Losing Ceci is not the problem.
The problem wasn't losing Ceci, you're right.
The Oilers were outplaying the Stars significantly before Skinner let in the stinker by Duchene, hardly gave the Stars a sniff. The Oilers couldn't capitalize on the many chances they had, as per usual this season, then the goalie lets in a weak goal and it all goes to shit and I say this as a defender of Skinner generally. They aren't scoring and aren't getting saves, those are the two biggest issues so far this season.
I'm saying that the defense is arguably worse than last year, and that those brought in to replace Ceci, Desharnais and Broberg are not helping.
Cody Ceci was their top penalty killer last season and this season the PK sucks
And I'm saying that losing Ceci is barely a fart in the wind. The Oilers shit the bed last season as well with that Ceci pillar manning the blueline.
lol, come on man.
You keep beating this drum and I keep telling you you're misunderstanding. I don't care if they lose Cody Ceci but I care if his replacement is worse.
it's not just Ceci..it's Ceci, Broberg and Desharnais
His replacement is keeping the seat warm for someone better than Ceci at the deadline
We have no cap space. It's accruing. If you think Kane on LTIR is a reason to spend, you're setting the team up for bigger problem
I keep beating this drum because it's absurd to blame the failures of this season on the loss of Cody Ceci in any capacity outside of a slight bit on the PK I suppose but how could we possibly determine that. Is Stecher even worse? Nurse has actually played ok this season after a rough start without Cody Ceci. That pairing is no worse than it was last season outside of a game or two with Dermott.
Clearly you don't understand how accruing cap space works.
Broberg is the real loss there agreed but we're comparing the defense of last season at this time to now. The Oilers won't look the same post-deadline when they had Desharnais and then later Broberg on the blueline so the comparison with those two will be more valid when we see what the Oilers do to add.
Stecher is passable at best. As CHT already pointed out, the other additions have been subtractions. I don't pine for Cody Ceci, I pine for a better defenseman than him. Dermott and Brown are terrible and Emberson isn't ready.
Right, I'm sure there's another Ekholm just waiting for us to spend the assets we don't have.
Right, I'm sure there's another Ekholm just waiting for us to spend the assets we don't have.
Yes, that's why they're accruing cap space. In order to accrue cap space you need to actually accrue it which takes time so, yeah, nobody who understands this should have expected an upgrade to start the season.
If they're not comfortably in a playoff position by the time the TDL rolls around, then what? We keep banking on this team surging up the standings as they continuously fumble away games they should be winning. One extended injury to the top 4 and the season is toast.
If they're not it won't be due to Cody Ceci not being here, I'll tell you that much. If they're not in a playoff spot at the deadline, the problems will be core team problems.
Stuart is a bigger problem than whoever was replacing Ceci right now. One good game once in a blue moon doesn't cut it
Yes we could. But we would be 12M over the cap. We are not Vegas. We can't play by the rule
This team's offense will come around. Their challenge will be goal suppression and a 94% outscoring PK that's not a repeatable function. There was also no guarantee that Stu Skinner would elevate his game this season so keeping pucks out of their net is important. A function that increases in tighter, heavier playoff hockey competition where notably this team's size reach and range on defense has shrunk. RD is a problem.
