Rumor: Rumors & Proposals Thread | Forwards & Goaltending Under a Microscope, Which Bottom 6 Forwards Do You Keep?

[foshizzle]

Knoblauch's in game adjustments are one of his bigger strengths and are a huge reason why we won back to back conference championships.
Get him a true starting goalie and Dmen that aren't sub par , injured, over the hill or just dumb and he will do better. Get him a 3C or 4C that isnt a passenger and top 6 wingers who aren't Perry, Kapanene, Podkolzin.

Sure- but his adjustments failed in the finals. He was badly outcoached and had no idea who played well with who. Putting 97/29 together cost him dearly because the team below had nothing. Arvidsson/Podz worked with Drai all season- should have left it. His hatred and blindspot for Skinner prevented him from putting him with 97. Instead he went with 40 yar old Perry, how had the lowest p/60 5v5 on the team. Kane getting bumped up the first 4 games was just a parade to the box. And despite your knock on the third line, they were the only line that had a very good xG% and prevented goals against. They did their job

 

[FlameChampion]

I just think its crazy how dead the rumors and trades thread was before we lost. You don't blowup a team or make big decisions moments after an emotional loss like that. Now everyone seems to know the answer (which is basically whatever their previous prejudice was) they can just blame Bouchard, Skinner, Kane, Ekholm, Arvidsson or whoever else you want and it appears that everyone should go.

I get it, fans are emotional and are hurting. They want to see changes but I can't believe how much everyone is over reacting and how the sky is falling. Bowman was right in his presser, 30 other teams would love to trade to be in our position.

You would think we missed the playoffs with how much negativity is on here. We still have a good team and I think fans are going to go crazy when they see what the new cap market is going to look like.

I personally think its bad juju talking about the roster during the playoff run.

I agree with your message however I still think you have to look at the year as a whole. The team wasn’t great in the regular season and they were very close to losing in the first round. I did really like how we played against Vegas and Dallas though.

I think we need some more productive wingers to take some minutes off of McDavid and Draisaitl in the regular season.

I also think if the team doesn’t want or can’t move Nurse, they need to be really smart about what they pay bottom 6 players. If we overpay them, it just leaves less money for forward and goaltending upgrades which are needed.

I’d really like to see Bowman plug as many holes as possible in the offseason rather than waiting for the deadline. I’d like to see him be a bit more proactive and creative than some of the GM’s of the past.

Some of the more monumental change with this group may come in assistant coaches. I don’t love the way Stuart and Gulutzan ran the PP/PK this year. I don’t think Coffey had a good finals either.

 

[Canovin]

lol the series was tied 2-2 on an own goal OT goal in a game Florida were up 3-0. Should've been 3- 1 at that point and didn't matter as we were never even remotely in the series after that. Panthers walked us 3 of the games. I'm sure you were among the people complaining about that in real time.

I'm different I tried to be positive during the playoffs and final but now IS the time for evaluation and lineup changes and moves as this thread is for. I'm not gonna pretend we were closer. We weren't at all.

Let's be honest, if the league suspended Ekblad during the playoffs and didn't allow the Marchand and Seth Jones trades, the Oilers would beat them quite comfortably.

The Oilers are right there but how do you beat a team that the league design to win back to back?

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I wonder if there's a deal there with the Leafs and the Oilers. The Leafs want more useful size and toughness, Oilers want a goalie?

To TOR: Kane, Stu and 2027 3rd

To EDM: Woll, Reaves & Jarnkrok

 

[McDoused]

I agree with this assessment. This year's team was better than last years for sure, especially at 5v5. Unfortunately the special teams was much worse this year. The powerplay was suppose to be there strength didn't show up in critical situations where they could've pulled ahead by 2 goals or more.
Then there is the PK, most of the year it's been bad, but the finals, especially the first 4 games, was horrible.
The first 3 games, every infraction was called, so many pp opportunities for both teams, and only one team took advantage of the situation. Knob probably told his players to tone down their physicality afraid of taking more dumb penalties.

Priority #2 after figuring out the goalie situation, has to be figuring out their PK, whether that is bringing in a new coach and/or players that can kill a penalty. And definitely don't use McDavid on the PK as a regular rotation, he got scored on too often. Use him only as a change of pace on the PK.
Very noticable in how the game changed from 1-3 and 4-6, penalties weren't being called as much, and Oilers weren't as physical anymore, while the Panthers was business as usual.

Great post.

Special teams need to be much better. You could see the Oilers playing scared of taking penalties and then played a simple 5v5 game. Everyone is ripping on our depth in finals because they didn't "show up" offensively but they didn't get caved either.

Ironically enough here are the 5v5 GF and GA in finals for all 13 forwards:

Draisaitl 4GF 9GA (-5)
McDavid 3GF 8GA (-5)
Perry 3GF 7GA (-4)

Nuge 1GF 3GA (-2) injured
Brown 1GF 3A (-2) injured
Frederic 1 GF 2 GA (-1) injured
Kane 3GF 4GA (-1)
Henrique 1GF 2GA (-1)

Arvidsson 2GF 2GA 0
Kapanen 3GF 3GA 0
Skinner 1GF 1GA 0

Podkolzin 4GF 3GA +1
Janmark 3GF 1GA + 2

Statistically the depth didn't really hurt the team outside of those guys that were injured. The bigger problem was that the McDavid Draisaitl-Perry line was utterly dominated.

Now you can blame that on goaltending or playing from behind and I think their is some truth to that.

 

[McDoused]

I personally think its bad juju talking about the roster during the playoff run.

I agree with your message however I still think you have to look at the year as a whole. The team wasn’t great in the regular season and they were very close to losing in the first round. I did really like we played against Vegas and Dallas though.

I think we need some more productive wingers to take some minutes off of McDavid and Draisaitl in the regular season.

I also think if the team doesn’t want or can’t move Nurse, they need to be really smart about what they pay bottom 6 players. If we overpay them, it just leaves less money for forward and goaltending upgrades which are needed.

I’d really like to see Bowman plug as many holes as possible in the offseason rather than waiting for the deadline. I’d like to see him be a bit more proactive and creative than some of the GM’s of the past.

Some of the more monumental change with this group may come in assistant coaches. I don’t love the way Stuart and Gulutzan ran the PP/PK this year. I don’t think Coffey had a good finals either.

I agree with all this. Knoblauch and his coaching staff did a great job making adjustments but need to be better at getting guys ready to go out of the gate, not when their backs are against the wall. Special teams were killer. If we had last years special teams showed up this year we probably talk about a cup.

I don't see us moving on from Knoblauch but some new assistant head coaches might be what the doctors ordered.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Let's be honest, if the league suspended Ekblad during the playoffs and didn't allow the Marchand and Seth Jones trades, the Oilers would beat them quite comfortably.

The Oilers are right there but how do you beat a team that the league design to win back to back?

Yet the panthers are tasked with defeating the two Generational players of the current era. Who lead all others in production except Mackinnon. No other team has this dynamic duo and the Panthers were tasked with defeating them., and did twice. We can blame it on league but frankly Jones isn't my first pick D I think he was down the list in most effective D and the Panther win with or without him. Without Marchand, a different matter. He certainly had impact.

In anycase if we just defter to the "we were jobbed by the NHL" sentiment than why even watch? heh, I try to discount that aspect at times to continue interest. If I give in totally to the notion its all fixed then I lose NHL hockey and all interest in it. Which may already have occurred without this being the McDrai era.

 

[McDoused]

Let's be honest, if the league suspended Ekblad during the playoffs and didn't allow the Marchand and Seth Jones trades, the Oilers would beat them quite comfortably.

The Oilers are right there but how do you beat a team that the league design to win back to back?

Right. The PED "punishment" actually helped the panthers. The NHL needs to have it fixed similar to MLB. You cheat and you're ineligible for playoffs and cant use that money.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Great post.

Special teams need to be much better. You could see the Oilers playing scared of taking penalties and then played a simple 5v5 game. Everyone is ripping on our depth in finals because they didn't "show up" offensively but they didn't get caved either.

Ironically enough here are the 5v5 GF and GA in finals for all 13 forwards:

Draisaitl 4GF 9GA (-5)
McDavid 3GF 8GA (-5)
Perry 3GF 7GA (-4)

Nuge 1GF 3GA (-2) injured
Brown 1GF 3A (-2) injured
Frederic 1 GF 2 GA (-1) injured
Kane 3GF 4GA (-1)
Henrique 1GF 2GA (-1)

Arvidsson 2GF 2GA 0
Kapanen 3GF 3GA 0
Skinner 1GF 1GA 0

Podkolzin 4GF 3GA +1
Janmark 3GF 1GA + 2

Statistically the depth didn't really hurt the team outside of those guys that were injured. The bigger problem was that the McDavid Draisaitl-Perry line was utterly dominated.

Now you can blame that on goaltending or playing from behind and I think their is some truth to that.

Imagine what these numbers look like with saves, one can only dream

 

[Canovin]

Yet the panthers are tasked with defeating the two Generational players of the current era. Who lead all others in production except Mackinnon. No other team has this dynamic duo and the Panthers were tasked with defeating them., and did twice. We can blame it on league but frankly Jones isn't my first pick D I think he was down the list in most effective D and the Panther win with or without him. Without Marchand, a different matter. He certainly had impact.

In anycase if we just defter to the "we were jobbed by the NHL" sentiment than why even watch? heh, I try to discount that aspect at times to continue interest. If I give in totally to the notion its all fixed then I lose NHL hockey and all interest in it. Which may already have occurred without this being the McDrai era.

It's all about luck and timing as well. This version of the Oilers would beat a lot of other championship teams too including 2024 Florida. 2025 Florida was essentially built by the league. Bettman essentially said do whatever you have to to win back to back and I got my linesmen and ref to help as well. Did you see how happy Bettman looked before handing over the cup? That's the happiest I've ever seen him.

 

[McDoused]

Imagine what these numbers look like with saves, one can only dream

And this is where I go back to looking at the team as a whole across an entire season. All season long goaltending has been inconsistent at best. The team needs a goaltender that they are confident in. Its been our biggest weakness for years. Good goaltending hides warts on team and Florida was confident in front of Bob.

 

[GhostfaceWu]

This is cringe post.

Condemning someone before even knowing their guilt....meanwhile absolving someone like Kane by blaming it all on the ex.

I have no probs having Kane on the roster but the guy gambled and cheated all his money away while he had a family to support.

Talk about some backwards logic you got

Arguing like you're fox inferring a bunch of crap that wasn't even in his post and excluding the fact that what he said about the ex is true. Half the shit people were using against him was from claims from the nutball who was later found out to be a total nutball.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Right. The PED "punishment" actually helped the panthers. The NHL needs to have it fixed similar to MLB. You cheat and you're ineligible for playoffs and cant use that money.

The NHL is afraid of what drug tests will show. Be no doubt half the players are using something especially Ovechkin. The PA doesn’t want them either. The NHL is as poorly run an enterprise solely designed to make money for owners via rising franchise values.

 

[FlameChampion]

I personally think its bad juju talking about the roster during the playoff run.

I agree with your message however I still think you have to look at the year as a whole. The team wasn’t great in the regular season and they were very close to losing in the first round. I did really like we played against Vegas and Dallas though.

I think we need some more productive wingers to take some minutes off of McDavid and Draisaitl in the regular season.

I also think if the team doesn’t want or can’t move Nurse, they need to be really smart about what they pay bottom 6 players. If we overpay them, it just leaves less money for forward and goaltending upgrades which are needed.

I’d really like to see Bowman plug as many holes as possible in the offseason rather than waiting for the deadline. I’d like to see him be a bit more proactive and creative than some of the GM’s of the past.

Some of the more monumental change with this group may come in assistant coaches. I don’t love the way Stuart and Gulutzan ran the PP/PK this year. I don’t think Coffey had a good finals either.

To add to my post. I think the regular season is difficult to assess on this team. In previous seasons Skinner was inconsistent, he had good and bad stretches. He was consistently bad this season, with very few good stretches. Just having a competent goaltending will take some of the minutes off of our top guys.

We still need some better forwards who can score more though imo. I don’t think the finishing or PDO is simply bad luck with this group.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

And this is where I go back to looking at the team as a whole across an entire season. All season long goaltending has been inconsistent at best. The team needs a goaltender that they are confident in. Its been our biggest weakness for years. Good goaltending hides warts on team and Florida was confident in front of Bob.

Honestly the main thing it does is doesn't force a team to be basically flawless or lose. I imagine that becomes exhausting.

 

[GhostfaceWu]

The NHL is afraid of what drug tests will show. Be no doubt half the players are using something especially Ovechkin. The PA doesn’t want them either. The NHL is as poorly run an enterprise solely designed to make money for owners via rising franchise values.

Theyre gonna get tested at the Olympics regardless next year.

 

[frag2]

There are many players who beat the odds, but players under 6 and 170 lb are incredibly risky amateurs.

Yammo was a 1st rounder. We drafted him because he went to the hard areas... and that ended his career.

Savoie has shown incredible worth ethic, IQ and skill, and a legal hit could give him a concussion.

Yamo playing hard didn't end his career. Posters need to stop saying that. An illegal elbow ended it



This has nothing to do with size but everything to do with Landeskog being dirty.

I'd still give Savoie a shot before writing him off.

 

[aggressive forecheck]

I haven't posted here in a while.

I think it's impossible to come into next year with a better roster due to the cap, especially post-Frederic, but, open to being surprised!

The team would need to make more than one franchise altering move like Florida, Tampa Bay, Vegas, Dallas or Colorado have made over the last decade to make that happen.

Can it happen? Like yourself, I have extreme doubts.

And I'm bitter as hell over... everything surrounding this franchise since they drafted McDavid. One professional f***up after another.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Theyre gonna get tested at the Olympics regardless next year.

Ovechkin won’t. Hope they find all the Panthers players using.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Arvid+Akey for Peterka please!

If only it was this easy

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

lol the series was tied 2-2 on an own goal OT goal in a game Florida were up 3-0. Should've been 3- 1 at that point and didn't matter as we were never even remotely in the series after that. Panthers walked us 3 of the games. I'm sure you were among the people complaining about that in real time.

I'm different I tried to be positive during the playoffs and final but now IS the time for evaluation and lineup changes and moves as this thread is for. I'm not gonna pretend we were closer. We weren't at all.

We also were a missed too many men call from being up 2-0.

Sure the panthers were better, but a goalie and an actual top 6 winger and this team can beat that Panthers team

Also I will add that the Panthers got early leads with the refs calling way too many penalties. They scored and locked it down. Who cares if we got garbage time PP's

 

[commie]

Great post.

Special teams need to be much better. You could see the Oilers playing scared of taking penalties and then played a simple 5v5 game. Everyone is ripping on our depth in finals because they didn't "show up" offensively but they didn't get caved either.

Ironically enough here are the 5v5 GF and GA in finals for all 13 forwards:

Draisaitl 4GF 9GA (-5)
McDavid 3GF 8GA (-5)
Perry 3GF 7GA (-4)

Nuge 1GF 3GA (-2) injured
Brown 1GF 3A (-2) injured
Frederic 1 GF 2 GA (-1) injured
Kane 3GF 4GA (-1)
Henrique 1GF 2GA (-1)

Arvidsson 2GF 2GA 0
Kapanen 3GF 3GA 0
Skinner 1GF 1GA 0

Podkolzin 4GF 3GA +1
Janmark 3GF 1GA + 2

Statistically the depth didn't really hurt the team outside of those guys that were injured. The bigger problem was that the McDavid Draisaitl-Perry line was utterly dominated.

Now you can blame that on goaltending or playing from behind and I think their is some truth to that.

I really feel that the Oilers lost this final, and to some extend last final, due to coaching. I like Knob, but he has been out coached badly by PM the last two SCF. Special teams is all about coaching, and Knob couldn't figure the adjustments needed against the Panthers. He kept going back to using McDrai 'nuclear' line when it wasn't working. McDrai line was getting scored on.
And telling the boys to calm down with the physicality, that just plays into the hands of the Panthers. The team got neutered after games 3-4.
Then there is something with Maurice, he has figured out how to stop McDrai, even when he was with the Winnipeg Jets, that one Covid special playoff round with them, he has the secret sauce to slow down McDavid.

 

[McJadeddog]

Right. The PED "punishment" actually helped the panthers. The NHL needs to have it fixed similar to MLB. You cheat and you're ineligible for playoffs and cant use that money.

No, it didn't, this is a misunderstanding that needs to stop. Ekblad was suspended after the trade deadline. Trade deadline was March 7, and Ekblad was suspended March 10.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I really feel that the Oilers lost this final, and to some extend last final, due to coaching.

No, just no. lol. He wasn't perfect, but Knoblauch can't just tell Nurse to play better or Stu to make saves.

 

[aggressive forecheck]

Yamo playing hard didn't end his career. Posters need to stop saying that. An illegal elbow ended it



This has nothing to do with size but everything to do with Landeskog being dirty.

I'd still give Savoie a shot before writing him off.

I haven't read everything but I haven't seen a single post writing Savoie off... just people stating the fact that his diminutive stature has the chance of working against him.

Many of my favorite players of all time have been undersized but I'm truthful... small players are longshots to become impact players.

I've stated my opinion on Savoie, I'm thinking he rounds out his game to eventually becoming a Todd Marchant player but he's years away from reaching that potential. I'm thinking the player peaks years down the road and there will be growing pains while the player establishes himself.

For the record, Todd Marchant had an exceptional NHL career. Far better than Sam Gagner in my opinion.