The Loss of Broberg and Holloway Gripe Thread

[AM]

Disagree. He was a 3 time letter guy a very rare thing for Team Sweden U20. Quality personal and leadership attributes recognized by their national level coaching. Cited positively by Oiler coaching and leadership group stepping into deep playoff competition and aiding their success.

Good character. Stalled in a mature phase organization that has had pretty extreme volatility that cost two coaches their jobs. Stepped up in deep playoffs when called upon. The market recognized the potential, character and value which through Oiler inaction opened the door to a cheap offer sheet scenario. He's establishing himself as a solid top 4 NHL d-man with some latent potential that could reach top pair within his peak years window.

I don’t think he's a married yet.

He showed what he cares about.

 

[WhiskeyEE]

What does our record these past 10 games have to do with my statement? Henrique and Skinner are sure as f*** not contributors to that success and in fact are active detriments to our team's ability to win games right now. It's ridiculous to suggest otherwise.

I haven't heard much about Henrique being bad. His offensive production isn't great obviously, but that may be more due to his wingers.

Skinner on the other hand seems to be on ice for way too many goals against and not many goals for. Henrique is a +4 and Skinner -10.

 

[AM]

I haven't heard much about Henrique being bad. His offensive production isn't great obviously, but that may be more due to his wingers.

Skinner on the other hand seems to be on ice for way too many goals against and not many goals for. Henrique is a +4 and Skinner -10.

Henrique is doing his job.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Henrique is doing his job.

Yep. Unlike Skinner, Henrique at least has a role on this team and is doing it well.
More offence would be nice, but he's helped anchor the PK1 with RNH; and when he does play with Janmark and Brown at evens, you know it's a line that can go out and face top competition and not bend.


Imo Henrique's biggest problem/issue is he must be the #3C, as they have no one else that can step into the role. Rico's better when he's more fluid and can get short stints on McDavid or Drai's wing to get some gravy minutes offensively.

For example, it'd be nice to give Philp 5 to 10 games and see if he can grow into a role. If he looks good then you could occasionally run...

RNH-McDavid-Hyman
Henrique-Drai-Arvidsson (honestly I thought these 3 looked good their few shifts together)
Podz-Philp-Kap
Brown-Janmark-Perry

If Philp can't, then you know you'll need a Bjudstad or Sissons-type come the TDL.

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

I haven't heard much about Henrique being bad. His offensive production isn't great obviously, but that may be more due to his wingers.

Skinner on the other hand seems to be on ice for way too many goals against and not many goals for. Henrique is a +4 and Skinner -10.

Henrique is a possession disaster and defensive liability competing with Skinner and Ryan in terms of ineffectiveness. Janmark also has bad even strength possession numbers but he's excellent value on the penalty kill, isn't paid much, and a lot of his numbers are due to playing so much with Henrique and Skinner which hurts his defensive metrics. This matches the eye test too. Just watch how often the Oilers have extended shifts in the defensive zone with Henrique on the ice. He's a defensive liability in that he doesn't necessarily blow man coverage but he makes it impossible for his dmen to get the puck out and is useless in transition both in terms of carrying it out himself and in terms of making himself an eligible passing option for breakout passes. Just too slow of a player. And as a result the Oilers spend far more time than they should in the defensive zone and concede a ton of scoring chances when he's on the ice. To be specific, he's the 2nd worst on the entire team in terms of fenwick events against, expected goals against, scoring chances against, and high danger chances against per 60 minutes ahead of only Jeff Skinner.

As for the reason Henrique is +4 and Skinner is -10 is because Henrique has a team leading PDO of 102.1 and on ice save percentage of 0.936, on a team that has largely had bad luck with puck luck and horrid goalie performances. Skinner's luck is more in line with the rest of the team with a PDO of 96.3 and an on ice save percentage of 0.900, which isn't any excuse though since he's also by far the lowest plus minus on the team at -10. Make no mistake though, if Adam Henrique had similar puck luck as the rest of the team he'd be fighting with Skinner for dead last on the team for plus minus.

Also I mean come on. I'm sure you watched the game yesterday. This guy was getting crushed in possession by the freaking San Jose Sharks, playing mostly against the Sharks' bottom 6, in a game where we nearly doubled them in shots as a team lol.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

I don’t think he's a married yet.

He showed what he cares about.

Yup, he's playing 20 minutes a game and trusted in all situations. Fulfilling the potential we saw dropped into late Cup competition and at times through his uneven development. Big, mobile and skilled D are worth waiting on and hard to acquire. Really too bad he couldn't be a sustaining part for the Oilers blueline.

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

Yep. Unlike Skinner, Henrique at least has a role on this team and is doing it well.
More offence would be nice, but he's helped anchor the PK1 with RNH; and when he does play with Janmark and Brown at evens, you know it's a line that can go out and face top competition and not bend.


Imo Henrique's biggest problem/issue is he must be the #3C, as they have no one else that can step into the role. Rico's better when he's more fluid and can get short stints on McDavid or Drai's wing to get some gravy minutes offensively.

For example, it'd be nice to give Philp 5 to 10 games and see if he can grow into a role. If he looks good then you could occasionally run...

RNH-McDavid-Hyman
Henrique-Drai-Arvidsson (honestly I thought these 3 looked good their few shifts together)
Podz-Philp-Kap
Brown-Janmark-Perry

If Philp can't, then you know you'll need a Bjudstad or Sissons-type come the TDL.

Not only is Henrique not being used as a "go out and face top competition and not bend" role, he is actually actively being deployed away from opposing top 6 forwards. You can see this with how Knob line matches too, trying to play best on best with McDavid and Draisaitl lines as much as possible. He is the lowest quality of competition "3C" we've had this decade besides rookie season Ryan McLeod and 2016-17 David Desharnais. In comparison I've also attached 2023-24 Ryan McLeod's quality of competition to show what a normal 3C deployment looks like. He is being used as a glorified 4th liner and struggling in possession. As for penalty kill, we've gone from an above average penalty kill unit the past 5 years to one of the worst in the NHL this season, so not exactly glowing results for Henrique there either, and part of the reason is our downgrade from one of the best penalty killing centers in the league in McLeod to an at best league average one in Henrique. Though I will concede that our horrid PK percentage has more to do with Skinner sucking and losing Desharnais.

Demoting one of our best performing players this season in Podkolzin and rewarding one of our worst performers in Henrique is... certainly a take. Dating back to when we first acquired Henrique last year, no forward on the team drags down Draisaitl's on ice numbers more than Henrique. Not even the 0 goal scorer version of Connor Brown.

 

[AM]

Yup, he's playing 20 minutes a game and trusted in all situations. Fulfilling the potential we saw dropped into late Cup competition and at times through his uneven development. Big, mobile and skilled D are worth waiting on and hard to acquire. Really too bad he couldn't be a sustaining part for the Oilers blueline.

And it was his choice.

Not only is Henrique not being used as a "go out and face top competition and not bend" role, he is actually actively being deployed away from opposing top 6 forwards. You can see this with how Knob line matches too, trying to play best on best with McDavid and Draisaitl lines as much as possible. He is the lowest quality of competition "3C" we've had this decade besides rookie season Ryan McLeod and 2016-17 David Desharnais. In comparison I've also attached 2023-24 Ryan McLeod's quality of competition to show what a normal 3C deployment looks like. He is being used as a glorified 4th liner and struggling in possession. As for penalty kill, we've gone from an above average penalty kill unit the past 5 years to one of the worst in the NHL this season, so not exactly glowing results for Henrique there either, and part of the reason is our downgrade from one of the best penalty killing centers in the league in McLeod to an at best league average one in Henrique. Though I will concede that our horrid PK percentage has more to do with Skinner sucking and losing Desharnais.

Demoting one of our best performing players this season in Podkolzin and rewarding one of our worst performers in Henrique is... certainly a take. Dating back to when we first acquired Henrique last year, no forward on the team drags down Draisaitl's on ice numbers more than Henrique. Not even the 0 goal scorer version of Connor Brown.
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Thank goodness the coach knows what he’s doing.

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

And it was his choice.


Thank goodness the coach knows what he’s doing.

Never said otherwise. Knoblauch is arguably the best coach in the NHL.