The Oilers are an old team

[Fatass]

They are even older and slower than anyone could have imagined a couple of months ago.
And no young blood beside Savoie, who is not ready for the foreseeable future.

Some of the older players might decline much faster, than hoped.
At least Ekholm looks still very good.

Losing three young guys last summer who all brought speed and the aggression of youth to their game is noticeable. The Oilers are missing that “juice” young guys bring.

 

[Mike Jones]

They're old and may not be deep enough to make the turnaround they pulled off last year.

But they still have to make a go for it. They still have a core that can help them win now.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I saw a video on TSN where they said their 2nd pair could end up being Nurse-Dermott. That has to be a come to jesus moment that your defense just is not it.

 

[MrvJets]

Oilers are going no where and all these experts that picked them to win the cup are on meds. Have no D and no goaltending and we’re fortunate last year that their power play was so strong and that saved them. Vancouver would have knocked them out early if Demko played. This year they are not going far.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Having Perry, Ryan and Henrique as full-timers in your bottom 6 and losing Holloway and Broberg doesn't help them.

Oilers are going no where and all these experts that picked them to win the cup are on meds. Have no D and no goaltending and we’re fortunate last year that their power play was so strong and that saved them. Vancouver would have knocked them out early if Demko played. This year they are not going far.

Also add in that they have a bottom 5 starter in the NHL and he constantly has to be rescued by their college backup. If it wasn't for Pickard saving the series for them, the Oilers would have lost to Vancouver last playoffs.

 

[Fatass]

Having Perry, Ryan and Henrique as full-timers in your bottom 6 and losing Holloway and Broberg doesn't help them.



Also add in that they have a bottom 5 starter in the NHL and he constantly has to be rescued by their college backup. If it wasn't for Pickard saving the series for them, the Oilers would have lost to Vancouver last playoffs.

They lost McLeod too. Another young guy who brought a lot of speed and aggressive play to their club. They did add Podkolzin but he seems to play slow, so not really providing what those other players (who they lost) did.
The Oilers need power plays. At five on five they are a below average club.

 

[34]

Oilers are going no where and all these experts that picked them to win the cup are on meds. Have no D and no goaltending and we’re fortunate last year that their power play was so strong and that saved them. Vancouver would have knocked them out early if Demko played. This year they are not going far.

I hate the Oilers. They overachieved last season playing the same old week teams in the playoffs that they always do. They would not even be a playoff team in the Atlantic.

 

[dukeofjive]

Pre season is over, the loud and petty fans are back in force, meh team is better than your team even if my team did not make it out of the 1st round or made the playoffs.

Good luck oilers fans it’s going to be another long season.

 

[GOilers88]

I hate the Oilers. They overachieved last season playing the same old week teams in the playoffs that they always do. They would not even be a playoff team in the Atlantic.

Three division champions they played.

Imagine if they got even weeker teams.

 

[MOGlLNY]

I think the Oilers found a great balance last year of depth guys who brought a lot of speed and doing the little things to the table.

Feels like they have kinda regressed back to leaning on 97-29 to raise up everyone’s offensive game to win games again. I didn’t really understand their offseason.

I’m sure they’ll figure it out but I think their roster composition compared to last year is lacking

 

[Nicko999]

I am not an Oilers fan but did people not learn their lesson last season?
It's not like they are 10 games below .500 or anything. They still have McDavid and Draisaitl.

 

[hockey20000]

all the experts picked them to make final lol they won't . team changed and was bad changes there older and slower.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Do people not know there are 82 games or something? they have 80 games left to play. They will be right there in the end, top 2 in the Pacific.

 

[BKarchitect]

I am not an Oilers fan but did people not learn their lesson last season?
It's not like they are 10 games below .500 or anything. They still have McDavid and Draisaitl.

This is HFB and it’s October. What is this place if not a reservoir of wild overreactions and hot takes?

Do people not know there are 82 games or something? they have 80 games left to play. They will be right there in the end, top 2 in the Pacific.

Yeah but what else are we supposed to talk about 2 games into a season?

 

[WetcoastOrca]

They’ll be fine. I still think they are in a group of about 8 teams with a shot at the Cup. I never bought into the prohibitive cup favourites hype with their D and goaltending and lack of speed. A lot of things went right last year and most of the analysts just pick the finalist from the previous year and figure that a generational player will eventually win a cup.
As we’ve seen hockey is not really that predictable except in a few rare cases where one team is clearly a cut above the rest. Lots of teams in the mix this year and the Oilers will be one of them by the year end.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

They have McDavid and Drai… they will start hammering teams eventually.

We all know it’s coming

 

[SensontheRush]

1. 2001-02 Detroit Red Wings (51-17-10-4, 116 pts.) -
   Average Age: 30 years, 5 months, 1 days
   Notable Player(s): Brett Hull (37), Nicklas Lidstrom (31)
2. 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings (54-21-7, 115 pts.) -
   Average Age: 29 years, 9 months, 23 days
   Notable Player(s): Nicklas Lidstrom (37), Pavel Datsyuk (29)
3. 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings (44-23-15, 103 pts.) -
   Average Age: 29 years, 6 months, 10 days
   Notable Player(s): Steve Yzerman (32), Nicklas Lidstrom (27)
4. 2002-03 New Jersey Devils (46-20-10-6, 108 pts.) -
   Average Age: 29 years, 0 months, 6 days
   Notable Player(s): Martin Broduer (30), Patrik Elias (26)
5. 1966-67 Toronto Maple Leafs (32-27-11, 75 pts.) -
   Average Age: 28 years, 11 months, 26 days
   Notable Player(s): Terry Sawchuk (37), Frank Mahovlich (28)
6. 1998-99 Dallas Stars (51-19-12, 114 pts.) -
   Average Age: 28 years, 10 months, 29 days
   Notable Player(s): Brett Hull (34), Mike Modano (28)
7. 1963-64 Toronto Maple Leafs (33-25-12, 78 pts.) -
   Average Age: 28 years, 10 months, 2 days
   Notable Player(s): Frank Mahovlich (25)
8. 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes (52-22-8, 112 pts.) -
   Average Age: 28 years, 5 months, 6 days
   Notable Player(s): Rod Brind'Amour (35), Eric Staal (21)
9. 1996-97 Detroit Red Wings (38-26-18, 94 pts.) -
   Average Age: 28 years, 4 months, 20 days
   Notable Player(s): Steve Yzerman (31), Nicklas Lidstrom (26)
10. 1968-69 Montreal Canadians (46-19-11, 103 pts.) -
    Average Age: 28 years, 3 months, 13 days
    Notable Player(s): Jean Beliveau (37)

Not very reassuring for the Oils' chances.

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

I am not an Oilers fan but did people not learn their lesson last season?
It's not like they are 10 games below .500 or anything. They still have McDavid and Draisaitl.

Are they looking to fire their coach again to get a boost?

 

[NeverForget06]

I hate the Oilers. They overachieved last season playing the same old week teams in the playoffs that they always do. They would not even be a playoff team in the Atlantic.

Jealousy makes people say silly things

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Mcdavid is 28. Lets not forget. He will start to exist his peak form soon if not this year

 

[VivaLasVegas]

It's a gamble that might work if evetybody is able to be healthy by the playoffs. The risk is that older players tend to be more injury-prone.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Do people not know there are 82 games or something? they have 80 games left to play. They will be right there in the end, top 2 in the Pacific.

Yeah of course they will.


However that d corps looks hideous , and Skinner is still an average or below average starter.

The forwards will have to carry hard

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

They lost McLeod too. Another young guy who brought a lot of speed and aggressive play to their club. They did add Podkolzin but he seems to play slow, so not really providing what those other players (who they lost) did.
The Oilers need power plays. At five on five they are a below average club.

And also losing Foegele hurts, he had his best year with the Oilers last year and is a solid bottom 6 forward who brings speed and grit. Him and McLeod were a big part of their playoff run last year.

Jeff Skinner is an overrated pickup, the guy has been very average the last few years. He's no longer in his prime. I have a feeling that they turned over too much of last years roster and it's going to take 20 games just for them to gel.

 

[End on a Hinote]

I hate the Oilers. They overachieved last season playing the same old week teams in the playoffs that they always do. They would not even be a playoff team in the Atlantic.

The Leafs over achieved two seasons ago...

 

[Rubi]