This is my new roof. The folks at Roe Roofing did this in a day and came in at the quote from last July. Great work, courteous people and even Ziggy grew to love them after barking for about six straight hours. This represents the first ‘solo’ major purchase by me in over 40 years. I’m sure you think it’s silly for a grown man to stress over this kind of thing, but we’re all walking our own road and I will tell you there were sleepless nights and a ton of math involved in the process. Thanks, Roe Roofing. You are a kind company.
Stage Fright
This is beginning to look (to me) like a transition year for the Edmonton Oilers. There are too many questions and not enough concrete answers to suggest this team will have everything land perfectly. I will never bet against Connor McDavid, so a Stanley could arrive in late late spring 2025, but the ‘balance’ we always talk about on this blog (actually it might just be me who talks about balance) probably needs one more season of Ty Emberson, Noah Philp, Matt Savoie, Max Wanner and Olivier Rodrigue (reasoning here).
I think the top three lines will be strong this coming season. Let’s say Skinner-97-Hyman, Nuge-Draisaitl-Arvidsson and Janmark-Henrique-Brown cook like Walter White on a good night winter long.
We cannot assume that the Oilers catch lightning in a bottle on defense and successfully run Ekholm-Bouchard, Nurse-Stecher and Kulak-Emberson with a Josh Brown kicker. That’s not a championship defense, and I have news for you: It wasn’t when Philip Broberg was on the roster. The team needed to cook during the 2024-25 season even with Broberg and Holloway.
I’m fine with the goaltending, don’t know about Stan Bowman. We know general managers have their own way of evaluating players, and Skinner might be in the same situation now that Devan Dubnyk faced when Craig MacTavish became GM. I think Olivier Rodrigue is going to push but that won’t move the needle.
Finally, the fourth line. I wrote about the fourth line in The Athletic piece today, for me it could land as a strength by the end of the season. If we see Podkolzin-Philp-Janmark (this assumes Evander Kane is healthy by then) effectively outscoring by the end of 2024, then we can begin to have confidence in the four lines.
There’s plenty of uncertainty in the words above. I think the worries are (in no specific order) Stan Bowman, second pairing RH side, doing something foolish with Skinner and Evander Kane’s health. That’s a lot, folks.
The Lowdown hits at noon today, Sports 1440. We’ll welcome Bruce McCurdy from the Cult of Hockey at the Edmonton Journal and discuss the plethora of rumoured PTO options plus the roster balance. We’ll also talk CFL, NFL and MLB. I’m at Lowetide on twitter, in the comments section here and on the Sports 1440 text line at 1.833.401.1440 directly.
New for The Athletic: What to expect from Edmonton Oilers rookies in 2024-25
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5725601/2024/08/28/edmonton-oilers-rookies-2024-25/
Allan, you and Oiler fans are way to pessimistic at times, especially to start the yr. At the beginning of the year every team has holes, even a Stanley contender. Colorado added Josh Manson, Lekkonen, Cogliano and others to address their depth issues the yr they won and Vegas too added Barbashev etc. The whole point of EDM not matching the bloated offer sheets is to allow for that very thing by the deadline. They will bolster their top 4 assuredly, and that is their ONLY gaping whole at the moment. The other minor things they can tinker with and get by internally. Their doing the smart thing and seeing what they got in Emberson, Philp, Stetcher for the bottom pairing/ 4th line plus auditioning some other youngsters. Better that then blocking them form the get go and not knowing. Besides, this way they can accrue the cap space. I think the Oilers are taking a very smart, methodical patient aproach that all championship teams have.
I have to agree. They’re in pretty good shape for a team that lost two promising young players to an offer sheet. They don’t even know what they have yet and that’s exciting.
Each morning, I give my opinion. You don’t have to agree. It’s okay.
We are all walking our own road. Well said.
By the way, your roof is amazing and so are you.
Ya’ll made me laugh today. Who says it’s the dog days of August?
If anyone is looking for single game tix, there is a presale happening tonight (public tomorrow at 10 am.) The presale code is orangeandblue.
if this isn’t allowed please just delete, just wanted to pass it along as I came across it on another public site, and it worked!
I for one like the Ashley takes on things. Keeps you on your toes and definitely worth considering the negatives.
An interesting tidbit, albeit not a strictly hockey related one.
A quick scan of IMBD seems to show that Leon’s soon to be wife has filmed nearly all of her credits in the GTA or in the Lower Mainland, lots of them for the Hallmark Channel. A Canadian through and through for her career it seems.
Just a tidbit and nothing more as these summer days drag on.
LT
I’ve been working as a roofer the last few years and I can say this; getting a new one IS stressful. Congrats.
On Jeff Skinner.
Count me as one of the folks who think he’s suspect defensively. Yes yes, GF rates and all that sure, he rode shotgun with Eichel so I’d hope to hell he scores more than he gives up. But that doesn’t mean he’s a good defensive player. I’d put him in the same camp as Hyman or Kane, defense is not his first thought, he cheats up the boards a bit, he might fly a bit early, he might cheat to the middle for outlets. No it’s not a deal breaker but it’s something to consider.
That said…
He’s heads and shoulders better than Holloway is ever likely to be offensively.
This guy has a history of playing with and scoring with skill. His skating is elite, his shot is elite and his nose for offense is elite. Miles upon miles better than the likes of Holloway, McLeod or Foegele. Getting this player at $3 million is a steal of the highest order. The bet on Hyman was a glorious one, the bet here on Skinner is sublime, this is the best scoring winger to join the Oilers in decades and is easily the most skilled winger McDrai will have suited up with. This is not a cannibalization signing, this is additive and it’s much more additive than what we may or may not have lost with the cap space.
Skinner is going to score 50.
Skinner is also going to be a fix of what has led to losses in the 2nd season. Outscoring ability and depth on the 2nd line.
I agree on Skinner’s suspect defensive play in his own end.
I believe this could be one of the best value signings of the off-season.
He’s one season removed from 37 goals and 82 points in 79 games and Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch and Dahlin are not McDavid, Hyman and Bouchard.
At the same time, while he excels at scoring at 5 on 5, i don’t think he comes close to 50 goals unless there is a long term injury to Nuge and he’s the PP fill-in.
630 CHED becoming 880 CHED in October as Corus continues to count its nickels.
https://oilersnation.com/news/630-ched-moving-to-880-on-the-am-dial-in-october
The same has happened already in Vancouver where CKNW is already being re-broadcast on FM and another AM frequency.
Is it cheaper to do that?
Probably.
2 or 3 stations for the price of one.
At one time, CHED, CHQT and CFRN were the dominant stations in the market dictates…now down to one.
And with Corus cost cutting I expect CHED will face ongoing staff cuts.
🙁 I thought the 630 transmitter was the bomb. They are saying that both are 50kW but 880 is non directional during the day, so I would think it has less reach in some areas.
It’s interesting that no one bought the 580 AM frequency when CKUA shuttered it…it had incredible reach.
When I worked there, numerous offers for it were fielded.
Must be a very limited market for AM radio now.
Love CKUA. What a great station with amazing music. The lower frequencies have better propagation as they diffract more easily, which is part of what made 580 valuable.
The EV manufacturers are phasing AM out of their cars can’t be bothered to solve interference issues cause by the electric motors. These are the final years of AM. Oilers will move to FM soon enough, if at all. CBC will continue to spend our bucks until forever.
AM means something to me. The frequencies, the numbers. Countless hours searching through the noise. Hand tuning the potentiometer until I thought it sounded best. Finding stations from all over North America late at night.
630 CHED was top-40 during the Oilers glory years. I used to make cassettes of the top 10 countdowns. Its second harmonic 1260 had the Oilers. Rod Philips, John Short, Larry King, and Art Bell. Sometimes all in one night. What a stellar lineup. I would stay up late listening.
I lived in Cold Lake growing up and the remote location without interference especially in winter created the ability to hear distant AM stations including the super stations in Chicago and Salt Lake City all night long and, through radio, I grew up listening to Seattle Totems games featuring Guyle Fielder….what a player.
We were also able to access distant TV channels as well with our big rooftop antenna including for some reason St. Joseph Missouri.
I had the identical experience in Maidstone. KSTP Minneapolis, KOMO Seattle, KOA Denver (calls might be wrong there) and KLS Chicago.
If one is too suggest the Oilers holes are too large and not Championship caliber I think it behooves that person to suggest which other teams are deeper and have less holes.
You could make a case for Dallas. And I think that’s about it.
I don’t think Colorado has gotten any better. Florida and Carolina clearly and obviously lost key cogs. Vegas has lost all its forward depth, the Nucks are weaker on the back end and at forward, the Jets are aging out. The Preds made a lot of moves but the added scoring at the cost of their defensive acumen.
The Rags outperformed their stats last year and their forwards are as old if not older in key spots than the Oilers.
Dunno LT, the Oilers aren’t perfect but I’m not sure anyone is any better a bet.
Dallas has superior forward depth but some questions on defense.
However they have two legit top pairing D likely on bargain contracts depending on what Harley signs for.
In addition, 6’6” 240 LD Lian Bischel is expected to make the roster.
Colorado has the best defensive corp in the league especially after adding Oliver Kylington on a bargain contract but their forward depth chart is in flux awaiting the resolution of the status of Landeskog and Nichushkin. Landeskog is expected to return early in the season but the disposition of Nichushkin is unknown although it’s expected he will be moved. If Landeskog returns to form, they have zero holes.
You suggest Vegas has lost its forward depth but compared to this time last season they have added a healthy Mark Stone, Tomas Hertl, Pavel Dorofyev, Alexander Holtz and Tanner Pearson.
Nashville has, as you’ve noted, added a ton of offensive pop but they also added Brady Skjei to play behind Josi. With Saros in goal, they should be fine.
I see the Avs D Corp as playoff chunder. Way too small
I think it’s best to stay a wee bit hesitant about Dallas. I’m not sure Harley is what everyone thinks he is. DeBoer had to split that pairing in the Oiler series and the results weren’t grand. Two years ago Bouchard had to carry Broberg around and that was a drag on his actuals, I think Harley’s season was more a by product of Heiskanen than the other way around. I think there’s some reason to worry a tad about just how good that forward corps is too. They have aging concerns at a few spots and Robertson faded pretty hard as the physicality amped up. I have a theory that as teams begin to slide they ramp up the physical play to compensate and I think Dallas, in the Central, is going to have a rougher ride than the last few years. They chose small forwards and we’ll see how that works out. Oettinger is now getting closer to inconsistent than a world beater. They leaned heavily on him and have overplayed him three years running.
Colorado is top heavy everywhere including on defense. Makar has had very questionable numbers away from MacKinnon and Bednar had to ride them exceptionally hard due to the lack of forward depth. I don’t think Girard and Kylington are world beaters by any stretch. Smaller, less physical guys tend to run into issues when they play teams with forward size. Manson is fading and is slower by the day.
I’ll wait for a bit more evidence but I’m not sure Middlestadt is anywhere near as good as some thought when he was acquired. He’s smaller and the travel schedule out of the West is way different than what he was used to in the East. Goaltending is suspect at best. Lehkonen may cover some of that but they need that line to outperform to give MacKinnon a break. He’s older than Draisaitl after all.
Vegas is just old and injury prone. I think they’ve lost cover in the bottom six which was very key to their outperformance which means they’ll be leaning more heavily on that injury prone top six.
Heiskanen was 45%GF without Harley.
Harley was 57%GF without Heiskanen.
Both >750 min.
Though I suppose that’s a bigger issue for Dallas.
It’s interesting with NHL d.
When I watched Heiskanen during the 2020 playoffs, it was almost like watching Karsson when he played for Ottawa.
You’d see this guy just completely tilt the ice every time he stepped on it. It was phenomenal.
I thought Heiskanen was otherworldly at that time.
When we played Dallas, he was good, but I hardly noticed him.
He’s just turned 25, so I don’t know what happened.
It’s likely that LT’s axiom about rarely ‘developing in straight lines’ should be applied more generally to how hockey careers unfold (and perhaps beyond hockey as well).
Heiskanen is obviously an excellent player, but he’s far from flawless.
He got fed pretty well in both the 2022 and 2023 playoffs.
The 2020 playoffs you reference was fueled by a 1041 PDO (63%GF, 49%SF).
He’s benefited from Bouchard-like OZ starts the past 2 seasons (~60% both regular season and playoffs each year).
Excellent player overall. Definitely not always a difference maker though. And sometimes downright poor.
Small sample size alert for Harley and call it an eye-test scout from my side.
We’ll have to see where the season turns out but I saw a passenger more times than not.
The Harley without sample was over 800 minutes.
I sure hope no one is basing any conclusions on the Oilers last playoff season or two (no Oiler played even 700 minutes the past 2 yrs combined).
Maybe you’re right on Harley v Heiskanen though.
He’s played one full season and he’s 23.
Yamamoto says hi.
Well Yamamoto was 21 in his big season, which wasn’t also wasn’t a full season.
Anyway, I tend to agree with you that it wouldn’t be responsible to say much of anything definitive based on 800 minutes of ice time.
A lotta lotta lotta folks disagree with you based on 300 to 600 minutes of Oilers playoff TOI over the last 2 years though.
Wrong. Bouchard was stinking out the joint from the start of that season until he was paired with Broberg, and Broberg stabilized Bouchard’s play, fixing Bouchard for a smooth handoff to Ekholm whe he arrived.
Bouchard was lousy with Murray. Lousy with Kulak. Lousy with Nurse. It wasn’t till Broberg arrived that he found his game again.
And that’s why Phil spent the next 18 months riding the pine in the AHL while Bouchard, unshackled from that awesomeness went ahead and scored over a PPG in the NHL, regular season and playoffs?
Im not sure I’ve ever seen a read as bizarre as what you’ve cooked up about Broberg’s impact on Bouchard. Quite literally the opposite of what happened.
The easiest thing for a GM to do is add better players. That isn’t enough for playoffs
You have to build a team, balance things. All great GMs do this. The lesser don’t
Agreed yes. The road to Stanley is paved with good intentions and the best balanced teams often fall apart when the going gets tough. Guys get hurt, fall into a funk, find another gear etc.
For all the love given to Carolina, their cap strategy, their advanced stats, the coaching, they keep coming up short. Usually they end up totally worked over in the round they lose to, cracking at exactly the wrong time. Nobody here seems to talk about that.
I like the old Sutter ideas on possession though. If you’re hanging onto the puck more than the other team, in the ozone more than the other team, odds are you’ll beat the other team.
The Oilers squad currently built is going to be a possession demon of the highest order. Easily the best some of us will have seen and if healthy probably just as good if not better than that Avs team from a few years back.
I heard all about that Dallas depth heading in to round 3 this past spring.
So VERY true! I expect as things evolve we will start to “Hear” about how amazing the D corps, forward depth, goaltending is for “X” where X is any team other than the Oilers and a team that will demonstrate just how wrong, bad and poorly run the Oilers are. We could make a list and start a pool! Something good to come out of the stunningly annoying posts from “Mr. Changes Handle To Be Cunning”.
It’s one thing to pay McDavid and Draisaitl their market value, which is a lot, and they are worth it. It’s another thing for them to take a discount that makes winning a cup possible.
Crosby and Malkin won two cups on their discounted third contracts.
What would be a discount analogous to Crosby and Malkin?
Pittsburgh cups with M & C: ’08-’09, ’15-’16, ’16-’17
Malkin signs 9.5M 2014-2021 (8 yrs) – 13.7% of cap in 2014
Crosby signs 8.7M 2013-2025 (12 yrs) – 13.53% of cap in 2013
Analogous contracts for Draisaitl and McDavid:
Draisaitl: 12.6M x 8 AAV (assuming 92M cap 2025-26)
McDavid: 12.85M x 8 AAV (assuming 95M cap 2026-27)
Of course, the numbers aren’t fair because Crosby’s contract was 12 years instead of 8, and one can think of many other valid reasons why McDavid and Draisaitl should get more. But these are the percentages at which Crosby and Malkin were able to win 2 more cups.
I’d think Edmonton would have no cap trouble winning a cup at these percentages.
An interesting question: How much more could Draisaitl and McDavid make as a percentage of the salary cap and still win a cup in Edmonton?
Here are the AAV numbers for 14-15% of cap for each:
Draisaitl: 12.88M – 13.8M (assuming 92M cap 2025-26)
McDavid: 13.3M – 14.25M (assuming 95M cap 2026-27)
I would think these numbers represent the upper limits of cup plausibility, especially given how one will always have some cap inefficiencies elsewhere. Anything higher than 30% for both would likely make it impossible.
On a related note, it’s interesting that for McDavid’s entire 12.5 AAV contract so far, his cap% has never been lower than Crosby’s highest cap% in that third contract.
Cap hit %
Crosby: 13.53% – 9.89% (2013-2025)
McDavid: 15.72% – 13.59% (2018-2026)
It’s really too bad that the salary cap didn’t rise nearly as much as everyone expected.
I’d be interested to see if McDavid will take more of a cap% discount this time than last time to offset Draisialt taking more of it.
In a way, it’s unfortunate that McDavid’s contract ends after Draisaitl’s. McDavid could set the tone by accepting a way-under-market contract. But it’s tough to expect Drai to do that, especially when he’s been highly underpaid for several years.
But my biggest worry about overpaying is Bouchard. McDavid and Draisaitl are proven. Bouchard doesn’t have the same track record, but might get paid as if he does.
And offensive defensemen often get overpaid. There are a lot of overpaid D-men out there: Doughty, Karlsson, Dahlin, Werenski, Jones, Sergachev, Power, Trouba, Sanderson, Chabot, Orlov.
Bouchard likely won’t be re-signed for months and its likely he’ll continue to prove he’s the real deal.
He’s also not just an offensive d-man – he’s an elite 2-way d-man.
When I hear a late August rumour shake-up trade is coming first thing that pops into my head is a Goalie swap.
I would encourage you to listen to Frank’s spot on Oilersnation – I wouldn’t expect any major trades.
I’m glad your roof came in under the salary cap. 😉 And always smart to do the actual replacement after hail season. Well done.
You’re locked in now though. You can’t trade your roof nor can you significantly upgrade it in February. Neither of these constraints apply to the Oilers.
Discussions on whether they can win the Cup with this roster are premature. As we all know from decades of consuming the NHL, this isn’t the roster that will be playing for the Cup.
All you’ve done, LT, is identify areas where the Oilers may look to upgrade mid-season. I see this as no good reason to doom the Cup before TC has even started. Borders on disingenuous even. Maybe you’re a high anxiety, low patience type, I don’t know. There’s only one issue on the horizon right now and that’s the Drai signing, which by all indications, will get done. Low key neuroticism till we hear otherwise.
I’d also like to add… look out for Rodrigue. That train is coming. I’m no goalie evaluator, but he looks as close as Lavoie, Savoie, and maybe even Philp to my eye. He should get at least a cup of hot java this winter.
I will add that it behooves JJ not to make any moves till there is clarity on both Kane and Drai.
Rodrigue is an underrated prospect by many.
I think he may surprise.
His issue is he’s so skinny
There was a day he could attach wings to his chest and shoulder pads. Can’t now, and when you are over 6’ and under 160 lbs, you aren’t blocking enough net. Might work out, he’s 24 don’t know how much bigger he’s getting
He’s listed as 174 or 175 many places now (ahl.com, elite prospects, puckpedia). Makes sense that he did add some weight since he was drafted.
Sounds like Ryan Miller……
Unless one of either Emberson or Stetcher hits it out of the park, the RD (other than Bouchard) are probably just place holders until the deadline.
The same ‘place holder’ scenario is probably true for 4RW. Perry is ancient, not fast and his entire $1.15 can be buried. Suspect someone takes his job by Christmas.
Same could be said about D.Ryan
Its begs the question why Perry and Ryan were both signed
Ryan is on the 2nd year of a two-year deal.
I didn’t like the Perry signing the minute it happened given it wasn’t $375K over league min and an effing small games played performance bonus.
This man has made over $100MM in his playing career, did he need to dig in for that extra comp? It effects the team’s ability to build.
At the same time, I don’t think its a coincidence that he base comp is right at the figure that can be fully buried in the AHL with no dead cap….
I don’t think it’s just Bowman making personnel decisions, thankfully. I think it’s the senior management doing it. At least by Jackson’s comments.
It does seem like a committee from the Emberson return the Arvidsson signing to the pegging of O’Reilly.
IMO the salary cap and recent expansions makes it near impossible for teams to achieve balance, especially to start the season. The best a team can do is enter a season with few enough holes that they can be plugged in season.
I don’t think Drai is going to sign an extension and I don’t think he ever really seriously planned to. So there will be a big hole there, but hopefully Bowman is working on something that sees a decent centreman and RHD coming back our way.
I think Drai would like to play one more year here, especially with the July 1 additions. I think it’s dangerous to let him start into the season while hoping he might sign at some point. HIs trade value will drop and there is a risk of injury which will really throw a wrench in the plans. Stan needs to force his hand. Make him a great offer. If he is reluctant, then it’s time to get a trade done before the season starts.
Scandalous.
If Drai is showing an unwillingness to sign then Bowman/Jackson will have a tough decision to either trade him before the season or trade him after the season to a team that wants some early negotiating rights.
Yes, but the latter is a much weaker trading position. Drai would like that best and may be slow-playing Bowman for that outcome. Making it seem like he’s interested in an extension when, in fact, he has no intention of playing out his career here. At the same time, he knows next year in Edmonton is another golden opportunity to win a championship and he wants that before he leaves.
Bowman needs to earn his paycheque on this. He’s got to force his hand before the season starts.
If this is factual, please present your source/evidence.
There’s probably a deal already in place to solve all questions about Nurse’s partner, some fourth line help, someone to replace the unreplaceable Leon and Edmonton will have at least a 1st round pick in 2025 to restock their prospect pool and remain cap flexible for years to come. Brace yourselves Oiler fans.
Oh yeah and they can still accrue cap space for further additions at the trade deadline.
I think the deal is already done. When Leon arrives in Edmonton the announcement will happen. 14×8. Anything less is great.
Now if I’m wrong and Leon is not willing to sign. Doesn’t the contract have a NMC with a 10 team trade list? Making a trade much harder, especially a month before training camp. I just can’t see it as a possibility at this point.
Leon has stated he’d like to play for the Bruins.
Source?
From what I understand, someone around the team told Laraque that Leon may not extend with the Oilers if they have a bad playoff run and that it was Laraque who suggested the Bruins as a best fit as they had no centers.
Seems like quite the leap to say that Leon himself wants to play on the Bruins.
I wouldn’t believe a word Laraque says. But yes, Leon has said he likes the Bruins and would play for them. And it’s no secret the Bruins are interested in him.
When did Leon say this though?
I think it’s no secret that every NHL team would be interested in Leon if he were available.
I am trying to understand when Leon said he wanted to go to the Bruins though.
LOL it’s ok, no need to panic. Everything is going to be alright.
I like big Georges a lot, but as a prognosticator he is definitely Opposite Georges.
— I’d bet the house he’s re-upping.
— It’s funny how things change : if the Oil finished the season last year as bad as they started and not made playoffs: or even if they lost in first round : I’d have been fairly certain he would t sign.
— I’d hope for 5 years max but I can see how they do the 8 year deal.
Let’s pretend for a moment that you are Leon Draisaitl.
Here are your choices.
A. Sign a guaranteed contract worth over $100 million usd with the Edmonton Oilers.
B. Trick the Oilers into thinking you’re going to sign so they’ll be stuck with you riding out your contract so that you could win a cup. Take the risk that you could get injured or traded anyway.
C. Demand a trade or let them know you want one at the beginning of the summer so that you can move to a team you want to play for and sign a guaranteed contract for over $100 million.
Option B also has a >$100 million USD contract as a UFA. An injury wouldn’t stop that from happening. You just forgot to include it like you did for option A and C.
He’s going to get the money in every scenerio and that’s not what concerns him. He’s worried about where he is going to play and what is best for him, Celeste, and his future family.
Ideally, I suspect he would like to stay here one more year. The Oilers should have other ideas unless he’s willing to commit long term and they should decide before the season starts before their options get taken away from them.
Patrick Kane called me and he says he wants his option B.
“I don’t think Drai is going to sign an extension and I don’t think he ever really seriously planned to.”
Why do you think that?
Out of curiosity, do you believe McDavid is of like mind and complicit in Draisaitl duping the organization?
Or do you think Draisaitl is also lying to McDavid to conceal is real intentions?
Preposterous.
The only concern is the defence, which has been a concern since post 2006.
Same as it ever was.
Not directed just at you Pretendergast but, why is it always just the defense? The forwards need to play a certain way to win in the playoffs. Forecheck, backcheck, team defense all the time. There needs to be commitment or this team comes up just short every time. Forward support for the D and we’re laughing all the way to the Stanley Cup parade.
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The forward group is strong. That hasn’t always been the case but that’s because the entire team was poor.
There are players who make everyone else’s job easier. Ekholm, Nuge, etc. The second pairing defence, who will play alot of tough minutes, does not currently have a player like that. That means less margin for error for everyone else, which means mistakes are magnified.
Upping the talent level means more room for errors. Say what you will, but the creativity Connor and Leon enjoy is partially a byproduct of someone covering their ass when everything goes sideways.
Forwards aren’t defenceman, who aren’t goalies. The lines of defence are there, whether you want the forwards to play d or not. Only 1 team in the league has Barkov.
I think Bowman is smrt enough to realize who his fan base is and be pretty cautious in his talk. No semi interested US fan base, if the team is winning. Undying attention probably only exists in Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal
Which is why he said they would give the players a shot and go from there. ON had a piece about Stecher today. What I found interesting was his international play. Gold medal teams, set up the gold medal goal in one with a skill play, played the most TOI in the game. Went from third pairing to top Canada D in the tournie
This has been what he does in his career. His drawback is his size, but he has game and an attitude. Said he has a game ritual that is set. Which includes staring an opponent down, to intimidate them – hilarious
https://oilersnation.com/news/5-interesting-facts-about-oilers-defenceman-troy-stecher
Emberson is similar. Gregor asked around and his game was described to be what this team needs in their end and around the net. He’s smaller but more physical than Ceci, a better skater than Des. Boxes out, good stick, pretty assertive. good edges if not fast, gaps etc
He has played top comp well on a bad team. I expect the right side is better now than it was, if smaller. Unproven, could go sideways, but I like the type of player they both are more than the previous
The difference being going from players that are good at one or two things, and not great at the rest, to good at most things if not great at them. A little less steady Eddy, more jam and more rounded games
I prefer Stecher with Nurse because size, and far more experience, but we’ll see how it ends up. LT doesn’t see a Cup D, but what is that these days? Florida’s group on paper (and in many games) was meh mostly. You can have an expensive D group OR F group, not both, because cap, or a mid level in both, but that usually means a team that tops out earlier in playoffs to higher skill
They have Ekholm, Bouch and Kulak who all show up when the chips are down and play well, the first two at an elite level. If Nurse plays to his higher level, and two cheap guys can compliment on the bottom 4 and get a basic job done, I think it could work without a fancy deadline move. Especially with a super F group as it is. It never hurts to add a better player, but it can be expensive. We’re in this for the long haul
No offense, but the words ‘if’, ‘unproven’, and ‘think’ are doing a lot of heavy lifting here.
Vancouver’s giant backend almost stole them the series despite missing a top scorer late in the series and their regular goalie (Oil were the better team though).
We are smaller with less experience on the backend than we were last year.
It might turn up roses, but I’m skeptical of the guy who’s played 30 games or is too small to move anyone from the netfront to be better than Ceci, and i didn’t even like Ceci.
I’m still burned from the bets of Nikitin, Reinhart, Belov, Fayne, Aulie, etc. etc.
Going in with HOPE rarely is a great plan, and not fair to Emberson or Stetcher either. These are players expected to play above their established levels right off the hop.
Looking at things as we do the D and F are separated and as you say team defense is 6 players
It hasn’t been consistent where the whole group is doing their jobs and also playing well individually
There have been spans where the goalies aren’t making enough stops, forwards not coming back well or losing wall battles extending D time or the puck coming right back in, D not outletting well enough, bad pinching etc
Put it all together and watch out
Aging curves will be a growing concern.
Stupid Oilers. Every other team has a more progressive and aggressive management style that prioritizes pre-pubescent blood transfusions. I heard Jamie Benn now has the body of a 16 year old.
The Stars are an unfortunate template for what is likely to happen to the Oilers.
The inordinate amount of cap space consumed by Benn and Seguin has hampered their championship aspirations for years.
The good news is that Benn’s contract expires after this coming season freeing up $9.5 million in cap space leaving only Seguin with an onerous contract.
The rest of their core is young and signed to very attractive contracts.
And of course their stellar draft record has blessed them with a plethora of 25 and under star performers. (7 on the current roster)
As we’ve seen the Oilers are severely lacking in that aspect of team building so are at great risk of aging out very quickly.
Or another way to see it is most teams don’t have the elite talent the Oilers do, and that means a different path in a cap world. More on top, less on the bottom. it got the Pens 3 cups, 2 in the current CBA. If a GM can build enough into the bottom, 4 out of 5 dentists will take having a good enough team below and the elite players – the game breakers. The former Preds and Canes say hi
As for Dallas, they have for strong youth Johnston and probably Heiskanen. We’ll see what their undersized skill F turn into. If we’re thinking about aging curves, lack of experience and roster holes I’ll take the Oilers situation
How old were Sid, Malkin and Letang when they were winning cups?
In Dallas, Robertson, Johnston, Heiskanen, Oettinger and Harley are all 25 and under with Roope Hintz just turning 27.
Thats their new core and of course Stankhoven and AHL MVP Mavrik Bourque are just getting started but looking like they have a chance to be stars.
I would agree the Oilers might have an advantage now but it won’t last very long once the cap space gets hoovered up by Draisaitl, Bouchard and McDavid.
Which will be eaten up by a Johnston extension. It’s good they’ll have the room, but it doesn’t make them better. That cap space is already spoken for.
Isn’t that illegal (except in some states, where you can marry at 14)… ? Do her parents know?
Aging is literally always a growing concern.
And usually always around the middle. Ha!
Not this season. It’s an older group but not one player outside of Perry and Ryan are fading, yet. They can all skate as they did before
And when Perry and Ryan are gone next season and possibly Skinner the Av Age drops a bunch
I would caution that there is evidence that Nurse, Kane, Skinner and Nuge are showing signs of age related decline.
Have you wondered why Buffalo decided to buy out Skinner when they didn’t need or use the cap space?
Fortunately he is only signed for one year but, as the cap rises, he will need to be replaced with a player who is likely to cost significantly more.
And, yes, trimming some greybeards off the cap will help lower the average age but remember that will be ameliorated by Nuge, Kane, Hyman, Nurse, Henrique, Arvidsson, Ekholm and Kulak being a year older and getting closer to the cliff.
They’re still a fair distance from the cliff. At least a few kilometers.
The available evidence on aging curves says otherwise. Go take a look.
Now it’s possible every Oiler in his 30s will defy the evidence but it is certainly not likely.
Father Time is undefeated.
Why are you still here?
Maybe Nurse yes, but it would be chronic injuries over physical things. When he seems healthy he hasn’t changed to me. Sadly
Nuge is Nuge, he hasn’t been a top top 6 F ever, his 200 point campaign not withstanding. Smart player, strong special teams, has always been a bit small and lacking explosiveness, it’s why he’s a winger now (sports fans pencilling him at C will remain disappointed). His season PTS/GP aren’t declining
Kane is still scoring despite all of the health issues, which may be what get him, but if he’s well enough I don’t see any decline in quality of play or speed. Power forwards aren’t what they once were when 30-32 was it. Kane is a specimen and isn’t doing off ice what many of those guys did, they don’t play the way they once did either
Skinner got bought out I think because they have cap and wanted culture change, lots of internal pressure to take a step and they haven’t. Owner is bonkers. It’s been shown his 5v5 numbers are still good and he is considered a very good, if unique, skater
Hyman and Nuge with 4 more years are a worry for decline. Other than Connor and Leon no long term for older players. Hyman’s NMC relaxes in 2, Nuge’s never. At 5M it may not be that big an issue if they are bottom 6. I think that was the gambit, but the flat cap slowed the cap% shrinking and perhaps made it less viable. Either could be asked to be traded as well, new sheriffs
I would also posit that there is decline, and there is decline to unplayable. Not the same and see no one near that point except Perry and Ryan soon, maybe now. But they aren’t key players. I think this is both player’s last season, at least on the Oilers
Decline does not have to include unplayable but if you have multiple players who aren’t performing at their cap level you’re pooched.
When most of those players also have trade protection the mountain is even higher.
That’s true. Holland is gone keep in mind. Maybe they can find the cheap players they need, and the coaches get the team playing it’s system top to bottom, which makes players more plug and play because they know more exactly what to do. It’s how the Bruins keep going
They can ask players to move. Some might say yes. For example if Nurse gets pushed down at some point he may prefer other options. His cap gets relatively less each season with the cap going up. Other GMs may see him as useful, we don’t know, but his tool box is rare and teams employ D with size that are tough, and most can’t skate like him. His offense is also better than most like him. And he isn’t getting the cherry minutes on the Oilers anymore
To me the first years of the new contracts are the hardest. Hopefully these guys are smarter with the cap, they talk about it and have shown an ability to get things done Holland didn’t show. To me it all depends on management actions. Every team finds a unique path to a championship, and having more talent at the top seems to be the most successful way
Also I found Holland liked players that I thought weren’t that good. Guys that look like NHL players but didn’t do the details well enough. I have said I thought Holland assembled a roster with a lot of one dimensional players that made it hard to hammer out 4 lines and 3 pairs. Having a roster of more fully competent players is going to look different than it has in years, and be easier for the coaches
It will be interesting to see if Bowman can thread those needles.
His post cups behaviour in Chicago is not promising.
Perhaps Jackson will have an impact but I think there is a risk he is too “player friendly” to make tough roster decisions.
As for Nurse, his cap hit will certainly decline in impact but if his on ice performance matches that decline you end up with M.E. Vlasic.
Bowman re-tooled the team for cup wins in 2013 and 2015 and then again to finish in first place in the west in 2017 – 7 seasons after taking over and winning cup 1 and a few seasons after the last cup.
Hyman and Nuge are both signed for apx $5MM – yes, they will decline over the course of their contracts but given the cap will likely be nearing $100MM in a few seasons, well, they will continue to provide value for cap hit most likely.
Kane has two years left.
Ekholm has two years left.
There are very few contract they look like they will be anchors due to age-related regression.
Drai’s 8-year contract extension will but that won’t be an issue for 5 years likely.
LT said “This is beginning to look (to me) like a transition year for the Edmonton Oilers. There are too many questions and not enough concrete answers to suggest this team will have everything land perfectly. “
Concrete answers? Everything is fluid until 29 sign on the dotted line.
Could be a ton of transition going on this year.
Maybe this was discussed yesterday, but Servelli saying Oilers could make a trade to “shake things up”. Repeated by Staples yesterday.
For me, I don’t see why the Oilers need to “shake things up”, unless there is something brewing with Drai or Nurse. I don’t expect any such trade though.
I’m not a fan of slogans like that. Get better, all the time, no need to talk about it by them, it’s expected by us. Have an issue with a player, solve it
If you need to do something to get the player’s attention or for focus, you have the wrong players. Good players want to win and are self motivated at this level. Moves should be made to get better or for cap reasons, or both
I really thought the prior two seasons were our best chance. I hope I’m wrong.
They look to be building for the future and the future is now.
IMO the only real issue is RHD.
4th line is never a real issue if you have bonafide 1-3 lines. The Oilers have a very good top 9. The 4th line will play low stakes minutes. Oilers fans are conditioned to fret about the 4th line because the team usually has 2-3 4th lines.
Pod/Pederson/Lavoie/Philp/Ryan/Perry can make a passable 4th line
It sure would be nice to have four reliable lines that can play, to keep the stars shining.
The 4th line is probably the easiest thing to fix at the trade line if any of those pieces aren’t fitting in.
Would expect they will move some of these guys around in case of injury.
The one thing that I hope comes true is Philp being ready to step up in the way our gracious host expects. Taking a year off I’m not certain it’s reasonable to expect him to ramp up quickly and would rather under-promise and over-deliver. Anything we get from him is found money.
Come on LT, a transition year after being within a couple of goals of winning the Stanley Cup with McDavid and Drai, and most of the band intact? I’m not buying it. The time for “transition years” is over. It’s “go” time. This team was a legitimate Cup contender last year, it is again this year and it should be for a handful of years yet to come.
All teams have turnover. If you are making changes and trying to get better it makes the team better. The core is what drives things and having a good enough goalie. Winning teams aren’t always veteran laden, they often have some younger players
I think this roster is better than it was
I agree, this is just a slow day in late August and LT is doing LT things to keep us interested.
Have you seen the right defense? Have you seen the age on RW?
I have and I have. I have also seen the improvements elsewhere. I’ve been quite critical of the plan, or lack there of, for RD. It’s far worse without Ceci and/or Broberg. That’s not really the point though.
The Oilers didn’t buy out Campbell, sign Advidsson and Skinner (for 1 year) to not compete for the Cup this season. What you are suggesting is that McDavid and Drai need to buy their time for at least one more season while the organization rebuilds RD (and RW). That’s an incredibly dangerous gamble with their contracts needing renewal. It would also be incredibly foolish.
I’m suggesting that the defense is going to take some time to develop. As it stands, both Emberson and Stecher are key players. It would be unfair to expect them to adjust immediately for what’s coming. I think this team is in transition (again) on defense. Thwy were when Broberg was here, too.
That is not all you are suggesting.
It’s pretty clear we won’t agree, but I meant every word. The Oilers won’t win the Stanley Cup with this defense. I’ll defend that all day.
That can all change in a hurry.
I took it as LT meaning transitioning younger players onto the roster, or at least auditioning them sooner to see what you’ve got. We certainly have older players (Perry, Ryan) that need replacing next year. Then there’s the Kane situation, another opportunity to test drive a prospect or two.
Perry & Ryan need replacing this year.
Can see both being out of an NHL job by Christmas.
Certainly we didn’t enter last season thinking it was a transition year, yet I count more unanswered questions from August 2023 than today.
We go into 2024 with:
More bonafide scoring
More confidence in net
(Even) more desire after a longer run. A bitter, motivating taste.
Henrqiue – Janmark – Brown as proven depth.
And reasonable bets on bottom tier players that were lost and didn’t move the needle significantly, anyway. Ceci is covered. Not having Holloway might present issues down the road but his scoring is covered for 24-25.
I refuse to believe that losing Broberg is the difference between what we ought to reasonably hope for (a “Ride of the Valkyries”-level carpet bombing of the league on the way to Jordan-like championship arc) and a “transition year”.
Transition year on the ice this year is totally unacceptable. Everything has to, and can, improve slightly at the margins and Edmonton is walking away the best team in the NHL.
Transition year in the excel sheets maybe. That will be determined by Leon. But freaks on the ice, please.
I don’t think Emberson & Pod will make everyone forget about Broberg & Holloway.
But I think they will be very good additions to the team on value contracts.
I don’t get why two guys who’ve put up better numbers in the NHL are being viewed as downgrades on the guys who left.
All 4 players still have question marks for sure, nothing is established. Bro has the highest ceiling of them all, but he’s not there yet
And may never get there.
I agree with that 4th line (although Podz is a left shooting right wingers so flip the wingers) but I do think that could be the case with Kane not playing with Lavoie taking that 3LW job (or maybe Savoie pops to be a top 6 winger and Arvidsson or even Nuge pop down to 3rd line).
Pod probably would play LW if he needed to. There’re lots of options with Kane possibly on IR. They are fortunate to have good veterans playing in the bottom six which allows them the opportunity to insulate some young players, such as Savoie, Podkolzin & Philp, to name a few.
Janmark-Henrique-Savoie
Podkolzin-Ryan/Philp-Brown
You also didn’t mention Perry in that group.
I know he was all but a non-factor, if not a liability, in the playoffs but he did score 12 goals in 54 games last season and, at least last year, had the ability to make an impact here or there during the regular season and regular season pace.
P.S. His contract remains an overpay – shouldn’t be over league min and shouldn’t have a games played bonus.
I have nothing against Corey Perry. I just didn’t think they needed to sign him. Obviously, they see something in him, kind of like they must see something in Josh Brown.
Janmark is a versatile utility player that can be moved around in short doses he’s not a full time 3rd liner. Henrique is the rock depending on the opposition road-home games coach K.K will mix and match different wingers with Henrique from Arvidsson to Lavoie-Pod-Brown-Nuge-Savoie-Jervsntie etc. It’s too bad Henrique got injured and then played with it in the playoffs. With his friendly 2 year deal makes that a wonderful trade by Holland way better than the one we landed our supposed 3-C the previous year losing Kesserling in the deal.
I think history has proven that Janmark is a 4th line player during the regular season – I mean 4G and 12 points in a full season did happen.
I know he has a history of apx 25 points in 65 game per season but I think he should be locked at 4LW unless the higher skilled youngsters fail (and Kane is not playing).
That spot is right there for Lavoie, a right shooting left winger, to take. I think Henrique could be the pefect center for him.
Do we think that Lavoie will get any pre-season reps skating with the likes of Henrique and Brown or, will Knobby be like Woody and Tippet before him and Lavoie will skate exclusively with the likes of Hamblin and Caggiula?
Also, I’d give Podz an opportunity to win that 3LW spot but i believe he prefers the right side. I presume he can play both but am not sure!
Podz & Lavoie look like a promising winger combo for the future.
You realize I guess that these two juxtaposed statements are directly contradictory?
The prior 7 seasons of Janmark’s career ranged between 21 and 34 points. 4G/12P is not representative.
Anyway, I have no issue with him on the 4th line – he very well may end up there.
But I don’t agree he should be ‘locked in’ there, or that his 12 point season in 23-24 is a good justification for such.
He did also score 4-4-8 in the playoffs, which was tied for 5th among Oiler forwards.
That is one fantastic looking roof! Took ’em one day huh? I’ve been working on (and stressing about) my shop roof since May! 🙂 Almost done…
Everything certainly did not land perfectly last season:
Despite the uneven landings noted above, the Oilers played hockey on June 24 last year.
Lets do it again!
No G.M’s offer sheet so as a few posters mentioned business is personal. I get all the tears for Holloway and Broberg yet what exactly did they contribute that can’t be matched or bettered this year. As for Ceci half this blog lost it’s favourite whipping boy. A damn good 2nd line and a perfect 3-C has me more optimistic than last year even though it’s a shortened offseason. The only thing that bummed me out was the Bowman hiring hopefully it’s just a title and decisions are done by committee.
I’m not positive that it was personal (not positive that it wasn’t) – I do think Armstrong had the perfect storm (the need on his team and ability to overpay for 2-years with little risk as they are not contending and do have cap – mingled with the exact type of RFA that COULD be poached – just establishing so the compensation level isn’t egregious, etc.).
I think GMs do offer sheet more than we think, they are just not signed by the players very often. All an offer sheet is is a contract with an RFA from another team. I would think that RFAs are offered contracts by other teams more often than we know, they just rarely get signed.
Ceci played between 20-21 minutes per game in each of his three seasons as an Oiler, He played some tough minutes and he played on the PK.
The Oilers will miss Cody Ceci. The hope is that Emberson can fill most of those minutes but we won’t if he can for a while yet.
Broberg taking the offer sheet was a no brainer for him and his agent who played it perfectly.The Holloway one was unique and was personal in my opinion. When’s the last time a winger that has produced like Holloway been offer sheeted? Never this one made no sense unless you have a take on it. Did Armstrong start a arms race across the league will find out next year. If I’m Neighbours agent I go for his throat and set up my own bidding war like Brobergs agent did. Kevin Lowe tried to outsmart his colleagues and I believe it bit the organization in the ass for 20 years. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Steven Rice, Troy Crowder, Stu Grimson, etc. – there are low level players that have been offer sheeted.
I don’t think Holloway was personal, as has been reported by a couple of sources, the double offer sheet was strategic by the Blues in order to given themselves a better shot at getting the players – Friedman reports that the Blues were not going ahead with it unless they got both offer sheets done.
I think this depends upon what you consider ‘personal’. I think you think of this as directed at somebody in particular while that is not really how it is perceived in business circles.
Rules, laws etc. establish a floor for conduct. Anything below or outside has sanctions. That is the basis of our legal system or, in this case, the CBA. But it is important to note that rules set a minimum standard for conduct – not a norm.
So, for example, I could order 5,000 widgets from a supplier that I had been ordering widgets from for years. They show up and the quality is different than every previous order. I phone to complain and am told that they switched manufacturers. They did nothing illegal. They followed the rules but as the guy who bought them I feel that I have been taken advantage of because they followed the bare minimum of rule following when they could have let me know in advance.
So if it is ‘just business’ I live with the explanation and continue to order from them.
But that is not what will happen. I will not do business with them anymore because imo they followed the rules but not the norm.
That is what is meant when people say it is personal. You do business with people who operate within the norm. Not with people who operate on what they can do under the rules.
If Armstrong had phoned Bowman and said if you don’t agree to work out a trade for Borberg I am going to proceed with an offer sheet that would have constituted rising above the floor towards the norm. But he didn’t. He took the lowest road allowable. It was more akin to a hostile takeover than normal business practice.
The law isn’t like that because of the nature of its subject matter.
Business, on the other hand, is very much about norms rather than a strict interpretation of the rules.
Make sense?
DH had only to look at the McCloud contracts to see his own future. Now he’s set for life no matter what happens with his career as a hockyist.
This is true. Still I don’t think there are very many NA players that get to the NHL that aren’t already set for life because of their family’s circumstances that got them there. It seems Euro players are more often from regular families than local fellows
My nephew’s family spent a whack on his hockey, Bro in law makes a good income, but when it came to making the WHL (he was drafted), the academy hockey most of his peers played in was a cheque too far. He could have tried to work his way up through lower league’s but didn’t want to at that point. I guess he could have gone the college route but he’s not a college kind of guy at this point
If Noah Philp can regain his form from the last two months of 2022/23, unless Derek Ryan is “getting younger”, Philp should take his lineup spot within a month or two.
I do think the plan is for Savoie to spend at least half the season in Bako but early injuries could indeed change that. I know some had talked about a PPG being an unrealistic expectation for Savoie but I don’t think that’s the case and should be the actual expectation.
Savoie is going to Stankoven the crap out of this season!
The team should take the regular season and get some minutes to the young guys and see what they really have- so Kemp, Wanner, Philp, Savoie, Lavoie. We have the 4th line and 3rd pair minutes.
And Rodriguez in goal
If the players are looking like they are ready, then, sure but lets not forget, they need the cap room to add another player to the roster unless they re-assign someone and waivers comes in to play – its not necessarily that easy to just call a player up – not when the cap is this tight.
I do think that Kemp has earned a chance to play some NHL games (unless he regresses) and, as of now, he’s probably behind Josh Brown as 7D. I’m hopeful he passed Brown.
I don’t think the org plans on playing Wanner this season, at least not any time soon. Keith Gretzky, on Oilers Now earlier this month used the word “raw” when describing Wanner like 4-5 times.
If Kane isn’t starting the season in the lineup, I think Lavoie should have every opportunity to win that 3LW opening lineup spot and, if Kane is playing, then I think he should be battling Podz for the 12F/4W spot.
I’ve to real expectations for Savoie in the AHL or a PPG – I’d like to see that for half a season unless injury forces a move early.
Jarventie, if he isn’t having post-knee surgery issues, could push as well.
My expectations for this team changed when they won the McDavid lottery. That being said, how many years was this team out of the playoff picture by the end of November during the decade of darkness. The Oilers have come a long way and are looking good going into the season.
I do not worry about Bowman, he is there to do the day-to-day GM stuff. JJ (et al including Bowman) will be responsible for trades, signings etc. JJ did great on July 1, not so good with the RFA’s, and I am interested to see what The Germanator’s contract is (please be 8 years at < $13 per).
For so long I wished the Oilers could get a decent-reliable 3rd line and now they have the makings of one. This will take pressure off 97 / 29 and hopefully they play less and stay healthy.
2RD is certainly not up to championship contender level – however the forward group is outstanding. 8-5 instead of 3-2 sounds like fun hockey to me.
Goalies are voodoo, but Stu and The Captain did well last year and I expect the same or better this year.
If the fourth line’s 5 – 9 minutes a night is what we have to worry about, I’d say we’re in pretty good shape.
Remember other teams fourth lines aren’t exactly a murderers row. How often does the battle of the fourth lines actually decide a game?
That 2RD problem is the one to focus on imo
The Oilers probably don’t get through the Canucks without a historically good PK, and I don’t think we can count on it being as good in next year’s playoffs. Some other aspect of the team will have to improve to make up the difference.
Canucks over performed last year and sounds like Demko is out for awhile. Lots of question marks and downside for them.
I’m assuming the Oilers won’t dig themselves as big a hole as last year starting off the year. Then they can hit cruise control, load manage their big guns and prep for the playoffs. Don’t need their playoff roster until the trade deadline.
plus they lost important pieces like E Lindholm and Zadorov who were both monsters for them in the playoffs
Demko played ONE playoff game last season.
And looking like he may not play any this year!
I’m talking about the regular season where he played 51. Silovs is a serious downgrade over the long haul.
Can’t wait to see McDavid turn Desharnais inside out.
Always remember that this is the discussion board that said things like “give up”, “there’s no chance of turning this around”, “trade everything that isn’t bolted down” and “lost year” both before the needed and obvious Woodcroft firing, and also after a 3 game losing streak from Knoblauch.
The doubt and residual trauma looms large around here.
They’re the best squad in the league. Should have won a title last year. Are in the best place to win one this year. People need pucks to start dropping is all that’s really going on.
‘People need pucks to start dropping is all that’s really going on.’
Exactly, I find myself actually watching some Blue Jays games (their record is bad but they are playing better lately and have been fun to watch).
Oilers lineup looks to be one of the top 5 in the league. So now, as you say, just drop the puck for the regular season before I actually starting finishing house projects!
I applauded the Woody firing. He started out great but failed miserably in the end, got outcoached in the playoffs and didn’t have the team ready to start the season two years in a row.
I applauded the Tippet firing, thought he’d bring a defensive mindset to the team that could win playoff hockey – nope. I don’t know if the firepower the Oilers had threw him off but the Coyotes had a good structured game during his time there. Then to hear Dithers Holland talk about wanting to extend him, sheesh!
I applauded the McClelland firing. Someone aptly called him thoroughly mediocre coach. Had no answers come playoff time when tactics changed. This is a guy who had a stacked team in San Jose and couldn’t put it together. After getting punted, the Sharks promptly made the Finals the very next year – too bad their window was already closing.
All this to say it doesn’t matter who’s behind the bench, the Oilers elite talent will win games in the regular season in spite of coaches, gm’s and whatever title Bobby Burgers had. Organizational hires need to be the right fit. This current iteration looks and feels different but… small sample size.
Does anyone feel the Oilers won’t be a playoff team? Nobody does.
So essentially there are two seasons: the regular season that we’ll enjoy for pure entertainment, and the playoffs that are super-serious. How the Oilers look in the regular season will be very different than the lineup they ice in April.
Which is why I advocate for an offense-first, puck-moving, free-wheeling Harlem Globetrotters lineup in the regular season. You can add your shut-down RD and grizzled 4th line Center in March, I want a goal scoring bonanza!
A transition year?
Coming off a season where the team made it to Game 7 of the Finals, and lost 2-1 with their two best players compromised, then went into Free Agency and won the day making large upgrades at forward, we’re talking like the loss of four players who, at best were good role players who at the same time were largely whipping boys for the fans and at worst were total non-factors for the entire regular season, will cripple the team?
Somewhat agree but the downgrade in team speed is concerning.
Agreed. Need speed to help with the forecheck. A good forechecking team is hard to handle as we saw in the Finals.
Gretzky used to say, you can pass the puck faster than anyone can skate.
I don’t recall reading about anything crippling the team….
I’m more hopeful this year, simply because the summer signings were done so well, the Emberson trade set up the team well and I think he will be a bigger contributor than anticipated. Also, there just seems to be more flexible thinking in the mgt group, which means the 2RD hole could be filled the same way other teams have shown you can get high profile/quality D in season.
Anyway, if the 4th line is what has to be sussed out I think that is a nice “problem” to have. Hamblin played great there last year, we have some young guys who can push & potentially give quality minutes, as well as some good vets. It will an interesting thing to watch in preseason.
They do have some depth on the farm, surprisingly for a team with such a shockingly poor prospect pool.
Regarding the fourth line, I keep thinking of running Lavoie/ Savoie – Nuge and Podkolzin when Kane returns (taking Nuge’s place on top 6 LW).
With Nuge on PK and PP, he will get his minutes and can help mentor and drive an outscoring 4th line. Keeps minutes spread more evenly across the forward group as well.
I don’t know. Connor & Leon might have something to say about a Nugeless top six.
The fourth line definitely has question marks. I’m happy as long as we don’t see Perry in the mix. Evander Kane is another question mark among others. If he’s available, I kind of like him and Podkolzin as a wing combo. Pod shoots left but likes RW. Put Henrique between them and there’s a solid third line. Then there’s Janmark & Brown with Philp and Ryan combining to centering the fourth line. That’s 13 forwards. which leads to another question, the seven defensemen that I’m still pondering. Although I have a good idea.
I am sure reality will step up and kick me in the pants, again, I am an Oilers fan after all, but I am feeling more hopeful this season than last
The reason being Holland went in with the same problems/weaknesses as he had in playoffs. And not surprisingly the same things happened, but Connor Bouch and Stu (when he got it together), and a few others, dragged them further, pulling against the poor play of the mostly same caballeros as the year before
I believe and I think most of us do, that playing the best players is the way to go. Outside of a raw rookie, I don’t care about age that much – a better player is a better player. Older guys aren’t guaranteed to give you mistake free hockey, younger guys aren’t guaranteed to keep developing or learn out of mistakes they make. As Strudwick says some guys never get it, and if you spot that guy find the ‘into the sun launcher’ and fire it up
Putting the loss of the RFAs and their replacements aside, I think they have more better players than they had before, and so even with some weak spots they are a better team than they were. Four playoff under performers are gone. The new forwards are better players, on D we will see, but I think they have improved in quality or at least fit. Waiting for shoe
I really like our forward group, but like you mention, the 4th line is kind of up in the air.
I think our left side D is top 10 in the league.
Ekholm is our best all around Dman since Pronger. A very good top pairing Dman.
While something happened to Nurses play ( injury?, defense system change?) he is still in his prime, Im expecting a bounce back season from him.
Kulak is one of the best 3rd pairing Dmen in the league.
Issue is depth cover for injury.
On the right side we have Bouchard, who is top 10? top 5? RHD in the league. A game breaker.
A hole in 2RD.
Sufficient coverage in the 3RD and backup D roles on the right side.
I suspect by the trade deadline, the 4th line will be solidified within house, but 2RD is solidified by trade.
Well, they do have seven NHL defensemen. I believe the top four will include Ekholm, Bouchard, Nurse & Emberson. While the third pair will include Kulak, Stecher & Brown.
That’s more than likely how they start the season, they might add another defenseman to up the total to an even 8. My bet is Dermott, who plays both sides and may displace either of Brown or Stecher, unless they decide to keep 8 Dmen on the roster. Barring some wild and crazy trade before the season begins. Which is highly likely IMO.
Seems we are also in need of a new goaltending coach in Bakersfield:
Jim Matheson
@jimmathesonnhl
Sylvain Rodrigue, the long-time AHL goalie coach in Bakersfield, has joined the Florida Panthers org.
1:44 PM · Aug 26, 2024
Kelly Guard is the new goalie coach in Bakersfield.
https://www.bakersfieldcondors.com/kelly-guard/
We’ve known for months that Sylvain was moving on and I believe they already filled the position.
EDIT: Oops, didn’t see that LT noted the new hire before posting.