The Loss of Broberg and Holloway Gripe Thread

[Coffey]

Where is Woody? Is he still watching the Oilers?

Posting as one of our haters on the mains.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

People in Buffalo thought this when he was put on the fourth line and then he ripped off 30+ goals two years in a row. Skinner doesn't have a diverse skill set and it's not one that is going to look good playing in the bottom six with grinders. I think he'd look a lot better in our top six but for whatever reason Knoblauch doesn't want to give him that opportunity.

It’s not “whatever reason” it’s the fact he doesn’t skate well, doesn’t battle in the corner for pucks, doesn’t block shots, poor complete level

The list goes on. He’s done here

 

[CupofOil]

Well, he likely wouldn't have gotten those opportunities with the Oilers. But I agree, deciding to prioritize Henrique and Skinner over Holloway and Broberg was a massive, MASSIVE, blunder by this management group. Fireable offences actually, although that obviously isn't going to happen. But yes, it was that bad of a mistake. Imagine this team with Holloway/Broberg on it instead of Skinner. Skinner's money (3) would have been exactly enough to pay what both Holloway (1.2) and Broberg (1.8) were asking for in the summer. Jesus, what a team that would be right now. Just a pathetically bad mistake by JJ on July 1st. Completely missed the boat on what this team needed, and where the priority should have been. Again, its so bad that he really should be fired for it. He won't, but he should.

This is stupid, quite frankly, sorry but it is.

Henrique has been good in his role, getting a little tiresome reading stuff like this as if he's been some sort of detriment to team success. Please, learn to understand the roles of a #3C on this particular team in this system. Henrique has been doing exactly what's been asked of him after a bit of a rough patch to start the season when even McDavid was struggling.

Skinner I get, he's sort of been an anchor on any line he's been on but he also hasn't been deployed correctly for a long time now.
Anybody who thinks Henrique has been bad because they only look at goal totals or some of the fancy stats really don't understand his role on this hockey team. Sorry to be harsh but it's the truth.

 

[OilerTyler]

It’s not “whatever reason” it’s the fact he doesn’t skate well, doesn’t battle in the corner for pucks, doesn’t block shots, poor complete level

The list goes on. He’s done here

But all of those things should’ve been known when we signed him. That’s the player Skinner is and has always been. Either the Oilers were expecting something completely different (bad scouting) or there is something else that Knoblauch doesn’t like.

I don’t disagree that he’s done here. The coach doesn’t trust him to do the one thing he’s good at and would rather play fourth liners with Draisaitl instead.

 

[tiger_80]

Posting as one of our haters on the mains.

Woody the Pecker.

 

[Duke74]

In hindsight, letting go of Holloway looks like a mistake, but we have a precedent of overpaying players for next to no production: Puljujarvi $3 million, Yamamoto $3, McLeod $2.25, Chiasson $2.2. Even McLeod originally accepted a one-year, minimum wage deal. Was Holloway too good for that? Hell, he had less production than any of the aforementioned players. I can understand why management didn't want to replicate that mistake, especially in a tight cup window.

 

[Drivesaitl]

In hindsight, letting go of Holloway looks like a mistake, but we have a precedent of overpaying players for next to no production: Puljujarvi $3 million, Yamamoto $3, McLeod $2.25, Chiasson $2.2. Even McLeod originally accepted a one-year, minimum wage deal. Was Holloway too good for that? Hell, he had less production than any of the aforementioned players. I can understand why management didn't want to replicate that mistake, especially in a tight cup window.

Its a shortsighted view. Holloway production occurred despite limited minutes and limited and rare topsix minutes. Whenever he was put up he produced and he was figuring the NHL out, clearly was. As I stated many times in 36 reg season games and 25 playoff games last season Holloway scorec a combined 11G as a 22yr old which paces out to 15 G on complete season.

Many of the aforementioned players didn't beat that even in CONSTANT topsix rotation. Put Holloway up in topsix and keep him there even last season and he's a shoe in to score at a 20g rate. He was already establishing.

Keep in mind how few NHL games Holloway had played. His curve needs to be considered with that. hard to score NHL goals when you're not even put up in the show much to do it. Pretty much every producer needs some time in NHL to figure it out. Even Drai was dry in his first 50 or so games. Smyth didn't start scoring much till about 80 games played.

The goals have started to come for Holloway. That trend started last year. There were also several beauty goal scorer type goals from Holloway last year. He was showing he's got hands.

Holloway was scoring in Bakersfield too. Potting 17G his last 30 games there. An org would have to be deaf and blind to think he wasn't starting to find it.

 

[TB12]

“Everyone who actually gets paid to do this is dumb but I’m smart and know more then all of them”

The gist of most of their posts for sure.

 

[TB12]

This is stupid, quite frankly, sorry but it is.

Henrique has been good in his role, getting a little tiresome reading stuff like this as if he's been some sort of detriment to team success. Please, learn to understand the roles of a #3C on this particular team in this system. Henrique has been doing exactly what's been asked of him after a bit of a rough patch to start the season when even McDavid was struggling.

Skinner I get, he's sort of been an anchor on any line he's been on but he also hasn't been deployed correctly for a long time now.
Anybody who thinks Henrique has been bad because they only look at goal totals or some of the fancy stats really don't understand his role on this hockey team. Sorry to be harsh but it's the truth.

Like.

 

[Stoneman89]

For me it comes down to Skinner+Arvi or Holloway+Foegele+cap space. It was a no brainer to keep Holloway and Foegele. Jackson went for the shiny new toys

Not a chance for Foegele. Way too inconsistent despite the tease. His sporadic play cost he and McLeod some healthy scratches in the playoffs. Plus he wanted a healthy raise and there is no way we were going to afford that being so tight against the cap.

 

[Soundwave]

But all of those things should’ve been known when we signed him. That’s the player Skinner is and has always been. Either the Oilers were expecting something completely different (bad scouting) or there is something else that Knoblauch doesn’t like.

I don’t disagree that he’s done here. The coach doesn’t trust him to do the one thing he’s good at and would rather play fourth liners with Draisaitl instead.

The Oilers played this player with McDavid for like a total of maybe 10 minutes all year this year and decided it's over after spending 3 million of cap that badly could've been used elsewhere.

This is called shit management and stupid coaching (offensively).

This team hasn't even given this player a proper chance. Maybe he isn't the perfect player, but if this is how Knob treats new UFA additions maybe just let him be GM, if you weren't going to use this player you should have f***ing said something before the team spent $3 million dollars on him.

 

[McDoused]

The Oilers played this player with McDavid for like a total of maybe 10 minutes all year this year and decided it's over after spending 3 million of cap that badly could've been used elsewhere.

This is called shit management and stupid coaching (offensively).

This team hasn't even given this player a proper chance. Maybe he isn't the perfect player, but if this is how Knob treats new UFA additions maybe just let him be GM, if you weren't going to use this player you should have f***ing said something before the team spent $3 million dollars on him.

Skinner has actually put up decent numbers playing with Draisaitl and hasn't had a large enough of a sample size with McDavid.

To this point Skinner has outproduced Podkolzin, Kapanen, Arvidsson, etc despite playing in a bottom 6 role. He's an easy player for fans to hate because he doesn't really do anything when he's not scoring and put in a scoring role.

 

[Soundwave]

Skinner has actually put up decent numbers playing with Draisaitl and hasn't had a large enough of a sample size with McDavid.

To this point Skinner has outproduced Podkolzin, Kapanen, Arvidsson, etc despite playing in a bottom 6 role. He's an easy player for fans to hate because he doesn't really do anything when he's not scoring and put in a scoring role.

The whole UFA sales pitch this team uses that "you'll get great numbers in Edmonton!" only works if you get to play with McDavid a lot and the coach here doesn't give many people a chance there at all.

If I was a scoring winger I wouldn't sign here unless I was guaranteed time with McDavid (not RNH, not Drai, McDavid and McDavid alone), the UFA treatment of these guys has been abysmal.

If Knob wasn't planning to utilize either player, then he should have spoken up and said something before they were signed.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Skinner has actually put up decent numbers playing with Draisaitl and hasn't had a large enough of a sample size with McDavid.

To this point Skinner has outproduced Podkolzin, Kapanen, Arvidsson, etc despite playing in a bottom 6 role. He's an easy player for fans to hate because he doesn't really do anything when he's not scoring and put in a scoring role.

Its really not hate than is it? Its just a view on how limited the player is and how little contribution he makes. Skinner is the classic "managed to score on bad teams player" To me it was indelibly clear you put the same player on an actual competitor against teams playing us hard and he wasn't going to be up to snuff. you can't just slot a guy like this in topsix just because he pots and does nothing else. Its 2024, expectations of topsix players are that they are complete players. If they're not, go home.

Skinner is also continuing his career trend of being a GA nightmare. Players like this never help you to win. Perhaps why they're usually found on bad clubs. The costs of Skinner far outweigh any benefits. Any coach he's had is aware of that too. Skinner limited minutes, still -10 lol.

Skinner can't even swim EV in bottomsix. Thats against the easiest opposition a team can give him and its not like he's playing with slouches. The answer isn't to give him more minutes and topsix minutes to see how much he can get scored against there.

 

[Soundwave]

Its really not hate than is it? Its just a view on how limited the player is and how little contribution he makes. Skinner is the classic "managed to score on bad teams player" To me it was indelibly clear you put the same player on an actual competitor against teams playing us hard and he wasn't going to be up to snuff. you can't just slot a guy like this in topsix just because he pots and does nothing else. Its 2024, expectations of topsix players are that they are complete players. If they're not, go home.

Skinner is also continuing his career trend of being a GA nightmare. Players like this never help you to win. Perhaps why they're usually found on bad clubs. The costs of Skinner far outweigh any benefits. Any coach he's had is aware of that too. Skinner limited minutes, still -10 lol.

Skinner can't even swim EV in bottomsix. Thats against the easiest opposition a team can give him and its not like he's playing with slouches. The answer isn't to give him more minutes and topsix minutes to see how much he can get scored against there.

Skinner was an even player through the first 10 games or so.

Knoblaugh is misusing the player, he wasn't signed to play in the freaking bottom 6.

If you're not going to play the guy ever with McDavid maybe Knob should've spoken up and said that on July 1.

Goal scoring UFAs should avoid Edmonton if this is how you get treated, like no time with McDavid at all, no PP time even when the PP here sucks.

Unless you have a guarantee of McDavid time the whole "come to Edmonton and inflate your numbers cuz they have a top offense" is largely a load of baloney. It's only the players playing with McDavid that get any kind of real offensive bump.

Invest 3 million into a player and then not even give him 10 minutes with McDavid is ridiculous player usage, Arvidsson only got a chance because the Nuge card had to be physically removed from Knob before he would try anything different.

This team better not cry in the playoffs if they run into a good goalie again like what happened the last time they went up against Hill or Bob or Helleybuck and are dying for a goal in a playoff round because three guys can't score every goal. You had a chance to integrate some other players into the scoring mix and instead of doing that in the regular season this coach chose to f*** around in the regular season and build nothing.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Skinner was an even player through the first 10 games or so.

Knoblaugh is misusing the player, he wasn't signed to play in the freaking bottom 6.

If you're not going to play the guy ever with McDavid maybe Knob should've spoken up and said that on July 1.

Goal scoring UFAs should avoid Edmonton if this is how you get treated, like no time with McDavid at all, no PP time even when the PP here sucks.

Unless you have a guarantee of McDavid time the whole "come to Edmonton and inflate your numbers cuz they have a top offense" is largely a load of baloney. It's only the players playing with McDavid that get any kind of real offensive bump.

Invest 3 million into a player and then not even give him 10 minutes with McDavid is ridiculous player usage, Arvidsson only got a chance because the Nuge card had to be physically removed from Knob before he would try anything different.

This team better not cry in the playoffs if they run into a good goalie again like what happened the last time they went up against Hill or Bob or Helleybuck and are dying for a goal in a playoff round because three guys can't score every goal. You had a chance to integrate some other players into the scoring mix and instead of doing that in the regular season this coach chose to f*** around in the regular season and build nothing.

Skinner was -2 at 10 game mark, -8 by 20 game mark and -10 by now, by far the worst on the team, and the worst GA/60mins on the team.

Nobody should care that somebody wants to come here to "inflate their numbers". the team would want players just like Henrique that play and adept to a role, do it well, and don't complain. Skinner had that chance too. Decided not to run with it and has been shitty since TC. Pretty much what I expected from this guy.

But hey, what does the coaching staff know? They only helped this club get to SCfinal last season and one of the top records in league so far this season. The new coaching staff record since taking over is fantastic.

 

[Soundwave]

Skinner was -2 at 10 game mark, -8 by 20 game mark and -10 by now, by far the worst on the team, and the worst GA/60mins on the team.

Nobody should care that somebody wants to come here to "inflate their numbers". the team would want players just like Henrique that play and adept to a role, do it well, and don't complain. Skinner had that chance too. Decided not to run with it and has been shitty since TC. Pretty much what I expected from this guy.

But hey, what does the coaching staff know? They only helped this club get to SCfinal last season and one of the top records in league so far this season. The new coaching staff record since taking over is fantastic.

They can coach defense, but they better not f***ing complain come May/June that no one but three players is scoring if they're in tight against a team that has a strong goalie like in a series against Vegas or Winnipeg or Florida (we lost all three series' last time we played all three of these teams in large part because their goaltending was outstanding and we really needed additional goals).

Because they put in zero effort as a staff to get anyone else going this year other than maybe Podkolzin and tried nothing different thus far this regular season.

If Knob isn't going to use these players then next time say f***ing something on July 1 Knob. This isn't how a championship caliber team conducts itself.

Did Florida whine and cry about less than perfect players like Reinhart and Montour and OEL? No. They maximized their abilities and properly integrated them into the group and have a Cup to show for it.

Sam Reinhart was -28 in 54 games with the Sabres before going to Florida, did their coaching staff cry about that? No, they found ways to utilize his talents properly.

 

[Yuke]

Holloway has gone multiple times 4-6 games without points. He came out to prove his worth when many veterans were still getting their hockey legs.
Let's see where he is after the mid way point.

 

[Soundwave]

Holloway has gone multiple times 4-6 games without points. He came out to prove his worth when many veterans were still getting their hockey legs.
Let's see where he is after the mid way point.

He likely wouldn't be getting that utilization under Knob here anyway. RNH and Hyman and loading up on McDrai are the only players who get to play with McDavid barring an emergency, no one else.

Holloway would be on the 3rd or even 4th line here if he stayed here and definitely zero PP time.

 

[harpoon]

Many of the aforementioned players didn't beat that even in CONSTANT topsix rotation. Put Holloway up in topsix and keep him there even last season and he's a shoe in to score at a 20g rate. He was already establishing.

Puljujarvi had seasons of 12, 14 and 15 (right before you announced to the board that he was going to ‘outscore RNH and Hyman’ ). Yamamoto had 20. Holloway had put up 9 goals across 89 regular season games. He got the contract offer he deserved.

What a lot of the jilted boyfriends on this board can’t seem to get through their heads is that Dylan Holloway tried to jump his place in the queue. He took a pen out of his pocket and signed a document that was a big fat f*** you to the team that drafted and developed him and gave him his shot in this league. He did it because he couldn’t bear to wait one more season to make that extra million dollars he felt he was entitled to. And he did it in a critical SC window season and under circumstances that he knew full well were critical for the team. Keep cheering for a guy like that I guess …

 

[Letsdothis]

Holloway with two assists today.

 

[AM]

The whole UFA sales pitch this team uses that "you'll get great numbers in Edmonton!" only works if you get to play with McDavid a lot and the coach here doesn't give many people a chance there at all.

If I was a scoring winger I wouldn't sign here unless I was guaranteed time with McDavid (not RNH, not Drai, McDavid and McDavid alone), the UFA treatment of these guys has been abysmal.

If Knob wasn't planning to utilize either player, then he should have spoken up and said something before they were signed.

I’m pretty sure the pitch is, you will get a chance to earn x spot.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

Nice goal

 

[DavidHasselhoffsFist]

Holloway with two assists today.

So far, and a goal for Broberg.

 

[guymez]

In hindsight, letting go of Holloway looks like a mistake, but we have a precedent of overpaying players for next to no production: Puljujarvi $3 million, Yamamoto $3, McLeod $2.25, Chiasson $2.2. Even McLeod originally accepted a one-year, minimum wage deal. Was Holloway too good for that? Hell, he had less production than any of the aforementioned players. I can understand why management didn't want to replicate that mistake, especially in a tight cup window.

I think the issue is that this team gambled on a player they werent familiar with (Skinner) instead of running with a player they were not only familiar with but they had an investment in with Holloway.
This team seems to do this a lot...investing in a player and developing the player only to trade that player away just before that player adjusts to the NHL.
Its very poor assest management.

In terms of their Stanley Cup aspirations....a contending team needs a couple of young players in the middle 6...especially if they have the grit and speed like Holloway has.
Its really hard to justify why this team made the decision to sign Skinner at $3M and let Holloway walk.
Both are clear mistakes.