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

[ChaoticOrange]

Players on the Oilers would be doing fine if they had a 40% shooting percentage too.

Where can we get a couple of those, I wonder?

Look like a group of f***in stormtroopers out there most games

 

[Soundwave]

Because this roster can never get it together for the first 20 games of the season for reasons. Have no idea what they are, but they do this every single season, and I'm more surprised that this surprises people.

What happens every single year we start the season:

- Playing like complete dumbasses at home
- Have a horrific penalty kill
- Have the worst goaltending in the NHL
- Have a bottom 6 that mopes around the ice that does nothing
- Team defensive structure (rush and net front defence in particular) is abysmal
- Team is "snake bit" and don't "have any puck luck"
- Play an incredibly unphysical and low intensity game

The only newer features are the power play and McDavid in particular being complete ass, those have only crept in the last two seasons. Everything else has been a constant going back years, yet every time these things slowly get better and then are more or less fine by the new year.

I have no idea why this is. It's transcended many roster turnovers and many coaches. It just is what it is. It's a phenomenon that has no answer, but it's the truth. This nonsense pisses me off, but writing the obituary now is incredibly premature because we do this every single season.

Same Great Assy Taste now with even less PP scoring

Oilers And Starting A Season Like Shit. It's the drink you can rely on.

Also don't forget to pick up "Oilers Starting A Playoff Round Like Shit", another popular favorite.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Because this roster can never get it together for the first 20 games of the season for reasons. Have no idea what they are, but they do this every single season, and I'm more surprised that this surprises people.

What happens every single year we start the season:

- Playing like complete dumbasses at home
- Have a horrific penalty kill
- Have the worst goaltending in the NHL
- Have a bottom 6 that mopes around the ice that does nothing
- Team defensive structure (rush and net front defence in particular) is abysmal
- Team is "snake bit" and don't "have any puck luck"

The only newer features are the power play and McDavid in particular being complete ass, those have only crept in the last two seasons. Everything else has been a constant going back years, yet every time these things slowly get better and then are more or less fine by the new year.

I have no idea why this is. It's transcended many roster turnovers and many coaches. It just is what it is. It's a phenomenon that has no answer, but it's the truth. This nonsense pisses me off, but writing the obituary now is incredibly premature because we do this every single season.

While I certainly agree that it's too early to write the team off, the goal is the Stanley Cup and nothing short of that should be acceptable. This looks closer to a lottery team at the moment than a Stanley Cup, and I don't think there's any 16 game win streaks or magical playoff runs waiting for us in the future. This team can and probably will still make the playoffs, but that's the bare minimum we should be expecting at this point. If they finish in a wild card spot their Cup aspirations will be dashed very quickly, although maybe playing every series on the road might benefit them given how terrible they've been on home ice.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

this team needs grit and energy in the bottom 6...someone to drag them into the fight and amp up their "give a shit" meter

 

[Soundwave]

While I certainly agree that it's too early to write the team off, the goal is the Stanley Cup and nothing short of that should be acceptable. This looks closer to a lottery team at the moment than a Stanley Cup, and I don't think there's any 16 game win streaks or magical playoff runs waiting for us in the future. This team can and probably will still make the playoffs, but that's the bare minimum we should be expecting at this point. If they finish in a wild card spot their Cup aspirations will be dashed very quickly, although maybe playing every series on the road might benefit them given how terrible they've been on home ice.

It isn't even the just this year or last year at this point. This is basically a tradition at this point.

20-21 start: 3-6 start, disaster of a start with Smith hurt.

21-22: Actually a good start followed by an epic collapse in Dec/January

22-23: 2-3 to start, then a win streak, then 10-10 at game 20 ... mediocre.

23-24: 2-9-1 start, now basically infamous

24-25: Another mediocre start at 6-7-1

1 good start in the past 5 seasons and even that start was followed by a total shitting of the bed in December.

 

[K1984]

While I certainly agree that it's too early to write the team off, the goal is the Stanley Cup and nothing short of that should be acceptable. This looks closer to a lottery team at the moment than a Stanley Cup, and I don't think there's any 16 game win streaks or magical playoff runs waiting for us in the future. This team can and probably will still make the playoffs, but that's the bare minimum we should be expecting at this point. If they finish in a wild card spot their Cup aspirations will be dashed very quickly, although maybe playing every series on the road might benefit them given how terrible they've been on home ice.

Compared to this exact time last year we look miles, miles better. We don't need a 16 game win streak either because we aren't 2-10.

This is what we were doing at the exact same time last year. We weren't even close. Right now we are at least competitive 5v5 despite not being able to score goals or make saves. The team at this time last year couldn't even compete against teams like the Sharks and Predators. What's missing from this snip is the back to back losses against the Wild and Rangers where we were limp for the full 60 as well.

We need our best players to start playing like it, and our goalies to make a few more saves. These aren't big hurdles.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Compared to this exact time last year we look miles, miles better. We don't need a 16 game win streak either because we aren't 2-10.


View attachment 927325

This is what we were doing at the exact same time last year. We weren't even close. Right now we are at least competitive 5v5 despite not being able to score goals or make saves. The team at this time last year couldn't even compete against teams like the Sharks and Predators. What's missing from this snip is the back to back losses against the Wild and Rangers where we were limp for the full 60 as well.

We need our best players to start playing like it, and our goalies to make a few more saves. These aren't big hurdles.

Problem is we could've been 4 points back of the division leader with a win last night, now we're 6 and they have a game in hand. Winning a division isn't vital but it would go a long way towards a deep Cup run. Imagine playing Utah or Calgary in the first round instead of the Knights/Kings/Canucks.

 

[McJadeddog]

Compared to this exact time last year we look miles, miles better. We don't need a 16 game win streak either because we aren't 2-10.


View attachment 927325

This is what we were doing at the exact same time last year. We weren't even close. Right now we are at least competitive 5v5 despite not being able to score goals or make saves. The team at this time last year couldn't even compete against teams like the Sharks and Predators. What's missing from this snip is the back to back losses against the Wild and Rangers where we were limp for the full 60 as well.

We need our best players to start playing like it, and our goalies to make a few more saves. These aren't big hurdles.

Our xGF% last year was actually quite high at this point though wasn't it? That is what my memory is telling me. We are 5th in xGF% at evens right now, but 22nd in actual GF%, and 27th in PDO. So not getting any saves of puck luck right now. I thought last year was the same thing?

Yeah, I just checked and it was the exact same story. Through November 30th last year, so the first two months of the season, we were 3rd in xGF%, 27th in actual GF%, and 31st in PDO. It's almost EXACTLY the same as last year right now. Eerily so in fact.

Same problems last year as this year so far. Goaltending being the primary suspect in both years.

 

[K1984]

Problem is we could've been 4 points back of the division leader with a win last night, now we're 6 and they have a game in hand. Winning a division isn't vital but it would go a long way towards a deep Cup run. Imagine playing Utah or Calgary in the first round instead of the Knights/Kings/Canucks.

I'm with you, but if history repeats itself and we wake up at some point in the next week or two, we will actually be in a better position to win the division than we have in past seasons. At the same time last year we were 18 points out of the Division lead and finished 5 points out. The year before we were 8 points out and finished 1 back.

We are in a completely fine spot if we wake up around now, which is normally when the tide starts to shift in our direction at least a little bit.

Our xGF% last year was actually quite high at this point though wasn't it? That is what my memory is telling me. We are 5th in xGF% at evens right now, but 22nd in actual GF%, and 27th in PDO. So not getting any saves of puck luck right now. I thought last year was the same thing?

Yeah, I just checked and it was the exact same story. Through November 30th last year, so the first two months of the season, we were 3rd in xGF%, 27th in actual GF%, and 31st in PDO. It's almost EXACTLY the same as last year right now. Eerily so in fact.

Same problems last year as this year so far. Goaltending being the primary suspect in both years.

The analytics look the same, but this is an eye test measure for me.

Currently we "look" like we should be winning more games than we are, but find ways not to. Last year we looked DoA on puck drop most nights at this point.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I'm with you, but if history repeats itself and we wake up at some point in the next week or two, we will actually be in a better position to win the division than we have in past seasons. At the same time last year we were 18 points out of the Division lead and finished 5 points out. The year before we were 8 points out and finished 1 back.

We are in a completely fine spot if we wake up around now, which is normally when the tide starts to shift in our direction at least a little bit.

But here's the thing. This is the EASY part of the schedule they're screwing up. What about the annual trips out East that never, ever end well? They haven't played their nemesis in Minnesota yet either. If Vegas wins the division again you might as well skip to the offseason.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

But here's the thing. This is the EASY part of the schedule they're screwing up. What about the annual trips out East that never, ever end well? They haven't played their nemesis in Minnesota yet either. If Vegas wins the division again you might as well skip to the offseason.

meh, they tend to play up to their competition

 

[K1984]

But here's the thing. This is the EASY part of the schedule they're screwing up. What about the annual trips out East that never, ever end well? They haven't played their nemesis in Minnesota yet either. If Vegas wins the division again you might as well skip to the offseason.

I don't think quality of competition matters for this team. If we're playing how we should we should be competitive against any opponent.

We've beat the easy teams (more or less), and other than the Jets game we have been at least equal or the better team against the "good" competition, but have lost those due to the goaltending and special teams.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

meh, they tend to play up to their competition

Well they're 0-4-1 against the good teams this year so I'm not sure how true that is.

I don't think quality of competition matters for this team. If we're playing how we should we should be competitive against any opponent.

We've beat the easy teams (more or less), and other than the Jets game we have been at least equal or the better team against the "good" competition, but have lost those due to the goaltending and special teams.

I mean we also got diced up by the likes of the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets too, so...

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Well they're 0-4-1 against the good teams this year so I'm not sure how true that is.

again, they lost to the Sharks last year...and they're trending to be the same November team as last year

 

[K1984]

Well they're 0-4-1 against the good teams this year so I'm not sure how true that is.


I mean we also got diced up by the likes of the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets too, so...

Blue Jackets is the outlier and we do that there every season for whatever reason regardless of time of year. Games in Columbus are schedule losses.

Blackhawks, sure. I think it would be fair to say, however that the team started playing much better after game 3 of the season. That was effectively pre-season for this dumb group that can't prepare themselves.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

again, they lost to the Sharks last year...and they're trending to be the same November team as last year

Based on what, exactly? We're 14 games into the season now and they're scoring at a lower rate than some of the DoD Oilers teams.

 

[Louis Cypher]

Point is basically everyone we let go in the offseason is doing well elsewhere. And again, not the first time. And the additions we made in the offseason have been middling at best and Travis Dermott at worst.

Why is that most players that leave the Oilers do better elsewhere? That's the question that needs to be asked.

Trying to remember the last 2 or 3 players previous to this year who left and have done better elsewhere. Care to elaborate?

It isn't even the just this year or last year at this point. This is basically a tradition at this point.

20-21 start: 3-6 start, disaster of a start with Smith hurt.

21-22: Actually a good start followed by an epic collapse in Dec/January

22-23: 2-3 to start, then a win streak, then 10-10 at game 20 ... mediocre.

23-24: 2-9-1 start, now basically infamous

24-25: Another mediocre start at 6-7-1

1 good start in the past 5 seasons and even that start was followed by a total shitting of the bed in December.

Seems to be our MO. How many coaches in that span? 3?

 

[Soundwave]

Trying to remember the last 2 or 3 players previous to this year who left and have done better elsewhere. Care to elaborate?


Seems to be our MO. How many coaches in that span? 3?

Yes, three. Tippett, who hilariously got himself fired in the 1 out of 5 years they actually had a great start.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Trying to remember the last 2 or 3 players previous to this year who left and have done better elsewhere. Care to elaborate?

Dubnyk and Reider immediately come to mind.

 

[Soundwave]

Ryan Strome had a stretch of 1 goal in 18 games as an Oiler, gets moved to NYR for Spooner (lulz) and immediately scored at a 20+ goal rate for the Rangers.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Ryan Strome had a stretch of 1 goal in 18 games as an Oiler, gets moved to NYR for Spooner (lulz) and immediately scored at a 20+ goal rate for the Rangers.

Right, I forgot about good ol' cap space.

 

[Scrapin Ice]

Yah know at various times through the years Mitch Korn, Sean Burke, Ian Clark, Mike Bales were all avvailable. Luckily we have good ol' Dustin.

 

[Soundwave]

There's really only 3 forwards that have come to Oilers and seen their offensive numbers go up heavily ... Hyman, Maroon, and Kostin and that's basically it.

Lucic, Strome, Reider, Athansiou, Neal all dissapointed or were gassed out here quickly.

Kane had a very good start and then got his arm almost cut off and has been spending lots of time on the 3rd line since then.

Draft potential guys like Puljujarvi, Yamamoto, had little flashes and then would revert right back to being inconsistent.

Foegele had one year at 20 goals here but needed to be heavily tied to Draisaitl to get there, otherwise he generally scored at a 13-15 goal rate here, same as Carolina.

McLeod didn't score a single goal until 22 games (!) into the season last year, lol, and had 1 goal in three rounds of the playoffs.

There's just a slew of epic scoring droughts with many "support forwards" that seems to happen over and over and over and over and over again. There's no one that ever can be put on the 2nd line and reliably score.

 

[Reasonable Oil Fan]

You look but you do not see. You said we need more of a defensive structure/system did you not?
Well every reasonable defensive structure out there starts with your top two centers or have you not played in one? The guy high is usually a winger and if it is a center its someone who has wheels and defensive acumen and excellent stamina. Neither (and Drais!) of our top two guys would be considered 'good' at defense. Further why would you tax the energy of obviously two very high offense guys and exhaust them for the third? We need our bottom two lines built right. We lost a lot of speed and possession this past summer.
Losing Mcleod (always a winger never should have been tried at center) and Foegele (puck possession man) cost alot in paying the price so the our top two lines could free wheel. Of course their number suffered big time because of this. They were also a big part of the penalty kill. Wonder how thats doing now lol.
Then we lost Hollow who was expected to replace some of this. What a bad decision that was. Lets keep our cap flexible....for what?...to find a player a third as good as Hollow and suffer all season long without him?
Not including 2024 ( i know little to nothing about Sam O'Really) Hollow was the only halfway decent decision in our first round of the last five years.

I look but I do not see?
ok
like I said, If our top centres refuse to acquaint themselves with the defensive side of the blueline at all, then
I suppose there are personal achievements to cheer for.......perhaps they can win the Olympic 3 on 3 hockey event that's coming on the horizon.

 

[Scrapin Ice]

Time to get down to brass tacks and stop the blaming and circling the drain.

1) problem one loss of speed and possession and PK in the bottom six.

The solution to this is likely already in house or at least mostly in house. Podko will never be in the NHL what he was in junior. That ship has left the dock. BUT he could likely be a very good 2 way 4th liner with cycle and grit and board battle guru, A very good guy that could be groomed for the next year or two to PK. Jarventie should be shifted to centre in Bakersfield and Savoie to RW.
With the return of Trouble likely around the deadline we could see...

Podko--Jarventie--Perry/Savoie as a fourth line by years end?

2) We need a Defensive D with grit/passing/defense to be a foil for Nurse and push Kulak for stabilty of the 3rd pair.

Most people here know who i want for that. He is better than all of Emby/Dermott/Stecher.

3) We need to upgrade our goalies (both of them) in Bakersfield and get another guy with very good potential in the chute.

Trade a third along with Rodrigue for Matt Murray on Nashville's farm and get Blackwood from San Jose.
Then make a deal with Columbus for Sergei Ivanov (and maybe Olivier if you can swing it). Most of you won't have heard of Sergei but he has exceptional mechanics and really big upside.