Rumor: Rumors & Proposals Thread | If Babcock is Our New Coach Will Players Want to Come Here?

[1981 Oilers]

Keep flip flopping between Vegas and FLA as to which team I hate the most. Seems to change daily.

I hear ya.
When I was a kid, I hated Montreal. They won so much. Now I actually cheer for them if they are playing these teams. American players now only wanna go play for the Florida teams or Vegas or Dallas. If I'm a Canadian GM, do u run the risk of drafting an American player?

 

[Jarvi]

To be fair, the Oilers were in on Rantanen and even had the contract number down. Just couldn’t get the assets to work.

I don’t think Stan is afraid to make a big splash like Holland was.

They were going to move Bouchard for Rantanen. Its hardly commendable to move one star for another, especially a RHD for a winger. A smart GM would have signed Bouchard longterm when he was "struggling" in the regular season. Instead we wait for an all time playoff run, an offersheet threat, and get taken to the cleaners on the contract.

Holland seemed to have a plan, Bowman seems to be just trying to find ways to fix his previous f*** ups. Hes a complete sham, nepo hire that should never have been hired.

 

[syz]

I hear ya.
When I was a kid, I hated Montreal. They won so much. Now I actually cheer for them if they are playing these teams. American players now only wanna go play for the Florida teams or Vegas or Dallas. If I'm a Canadian GM, do u run the risk of drafting an American player?

It's not just American players. Only a handful of stars left of any nationality in Canada, with the clock ticking on McDavid and Matthews.

This is simply the logical conclusion of Bettman's 30 year "non-traditional market" plan. If you have ownership that's even mildly interested/competent in a location that has weather, tax, anonymity, and amenity advantages, players are going to go there. Hell we'd be talking about Arizona right now too if the league hadn't managed to find maybe the most crooked possible owner to run the franchise. It's why Gary was so resistant to finally pulling the team out of there; he knew that it SHOULD have worked, but the owner didn't even want to try.

 

[Soundwave]

They were going to move Bouchard for Rantanen. Its hardly commendable to move one star for another, especially a RHD for a winger. A smart GM would have signed Bouchard longterm when he was "struggling" in the regular season. Instead we wait for an all time playoff run, an offersheet threat, and get taken to the cleaners on the contract.

Holland seemed to have a plan, Bowman seems to be just trying to find ways to fix his previous f*** ups. Hes a complete sham, nepo hire that should never have been hired.

Holland was a mediocre manager and that mediocrity has continued with his work in LA (Ceci and Edmundson? Really dude?), but Bowman is worse than Holland, he flirts with being Chiarelli level at times.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

EDIT: Meant to throw this in the Dickison thread.
Just as an aside though, f*** Brady.

"Oh just trade me to: Vegas, Minnesota, Carolina or Florida"

Yeah eat shit, buddy. You're a loser.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

I wonder if the team manages to add a top 6 forward without giving up big assets, if they trade Jarry with the 2028 first to have the cap for a Bob & Cossa or Levi tandem. I'm not saying they should... I'm just wondering if they're considering it.

 

[Jarvi]

Holland was a mediocre manager and that mediocrity has continued with his work in LA (Ceci and Edmundson? Really dude?), but Bowman is worse than Holland, he flirts with being Chiarelli level at times.

Agreed, he was mediocre. Stan is comically bad though.

Look at the coaching circus so far. LA wanted Cassidy too, when that failed, they pivot to the next best thing and get Laviolette locked down. We're stuck with our (bab)cock in our hands looking like clowns, again.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Holland was a mediocre manager and that mediocrity has continued with his work in LA (Ceci and Edmundson? Really dude?), but Bowman is worse than Holland, he flirts with being Chiarelli level at times.

They're all bad. Sure Holland made a couple good moves but the Nurse and Campbell contracts have done tons of damage that we're still feeling today.

Speaking of Campbell, we still need a goalie.... again.

 

[Frank the Tank]

Why do reporters like LeBrun play along? He sticks his head in the sand on the main issue - you have a group of American Olympians who want to go home, wave the flag, and spike the football if they win.

He danced around the issue framing it as star players wanting out of small market teams or targeting playing for championship caliber teams. Quinn Hughes leaving Vancouver and Minnesota being on Brady's "4-team" list prove those excuses wrong, respectively.

LeBrun even had the audacity to state that Calgary and Edmonton fans booing Brady after the Olympics was a turning point. No, this is a Tkachuk family plan that has been in the works for numerous seasons since Gaudreau left Calgary.

This is more than NBA players forming super teams because there's a nationalistic component. If Canadian superstars want to stop being naive and respond, the ball is in Makar's court. I won't be holding my breath...

 

[Soundwave]

I think the Oilers aren't really a top end contender anymore, even giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming they resign Murphy for 4.5-ish, get an OK-ish top 6 forward that isn't totally useless like Mangiapane was, and Babcock is the coaching hire ...

I still think they're not in that top tier of contenders anymore.

Tier 1: (1) Carolina, (2) Florida, (3) Vegas, (4) Colorado, (5) Minny (if they add Larkin)

Tier 2: (6) Tampa (7) Dallas (8) Edmonton, Buffalo (9), Anaheim (10)

Tier 3: Utah (11), LAK (12), then a bunch of mish mashed teams (Pittsburgh, Philly, etc.).

And I'm giving the Oilers the benefit of the doubt on several things even ranking them still above the team that just beat them in the playoffs, that Babcock will improve certain things, but I still don't think they are defensively going to be much better than middle of the pack for goals against (Babcock's teams without Lidstrom are about that range or worse). But even that would be a significant improvement from being bottom 6 as they were last year.

A legit contender is generally top 7-8 in the league for goals against, Carolina was 6th best last season for example. We still don't even have a legit starting goalie, then you have to factor in likely some decline on Hyman, RNH, and Ekholm.

 

[syz]

Holland was a mediocre manager and that mediocrity has continued with his work in LA (Ceci and Edmundson? Really dude?), but Bowman is worse than Holland, he flirts with being Chiarelli level at times.

We were spared from Holland's true terribleness by several years of no cap growth, imo. It limited the amount of terrible moves he could make.

 

[McDrai]

I think the Oilers aren't really a top end contender anymore, even giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming they resign Murphy for 4.5-ish, get an OK-ish top 6 forward that isn't totally useless like Mangiapane was, and Babcock is the coaching hire ...

I still think they're not in that top tier of contenders anymore.

Tier 1: (1) Carolina, (2) Florida, (3) Vegas, (4) Colorado, (5) Minny (if they add Larkin)

Tier 2: (6) Tampa (7) Dallas (8) Edmonton, Buffalo (9), Anaheim (10)

Tier 3: Utah (11), LAK (12), then a bunch of mish mashed teams (Pittsburgh, Philly, etc.).

And I'm giving the Oilers the benefit of the doubt on several things even ranking them still above the team that just beat them in the playoffs, that Babcock will improve certain things, but I still don't think they are defensively going to be much better than middle of the pack for goals against (Babcock's teams without Lidstrom are about that range or worse). But even that would be a significant improvement from being bottom 6 as they were last year.

A legit contender is generally top 7-8 in the league for goals against, Carolina was 6th best last season for example. We still don't even have a legit starting goalie, then you have to factor in likely some decline on Hyman, RNH, and Ekholm.

I agree that we are not a top contender anymore. All you have to do is compare this team to the 2023/2024 Oilers to see the regression. The forwards are worse, the defense is worse (mostly due to just aging and injuries) and the goaltending is somehow worse lol

 

[Soundwave]

I agree that we are not a top contender anymore. All you have to do is compare this team to the 2023/2024 Oilers to see the regression. The forwards are worse, the defense is worse (mostly due to just aging and injuries) and the goaltending is somehow worse lol

League has gotten better since 2024 too, Oilers need to stop thinking like they are still chasing the ghost of that season. 2024 is long gone.

I think honestly the goal for this team realistically is to get back to being a 100+ point team in the regular season and maybe win a round or two, but they're not in that top 5/6 group of real contenders barring some things from out of the left field really going right for them (ie: Howard breaks out, by some fluke they find a Bussi like goalie).

I would say they'll be a top 3 team for goals for, but middle of the pack or slightly worse for goals against. They don't have the goods there and Babcock isn't going to solve all those issues, his Toronto teams were not defensive juggernauts neither were his Detroit teams once Lidstrom retired.

And I'm factoring in that they keep Murphy, move Nurse for cap flexibility, and add a top 6 forward that isn't total crap.

 

[CupofOil]

What a ridiculous take.

The thread is a giant whinefest. It makes posting here a chore.

I say this knowing that the organization is in a pretty bad place now but the whining about everything is at a fevered pitch.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

We were spared from Holland's true terribleness by several years of no cap growth, imo. It limited the amount of terrible moves he could make.

Unfortunately we weren't spared from his abysmal draft record.

 

[Soundwave]

We were spared from Holland's true terribleness by several years of no cap growth, imo. It limited the amount of terrible moves he could make.

He still managed to get some zingers in like paying two 2nds for Athansiou, Kassian extension, Nurse extension, and signing Campbell for 5 years (lmao).

 

[McIce Whole]

They were going to move Bouchard for Rantanen. Its hardly commendable to move one star for another, especially a RHD for a winger. A smart GM would have signed Bouchard longterm when he was "struggling" in the regular season. Instead we wait for an all time playoff run, an offersheet threat, and get taken to the cleaners on the contract.

Holland seemed to have a plan, Bowman seems to be just trying to find ways to fix his previous f*** ups. Hes a complete sham, nepo hire that should never have been hired.

They weren’t going to move Bouch for Rantanen. Carolina asked for Bouch and was insistent on him but by all reports that was a hard no from the Oilers.

Again, how do we know Bouch would’ve signed then? There is two parties here. A smart agent would’ve told him to wait and turn his game around instead of signing while he’s struggling.

 

[Soundwave]

Next year honestly the goal is to just not be such a shitty regular season team and get back to being more like the 2023 Oilers at least (team that scores a lot, not that good defensively, but wins a round or two). They'll say all this shit like "Cup or bust!" but that's just to keep up appearances for McDavid.

They don't have the management to keep up with the better teams, the task here is beyond what the Oilers have as a front office (Bowman + Jackson). They ain't cut out for that level.

 

[Jarvi]

They weren’t going to move Bouch for Rantanen. Carolina asked for Bouch and was insistent on him but by all reports that was a hard no from the Oilers.

Again, how do we know Bouch would’ve signed then? There is two parties here. A smart agent would’ve told him to wait and turn his game around instead of signing while he’s struggling.

Show me a report that the conversation was anything but Bouchard

And we know because players sign in season all the time. We have a management group of cowards and snakeoil salesman, they prove it at every turn, and you want me to think they weren't in that case? C'mon man, wake up.

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

I think the Oilers aren't really a top end contender anymore, even giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming they resign Murphy for 4.5-ish, get an OK-ish top 6 forward that isn't totally useless like Mangiapane was, and Babcock is the coaching hire ...

I still think they're not in that top tier of contenders anymore.

Tier 1: (1) Carolina, (2) Florida, (3) Vegas, (4) Colorado, (5) Minny (if they add Larkin)

Tier 2: (6) Tampa (7) Dallas (8) Edmonton, Buffalo (9), Anaheim (10)

Tier 3: Utah (11), LAK (12), then a bunch of mish mashed teams (Pittsburgh, Philly, etc.).

And I'm giving the Oilers the benefit of the doubt on several things even ranking them still above the team that just beat them in the playoffs, that Babcock will improve certain things, but I still don't think they are defensively going to be much better than middle of the pack for goals against (Babcock's teams without Lidstrom are about that range or worse). But even that would be a significant improvement from being bottom 6 as they were last year.

A legit contender is generally top 7-8 in the league for goals against, Carolina was 6th best last season for example. We still don't even have a legit starting goalie, then you have to factor in likely some decline on Hyman, RNH, and Ekholm.

Even when we were a top end contender you claimed we weren't, there is no point in time when you weren't playing the glass half empty role with respect to this team and its chances of winning.

Also this whole conversation is extremely premature, the offseason has just begun.