Speculation: We have issues - POLE

[McJadeddog]

Oilers need a goaltender. They needed one last year, they needed one at the start of the year when Skinner bombed again, and they'll need one going into the playoffs. Skinner seems like a nice guy, but he's a backup being force fed the starter role.

Klingberg looks more like a bottom pairing D as well, which leaves a pretty significant hole(that's been there all year) in the top 4 for a team with cup aspirations. Defense market is pretty barren this year though.

Forward group feels like the wrong mix, and could use more size and forechecking strength, hopefully Kane can help with that. Could just be a chemistry issue though, Mcdavid looks like a shadow of his former self, Knoblauch seems pretty ass as putting together lines, and there was a decent amount of turnover from last year and not everyone has found their niche yet.

I hope the Oilers can manage to fix either the goaltending or defense problem, but I suspect they'll probably just make a move for a 3rd or 4th line grinder and take on the significant risk of going into the playoffs with some major question marks in critical roles. Hope I'm wrong though.

I agree with pretty much everything in this post. Especially the comments around goaltending. It’s just such a massive issue, and has been for years and years now

 

[iCanada]

Just a goaltender and we're good, that is a must, but I'd also like us to add atleast one more piece above and beyond that.

Skinner aint it man. Neither is Pickard.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Better management. Bowman’s bread crumbs have turned out to be stale.

 

[McShogun99]

I voted middle six F/D because we don’t have the assets to upgrade everything we need but just getting an average goalie would probably be good enough to put us in cup contention. Even with the flaws of this team we’re still top or near top in the league in virtually every category except goaltending stats.

 

[Soundwave]

The forward market isn't great unless you are going to break the bank for Rantanen some how, but I'm not sure how you even make that work salary wise without gutting all depth for next season. Trade Bouchard for Ratanen with an extension and then trade a 1st for Karlsson at 50%?

Other than pie in the sky stuff like that, I don't think there is much to help the Oilers at forward unless our scouts have their heads out of their ass and actually for once in their lives find a steal, but that's not happening realistically.

 

[Mr Positive]

Just a goaltender and we're good, that is a must, but I'd also like us to add atleast one more piece above and beyond that.

Skinner aint it man. Neither is Pickard.

Yup. It shouldn't even be a massive trade. We aren't talking about trading for Shesterkin. Get someone who is above average instead of the below average we are used to. But yes, that average range.

I've heard we need a big 4C with physicality, and sure, but that shouldn't be too expensive. A right shot penalty killing center would be ideal. But, if we fail in that I wouldn't be too worried

 

[Messrules11]

We have issues alright.

A team that doesn’t hit and has trash goaltending won’t win 16 games in the playoffs.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Wash. -3. 1A
Philly. -3. 0P
Avalanche -3. 0P
Chicago. -2. 1A

McDavids last 4 games, his worse stretch of games that I can ever recall.

He’s either hurt or sick or both. Something is way way off with him.

 

[bellagiobob]

Wash. -3. 1A
Philly. -3. 0P
Avalanche -3. 0P
Chicago. -2. 1A

McDavids last 3 games, his worse stretch of games that I can ever recall.

He’s either hurt or sick or both. Something is way way off with him.

We can make all the changes we want, but if Connor and Bouch continue with their level of current play, it won't really matter. Need both of them to be at the level they were in the playoffs last year if we want any chance of making noise again.

 

[Soundwave]

Wash. -3. 1A
Philly. -3. 0P
Avalanche -3. 0P
Chicago. -2. 1A

McDavids last 3 games, his worse stretch of games that I can ever recall.

He’s either hurt or sick or both. Something is way way off with him.

Being sick wouldn’t surprise me. There’s no way Morrissey and Makar were the only guys in that locker room who were sick and it must’ve been a doozy for them to miss a game.

 

[rboomercat90]

Major surgery is needed but I don’t think it’s the type of stuff that can be addressed at the trade deadline. I’d do a goaltending move at the deadline because that can’t be screwed up worse than it is right now. The two we’ve got have proven they’re not good enough. Move them out now before you paint yourself into a corner and have to pay even more for someone who isn’t worth what they’re getting now.

Our forward group needs to be overhauled. We’ve got the oldest group in the league and the further we’ve gotten into the season the more it’s shown. We’ll need to be creative revamping them and that seems more like an offseason project. Outside of McDavid and Draisaitl, nobody should be safe in that group.

The last few games aside, Nurse has had a good season. I shudder to think what that group would look like if his play had been as poor as it was the last couple seasons. We’ve got holes there and Bouchard’s new contract adds more uncertainty. The team might want to get creative there too.

I don’t think we’re in rebuild territory like some on here might but I do think we’re in need of retooling. Seeing what’s happened with the Capitals this year gives me some hope that it might be possible to do it successfully. I’m not sure though that we’ve got the management group that not only has the balls to try something like that but the ability to do it properly.

 

[McDoused]

Poll

 

[TB12]

Being sick wouldn’t surprise me. There’s no way Morrissey and Makar were the only guys in that locker room who were sick and it must’ve been a doozy for them to miss a game.

I don't want to make excuses for him but if he has the flu I have then I completely get his play. It absolutely kicked the shit out of me for a week and I still have almost no energy 12 days into it.

 

[Oilhawks]

Major surgery is needed but I don’t think it’s the type of stuff that can be addressed at the trade deadline. I’d do a goaltending move at the deadline because that can’t be screwed up worse than it is right now. The two we’ve got have proven they’re not good enough. Move them out now before you paint yourself into a corner and have to pay even more for someone who isn’t worth what they’re getting now.

Our forward group needs to be overhauled. We’ve got the oldest group in the league and the further we’ve gotten into the season the more it’s shown. We’ll need to be creative revamping them and that seems more like an offseason project. Outside of McDavid and Draisaitl, nobody should be safe in that group.

The last few games aside, Nurse has had a good season. I shudder to think what that group would look like if his play had been as poor as it was the last couple seasons. We’ve got holes there and Bouchard’s new contract adds more uncertainty. The team might want to get creative there too.

I don’t think we’re in rebuild territory like some on here might but I do think we’re in need of retooling. Seeing what’s happened with the Capitals this year gives me some hope that it might be possible to do it successfully. I’m not sure though that we’ve got the management group that not only has the balls to try something like that but the ability to do it properly.

I know some will say "ah, but he had an easy job in Chicago" or whatever, but Bowman had to re-tool a couple of times to get the Cup wins beyond the first. Whether or not he can / will here remains to be seen

 

[brentashton]

Poll

Not here. We call ‘em poles.

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Being sick wouldn’t surprise me. There’s no way Morrissey and Makar were the only guys in that locker room who were sick and it must’ve been a doozy for them to miss a game.

This is true, but Mcdavid hast been himself for 2 years. At point are we going to stop coming up with "reasons"

 

[McDoused]

Goaltending wasn't the issue tonight. Oilers didn't come to work today. Scoring chances were 34-16 with 15 high danger chances against.

Oilers were coasting before the break. They packed it in for the break and haven't bothered unpacking their luggage yet.

I get that guys are tired but holy smokes, maybe Knoblauch could try managing his guys better? Get gus guys game ready out of the gate would be nice.

Also Playing McDavid with Kapanen and Podkolzin makes no freaking sense. They were on the ice for 3 5v5 goals against. Just a bone headed move from Knoblauch.

 

[Niten Ichi Ryu]

Saw this stat on instagram, hmmmm

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I don't want to make excuses for him but if he has the flu I have then I completely get his play. It absolutely kicked the shit out of me for a week and I still have almost no energy 12 days into it.

Either way if he has another bad game against Tampa management has to put their foot down with him and say he’s not playing until he’s 110% because right now he’s clearly hurting the team.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Poll

 

[soothsayer]

Saw this stat on instagram, hmmmm
View attachment 981724

What else does anyone need to say than what's been seen and said. That's over 4 gaa. Still, some posters here would have you think the issue is that the team didn't score 5 goals per game.

These stats are just brutal for the team. I would be interested to see how they compare to last year.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

This is true, but Mcdavid hast been himself for 2 years. At point are we going to stop coming up with "reasons"

He was superhuman in the playoffs, so maybe he’s just saving everything for the playoffs? But being a -11 with only two assists in that time span with about 500 bobbled puck giveaways speaks to something.

 

[Soundwave]

This is true, but Mcdavid hast been himself for 2 years. At point are we going to stop coming up with "reasons"

He literally was the first skater in like 5 decades to win the Conn Smythe trophy last season while playing injured. He just scored one of the biggest goals in Canadian history the other night (up there with Henderson 72, Mario in 87, and Sid in 2010) . He's doing fine.

People here don't really understand having a superstar player because most of the people here frankly weren't around when the Oilers actually had one of those types of players in the 80s.

Every year isn't a career year. Ovechkin, the year who put up 3 goals tonight and is having a great season at age 39 has had up and down seasons too.

Draisaitl had a down year by his standards last year, this year is way up because he wants to show he's worth that monster contract.

McDavid has little to nothing to play for in the regular season, and frankly he's probably tired of the same ol shit in the regular season of little help outside of no.29 and shaky goaltending all the time which prevents the team from ever having a truly dominant regular season.

No point in killing yourself in the regular season over that. Better to pace oneself.

 

[CycloneSweep]

We don’t have the assets or cap space to get everything we need. We simply don’t. J Skinner has a NMC, team likes Arvidsson for some reason, Henrique is an anchor at his cap. Nuge and Hyman take up a ton of space, seems the team still thinks Kane is coming up.
We need a d but don’t have the assets for the kind of d we need and this org doesn’t think goaltending is a problem.

That said. This is a good team, arguably great. But it is not built to win a cup.

 

[OfCorsiDid]

I said major surgery for one reason and one reason only.

In this NHL, when teams go for it they load up. How many trades have we seen that involved major players going to contenders?

Either way, team has a chance to win this year you gotta do everything you can to improve the odds.