When Will McDrai Pull Their Collective Heads Out of Their Asses?

[Bryanbryoil]

The amount of over passing is killing this team. Connor looks like he wants to flirt with being a 30 goal a year guy instead of a 50+ goal a year guy. If Connor once again doesn't win the Art Ross I hope that he's willing to cut us some damn slack on his next contract. He does not look like the best player in the world right now. I don't know if he is still hurt, if he was playing Barbie for his wedding or wtf. I just know that this isn't the same player that led the league in goals, assists and points 2 seasons ago. As for Drai, he's the highest paid guy in the league, it's time that he plays like it.

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[KeithIsActuallyBad]

It genuinely feels like the team unlearned all the lessons from last year over the summer. Every facet of their game sucks and looks as bad if not worse than at this point last year. Whether they're tired, hurt, whatever... Everything is just wrong.

And yeah, the overpassing really needs to stop. At least once I counted McDavid skating into the slot and just passing it away. I don't know what's happened to him but his 60 goal season feels like an entire generation ago.

First and foremost McDavid and Draisatl cannot play together 5v5, period. All opponents have to do is focus on that line and cave them defensively which is basically what happens most of the time. That Knoblauch hit that button already is a worrying sign that he's falling into the habits that got his predecessors turfed.

Of course it's also not just them. Most of the forwards are playing passable at best, same goes with the D. After it took so much effort just to dig out of the hole they made last year and to see them suck again out of the gate is almost insulting. They have a cupcake schedule and aren't taking advantage of it.

 

[NotAVacuumSalesman]

They need another coach fired to get the message.

 

[Soundwave]

Could be another couple of games. You can see it coming in some respects, but not quite there yet.

This is where not having any kind of franchise stability in net hurts because you have basically no protection against these kinds of slides when a couple of players aren't on.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Probably like within a week.

 

[Drivesaitl]

The amount of over passing is killing this team. Connor looks like he wants to flirt with being a 30 goal a year guy instead of a 50+ goal a year guy. If Connor once again doesn't win the Art Ross I hope that he's willing to cut us some damn slack on his next contract. He does not look like the best player in the world right now. I don't know if he is still hurt, if he was playing Barbie for his wedding or wtf. I just know that this isn't the same player that led the league in goals, assists and points 2 seasons ago. As for Drai, he's the highest paid guy in the league, it's time that he plays like it.

The McDrai production is pretty much exactly what it was last year at EV. If the PP was going at all they would be leading scoring race as per usual. Its a given there would be fallback with Hyman this season, and Booch too. We were getting best ever years from those too. Nuge isn't doing enough at bumper on PP either.

The bigger fish to fry is that we didn't necessariy get the right wingers. You look at a guy like Marchhment on the Stars and that guy would be great in our topsix. Our topsix got a bit small with Skinner and Arvid added. We're really missing Kane which has been said a lot. But we're missing Hyman and Nuge too, Can't be missing all those contributions and Booch having less production.

We have to go back to separating McDrai at some point but would their wingers be? Skinner works with McD. Not sure who would be best with Drai.


Sometimes its just luck though. Last year on the same chances Hyman already has 3 goals. This year nothing.

Too early to worry about McDrai Bryan. They're carrying the club, to less of an extent but still doing it. The superstar skill guys often take a bit longer to get into form. Last year it took about a dozen games.

ps the barbie movie was awful. Hopefully McD isn't into that...

 

[Bryanbryoil]

The McDrai production is pretty much exactly what it was last year at EV. If the PP was going at all they would be leading scoring race as per usual. Its a given there would be fallback with Hyman this season, and Booch too. We were getting best ever years from those too. Nuge isn't doing enough at bumper on PP either.

The bigger fish to fry is that we didn't necessariy get the right wingers. You look at a guy like Marchhment on the Stars and that guy would be great in our topsix. Our topsix got a bit small with Skinner and Arvid added. We're really missing Kane which has been said a lot. But we're missing Hyman and Nuge too, Can't be missing all those contributions and Booch having less production.

We have to go back to separating McDrai at some point but would their wingers be? Skinner works with McD. Not sure who would be best with Drai.


Sometimes its just luck though. Last year on the same chances Hyman already has 3 goals. This year nothing.

Too early to worry about McDrai Bryan. They're carrying the club, to less of an extent but still doing it. The superstar skill guys often take a bit longer to get into form. Last year it took about a dozen games.

ps the barbie movie was awful. Hopefully McD isn't into that...

Connor needs to start ripping shots again. If we want to win the cup there will be times that we need him to do it all on his own.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Connor needs to start ripping shots again. If we want to win the cup there will be times that we need him to do it all on his own.

He did hurt his hand I think it was in Flyers game when he fell down awkwardly. He definitely needs to get more selfish. You're Messi, stop passing it to Argentina players..

 

[Kerberos]

Connor needs to start ripping shots again. If we want to win the cup there will be times that we need him to do it all on his own.

There's an inflection point that has convinced me he sold his soul for that 153 point campaign. Stopped shooting after scoring #60 in 2023. His refusal to shoot has been an issue since then.

Bouchard, Hyman and RNH are also major issues. All 3 of them have been abhorrent this season.

 

[rboomercat90]

The McDrai production is pretty much exactly what it was last year at EV. If the PP was going at all they would be leading scoring race as per usual. Its a given there would be fallback with Hyman this season, and Booch too. We were getting best ever years from those too. Nuge isn't doing enough at bumper on PP either.

The bigger fish to fry is that we didn't necessariy get the right wingers. You look at a guy like Marchhment on the Stars and that guy would be great in our topsix. Our topsix got a bit small with Skinner and Arvid added. We're really missing Kane which has been said a lot. But we're missing Hyman and Nuge too, Can't be missing all those contributions and Booch having less production.

We have to go back to separating McDrai at some point but would their wingers be? Skinner works with McD. Not sure who would be best with Drai.


Sometimes its just luck though. Last year on the same chances Hyman already has 3 goals. This year nothing.

Too early to worry about McDrai Bryan. They're carrying the club, to less of an extent but still doing it. The superstar skill guys often take a bit longer to get into form. Last year it took about a dozen games.

ps the barbie movie was awful. Hopefully McD isn't into that...

You watched the Barbie movie?

 

[CycloneSweep]

November 5th. After we lose back to back to the Flames and Devils with a 4-9-1 record, firing the coach and replacing him with McDavids Dad.

 

[K1984]

The McDavid refusing to shoot, or frankly refusing to make an assertive offensive play phenomenon is bizarre because this degree of it is pretty much exclusive to the last 12 months over his career.

In the past he’d get about 40, and you’d think “man if he just shot more he could easily get way more, but whatever he had 95 assists and drove offense effectively and single handedly.” Then he actually did shoot more and ended with the Richard. One would think that’s a template to follow.

Then he reverted to a passive approach to a degree that I’m not sure he’s ever been at, even early in his career. It’s not even just the shooting, he rarely drives to the slot (and defers when he does), rarely tries to beat a d man wide, rarely puts the pedal to the metal and burns guys, rarely drives the puck to the paint, etc. He’s just there. Not even really leveraging speed as much anymore.

It’s not going to be forever, but it’s to the point where someone has to sit him down and ask him why. I know it’s a sin to even suggest that someone should talk to McDavid about how his approach is ineffective, but it’s past time. We need the 2016-2023 McDavid style of offense back. Not this deferential bullshit.

 

[Drivesaitl]

You watched the Barbie movie?

Not really. lol. About as much as can happen when you're switching channels and some trainwreck comes on and you're so incredulous you watch a few minutes just to see how bad it can possibly get. shudder.. Bad, real bad. Tapped out after a few minutes. Wife hated it and she lasted 5mins.

 

[barry halls]

I said it last year, a healthy McDavid in his prime doesn’t lose the Art Ross to anyone. Yes he won the Conn Smythe but most of us who have watched every game of his career can clearly see something hasn’t been right for 2 seasons now. It used to look like the puck was stuck to his stick with velcro and he rarely made a bad pass, now he’s constantly losing it and coughing it up, and the shot that won him a Rocket is nowhere to be seen. He has hardly scored a “holy shit” highlight reel goal in 2 seasons and used to have around 5-10 every year. And as much as we try to downplay it Drai’s highest level of play is inextricably linked to Connor and the PP. A short run this year wouldn’t be the end of the world if it means more time to heal.

 

[Soundwave]

You can tell neither one skated nearly as much over the summer as they usually do.

Season went into late June which insanely late for a hockey season.

Then McDavid had a big wedding in July plus a well deserved big honeymoon.

Draisaitl got engaged and had contract negotiations over the summer.

Lots of family obligations.

They're just off. How long it takes to resolve, well who knows. Not sure what RNH's excuse would be though, lol.

 

[McShogun99]

JJ goes and signs Skinner and Arvidsson so that Draisaitl finally has legit, top 6 wingers to obstruct with. Knob the keeps McDrai together and moves Janmark to the second line to play with Nuge….

 

[FlameChampion]

Every coach puts them together. Maybe it’s because they want to play together.

 

[Shanahanigans]

They both play so much worse with each other. They have since like 2021. Drai stops moving his feet , Mcdavid looks for him and only him, creativity stops. They’re both so much better off driving their own lines, idc what Knob is doing.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I think that the arduous task of trying to climb hockey’s Mt. Everest again after being 1 step away from the peak is weighing down the group who were there last year quite heavily. The legs seem heavier, the task greater, the will perhaps not quite where it needs to be right now to complete the journey.

They are not playing free but rather thinking the game before playing the game giving the other team that extra half second to adjust, get in lanes, block the passes and shots, make the saves and disrupt the attack.

Also the Oilers are among if not the most heavily scouted teams out there and you see teams play the same collapse defense against them time and again combined with pressuring McDavid hard in every zone.

Thats like skating in wet cement for 82 games. It’s hard hard work especially when the power play isn’t spotting your team 1-2 goals per game. And it seems the opponents have the book on how to stop the Oilers PP cold.

The 5 catalysts for the team, McDavid, Draisaitl, RNH, Hyman and Bouchard are collectively in massive struggle mode seemingly with the mental game dragging them down like a boat anchor.

Playing a simple north south game comes with great difficulty for this team which prefers a more complex east west game more fit for the highlight of the night than generating hard fought victories.

 

[Jumptheshark]

No idea. Maybe one or both are injured?

 

[Spawn]

McDavid and Drai salary combined:
21m - 4g, 7a 11 combined points in 6 games

RNH, Hyman, Skinner, Arvidsson and Henrique salary combined:

20.63m - 3G 3A, 6 combined points in 6 games

Thank god that latter group has Jeff Skinner included. What are we paying all these secondary scorers for, if not to be able to provide some run support when McDrai aren’t going?