The Oilers have no doubt the best forward group in the league

[ohheyhemsky]

Cup or Bust 2.0?

Went to Game 7 in the SCF, have the best player in the world surrounded by two 50 goal scorers, picking up some previous 30+ goal scorers while already having a few on the team as is and an 80+ producer on the back end?

I'd say, Wild Card spot or bust for next season.

 

[LTIR]

RNH - McD - Hyman
Skinner - Drai - Arvidsson
Holloway - Henrique - Kane
Janmark - McLeod - Perry

that's an impressive set of forwards.

Missing Connor Brown who should be on the same line as Janmark.

 

[McFlyingV]

he had 37 even strength points last year. Ranking him 4th on the oilers. That is a significant loss of even strength production

It's not when you look at how much of that came when playing with McDavid or Draisaitl. He also completely no showed in the playoffs and even got healthy scratched for half of the WCF.

You want to know who else are historically excellent even strength producers? Skinner and Arvidsson.

 

[Three On Zero]

Went to Game 7 in the SCF, have the best player in the world surrounded by two 50 goal scorers, picking up some previous 30+ goal scorers while already having a few on the team as is and an 80+ producer on the back end?

I'd say, Wild Card spot or bust for next season.

Wildcard or Bust has a better ring to it

 

[Bank Shot]

Best forward group or not, that wasn't the problem. The problem was their BEST players vanished when it mattered most. You can't win if your 2 best players show up for 2 or 3 of the 7 games.

Skinner, Kane and Perry. Good grief.

That's the story of the finals every year. It's almost always some depth guy scoring the Cup clinching goal. That's why they say depth is important.

 

[TheNumber4]

Best forward group in the Salary Cap Era.

 

[PuckG]

Cup or Bust 2.0?

It’s better than “HoUsEmOneY 2.0.”

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Can’t wait to see the Oilers deal with Cup Finals hangover this season and plummet back down to Earth.

 

[onetweasy]

Best forward group or not, that wasn't the problem. The problem was their BEST players vanished when it mattered most. You can't win if your 2 best players show up for 2 or 3 of the 7 games.

Skinner, Kane and Perry. Good grief.

The player with broken ribs and finger no showed?

Or the player that had 8 points in two elimination games to drag the oilers back into the series and won the Conn Smythe?

Seriously, you won the cup and you should have went and enjoyed yourself at the Cup parade with other 650 diehard Panther fans.

 

[Turin]

Best forward group in the Salary Cap Era.

idk about that

 

[sepHF]

Can’t wait to see the Oilers deal with Cup Finals hangover this season and plummet back down to Earth.

it's a legitimate concern, it sounds like the players were really upset about the Vegas series still at the start of last year. I think Knoblauch said something like "they were trying to make it to the finals in one game" instead of relaxing and taking it one day at a time

Hopefully the coaching staff can handle it properly and remind the team how important home ice is. If they had a few more wins in the regular season last year they could've got home ice against Vancouver and Florida. Then maybe the Van series doesnt go to 7 (where draisaitl broke his finger in game 7 blocking Garlands shot) and maybe the cup final has a different result if it started at home as well

 

[dgibb10]

It's not when you look at how much of that came when playing with McDavid or Draisaitl. He also completely no showed in the playoffs and even got healthy scratched for half of the WCF.

You want to know who else are historically excellent even strength producers? Skinner and Arvidsson.

He played 100 minutes with mcdavid, McDavid's 5th most common forward linemate behind Hyman, Nuge (1100 minutes even strength with mcdavid and yet less even strength points than foegele), Leon, and Kane

He played 390 minutes with Leon, less than Kane.

Explain Kane and Nuge having less even strength points than foegele?

 

[nabob]

Can’t wait to see the Oilers deal with Cup Finals hangover this season and plummet back down to Earth.

Yeah the same way Florida did this year. But you can keep hoping McDavid and Drai plummet back down to Earth, might be sometime next decade.

 

[McBooya42]

How are you this bitter? Your team won the cup and this level of bitterness is still in your life.

Rent free 24x7...even after they won the cup. Amazing.

 

[Turin]

He played 100 minutes with mcdavid, McDavid's 5th most common forward linemate behind Hyman, Nuge (1100 minutes even strength with mcdavid and yet less even strength points than foegele), Leon, and Kane

He played 390 minutes with Leon, less than Kane.

Explain Kane and Nuge having less even strength points than foegele?

He’s underrated, kinda guy who doesn’t get his due because he sucks at finishing. Does smaller things that help his line though.

 

[Schennanigans]

Maybe Skinner jinxes them. No playoffs in his career.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Top 15 for sure. No debate.

Their defense on the other hand....

you mean the exact same defense that was 1 win away from winning it all?

 

[sepHF]

He played 100 minutes with mcdavid, McDavid's 5th most common forward linemate behind Hyman, Nuge (1100 minutes even strength with mcdavid and yet less even strength points than foegele), Leon, and Kane

He played 390 minutes with Leon, less than Kane.

Explain Kane and Nuge having less even strength points than foegele?

Kane was hurt all year and RNH has never been great at evens

Foegele had a good year for us, but it seemed like a one off in a contract year tbh.

 

[CupofOil]

It was an amazing day for the Oilers. Best offseason since the Pronger/Peca trades.

 

[The Shadow]

For 1 more year. I think both their top guys are leaving in the next 2 years

 

[McFlyingV]

He played 100 minutes with mcdavid, McDavid's 5th most common forward linemate behind Hyman, Nuge (1100 minutes even strength with mcdavid and yet less even strength points than foegele), Leon, and Kane

He played 390 minutes with Leon, less than Kane.

Explain Kane and Nuge having less even strength points than foegele?

Nuge has never been a big even strength producer. It's pretty well documented that he's an average 5 on 5 player most years with good 2-way ability and a power play specialist. Nuge also had 38 even strength points this year, and much more in the playoffs. Kane played through a sports hernia the entire year.

There's very little chance Foegele replicates last season, and his playoff performance was atrocious. Arvidsson and Skinner both have extremely long resumes of being much better even strength performers than Warren Foegele. The Oilers upgraded on Foegele immensely and their 2nd line just upgraded beyond anything even close to what Leon Draisaitl has ever played with.

 

[CupofOil]

Top 15 for sure. No debate.

Their defense on the other hand....

The defense was really good ever since Knoblauch took over (look it up yourself) but don't let the facts get in the way of a tired old narrative and lol at "top 15". Ok pal

 

[innitfam]

Best forward group in the Salary Cap Era.

Tampa in 2021

 

[onetweasy]

For 1 more year. I think both their top guys are leaving in the next 2 years

The Shadow has spoken.

 

[Three On Zero]

Nuge has never been a big even strength producer. It's pretty well documented that he's an average 5 on 5 player most years with good 2-way ability and a power play specialist. Nuge also had 38 even strength points this year, and much more in the playoffs. Kane played through a sports hernia the entire year.

There's very little chance Foegele replicates last season, and his playoff performance was atrocious. Arvidsson and Skinner both have extremely long resumes of being much better even strength performers than Warren Foegele. The Oilers upgraded on Foegele immensely and their 2nd line just upgraded beyond anything even close to what Leon Draisaitl has ever played with.

But Draisaitl spent most of his year with Hyman/McDavid, some would say the new guys are a downgrade.