprieve from that last season. Indeed we faced zero recent SC winning teams during our entire playoffs. Usually a club ends up having to dethrone a champ somewhere along the way.

Unless this current roster finds something in present lineup, or in TDL this team isn't going to have the same run in the playoffs. I'm wondering if its a 2nd round out.

 

[Drivesaitl]

We are at 45/50 contracts. We're fine.

Cap space is what was meant. Anyhoo.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I don’t think you’ll find too many people defending the initial signing and bonus but the decision to re-sign Brown was a separate decision and the bonus would have already needed to be paid regardless.

He’s 6th in team scoring, on pace for 36 points in a bottom 6 role and a key penalty killer. For a million bucks I think that’s a pretty good return.

His statline is basically identical to someone like McLeod

Its fair enough comment. When I'm speaking of Brown though I'm not just talking about this season. I'm talking about his sum contribution through two seasons.

There was a plurality on the board defending the initial signing and the bonus. It was being credited as fantastic and creative contract at the time. My own take was Brown wasn't going to be the player he was in Ottawa and hasn't been.

In anycase Connor Brown has been delivering this season. I'll adjust my posting accordingly. No easy feat for me.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Well you threw a hissy fit and name called me when I called him a panzie after he lost his 3rd stick battle of the game. One was pretty brutal where he even had position but simply got out hussled

Nowadays he loses more body battles than he wins , and don't get me started on his 5v5 play.

The play on OT is a rarity for him. He has the ability, you just rarely see the effort anymore

Again, I'm not sure what stupid point you are trying to make, but again, good for you?

 

[Fishy McScales]

Cap space is what was meant. Anyhoo.

The amount was "deferred", that's how bonuses work for anything that exceeds the cap. That still means exactly what I said: last year's contract is what prevented us from signing players, not the one he signed this year.

I've tried explaining this to you before. Turns out it's futile and I don't care to do it anymore.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The amount was "deferred", that's how bonuses work for anything that exceeds the cap. That still means exactly what I said: last year's contract is what prevented us from signing players, not the one he signed this year.

I've tried explaining this to you before. Turns out it's futile and I don't care to do it anymore.

But you will anyway. If only to meet your condescend needs.

 

[TheNumber4]

Not really. We got Kapanen for instance, same sticker price. He actually does something and can play up or down. The whole time we had Carrick I'm wondering how this guy even got into the league. Whatever it was he didn't bring it here or in NY.

Brown is more effective player than Kapanen overall. Brown produces his points from the 3rd line. PKs. Is more defensively responsible. And it’s not like Kapanens offence is better than Browns, although it does look sexier.

 

[Zguy370]

I was flipping through the Oilers players stats for the season and I just have to laugh.
Most here know my disdain for RNH, I’ve wanted to trade his ass for well over a decade. But there he is 3 points up on Connor f***ing Brown, one of the biggest whipping boys on this forum. His 7 goals are one more than such studs as Skinner, Brown and old man Perry. Seems like these 3 are the biggest whipping boys on the roster yet Nuge gets the free pass, 5M bucks and is stapled to McDrai at evens and on the PP.

I know the rebuttal is always “oh but his coaches love him” yeah, and every one of those coaches never won jack shit here, and every one of those coaches was also fired.

Just the facts.

I actually don't take this team or org seriously anymore, their hard on for RHN and S. Skinner in particular, is comical to say the least.

These two treated primma donnas are off limits, exempt from any criticism or accountability. One of them has been for 14 seasons and counting, never won anything and maybe never will, but we must be nice and polite with them, because we don't want to hurt their feelings. Such a joke!

 

[Drivesaitl]

Brown is more effective player than Kapanen overall. Brown produces his points from the 3rd line. PKs. Is more defensively responsible. And it’s not like Kapanens offence is better than Browns, although it does look sexier.

Kaps G/60 is higher and he didn't take a year settling in here. He had the harder job of trying to fit in and establish as a player coming in during season which is much more challenging than having the whole TC here and gelling with team. What Kap has done is noteworthy and he's scored bottomsix as well and is playing pk now too.

I don't buy that Brown is more effective, but I'm not clear what you mean by that. kapanen scores because he has a much better shot. Kap is challenging goalies from well out. I wouldn't be opposed to him being back in topsix at some point.

In anycase Kapanen deserves every credit I've given him for not even taking a moment to hit the ground running here. He's been a good soldier for us.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I actually don't take this team or org seriously anymore, their hard on for RHN and S. Skinner in particular, is comical to say the least.

These two treated primma donnas are off limits, exempt from any criticism or accountability. One of them has been for 14 seasons and counting, never won anything and maybe never will, but we must be nice and polite with them, because we don't want to hurt their feelings. Such a joke!

Historically I've been hard on RNH because he almost always leaves you wanting more, and further to recognition of what the player has when he brings it. That said every season he has heat up PPG stretches he goes on and we're just a season removed from his peak production where he did give it his all and had 104pts. its the frustration with Nuge is you know theres a star player there but you know he often gives less than he could.

The reason coaches like him, and they all would, is he makes smart plays across 200ft of ice. Very few mistakes with this guy relative to other players. Nuge is on a lower pt pace right now but I'd be surprised if he doesn't come up with 60pts on full season. Recently Nuge has had the flu. May have some bearing on how he's looking currently or the team as a whole is. People haven't commented on the flu or other infection is probably going around the lineup.

 

[TheNumber4]

Holy f*** what cringe session.

How do you feel about being scratched?

How do you really really feel about being scratched?

Did Kris tell you why you were scratched?

Do you know why you are scratched?

Did you anticipate being scratched?

Back when you signed the contract did you think you were going to be scratched?

Do you have experience being previously scratched?

What lessons have you learned in the past by being scratched?

Is it not goal scoring the reason you are scratched?

What have you learned about being scratched?

What will you learn being scratched?

And one more to clarify, did you enjoy being scratched?

 

[Soundwave]

Kaps G/60 is higher and he didn't take a year settling in here. He had the harder job of trying to fit in and establish as a player coming in during season which is much more challenging than having the whole TC here and gelling with team. What Kap has done is noteworthy and he's scored bottomsix as well and is playing pk now too.

I don't buy that Brown is more effective, but I'm not clear what you mean by that. kapanen scores because he has a much better shot. Kap is challenging goalies from well out. I wouldn't be opposed to him being back in topsix at some point.

In anycase Kapanen deserves every credit I've given him for not even taking a moment to hit the ground running here. He's been a good soldier for us.

Both Kapanen and Brown have been positive contributors to the team this year, especially given their salary, I don't see the point in ragging on either one. RNH should be ashamed of himself for having like the worst points/60 5-on-5 for a forward on this team despite being stapled to McDavid. Henrique has sucked also.

 

[CupofOil]

LAK and Van would be considered easy. We also avoided the AVS and the Knights

It wasn't easy, but certainly wasn't hard.

Dallas and Vancouver didn't have the Cup pedigree of Vegas and Colorado but they were the two best teams in the west last season pretty much wire to wire and Dallas beat the Avs and Knights then lost to the Oilers so those teams the Oilers "avoided" lost to the team that the Oilers beat.

In any event, my general point is that I see so much panic in this thread about a team that, yeah, had an ugly loss yesterday but was on a 11-2-1 heater going in.
Yeah it's frustrating that the division lead is further away now but the Oilers never make it easy, it's just how this core does things.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Both Kapanen and Brown have been positive contributors to the team this year, especially given their salary, I don't see the point in ragging on either one. RNH should be ashamed of himself for having like the worst points/60 5-on-5 for a forward on this team despite being stapled to McDavid. Henrique has sucked also.

I don't disagree. For the time being and providing Brown keeps bringing the best he can I'm revising my posting on him.

i don't know what gets in RNH head sometimes. Why he often accepts being less than he could be. As back as Tmac he was being called out on that. "RNH isn't always leaving it all on the ice" Others have mentioned that Nuge buys in more to the defensive cautious side of the game at times but this limits the offensive production he could bring. With his reads he could be more than he's being thus far this season.

 

[Soundwave]

Dallas and Vancouver didn't have the Cup pedigree of Vegas and Colorado but they were the two best teams in the west last season pretty much wire to wire and Dallas beat the Avs and Knights then lost to the Oilers so those teams the Oilers "avoided" lost to the team that the Oilers beat.

In any event, my general point is that I see so much panic in this thread about a team that, yeah, had an ugly loss yesterday but was on a 11-2-1 heater going in.
Yeah it's frustrating that the division lead is further away now but the Oilers never make it easy, it's just how this core does things.

It's not "how this core does things".

Winning division titles over an 82 game marathon is hard when you have no go to starter the team can lean on.

Playoffs may actually be easier for this group in some respects because it's a much shorter number of games.

In 82-games though, your roster weaknesses (like not having a legit starter) do end up costing you.

This org doesn't want to invest in goaltending, they don't deserve a division title or home ice in the playoffs. Is what it is.

If you want a division title and home ice in the playoffs, then you can do the same work other teams do to get a starter. Every Pacific winner the last several years has had a good starter or solid tandem (23-24: Demko Vancouver, 22-23: Hill/Thompson Vegas, 21-22: Markstrom Calgary, 19-20 MAF Vegas).

 

[Drivesaitl]

Dallas and Vancouver didn't have the Cup pedigree of Vegas and Colorado but they were the two best teams in the west last season pretty much wire to wire and Dallas beat the Avs and Knights then lost to the Oilers so those teams the Oilers "avoided" lost to the team that the Oilers beat.

In any event, my general point is that I see so much panic in this thread about a team that, yeah, had an ugly loss yesterday but was on a 11-2-1 heater going in.
Yeah it's frustrating that the division lead is further away now but the Oilers never make it easy, it's just how this core does things.

Vancouver were a flat out mirage that needed ridiculous comebacks and flukes to even get by Nashville, the worst playoff club in the league. On ice the Nucks weren't much, and are showing what they are this season in spades. I agree with your assessment of this season, no reason for panic, but there is reason for some concern. Its indelible by now that the JJ portion of offseason signings was pretty bad. Not just that Arvid and Skinner haven't been worth it but that it was the lynchpin that caused little cap space to sign or match the offersheets.

Trouble is a season later we have a worse roster and we'll need help at TDL. Will we even have capspace to get it?

 

[CupofOil]

It's not "how this core does things".

Winning division titles over an 82 game marathon is hard when you have no go to starter the team can lean on.

Playoffs may actually be easier for this group in some respects because it's a much shorter number of games.

In 82-games though, your roster weaknesses (like not having a legit starter) do end up costing you.

This org doesn't want to invest in goaltending, they don't deserve a division title or home ice in the playoffs. Is what it is.

The team has always made things hard on themselves in the McDavid era. Understandable in the early years because the talent wasn't there yet but this team has continuously lacked focus early in seasons and therefore makes it an uphill climb to get into playoff and then division contention.

The start this year wasn't as bad but it was bad enough that they were still 6 points out of the division lead going into yesterday despite going 11-2-1 in their previous 14.
They've been capable of winning divisions the last 3 years especially but the team constantly digs holes for itself.

 

[TheNumber4]

Zero talk about Pickards two shit goals last night?

And yet when Skinner let’s in zero shit goals, non stop talk?

I’d say Pickards 2 goals last night were probably worse goals than anything Skinners has let in, in 2 weeks

 

[Soundwave]

Zero talk about Pickards two shit goals last night?

And yet when Skinner let’s in zero shit goals, non stop talk?

I’d say Pickards 2 goals last night were probably worse goals than anything Skinners has let in, in 2 weeks

They both aren't good enough for a team with Cup aspirations. Good enough?

Skinner takes more shit because he's paid more and is hyped up to be a starter.

If he was the back up to an actual starter, no one would care about Stuart Skinner.

 

[CupofOil]

Vancouver were a flat out mirage that needed ridiculous comebacks and flukes to even get by Nashville, the worst playoff club in the league. On ice the Nucks weren't much, and are showing what they are this season in spades. I agree with your assessment of this season, no reason for panic, but there is reason for some concern. Its indelible by now that the JJ portion of offseason signings was pretty bad. Not just that Arvid and Skinner haven't been worth it but that it was the lynchpin that caused little cap space to sign or match the offersheets.

Trouble is a season later we have a worse roster and we'll need help at TDL. Will we even have capspace to get it?

It's way too early to say that. Skinner yes but Arvidsson is clearly a good player when healthy, the Podkolzin and Emberson moves were solid especially considering the shit hand they were dealt with the offer sheets. Bringing back the 3rd line from last playoff run at those numbers was solid and I think those guys will be good again in the playoffs even though there's been some uneven play with Henrique in particular. Losing Broberg, Holloway and Foegele (the way he's playing this season) stung somewhat but the former two in particular are more of a long term loss, their contributions last season are replaceable in the short term.

This team will be judged in the playoffs, that's where we're at in the process so I'm giving an incomplete grade until we see that manifest itself, plus we need to see what's done at the deadline to give a proper assessment of what was done with the accrued cap space used by not matching the offer sheets.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The team has always made things hard on themselves in the McDavid era. Understandable in the early years because the talent wasn't there yet but this team has continuously lacked focus early in seasons and therefore makes it an uphill climb to get into playoff and then division contention.

The start this year wasn't as bad but it was bad enough that they were still 6 points out of the division lead going into yesterday despite going 11-2-1 in their previous 14.
They've been capable of winning divisions the last 3 years especially but the team constantly digs holes for itself.

Every team in the league sags at times during an 82 game schedule. What McDrai have never had is a goalie that will help them get results even in a string of less than ideal games. Indeed the causation of the weak starts the last two seasons was some pretty questionable goaltending. It eventually drags on a team dependent so much on a few players that they don't have a starting goalie, and that they don't have a deep lineup of players producing.

Heres an eye opener. The Washington Caps have 8 players with 23 or more pts. The Oilers have 3. The team with only 3 guns is going to have trouble at times in the schedule when any of those guns are jammed.

We also nearly halfway into a season have only 3 forwards with more than 7 goals. that is laughable, really awful scoring depth to this point.

 

[Soundwave]

The team has always made things hard on themselves in the McDavid era. Understandable in the early years because the talent wasn't there yet but this team has continuously lacked focus early in seasons and therefore makes it an uphill climb to get into playoff and then division contention.

The start this year wasn't as bad but it was bad enough that they were still 6 points out of the division lead going into yesterday despite going 11-2-1 in their previous 14.
They've been capable of winning divisions the last 3 years especially but the team constantly digs holes for itself.

It's extremely hard to win a division title when you don't have a goalie to lean on. You're going to piss away some points over the course of 82 games when you don't have goaltending that can take over a game here or there.

It is what it is, as I said, playoffs are almost a better format for this team, 82 games is too long of a haul for shit goaltending to not get exposed and there isn't the emotion of the playoffs with a raucous crowd every night either.

In that situation sometimes you need a goalie to say "OK fellas, yeah I feel ya, you have about 80% tonight, not 100%, Mom's Trip coming off a holiday break, don't worry about it, I'll take the team home tonight in the 3rd period".

We don't ever get the benefit of that.

The management and front office of this team don't deserve a division title/home ice. They get what they pay for.

 

[TheNumber4]

They both aren't good enough for a team with Cup aspirations. Good enough?

Skinner takes more shit because he's paid more and is hyped up to be a starter.

If he was the back up to an actual starter, no one would care about Stuart Skinner.

Oh so an admission that all the expert goalie talk in GDTs isnt really about their performance on whatever night, or the quality of chances they let in.

Just a veiled attempt to bitch and moan about what the GM should do.

Well atleast we’re finally being honest.