Rumor: Rumors & Proposals Thread | Where's the Beef?

rboomercat90

Registered User
Mar 24, 2013
15,539
10,536
Edmonton
I don't buy the whole "toughness" thing anymore. Being tough to play against doesn't mean big and strong. It means being relentless on pucks, constant forecheck pressure, and everyone no matter their size finishing their checks. Being a dogged nuisance that won't let you catch your breath. This doesn't require punching faces or throwing devastating hip checks. Conor Garland plays a tougher game than most players in the league and he's tiny.

But that's just me.

I feel the same about the silly "we're sooooo old" that everyone is spouting now. Like the team is a bunch of geriatrics out of a nursing home. It's a mean nothing buzzphrase being used in lieu of meaningful talking points and critiques.
That McDavid and Draisaitl have both taken retaliatory penalties already has shown how far removed you are from reality with your importance of toughness take. We’re 3 games into the season and these two are already fed up with all the cheap shots they’ve taken because there’s no deterrent for teams to target them. I’m not even talking about somebody like Rempe that the Rangers use to crack skulls. I’m talking about players just willing to throw the body or hit other teams better players. There is no grit in this lineup and that leaves McDavid and Draisaitl to fend for themselves. They’re big boys, they can do it but I’d rather the two of them focus on other things.
 

Bryanbryoil

Pray For Ukraine
Sep 13, 2004
87,391
37,432
That McDavid and Draisaitl have both taken retaliatory penalties already has shown how far removed you are from reality with your importance of toughness take. We’re 3 games into the season and these two are already fed up with all the cheap shots they’ve taken because there’s no deterrent for teams to target them. I’m not even talking about somebody like Rempe that the Rangers use to crack skulls. I’m talking about players just willing to throw the body or hit other teams better players. There is no grit in this lineup and that leaves McDavid and Draisaitl to fend for themselves. They’re big boys, they can do it but I’d rather the two of them focus on other things.
For 82 games after an extremely long season last season? I think that is a recipe for disaster. Drai got his ribs caved against Vancouver, Connor definitely took a beating, etc. I don't know how physical the Canucks will be this season but the Flames are not going to lay off of us for sure and other contending teams will target our top players.
 

rboomercat90

Registered User
Mar 24, 2013
15,539
10,536
Edmonton
For 82 games after an extremely long season last season? I think that is a recipe for disaster. Drai got his ribs caved against Vancouver, Connor definitely took a beating, etc. I don't know how physical the Canucks will be this season but the Flames are not going to lay off of us for sure and other contending teams will target our top players.
You’d have thought that after what happened to McDavid and Draisaitl against the Canucks (and quite frankly every post season) that management’s top priority going forward would have been to make sure that never happened again. Seeing this lineup it looks like they’re fine with it.
 

nexttothemoon

and again...
Jan 30, 2010
30,340
18,286
Northern AB
Oilers have removed these goals from the lineup (either by choice, trade, offer sheet or injury):

Kane 24
Foegele 20
McLeod 12
Holloway 6
Gagner 5
Ceci 5
Carrick 2
Erne 1
Desharnais 1

Now sure most of those will be very easy to replace... ie Gagner/Ceci/Carrick/Erne/Desharnais will all be replaced in goal scoring by the depth on this team.

Point though is that's 76 goals gone from the lineup by players that at least had some chemistry on the team.

I would also suggest that I highly doubt Hyman can repeat his totals from last season... he could certainly drop back to being a 30-35 goal scorer again which would still be a great asset... but I doubt his 54 goal season is repeatable.

So if you add another 20 goals to the sum up above... that's ~95 goals that has to be replaced by a combination of the players new to the club and the old guard.

Oilers have new players

Podkolzin 0 goals last year
Emberson 1 goal last year
Dermott 2 goals last year
Arvidsson 6 goals last year
Skinner 24 goals last year

That's ~95 goals out and ~33 goals in.

Yes Henrique will score more BUT Henrique will have a hell of a time potting 20+ in the bottom 6 playing with the likes of Janmark and Brown who give their all but have hands of stone.

I know everyone was saying this teams strength is their offense... and it may well be because defense and goaltending are average... BUT even the offense isn't going to be able to instantly replace those ~95 goals as if it were nothing. This team has a target on their heads every game they play and I could easily see this being a regression year in terms of offense... especially when you couple that with the issues of D and in net which is never optimal for a team that is essentially forced to try and "outscore" their weaknesses and issues every single night.

I'm not exactly optimistic that the team can take their C defense and C goaltending and mix it with what might be B- offense this season... and come up with a recipe for success out of all that.
 

CanadasTeam99

Registered User
Jul 22, 2024
430
516
That McDavid and Draisaitl have both taken retaliatory penalties already has shown how far removed you are from reality with your importance of toughness take. We’re 3 games into the season and these two are already fed up with all the cheap shots they’ve taken because there’s no deterrent for teams to target them. I’m not even talking about somebody like Rempe that the Rangers use to crack skulls. I’m talking about players just willing to throw the body or hit other teams better players. There is no grit in this lineup and that leaves McDavid and Draisaitl to fend for themselves. They’re big boys, they can do it but I’d rather the two of them focus on other things.
This is how soft we are

Today, Elias Lindholm was credited with 8 hits.
 

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