Rumor: Rumors & Proposals Thread | The Oilers Biggest Roster Need Is?

  • Work is still on-going to rebuild the site styling and features. Please report any issues you may experience so we can look into it. Click Here for Updates

Oilers Biggest Roster Need?

  • 2nd Pairing RD

    Votes: 96 40.3%
  • Starting Goalie

    Votes: 133 55.9%
  • Top 6 LW (RNH, Podkolzin and Jeff Skinner Aren't Getting it Done)

    Votes: 3 1.3%
  • Top 6 RW (Arvidsson and Hyman Aren't Getting it Done)

    Votes: 1 0.4%
  • 3C

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Physical Bottom 6 Wingers

    Votes: 1 0.4%
  • Other (Post Your Opinion)

    Votes: 4 1.7%

  • Total voters
    238
Status
Not open for further replies.
So has our defence been a clear weakness or not? Numbers say different. No doubt we should upgrade by the playoffs but it hasn’t been a big issue.

Our PK hasn’t been stabilized by Kulak it was stabilized because our goaltenders started saving more than 50% of the pucks.
I focus on the coach's deployment which tells the story. Depends on Kulak sustaining big toi, a healthy Nurse, and stability of Bouchard/Ekholm top pairing. Might be able to push to the trade deadline.

Story of this season has been Kulak stepping into big minutes, enhanced responsibility as a second pair d-man and doing alot of it on his off-shooting side. It's mitigated the weak right side that's even tested Nurse out to fill the second pair gap.

This team's Stack Five is always among the league's elite ice tilters. Add Draisaitl having a stellar year whether as a 2C or bumped up. Should surprise no one that Edmonton continues to have elite ice tilt numbers. They are a Stanley Cup favourite. The PK is stabilizing for a number of reasons.
 
I don’t really see how that’s a weakness though.

Being able to rely on a depth option like Kulak on the way to elite results makes it seem more like a strength to me.
Kulak rising to fill the obvious 2RD hole is the story of the early season from my pov. And this coaching staff's testing of Nurse to slot in that off-shooting side as well. The hope is it can sustain to trade deadline. It ultimately gives this team important versatility to fill the defense depth issue with either side d-options.

Management has bet this window season on this plan. Coaching moved off the Emberson project early to help reset the player in a more realistic, stable level of competition and moved to crack filling with veterans Kulak and Nurse in new roles.
 
Kulak rising to fill the obvious 2RD hole is the story of the early season from my pov. And this coaching staff's testing of Nurse to slot in that off-shooting side as well. The hope is it can sustain to trade deadline. It ultimately gives this team important versatility to fill the defense depth issue with either side d-options.

Management has bet this window season on this plan. Coaching moved off the Emberson project early to help reset the player in a more realistic, stable level of competition and moved to crack filling with veterans Kulak and Nurse in new roles.
For sure, but you said the D was a clear weakness.

I don’t see how Kulak stepping up makes it weak. He’s basically neck and neck with Tanev for the best elite competition metrics in the league.

If anything, it’s the team’s strength right now mainly because Kulak has been 10 times the top4D that Ceci was.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TB12 and Drivesaitl
For sure, but you said the D was a clear weakness.

I don’t see how Kulak stepping up makes it weak. He’s basically neck and neck with Tanev for the best elite competition metrics in the league.

If anything, it’s the team’s strength right now mainly because Kulak has been 10 times the top4D that Ceci was.
Bouchard is playing 24:09 (up from 22:59); Ekholm is 23:02 up from 21:02; Kulak is up 3 minutes per game. Nurse is the fourth guy over twenty minutes toi. This is an elite team that heavily tilts the ice based on icing an all time super elite, a second generational player and support.

The question is if this increased minutes of their top 4 is sustainable until trade deadline but also if the high increase usage in regular season might effect the goal of playing a second long extended season chasing a Cup. Add that Ekholm and Bouchard are considerations for more prospective games with the Four Nations Cup.

It's a high risk strategy because of the gap at 2RD and end of roster options that are sheltered instead of false thought a couple would 'easily' replace the old 2RD. Oilers coaching pivoted quickly and rightly off sinking Emberson in that role.

Sorry it's not a Cup contender level defense. That's the end game here. I'm impressed Knoblauch has been able to experiment with a viable work around including trial of Nurse at 2RD.

Back to the point, it's been obvious to all and stated by virtually all sources league affiliated or fandom that this team needs a defensive upgrade to stack up in series competition within the playoffs.
 
Bouchard is playing 24:09 (up from 22:59); Ekholm is 23:02 up from 21:02; Kulak is up 3 minutes per game. Nurse is the fourth guy over twenty minutes toi. This is an elite team that heavily tilts the ice based on icing an all time super elite, a second generational player and support.

The question is if this increased minutes of their top 4 is sustainable until trade deadline but also if the high increase usage in regular season might effect the goal of playing a second long extended season chasing a Cup. Add that Ekholm and Bouchard are considerations for more prospective games with the Four Nations Cup.

It's a high risk strategy because of the gap at 2RD and end of roster options that are sheltered instead of false thought a couple would 'easily' replace the old 2RD. Oilers coaching pivoted quickly and rightly off sinking Emberson in that role.

Sorry it's not a Cup contender level defense. That's the end game here. I'm impressed Knoblauch has been able to experiment with a viable work around including trial of Nurse at 2RD.

Back to the point, it's been obvious to all and stated by virtually all sources league affiliated or fandom that this team needs a defensive upgrade to stack up in series competition within the playoffs.
It’s November. It doesn’t need to be a Cup Contending D core right now.

Like I said before, it’s a need, but it isn’t a desperate need that they need to fix right now. It’s been quite the opposite.

I’m not really sure why you refuse to admit that they’ve been very good defensively so far considering all the evidence.
 
It’s November. It doesn’t need to be a Cup Contending D core right now.

Like I said before, it’s a need, but it isn’t a desperate need that they need to fix right now. It’s been quite the opposite.

I’m not really sure why you refuse to admit that they’ve been very good defensively so far considering all the evidence.
I haven't disputed they've been fine. Though they have had inconsistency with Bouchard and Ekholm as well. Both getting pushed into increased minutes because of the poor defensive depth which has pushed an in-season deployment change for Kulak and Nurse. Goaltending is a white knuckle ride and will continue to be.

This is an elite hockey team that have underachieved to start the season. They continue to be among the elite teams at titling the ice which is how they are built with super elite forward talent and tendency to run a dominating Stack Five. That's expected. The team's issues carry across all facets with goaltending, massive underperformance in real goal production, and wobbles defensively deliver high quality chaos. The defense depth issue is placing more time and wear on a top four defense - fine in November. A good and viable strategy for the real season to come in April? Questionable.

Oil will regress to the means eventually and goal production will give this team some reprise. The discussion is team need and gap to drive a return to the Cup Final. Building upon this team's d-corp of 4 quality pieces has long been the need, specifically at 2RD.
 
For sure, but you said the D was a clear weakness.

I don’t see how Kulak stepping up makes it weak. He’s basically neck and neck with Tanev for the best elite competition metrics in the league.

If anything, it’s the team’s strength right now mainly because Kulak has been 10 times the top4D that Ceci was.
The TOI distribution tellls the story with this D.
Kulak led the entire D core in TOI last game. Granted the Nurse situation obviously affected that but playing Kulak on his off side and bumping up his minutes by 30-40% isnt a recipe for success.
They need to improve the D so they can better distribute the TOI on the back end so that its more conducive to long term success over the season and into the playoffs.

Bottom line...this D isnt good enough and Management has to know that..
 
The TOI distribution tellls the story with this D.
Kulak led the entire D core in TOI last game. Granted the Nurse situation obviously affected that but playing Kulak on his off side and bumping up his minutes by 30-40% isnt a recipe for success.
They need to improve the D so they can better distribute the TOI on the back end so that its more conducive to long term success over the season and into the playoffs.

Bottom line...this D isnt good enough and Management has to know that..
Yet it's been the recipe to success and more than good enough.

They'll definitely need to add a defenseman at the deadline, but looking to add one now is a desperation move to fix something that doesn't need fixing that will also eat all the team's cap space at the deadline. Then it's money in-money out without really have any sizeable money they can move out, so basically the playoff roster is set.
 

What we've already been talking about, but tosses in the added hint of term left.

This is totally TJ Brodie.

Left handed D who likes to play the right side.

Moves the puck.

Has 1 year left after this season at a low cap hit (Chicago could probably retain).

No doubt Bowman keeps tabs on his old team too. He hasn't worked out in Chicago, probably the ask will be cheap.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Heavy Dee

What we've already been talking about, but tosses in the added hint of term left.
He's been mentioning this on his show for weeks. He has also repeatedly asked Friedman and Seravalli if there is a chance that some new trade options might surface closer to the deadline. I don't really get the sense that Stauffer is teasing a specific name, because I don't think the Oilers know what they're going to do yet. I think they are probably having conversations on a range of players, and hoping someone better will shake loose closer to the deadline.

Stauffer did essentially the same thing last year. All season he mentioned how "we all know" that the Oilers are going to upgrade at the deadline, that they were looking to acquire someone who would make an "Ekholm-level impact", and ideally someone with term. It was only the last couple of weeks before the deadline where he reversed course and said that maybe that wouldn't be an option, and they might have to do a smaller deal for a rental.

I'm not going to try to decipher what he's saying or ascribe it to a particular player- I think it's a lot of words to say what we already know. The Oilers went into this season with a plan to upgrade their 2nd pairing. They've probably had discussions about a lot of the name we've already heard- Provorov, Pettersson, Jokiharju, but are hoping something better will shake loose.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Behind Enemy Lines

What we've already been talking about, but tosses in the added hint of term left.
Yup. Obvious stuff. The weak prospect pool and limited draft collateral will need this team to lock on a player with term versus one-and-done. Their in-season deployment of Kulak and Nurse at RD necessity opens up the trade market to left and right shot d-options. Much more supply option with LD.
 
  • Like
Reactions: guymez
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad