Post-Game Talk: We’re all smilin with you tonight Stu

[Dhockey16]

There is a thread on the mains rn discussing exactly this, high paid starters vs cheap tandems. IIRC, most prefer the cheaper tandem route. It makes me question how many of these monster deals we will see for goalies in the future, if maybe GM's see things similar as fans do. Like Bobrovsky has only once been top 10 in Vezina voting during his big deal, and ya he has a cup, by the skin of his teeth over 2.6m Skinner. Could be a possibility that even with a rising cap, we don't see the same level of salary inflation with goalies as we do players, so Saros deal never really looks better even with improved play.

I think with our roster makeup, it only makes sense to run cheap tandems for now. This team is so deep and talented, that when they are "on" they can control play for large stretches against anyone. We could have a random HF poster in net and it wouldn't make a difference. Saros isn't making anymore saves than Stu did last night. On the flipside, some of the goals against these playoffs from defensive breakdowns, even Hasek isn't stopping.

Maybe when McDrai are aging and their play starts to diminish, it will be more of a need to get a goalie who can win you more games on their own, but for now we just need decent, being great would be a massive bonus but we dont need to pay for it. That's why I would like to have at least 1 young guy coming up who looks like they could be a starter one day, Wallstedt for Bourgault annoyed me so much. At the very least, a backup/AHL guy in the 24-28 age range (like the previously mentioned Stauber/Soderblom) who if all went right, could be a part of the solution for 7+ years.

Look how beneficial it has been to us to have a guy like Kane (5m) on the 3rd line, or the depth of Walman (3.4) to cover the loss of Ekholm. With Saros, we don't have one of those guys at least. So even if he plays great, the team is worse. And if he plays bad? Well there goes any chance at a cup, imo.

ETA- I also don't mind the idea of trading Nurse's contract for someone like Jarry. Similar to the Dubois for Kuemper deal maybe. I've liked Nurse more this year than last, but it's just such a bad contract.

I think there's definitely something to the cheap tandem method. You're right that all the Oilers really need is decent, replacement level goaltending. The problem is they haven't had that consistently. I absolutely think they could do better than Skinner without spending too much money. Pickard is a great guy to have at 1m per.

Tough to say on Nurse. It seems like he's going to play out his deal in Edmonton at this point. Even if they got him to waive his NMC and found a buyer they'd still have to replace him on the blueline. Easier calculation if they still have Broberg.

They'll probably have to lean on a few veterans taking cheap deals again in the off-season.

 

[midnightcopper]

That must be why in desperation they sent this to me via email...so desperate for a crowd you invite your enemy!

Have no idea how they got my address lol


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That is just so sad, I'm sorry to say. It's like being invited to a birthday party when you were little, and the invitation said that you'll get $10 bucks from his parents at the door if you show up.

 

[Duke74]

Maybe his injury prevent him from shooting and passing as he used to. But he can skate and bring som checking and defending to the table

I've especially noticed it with his shot. He seems to be missing or flubbing a lot of shots that are normally goals. Ideally, we can wrap this series up quickly and give him as much rest as possible.

 

[Jarvi]

I think there's definitely something to the cheap tandem method. You're right that all the Oilers really need is decent, replacement level goaltending. The problem is they haven't had that consistently. I absolutely think they could do better than Skinner without spending too much money. Pickard is a great guy to have at 1m per.

Tough to say on Nurse. It seems like he's going to play out his deal in Edmonton at this point. Even if they got him to waive his NMC and found a buyer they'd still have to replace him on the blueline. Easier calculation if they still have Broberg.

They'll probably have to lean on a few veterans taking cheap deals again in the off-season.

Yeah honestly I think we are stuck with Nurse unless the team implodes, or his play falls off so critically that the fans and media basically force him to leave. Not that I want to see that happen at all, that's just the only realistic route I can see to him wanting to leave. Hypothetically though, I could just see a deal like the one I mentioned being something another team would be interested in, if he were to waive his NMC.


I'm even warming up to the idea that him staying may not be a terrible thing. The guy still has great physical tools, and has tons of experience. I know it's not likely to expect massive improvement in a 30yo dman, but Pietrangelo had his highest Norris finish at 30 and most productive season at 33. Maybe Nurse has a few seasons here where he earns his contract or adequately takes over for Ekholm as he ages out. It's possible, at least. So as long as he isn't impeding us from signing core guys, might be best to keep him rather than shake the room up by forcing a trade with him.

 

[Duke74]

Occupational health and safety stepped in, as it was discovered some current players on the Leafs have never had training on administering the Heimlick manoeuvre.

No, it was a man purse sale that Auston couldn't miss! He even made a special request to Gary for the day off.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

Lol Cassidy saying in the post game he's going to get the league to look into why we didn't get more penalties for going into the crease. Unreal.

He also gave us a lot of credit, said we played a playoffs winning game in a number of fashions and there's a reason we were within a goal last year.

That’s not what he said. He said he’s not sure how many calls they got but they need to look at it [in the locker room] so that as a team they prevent the Oilers from getting into the blue paint next game

 

[Dhockey16]

Coaches aren't as reactionary and definitive as fans are, there is no ' he's never playing another game in an Oilers uniform' hyperbole. Knobs knows he's going to need both goalies again at somepoint, that's just the reality of having two sub .900 goalies. At the moment we only have one option for the next game, and it's Stu, and if he plays well and we win, he probably starts the next series, but it will likely be game to game from here on out, as long as this run lasts.

I wish Knob would be quicker to pull Skinner. It's probably true that he's a bit better than Pickard when he's on his game but when he's off he's the worst player on the ice and will lose the team games. If he's in net for a game 5 win I'd be fine with him starting game 1 of the WCF - his highs are pretty damn good - but on an exceptionally short leash. There are no highs and lows with Pickard. He's the basically the same guy every game.

 

[The Panther]

I have to say that Louis Debrusk's commentary on those two goal crease penalties by the Oilers was just brutal. Louis take a look at the replays while you're yapping and see what really happened.

What? Really? I watched the TNT broadcast and as soon as the call was made against Janmark, Darren Pang (a former goalie) said it was obviously Hill who didi the infraction. Likewise, he noted that Kane was pushed from behind.

 

[The Panther]

Even Steve Yzerman didn’t have a Steve Yzerman moment. He won a cup when he had 8 hall of famers surrounding him. This narrative that he had some sort of epiphany needs to die

Agree. Yzerman has said himself that he didn'' get "better defensively" in the late-90s; he was already decent defensively 10 years earlier.

It's just hard to win when (a) you're the only star on the team and (b) Tim Cheveldae's in net.

Yzerman's peak was c. 1987 to 1994, before he won any Cups. (Not that he wasn't great when he did win Cups,mind you.)

 

[The Panther]

Man, I expected this series to go six or seven (and it probably will), but now that the Oil have a chance to close it out in five GO-BALLS-TO-THE-WALL and GO FOR IT!

I've always said that to win the Stanley Cup you need to have at least one series (probably in round 1 or 2) that ends in four or five games. (Every one of the Oilers' five Cups featured at least one sweep... and those were younger clubs than the current one.) The Oilers this year blew it against L.A. and had to crawl back, but now they have a surprising chance to end round two relatively early.

Honestly, if they let Vegas back into this one... they (the Oil) are probably not winning the Cup, because you need time to rest.

The two biggest factors now are Draisaitl and Ekholm. Drai, to me, is clearly not at 100% for whatever reason. But I don't think he has any severe problem and a week off is just what he needs, I guess. Ekholm is key, of course.

If they get a week off, and if those 2 guys at back at 100%, I think our guys are the favorites to win it all.

(But this is supposing they win game five in Vegas, which isn't exactly going to be easy...)

 

[29Beast97Mode]

If anybody hasn't watched this yet. Sounds like Walman will sign here long term, based on how he answered those questions.

 

[Dhockey16]

Man Dallas is rock solid. Games are only going to get harder.

 

[belair]

"We were dead wrong"

Kind of redundant when you're already Flames fans, no?

Meanwhile, here I am how many years later after telling them they should trade Huberdeau and his nice $5.9m cap hit coming off a 115 point season.

Buddy's right though. I don't have the same level of hate for the other guys that I used to. Their fans have been dicked around by bad management and poor ownership for years. The playoffs are better when all the Western Canadian teams are in the mix.

 

[CrazyJoeDavola]

Man Dallas is rock solid. Games are only going to get harder.

Deepest team remaining. They are very worrisome if mcdrai dont start heating up. It's going to be a battle.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Deepest team remaining. They are very worrisome if mcdrai dont start heating up. It's going to be a battle.

I guess, even with heiskanen back their blueline features Cody Ceci. I will be tough, but they don't scare me.

 

[Jarvi]

I guess, even with heiskanen back their blueline features Cody Ceci. I will be tough, but they don't scare me.

So we just gotta close em out before game 7 then.

 

[Da McBomb]

 

[KlefDown]

with Dallas now leading 3-1 as well, we HAVE to close out tomorrow

 

[FlameChampion]

I still don’t understand the Ekholm injury. Dude was obviously hurt and out awhile. Then he came back for a game and looked awesome. In the following game he played like a shift and got hurt on a nothing play.

 

[FlameChampion]

Too hot for a toque I guess

 

[TB12]

Wayyyyyyy too much talk about Dallas, Winnipeg, etc. and who the Oil might face next on here. Series ain't over, boys. We as fans of the Oil know that better than most seeing them almost pull off the impossible/improbable last year in the Finals.

I know nothing we say on here actually matters but I don't want that juju out in the universe about who the next opponent is until they win 4 vs. Vegas haha

 

[KlefDown]

also it’s my birthday tomorrow, pls win oilers

 

[FlameChampion]

If the Oilers win tomorrow, the 1st round pick that was moved for Sam O Reilly will become #28 overall at best. I'd take SOR over that.

I was thinking about this as well. I think it was a pretty risky trade for Jackson. But looks like hes going to dodge that bullet.

 

[jesusbuiltmyhotrod]

Deepest team remaining. They are very worrisome if mcdrai dont start heating up. It's going to be a battle.

They will be out for revenge too

 

[Oilhawks]

Wayyyyyyy too much talk about Dallas, Winnipeg, etc. and who the Oil might face next on here. Series ain't over, boys. We as fans of the Oil know that better than most seeing them almost pull off the impossible/improbable last year in the Finals.

I know nothing we say on here actually matters but I don't want that juju out in the universe about who the next opponent is until they win 4 vs. Vegas haha