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

Oilers Biggest Roster Need?

  • 2nd Pairing RD

    Votes: 44 46.8%
  • Starting Goalie

    Votes: 47 50.0%
  • Top 6 LW (RNH, Podkolzin and Jeff Skinner Aren't Getting it Done)

    Votes: 1 1.1%
  • Top 6 RW (Arvidsson and Hyman Aren't Getting it Done)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 3C

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Physical Bottom 6 Wingers

    Votes: 1 1.1%
  • Other (Post Your Opinion)

    Votes: 1 1.1%

  • Total voters
    94

Behind Enemy Lines

Registered User
Feb 19, 2003
16,913
18,722
Vancouver
Canada’s tenders for the 4 Nations Cup are going to be our downfall. Thompson is probably our starter, with Binnington, Hill and Montembeault fighting it out as the backup. Yuck.
It's pretty gross. Personally I think it will be Binnington as a Cup winner and know and trusted by Team Canada's GM. Any chance they can prop up Carey Price's equipment in the net?
 
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VainGretzky

Registered User
Jun 4, 2015
14,026
12,730
McDavid looking at Hill, Binnington, Montembault

B4mQLJnCYAAU4fD


Compared to what he's used to in Edmonton:



Connor gonna be all good. Even in bad stretches guys like Hill and Binnington have a tendancy to elevate their games the higher the pressure.
LIP.png
 

TheGingaNinja

Edmonton Ex-Pat who still loves his hometown team.
Sep 26, 2019
119
401
Ottawa
I am still hopeful that Skinner can get himself to more average league goaltender performance, as he has done in pervious seasons.

I personally think the play is to get a good 2 RHD and get an upgrade on Pickard, not Skinner. This will be easier to do, cost less assets and hopefully Skinner can step up as well with some real competition in the crease.

We will see how things play out.
 

Soundwave

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
74,114
30,257
I am still hopeful that Skinner can get himself to more average league goaltender performance, as he has done in pervious seasons.

I personally think the play is to get a good 2 RHD and get an upgrade on Pickard, not Skinner. This will be easier to do, cost less assets and hopefully Skinner can step up as well with some real competition in the crease.

We will see how things play out.

If it's gonna happen it's now or never.

All this "it's early season, last year hang over" shit is officially over now. That expired on Nov. 12, one year anniversary of Woodcroft's firing.

Anyone on this roster from here on out better be bringing their best game because "early seasons wah wah" time is over.

Get your shit together Stuart Skinner. Not next week, not "maybe in December". NOW.
 
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TheGingaNinja

Edmonton Ex-Pat who still loves his hometown team.
Sep 26, 2019
119
401
Ottawa
If it's gonna happen it's now or never.

All this "it's early season, last year hang over" shit is officially over now. That expired on Nov. 12, one year anniversary of Woodcroft's firing.

Anyone on this roster from here on out better be bringing their best game because "early seasons wah wah" time is over.

Get your shit together Stuart Skinner. Not next week, not "maybe in December". NOW.
I don't disagree. Im not a Skinner hater, but he has to start playing better. And it needs to be soon. I think the upgrade to Pickard would be a move done better sooner than later as well, but we will have to see...takes two teams to make a trade unfortunately.
 

Jimmi McJenkins

Sometimes miracles
Jan 12, 2006
78,615
41,567
Alberta
Soundwave, I get you're really on Skinner, but Hill and Especially Montembault have not been good this year. Binnington has more of history of success, so him being better than Skinner shouldn't be a big surprise.

I agree, they need help, but I'm STILL going to lean into getting a depth guy who looks NHL ready
 

CantHaveTkachev

Cap Space > NHL players
Nov 30, 2004
52,251
34,314
St. OILbert, AB
Yeah the goaltending coach sucks, but don't f***ing act like this franchise is doing everything they can for goaltending and somehow this just because of a bad goalie coach.

It's not. They are LAZY in every aspect of goaltending, from acquiring goalies to giving other goalies outside of their "anointing ones" a chance, there's probably no team in the league that puts less effort into goaltending.

They only got Talbot because Sather did them a favor and Mike Smith they just pivoted to because he was Tippett's guy even though he was damn near 40 years old so no one else wanted him. No effort whatsoever.
they literally were on the verge of signing Markstrom in 2020 until Calgary came in an scooped him up last minute

Winnipeg has the best goalie in the league right now and they're still working the waiver wire claiming Kakohnen hoping to get even better at the position than what they've got.
Because Winnipeg has cap space to do it
 

Soundwave

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
74,114
30,257
Soundwave, I get you're really on Skinner, but Hill and Especially Montembault have not been good this year. Binnington has more of history of success, so him being better than Skinner shouldn't be a big surprise.

I agree, they need help, but I'm STILL going to lean into getting a depth guy who looks NHL ready

Montembault actually plays in front of the leakiest team in the league, the Habs are actually what the some people think the Oilers are (or were like 3-4 years ago). St. Louis plays no defensive structure at all like Woodcroft.

Montembault would probably be quite good here. Really good athletic ability.

Adin Hill is just flat out better than Skinner. One poor start doesn't erase a Stanley Cup performance for the ages, great playoff numbers, decent .909 regular season last year too. I'd drive Skinner to the airport myself if Vegas was willing to do Hill for Skinner straight across. He'll find his game, I don't think I've seen anyone who likes playing more in Edmonton than that dude.

If you trade goalies in the 2023 playoffs, we win the Stanley Cup and Vegas is at home licking their chops. In '24 we probably would win again with Hill in net.

The sad thing is to think about it that way, that's all it would have taken for even probably 2 Cups already. This organization just cannot bring themselves to even put in that kind of effort to find that player.
 
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Soundwave

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
74,114
30,257
they literally were on the verge of signing Markstrom in 2020 until Calgary came in an scooped him up last minute


Because Winnipeg has cap space to do it

The Oilers could do it too, it would just require sending down Pickard.

There's no Canadian team that puts in less effort in goaltending than we do.
 

Soundwave

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
74,114
30,257
Man it's almost like the guy in charge of goaltending is saying something....

The GM is the guy in charge. Of the roster. Which last I checked included goaltending.


I mean yeah cool. Petterson is OK. It's not like team D has been the problem though anyway. Stetcher and Emberson have been fine.

The goaltending (obvious) and the lack of any one ever being able to come onto the roster and claim the 2nd line scoring winger role are the main problems on the team.
 
Apr 12, 2010
74,977
34,337
Calgary
The GM is the guy in charge. Of the roster. Which last I checked included goaltending.



I mean yeah cool. Petterson is OK. It's not like team D has been the problem though anyway. Stetcher and Emberson have been fine.

The goaltending (obvious) and the lack of any one ever being able to come onto the roster and claim the 2nd line scoring winger role are the main problems on the team.
But Schwartz calls all the shots in regards to goaltending. He's the scout, he tells the coach which one to play....
 

Soundwave

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
74,114
30,257
But Schwartz calls all the shots in regards to goaltending. He's the scout, he tells the coach which one to play....

The GM is the one who should be responsible for building the roster, not any coach. Does the PK coach get to choose the players traded for on the PK unit?
 
Apr 12, 2010
74,977
34,337
Calgary
The GM is the one who should be responsible for building the roster, not any coach. Does the PK coach get to choose the players traded for on the PK unit?
They probably have some input, yeah. You keep asking why the team has been so lazy in regards to goaltending. The answer is right in front of you: The guy that was a lazy hire who has done very little good for the team in his ten year tenure.
 

Soundwave

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
74,114
30,257
They probably have some input, yeah. You keep asking why the team has been so lazy in regards to goaltending. The answer is right in front of you: The guy that was a lazy hire who has done very little good for the team in his ten year tenure.

The GM's here are not doing their job. Goaltending isn't just a "bonus" position. Player acquisition is the GM's role, otherwise just have Knoblaugh (coach), Gulutzan, Coffey, etc. make trades. Obviously we don't do that.
 

Soundwave

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
74,114
30,257
The difference between Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers.....one will do whatever it takes to win. The other is our favourite team.

View attachment 930659

The Knights would have 2-3 Cups already with McDavid and Draisaitl, no doubt about it.

Their front office isn't joking around.

A Stuart Skinner would've been turfed out of that org like a year ago for good.
 
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CanadasTeam99

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Jul 22, 2024
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I canot believe guys want to throw away a guy who was never had the opportunity to shadow a vet goalie. Especially when the likes of Stolarz and Logan Thompson are proving goalies improve as they get experience.
Get a guy in to challenge Skinner. Competition is an excellent form of training.
We don't have time for this crap though. This is not McDrai in year 2 or 3. He can go screw off elsewhere and "grow". This is a results oriented business. Can't have him almost costing us a series like he did against VAN
 

CanadasTeam99

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Jul 22, 2024
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1,598
I'm definitely in this camp.

I'm a believer that expected goal stats are interesting, as a single tool to be evaluated against others, including actual (real life goal) events and eye test.

To me, there are just so, so many variables that make ALL the difference, that I don't trust them for evaluating individuals, especially goalies. You gotta keep in mind these xG stats were predominantly developed to evaluate TEAMS, not players, so their validity holds up over large n-size with large number of events where the noise can get washed out.

In terms of application to real life...

Like any hot-headed goalie, my blood pressure can be orders of magnitude different on two "identical in the eyes of xG" plays.... a player receives a pass from down low in the slot. My defender is between me and the shot. xG stats would see these two situations the same, but one scenario has me fuming and my defender buying me a beer and the other is entirely savable:

A) Defender charges out toward shooter (let's say from the right), forces a rushed shot and gets his legs together as the shot comes. I'm somewhat screened, at least xG stats say I am, but in reality the shot can only go to the left (or wide right) because my defender has covered the right side of the net. I can cheat left, look around the defender and make an easy save into the crest.

B) Defender doesn't charge out, but tries to awkwardly block the shot closer to me than to the shooter. Legs are open, kinda going down with one knee. Shooter has time. I can't see and because there is space to score on either side of defender AND between his legs AND plenty of angles to deflect the puck in any number of directions... I'm F'd. It's definitely going in.
You are right and Keith is right about what he is talking about. Advanced stats are not the be all/end all, but they do show patterns.

The goalie stats I like to throw around, you will generally see the same cats up there in the top 10. You might see 1 random squeak in (he has been good, but Dostal stands out).

I posted it in another thread. The top 5 scoring teams right now have more shots from the Middle/Left & Right face off areas than they do the three blue line areas

Edmonton is the opposite. They have lots right in front of the net and then more from all 3 blue line zones than the middle and middle outsides

Something we all see. Perimeter team. The coach needs to drill these guys about setting up more shots from the middle

T
I see a lot of comments about Skinner's reaction to the 7-3 goal in the Vancouver game. Yeah, not a great look and I certainly agree. But watching the goal again, Nurse just kinda halfass bats the puck with his glove right onto a Canuck player's stick and the rest is history. Like what was he thinking? Just a freebie goal given up for no good reason.
That goal was pure stupidity from Nurse. Not Skinners fault at all. I did not like his reaction, but he is proabably wondering what the hell Nurse is doing just flinging the puck with his hands right onto Peteys stick lol
 

CanadasTeam99

Registered User
Jul 22, 2024
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1,598
The other question is how the f*** does this team only have 3 goalies total in the last 3 seasons?

Skinner, Campbell, and Pickard.

They have almost as many coaches as goalies ... this team is sooooo f***ing lazy in terms of looking for goalies and giving anyone else a chance.

They just marry themselves to the Koskinens and Skinners of the world for multiple years, don't let anyone have a shot and then watch guys like Talbot, Stolarz, etc. go elsewhere because you decided other guys deserved 10 chances. They let Koskinen stay here for FOUR full seasons even when it was clear he sucked, never really tried to trade him.

The attitude this franchise has towards goaltending is lazy as f***. They get the shit goaltending they deserve as a result. Even teams like the Flames, Canucks, Leafs, Jets, Habs, Sens all put more effort into finding goalies, trying different goalies, drafting/developing goalies, goaltender coaching, than the Oilers ever will.
This org marrys itself to anybody if they look ok and don't move off of it. RNH will retire here. I would have moved his a**. He is a pure mooch. Non impact player. Goalies same. You don't get better by just staying still all of the time
 
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Spawn

Something in the water
Feb 20, 2006
44,459
17,034
Edmonton
I see a lot of comments about Skinner's reaction to the 7-3 goal in the Vancouver game. Yeah, not a great look and I certainly agree. But watching the goal again, Nurse just kinda halfass bats the puck with his glove right onto a Canuck player's stick and the rest is history. Like what was he thinking? Just a freebie goal given up for no good reason.
Imagine if the players started bitching out Skinner for every bad goal he gives up.

Funny no one on the team publicly ripped into Skinner on the ice when he kicked a bad rebound onto the stick of an Islander player for the 3-2 goal and then didn’t make a stop on the next shot against to take the game to overtime.
 
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CanadasTeam99

Registered User
Jul 22, 2024
1,500
1,598
I am still hopeful that Skinner can get himself to more average league goaltender performance, as he has done in pervious seasons.

I personally think the play is to get a good 2 RHD and get an upgrade on Pickard, not Skinner. This will be easier to do, cost less assets and hopefully Skinner can step up as well with some real competition in the crease.

We will see how things play out.
What competition? Pickard? LMAO

Skinner is that rich CEO's kid who just gets handed the position
 

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