GDT: Preseason Game 7, Oilers at Kraken beer leager. Oilers + 8 PM

[Jumptheshark]

Dude, we’re seven games in… to the preseason.

yep but people just need to complain--I have concerns but I am going to wait till at least game 20 before I start freaking out or other things

 

[nexttothemoon]

Personally I'm pretty happy with Stecher... I've watched him before and he's a guy that works his bag off and doesn't take anything for granted... as you really can't when you are that size and no pedigree to fall back on as a 30 year old undrafted guy.

Sure I'd be a lot more comfortable if Emberson was more experienced as well instead of a big question mark who's played 30 games... but then again so was Broberg (who I was never high on to begin with and is certainly not worth $4.6 million at this stage) and also... the Oilers would have never gotten Emberson for peanuts if he was more proven in the NHL.

Every team has a few weaknesses at certain spots and Oilers have a few... RD on the 2nd pairing "might" be one... maybe... unless Emberson and/or Stecher look decent there... which is entirely possible but we won't know for sure until the season starts for real.

I'm possibly more worried about offense... Skinner/Arvidsson HAVE to click or it's all down to McDrai yet again. Hyman had 54... very likely won't repeat that and RNH had 18... maybe can expect 20 out of him. McDrai hopefully score more than the 73 they did last year or else this team will take a dip in offense.

Goaltending is only "ok"... but that duo will only go as far as the team offense and defense takes them as they are very average at best.


I'm just saying this right now doesn't feel like a team at the top of the league that's coming in hot from the 7th game in the SC finals. It feels like they are jetlagged and will take some time to get up to speed again especially with every team in the NHL clearly gunning for them every game they play. No easy games for the Oilers,

 

[McDrai]

I hope the season starts soon so that it doesn’t jade my views on the team. This preseason has been quite ugly

 

[McAsuno]

Josh Brown sucks balls.

 

[Fishy McScales]

Petrovic played 1 regular season game last year
Florida didn’t have a single player who played 30 NHL games in their top 4 all season


I don’t give a shit they traded Ceci
I give a shit they didn’t upgrade on him

What would you have downgraded so we could afford an upgrade?

 

[Spawn]

What would you have downgraded so we could afford an upgrade?

The team spent $10m on Arvidsson, Skinner and Henrique on day one of free agency. There were options out there to spend less on shoring up the forward group and prioritizing adding a more proven option to cover that 2nd pair RHD spot.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Watching the highlights, it was better than I was expecting seeing the 6-2 score.

Team seems to be playing not to get injuried, which is fine imo.

Outside of Brown, most of the mistakes on the backend seemed to be on passing assignments vs. individual miscues. Considering only Ekholm and Bouchard have played together that's not overly surprising. Still, Brown has to have managed to play his way out of the #7 job. I imagine the team will grab someone off the waiver wire or sign Dermott.

Skinner-Drai doesn't seem to work. Both want to play things slow, waiting for the breakdown before jumping in and it just kills the pace of the line. Imo Drai doesn't excel with linemates that drift to open ice, trying to disappear in coverage. I think Arvidsson a great fit with him, but RNH and Skinner need to be swapped. I would also be tempted to see Lavoie on that line.

Considering the Oil have been overly optimistic about their injury timelines, I wonder if they should also be looking at a goalie on the wire? I don't trust Rod, and I don't want to rush Pickard back (who also didn't find his game this preseason).

 

[Fishy McScales]

The team spent $10m on Arvidsson, Skinner and Henrique on day one of free agency. There were options out there to spend less on shoring up the forward group and prioritizing adding a more proven option to cover that 2nd pair RHD spot.

Yeah I'm not saying there aren't alternatives, I just get a bit jaded when people say "upgrade this, upgrade that" as if the team had unlimited assets to spend or no salary cap.

Personally I think sacrificing Ceci to add/extend those guys is worth the risk, especially since it allows us to evaluate our RHD during the season and find a solution at the deadline.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Nice to see Nurse back, I suspect he was a little rusty and Rodrigue had a really tough night. I suspect they'll be looking at the waiver wire for a backup.

Also I think Brown "impressed" again lol

 

[jukon]

Idk if this stat can be trusted but Ryan went 0/5 in the faceoff?

 

[barry halls]

Skinner stinks, I would rather be paying Holloway 3m. I’ll bet he won’t eclipse 20 goals this year and brings nothing else to the table.

Good thing this team totally doesn’t have a history of cracking under the weight of high expectations and we can count on a great start to the regular season next week.

 

[alphahelix]

Dude, we’re seven games in… to the preseason.

Who said anything about preseason? Whats that got to do with anything?

 

[Lacaar]

I guess if we're extending it until they're even.

They started last year 12-12-1.

I think the point is the Oilers for whatever reason just can't find any consistent play early in seasons. and early in playoff series. They have to get punched in the face. Never the team that comes out with an agenda.. sets it.. and never looks back. Like the last 4 cup champs.

Until Edmonton starts setting the pace and dictating the terms. They'll always be playing Rocky Balboa hockey. The comeback kids.... the you wrote us off gang... the second half warriors.

I admit it's kind of fun watching your horse come back from mediocrity to challenge for the win. Unfortunately it hasn't really proven to be an effect tactic towards winning that cup. They came awfully close last year though. Close enough that maybe.. maybe they know. If they got their f***ing shit together earlier last year they may have won enough games to get home Ice in game 7. Or maybe they don't go down in 3 of 4 series and to quote Leon "make it hard on themselves". Maybe they're in better shape and not beat to f***ing shit. Vancouver had no business taking them to game 7 and it cost them dearly in round 4 imo.

Just an add on.. not saying this pre-season game indicates such things either. But if these guys are a 500 team a quarter way into the seaon.. same old.. same old.. fire up the come back.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I guess if we're extending it until they're even.

They started last year 12-12-1.

I mean if we're lucky it will probably be like last year, because they didn't learn anything.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841700791326843048

Agreed

Losing any one of the D we did shouldn't have been an issue, but losing all three definitely leaves a hole.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Yeah I'm not saying there aren't alternatives, I just get a bit jaded when people say "upgrade this, upgrade that" as if the team had unlimited assets to spend or no salary cap.

Personally I think sacrificing Ceci to add/extend those guys is worth the risk, especially since it allows us to evaluate our RHD during the season and find a solution at the deadline.

But why did they have to potentially make the D worse? I get not re-signing Desharnais, he's not worth it...Broberg the same thing (even though I'd have matched)
but when they traded Ceci I thought for sure they were gonna bring in someone better, not some SJ castoff that Grier wasn't willing to keep...despite being the exact type of player the Sharks need

they're relying on 3 defenseman now, with one of them having a putrid 2nd half of the season with a worse playoffs in Nurse

it's worrisome

 

[FlameChampion]

Another coach falling into the “must find the 16th, 17th and 18th F on the team” trap. They never learn.

Not really sure can blame it on that.

First, second and third lines have been together for at least 2 games and they aren’t really in sync. I think part of the problem with this team is that they can’t really play a simple game when things aren’t going. They keep trying to make 3-4 extra passes.

I think they needed to figure out their d pairings better though. But sorta hard also when Nurse is injured.

 

[bobbythebrain]

Petrovic played 1 regular season game last year
Florida didn’t have a single player who played 30 NHL games in their top 4 all season


I don’t give a shit they traded Ceci
I give a shit they didn’t upgrade on him

Florida won with a weak ass dcore on paper.
Vegas won with a waiver wire goalie.

Oilers will be fine dude

I guarantee had Hill not gone to Vegas but Edm picked him up to replace Skinner this board woulda freaked also

 

[CanadasTeam99]

Turn on the radio and all I hear is Spector defending the crap out of brown. Makes it sound like he's here to stay and he will be the next whipping boy lol

Pathetic

 

[oXo Cube]

Turn on the radio and all I hear is Spector defending the crap out of brown. Makes it sound like he's here to stay and he will be the next whipping boy lol

Pathetic

Didn't hear this segment but I've actually been rather surprised by the local media's pushback on this.

Even dinosaurs like Staples are openly wondering wtf the Oilers are smoking here.

 

[CupofOil]

I don't want to put too much stock into preseason but if preseason is any indication, this team might get off to a slow start again.

Is there any reason why Knoblauch didn't play Nurse-Emberson together? These guys are going to go into the season with zero chemistry and with Brown likely on the 3rd pairing, not ideal.

 

[Fishy McScales]

But why did they have to potentially make the D worse? I get not re-signing Desharnais, he's not worth it...Broberg the same thing (even though I'd have matched)
but when they traded Ceci I thought for sure they were gonna bring in someone better, not some SJ castoff that Grier wasn't willing to keep...despite being the exact type of player the Sharks need

they're relying on 3 defenseman now, with one of them having a putrid 2nd half of the season with a worse playoffs in Nurse

it's worrisome

Because they didn't think the juice was worth the squeeze with Ceci so they decided to free up cap space that could allow them to pull off an Ekholm-type deal in March.

We're certainly not better now than we were before the trade, but you can also argue we're only marginally worse and it has little impact on our chances at winning the division.

If it allows us to make a more meaningful add at the deadline I think this was worth the risk.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Personally I'm pretty happy with Stecher... I've watched him before and he's a guy that works his bag off and doesn't take anything for granted... as you really can't when you are that size and no pedigree to fall back on as a 30 year old undrafted guy.

Sure I'd be a lot more comfortable if Emberson was more experienced as well instead of a big question mark who's played 30 games... but then again so was Broberg (who I was never high on to begin with and is certainly not worth $4.6 million at this stage) and also... the Oilers would have never gotten Emberson for peanuts if he was more proven in the NHL.

Every team has a few weaknesses at certain spots and Oilers have a few... RD on the 2nd pairing "might" be one... maybe... unless Emberson and/or Stecher look decent there... which is entirely possible but we won't know for sure until the season starts for real.

I'm possibly more worried about offense... Skinner/Arvidsson HAVE to click or it's all down to McDrai yet again. Hyman had 54... very likely won't repeat that and RNH had 18... maybe can expect 20 out of him. McDrai hopefully score more than the 73 they did last year or else this team will take a dip in offense.

Goaltending is only "ok"... but that duo will only go as far as the team offense and defense takes them as they are very average at best.


I'm just saying this right now doesn't feel like a team at the top of the league that's coming in hot from the 7th game in the SC finals. It feels like they are jetlagged and will take some time to get up to speed again especially with every team in the NHL clearly gunning for them every game they play. No easy games for the Oilers,

Yep to all. We expected goal against to be up. Pretty much a given with this lineup. The concern to me is goal scoring and has been throughout preseason. We're having players and lines cheating forward, getting massive GA, and still not scoring. Not cashing hardly anything.

The thought that this team would just outscore all its problems with RV, Skinner added isn't yet taking shape. I'll give it time, I'm not concluding anything, but its not just the not scoring its several players not even getting scoring chances, and the team in general having loads of trouble in transition and setting up in Ozone. Combine this with pretty horrible weak own zone coverage and the team just isn't doing anything well.

We got one game left to fix some problems and then its regular season for real. We had all hoped the team stakes out first place in division this year and doesn't start out slow again.

The gunning comment is something people perhaps are not considering. Sure this has been the case to some extent but the Oilers are even more in the spotlight now being SC finalists. Ask clubs like Colorado, Vegas, STL, LA etc how well that goes the year after.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I don't want to put too much stock into preseason but if preseason is any indication, this team might get off to a slow start again.

Is there any reason why Knoblauch didn't play Nurse-Emberson together? These guys are going to go into the season with zero chemistry and with Brown likely on the 3rd pairing, not ideal.

Connor Brown played well yesterday and the line did. The Henrique line was better than the Drai line. Said that a couple times, figured I'd own up to it. Brown particularly looks a bit faster and more aggressive to pucks. Doing that EV as well which is more of what I wanted. Janmark however seemed to have some consistency energy problems and maybe fatigued with all the pk. The card in the pocket this season is how does Henrique help us here for a full season. Would like to see players dropped down to him occasionally to see some matching advantages playing against weaker opponent lines.

 

[CornKicker]

preseason is meaningless, no injuries thats more important than anything