The Edmonton Oilers were the second best team on the ice in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. The team’s best players made significant mistakes on the first two goals against in the clinching game; the team’s brilliant coach was unable to find a counter to his opponent’s strategy; the Oilers looked old, because they are old, and by the time Gary Bettman cracked the microphone the list of wounded men headed for surgery or the infirmary stretched out for miles and miles.
We have plenty of time to discuss what may come over the next few days. In fact, we can already read the tea leaves. Expect a long-term contract for Trent Frederic (I am a fan of the player) and that probably means an Evander Kane trade. Expect an offloading of Adam Henrique and Viktor Arvidsson, most likely via trade.
More than that, this team needs to ponder the defensive miscues, the Florida forecheck (which, at times, featured three forwards below the goal line), the baffling jailbreak by Edmonton’s forwards from the Oilers zone even if possession was not certain, the failure of the special teams.
The only player under 25 in the Edmonton lineup last night was Vasily Podkolzin. He was also the team’s best player on the night. Youth has taken a powder on this roster during the Ken Holland era. It’s time for Stan Bowman to make room for Matt Savoie, and if the team doesn’t think Savoie is the answer, then cash him for another young player who can deliver on a skill line.
These Oilers are disappointing. That’s death to a sports organization selling dreams of glory.
I know as much about hockey as the average fellow, and there have been many comments posted on this blog by people with more hockey knowledge than I possess. I do recognize a story, and can write that story well enough to keep you, the reader, engaged day to day. That’s what this blog is, and has been, for 22 years.
So, believe me when I say these Oilers are a tragedy, and follow the tragicomedy that we called the decade of darkness. Combined, they mean pain, and memories we actively try to avoid. Meet me at the wrecking ball, wear something pretty and white, and we’ll go dancing tonight.
The Oilers are old today. Old and defeated and have a department of youth that is basically a cardboard box rolling in a ditch near Midnight Lake. Only loons and their lonely calls pierce the silence. We are here.
This blog is about stories, mostly stories of hope. I can’t get you there today. It would be a lie.
This is Stan Bowman’s first summer at the helm, and he faces Herculean challenges. His coach made some mistakes in the final, but the roster was old and weathered and he couldn’t fix all the holes where the rain came in.
There’s a lesson here. The tragedy of this team, during this time, is management allowed them to get old, while spending the youthful gold, without ever winning one damn thing.
I suspect history will be most unkind to this team, this era of the Oilers. I cannot argue against this, not today. The team’s best winger in the playoffs was 40. Jesus.
Kevin McCurdy will join us on the Lowdown today at noon on Sports 1440. We’ll also feature a segment with Declan Krueger, who called the final score yesterday just past noon. I hope you can tune in.
New for The Athletic: What changes could help Edmonton Oilers return to Stanley Cup Final again?
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6431079/2025/06/18/edmonton-oilers-stanley-cup-final-2025/
I hear you, LT, but doesn’t losing Arvy, Henrique, J.Skinner(?), and Kane, for example go a long way to fixing the age problem, as long as you rehire with Podkolzins?
Listen to me sounding positive; I thought losing Holloway and Broberg was the worst thing an Oilers GM has done, maybe ever. When I heard the trade for Griffin Reinhardt, some part of my conscious mind went immediately into safe mode on an island somewhere and my intuition drained the blood from my important parts in one heartbeat. I knew before I knew, how bad it was. Chalk up many other Herculean own goals, and how easy it was to see the gravity of the mistake in one or two seconds, and I really have to wonder how these GM’s can go through days of thinking about these moves and still decide “yes, this is a good idea”.
I really think the Oilers are a team where the history of the club is so storied that their recent GM’s think their own secret sauce of magic and pet theories will be part of the legend of how we get to cups of the future. In case you’re wondering what I think of that, I think “no. Don’t do that”.
I said it at the deadline: not fixing the goalie shortage was a banana in the tailpipe during a year where Connor, bloody McDavid stood to win a cup. Then jettisoning two great young players, and here we are. I think great changes can be made if the brains doing it have had their fish oil supplement, but the Brobaway fiasco was a fireable bedpoop, so I don’t know if Chiarell- I mean Bowman believes in vitamins.
Reading some of the responses is like revisiting the decade of darkness comments.
unpopular post coming but this is my 2 cents.
No, Savoie isn’t going to play on this team full time, it’s not going to happen, rewatch the finals if you still believe he can.
Arvidsson and J.Skinner wouldn’t have played in the SCF had it not been for injuries, another reason Savoie won’t.
No, Philip isn’t going to be the answer to 4th line centre or RHC draws, see above comment.
No, S.Skinner isn’t good enough.
No, Pickard isn’t good enough.
The Oilers wanted fast moving puck defenders, turns out they spit the bit against a fast moving aggressive big body forecheck that was relentless & wore them down.
No, you’re not going to win if you’re out coached.
Paul Maurice has shut 29 & 97 three consecutive times, Oilers refuse to learn from this.
No, it doesn’t matter in the SCF what you did in the 1st round or the 2nd round and it doesn’t matter what you did in the 3rd round while you’re in the SCF.
Bouchard and Nurse are terrible defenders, this isn’t a debate anymore, it’s fact, what’s appalling is they’re not learning from the same repeated mistakes.
No, you cannot have 20M locked up in 2 substandard defencemen.
No, you’re not going to win with old players that can’t skate.
Kane
Henrique
Janmark – if your job isn’t to score but be a specialized player on the PK then this is a massive failure.
Arvidsson
Yes, losing Foegele & Holloway mattered.
Yes, losing Hyman mattered.
Yes, being old mattered there is a direct correlation to why the Oilers ran out of gas & why players played hurt.
Yes, Oilers need youth and yes that means signing UFA’s and trading players nobody thought should be traded.
(For the record, I trade Bouchard for Holloway & Parayko in a second)
Yes, you can trade an offensively gifted player & still win the Stanley Cup (Coffey)
(Gretzky)
Yes, Oilers need to shed CAP space.
Yes, Oilers can win the cup next year with aggressive trades and good signings.
Yes, the defence needs to get bigger.
I agree with Daniel’s opinions in the previous post. It was Florida’s playstyle, relentless forecheck, and habits (both clean and dirty) that was entirely the difference. It didn’t matter who was on the ice for either team – all of their forward lines and defensive pairings stifled any group of players we had on the ice whether McDavid was a part of that group or not (with only a couple notable exceptions). I’m in full belief that at least half of that equation is due to Maurice – his Winnipeg team did the same thing to us (they were not as good or dominant as Florida is, but the outcomes were the same). The second half is Edmonton’s failure to adapt to Florida’s playstyle THIS YEAR. It took them until Game 4 of last year to do it, but they finally did, as I’ll outline below:
By far the most telling comment is McDavid’s, about “Kept trying the same things over and over again, banging our heads against the wall”.
In games 1 to 3 of last years final Florida was by far the better team. The Oilers played the same all the way through those games and were soundly beaten. Not until almost half way through game 4 did they change their playstyle, finally starting to play more like Florida with a stronger forecheck and a sense of urgency…THEN the Oilers had success.
I fully expected the Oilers to have learned their lesson from last year and come out playing like they did in games 4 to 7 – matching Florida’s forecheck and intensity. Outside of a few of the opening minutes of game 1, about 10 minutes of game 4 when they were down by 3, and a few of the opening minutes of game 6 of Finals of this year, we never saw it. It was the same flat start, followed by the same strategy over and over again…banging their heads against the wall.
The questions are: Why didn’t the Oilers adapt, or at least try to? Was it coaching decisions? Were the players not executing a change in coaching? Did the players lack the ability to execute a change in strategy?
Based on McDavid’s own admission, they didn’t try. That is a HUGE red flag that something major has to change.
Every fan will have a theory about what they can do about it. I’ve seen everything today from, “Blow it all up!” to, “Just add some more depth and speed” to, “It was all the refs fault!”. I don’t doubt it will be debated everywhere (in this forum in particular) ad nauseam until the playoffs next year.
I believe the Oilers had a strong enough team this year to win it. They showed in rounds 1 to 3 how much stronger they were. They said themselves all season and all playoffs how much they’d grown, how much they’d learned, and how adaptable they were to do whatever it took to win. I believed them – they showed it in rounds 1 to 3. To me it’s the BIGGEST disappointment…and completely unacceptable…that they didn’t adapt in the Final. What the organization does about it going forward will give some indication why this was, but I doubt if we’ll ever really know the full reasons.
So what can the Oilers do to finally allow them to win it all? Some major change(s) can be:
– A change or addition to the coaching staff (not necessarily the head coach)
– A visible display of change(s) in coaching strategy and/or player development & habits (including star or core players)
– A significant change in player personnel overall, with an accompanying change in playstyle away from the still top-heavy deployment used now
– A significant change in player personnel – star or core players
– They have to adapt to Florida’s playstyle, by either matching it or countering with something else that’s effective…but in the past two playoffs no team has been able to come up with anything else. Only Edmonton last year and Toronto this year had any real success against Florida, and in both instances it was by matching Florida’s playstyle to a large extent
This year we were obviously hit with some bad luck and injuries to key players. Having Ekholm, Nuge, and Hyman in the lineup at full health would have made a difference…but I still don’t think it would have been enough. Florida stifled the best players (and the whole team, to be fair) from their opponents for the first three rounds, and outside of a few moments they stifled Edmonton’s whole team as well.
I’m already developing a new interest and excitement to see what the changes might be. I believe they are still fully capable of making multiple challenges for the Cup over the next few years. I’m a little fearful of what might be done – some of the rumours out already don’t sound good at all, and some sound downright ridiculous. The key though is that without some major changes they will continue to be no real threat to Florida like they were this year. I throw up in my own mouth a little bit each time I admit this, but we got owned…and got bullied and gooned at the same time.
The Oilers’ loss brought a mix of emotions. There was heartache in the moment—especially during the final game. But strangely, there was also relief. Maybe because the result felt inevitable ever since Marchand’s OT winner in Game 2.
Wrecking Ball—at its core—is about desire. Desire that overrides reason, that dances with ruin and leaves wreckage behind. It’s irrational, all-consuming, and ultimately destructive. And maybe that’s the perfect soundtrack for being an Oilers fan.
Tragedy is one of the fundamental narrative forms. If the Decade of Darkness taught us anything, it’s that for a large part of this fan base, tragedy is enough. Even when that tragedy veers into farce, it still fills the seats. For others, the obsession is compulsive and unrelenting. Winning isn’t necessary—the promise of winning is.
Some thought experiments:
– It was the goalies –
If Bobrovsky and Skinner switch teams, do the Oilers win?
In my opinion: the outcome is likely the same.
– It was the roster –
If you clone McDavid four times and place one on each line, do the Oilers win?
Still, I think the outcome is the same.
Swap the defensive corps—Florida’s to Edmonton—do the Oilers win?
Possibly. That’s the first maybe.
Swap the forward groups?
I won’t consider it. I refuse to imagine cheering for Bennett, Tkachuk, or Marchand.
– It was the coaches –
Switch Maurice and Knoblauch, along with their systems and assistants. Give the Oilers the Panthers’ tactics and habits.
Do the Oilers win?
This, in my view, is the strongest case for a different outcome.
No chance is adapting the Panthers tactics going to lead to victory. It would lead to a march to the penalty box.
With respect, I don’t understand how anyone watching the Oilers for any length of time could believe otherwise.
I think we both know a McDavid on every line wins on any team.
Everything else I couldn’t agree more.
Pathers know the line for what they can get away with. Oilers still don’t. The reffing wasn’t consistent, Campbell helps the Panthers there, but it’s not the only factor.
The Panthers take more penalties than other teams and this was true in the playoffs. Its a calculated cost to their approach.
The refs didn’t determine this series. Even if Edmonton got all of the powerplays, the outcome would have been the same because their special teams were terrible. It shouldn’t be that way. The Panthers took away Edmonton’s powerplay, and the coaches bear responsibility for that.
McDavid’s effectiveness was limited, likewise, by the Panthers approach.
Can’t agree there. Last year when the special teams were elite the penalties stopped being called. Red flag.
Your agreement isn’t required. Edm may very well be called by a separate book. But they won last post season based on their special teams. That’s not opnion, but fact.
Okay, no more discussion needed then. Whose agreement is required? What does that even mean? Bye now.
“The team’s best winger in the playoffs was 40. Jesus.”
AND we need to get rid of that aging winger. Perry must be walked. He’s a curse.
Now Marchand on the other hand, I would have time for that rat’s effort on the Oilers side. what a disgustingly ugly beaut of a player.
Any chance we could replace Perry with Patrick Kane? Different players, both old, Kane has a connection to Bowman. Probably wants to stay in US though.
Patrick Kane is my preferred UFA target
A long term extension to Frederic seems like they plan to move on from Kane and want to keep some size in the top 9. That would make some sense, but with that kind of term, along with the downgrade in on-ice ability, you’d like to be saving more than $1.5M in the process
can fred score more then 20 goals?
I thought this article from the athletic last year was interesting
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5656199/2024/07/25/oilers-stan-bowman-blackhawks/
We’ve actually seen a few moves from “the good” column during the year (specifically filling in gaps in the roster and signing euro free agents with some promise). Unfortunately “the bad” includes things like getting too attached to certain players and signing them for way too much money.
I don’t know why but for some reason that last part seems relevant right now…
The Stanley Cup was damaged by the Florida Panthers, TSN is reporting.
Did Bennett elbow it?
George Parros is reviewed the tape of Bennett’s elbow to the Stanely Cup and deemed it a “hockey play”. No further disciplinary action forthcoming.
I truly believe a horrible bug went through the team after game 2. Something drastically changed in the team that I can’t account to anything else. I hope I’m right.
Injuries as well
Nuge held off being physical towards the end. He got banged up
Barkov was playing with one hand. Reinhart and Tkachuk with one leg.
Agreee both teams had injuries. I just think the Oilers looked sick/off the last 3-4 games. Maybe they were just gassed.
Outside of Hyman I don’t have any reason to think the Oilers were any more hurt than the Panthers. Panthers were just better, and Oilers play dropped off.
Gord Miller on the Fan 690 Montreal:
”The Oilers have a Darnell Nurse problem. He makes too much money.”
I honestly don’t know if the Oilers can win a cup with Nurse. His cap hit for the performance is ghastly. At times, he can be third pairing material, or even press box material. I don’t feel the organization has the courage to do what’s right.
Totally agree with this. At his salary it shouldn’t really matter who he plays with, he should make that partner better. He can’t make a good pass and his reads aren’t great for what he makes.
Tkachuk played every game of playoffs. Allowing them to get Seth Jones and Brad Marchand!
He’s the real MVP for Florida in these playoffs. Without his timely injury, Florida doesn’t have the cap space to deal for Jones and Marchand.
https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/edmonton-oilers-ltir-evander-kane-injury-nhl-monitoring-punishment-cba
Oilers usage of LTIR with Kane to be investigaged.
League may require more information from the Oilers to confirm they complied with the CBA – retroactive penalties could be assessed,
The Oilers and Kane to be investigated and not the Panthers and Tkachuk who didn’t play after the Four Nations but was miraculously ready for game 1 of the playoffs???
This is so on brand for this league. Everything is fine until the Oilers do it.
I hate the usage of the phrase “spirit of the CBA”. If it’s not allowed, it should be stated that it’s not allowed in very explicit terms. Otherwise it’s just the league making stuff up again.
Anyone else doubt that this kind of double standard extended to the officiating as well? Does this go back to winning the lottery for McDavid? I guess we’ll give a third to Calgary.
If you own a business that is in a closed loop and would accept that, well
There is a clear history of the Oilers being treated differently than the other teams
There is a clear precedent for cap circumvention including this year’s Panthers
I hope D.K. tells the team to not cooperate with the investigation.
From our view on the outside, this is true but there is quite a bit we are not privy to.
From what I heard and read earlier, on the trade calls, a team has to show evidence of the cap space for the acquisition which includes, if there is LTIR in use, medical evidence to back up the time on LTIR and/or other avenues to achieve cap compliance each day, etc.
We don’t know what was said on the trade calls for Walman vs. Jones, for example.
With that said, come the eff’ on NHL if they are going to did in on somethin the Oilers did this season that allowed the trade for a $3.5MM player given what the Knights, Panthers, etc. have done.
Who’s responsible for this investigation? Is it the Executive Director of Operations?
Between that, the sudden shift in game management during the Finals, the overly tight officiating early in games, and the inconsistent calls involving Kane—it all raises serious questions. Yes, Kane took penalties. But the same standards weren’t applied to the Panthers. Even if Edmonton benefited from some calls, I don’t think it changes the outcome. Still, the officiating clearly neutralized Kane’s impact—he was much more effective in earlier rounds.
I can’t help but see this investigation as part of the same larger issue. And honestly, it feels like Colin Campbell has had it out for the Oilers ever since October 10, 1980, when Sather put him on waivers.
The Oilers had a chance at having another dynasty. A non starter for the NHL.
I made the point in the summer that this team could be old and slow in a hurry. It was a very unpopular opinion. This has the potential to be worse than I thought.
I’d guess unless some of our prospects hit big Mcdavid doesn’t make the second year of his new contract.
Bowman at least seems to be acquiring guys who are entering their prime years, between Podkolzin, Savoie, Walman and Emberson. So I think our GM agrees with your point.
Broberg and Holloway have been discussed to death, but I felt like the McLeod trade in particular was an unforced error. He is shy on contact, sure, but had also just played in his first playoffs and was still getting better year over year. Now we HOPE Savoie has a higher ceiling, but we gave up an effective, cost-controlled player for a guy who isn’t going to be in his prime during our cup window. Add to that the departure of Foegel (and the above-mentioned Bro/Hollywood) and that’s a lot of young guys entering their prime who left in the last year. I feel like this SCF showed us how important those guys are.
All to say, I think it is important, and hope Bowman agrees, that any players we add are between skmething like 23-28 years old. Those players usually come at a premium, yet we somehow acquired 4 of them the last year, so here’s hoping we can somehow add abother 3 or 4 in that age range (although I have zero clue who that would be).
I can’t see how McLeod of all players would have helped against the Florida Panthers. They play the exact style of hockey that neutralizes that player.
Yes and no. Podz looked like the only guy who could grab the puck and skate it to the other end. McLeod was actually extremely good at that, so was Foegel. They didn’t score a ton, but I think they helped get through the neutral zone quite effectively. McLeod was also quite effective defensively, and I am convinced was one of the main reasons our PK was so good last year (and isn’t this year).
Everyone that doesn’t look at the numbers, remember his own words, doesn’t get it
Fast yes. Perimeter 100% and didn’t like contact. Which is why they got him in the draft where they did
We just lost a series, well twice, not being able to handle an aggressive team
Jake Walman is 29.
We are all sad today, but this may be the most depressing article I’ve read.
I want it all, but would prefer what we had to nothing at all. My son has attended 2 SCF games (one amazing, one heartbreaking) in the last 2 years. Nobody is taking that away. We may never experience that again together and I value that greatly. When Pronger was in the building for game 5 I didn’t know how I would react, but seeing him there on our side again got me a bit emotional because it reminded me of what he gave the team in 2006 (even if he promptly thereafter helped tear it down), and the next thing I knew we were all on our feet.
Yes the better team won, but I sincerely hope they take stock of and solace in the injured list. Hyman, Brown, RNH, Ekholm, Walman, Frederic at minimum were playing hurt or not at all. That is a different series full stop, and no one is going to convince me otherwise. And spare me the BS about Florida injuries – Tkachuk, Reinhart and Barkov couldn’t have produced like they did without pretty darn good health.
You don’t blow up this team, you make it better. That shouldn’t stop them from moving on from players they should, or bringing in difference makers if they can. Colorado turned over more than half their team and they couldn’t get by Dallas even sans Heiskanen. I’m sure that destroyed team chemistry and all they probably needed to do was re-sign Rantanen and improve the goaltending and add some trade deadline pieces.
Hopefully management is not taking advice from some of the hyperbole from the fanbase.
The fans are always less level headed than the organization. If they aren’t, it’s a significant problem. I include myself in this. 🤣
When frustrated, fans always seem to lash out at the star players, but improving the rest of the roster is usually the more prudent move than making big swings and overhauling everything. We’ve had two trips to the slot machine that is the SCF, step number 1 is making sure we retain the key pieces that got us here. Step 2 is looking for any and all opportunities to improve on everything else.
I get that the cap is going up, but 8 years is insane. Frederic will be 35 years old when this contract expires. Players of his ilk (complimentary/depth winger who plays a physical game) generally do not maintain their effectiveness well into their 30s, particularly if injuries play a role. There’s a decent chance Frederic is a fringe NHLer the last few years of this deal, or out of the league entirely. So much unnecessary risk.
When a GM is making deals like that, they aren’t usually planning on being around the team in 8 years. Very few GM’s are.
https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/frederic-oilers-panthers-new-contract-trent
if true, the terms of this contract are absurd
8x$4M
Sorry Connor. It ain’t gonna happen for you. Too much stupid no matter who the GM is over the past 10 years
Yup. This (possibility) is lunacy. The player is just not good enough….what the hell? He has done nothing to deserve this amount of term or $. Maybe just throw in a no move clause too? If you couldn’t sign Holloway (who is a much better power forward by my eye)for 3M and much younger, then what the f? I’m tired of hitting my head on the wall with this club if this actually happens.
*EDIT*. I did not see all the similar responses prior to posting. At least it’s not only me who thinks this is beyond stupidly.
If rumors of this Fredric deal are true, then much like the on-ice product we just witnessed, the Oilers haven’t learned a dmn thing.
8 years for bottom six players is ridiculous. Especially one that has as many question marks as he does track record to base this deal on. He was on the best team in hockey and produced reasonably well. Well the wheels fell off when the Bruins sagged and then got hurt so badly that he produced a whopping 4 points while being invisible in the playoffs.
Took all of 12 hours for management to start F*@_king up AGAIN.
Players of his calibre are available every year in free agency for very low salaries.
Not solving the issue this way is crazed.
Did Bowman do this sort of awful thing with Chicago? I seem to recall some similar deals.
I don’t at all believe the 8x4M rumours because I think Stan Bowman is smart but there will be some blowback if they sign him to that but wouldn’t give Dylan Holloway 2.29M x 2
Both Holloway and Foegele are better than Frederic, and LA did not have to offer Foegele 8 years.
I don’t know if you can write a disaster script for a team that was a healthy Ekholm, Hyman, RNH, Brown from winning it all. Sam Bennett went 15-7-22 in 23 games and won the Conn Smythe. Last year, Hyman went 16-6-22 in 25 games as was not our top player. Replace Skinner/Pickard with a solid #1 and this team wins it. Replace Skinner & Arvidsson with effective wingers, this team wins it. We have the players to make it happen if the managers do the right thing.
We had most of the players (Broberg +Holloway), but management galaxy brained themselves into a pretzel.
How would Holloway have helped from IR?
Yeah, the problem with hoping managers will do the right thing is that history shows they tend to do the other thing. We’d be further ahead if they had just done nothing.
I thought we were told that $4.5 million for Broberg in the 2025-26 season was a mathematical impossibility.
Anton Lundell signed for 6 x $5 million last summer, and is an actual centre.
Yet, Frederic is likely signing for 8 x $3.8 million.
That deal only makes sense if he is the new 3C (I have no idea his history at C) or a fixture at wing on the top 2 lines. Too much risk.
Bowman said at the deadline that they view Freddy as a 3C or top 6 winger when healthy so I believe you’re correct.
If the 3.6-3.9 ish aav Frank just confirmed is true x 8, I’ll reserve judgment until the second half of next season when his ankle should be fully healed up.
Im excited to see what he brings when healthy and with the rising cap think this deal could look decent in a few years IF he can live up to the above role(s).
The AAV and the term are ridiculous . Hard to imagine this turning out well. I hope I’m wrong.
There has been a lot of talk about the Oilers failing to upgrade the goaltending situation, but I never really saw any reasonable path to doing so during the season, and don’t see many real paths to doing so in the offseason either. Really it is a function of there being about 5 actual reliably good and trustworthy goalies in the league, none of which are available. I find it tough to fault the team for rolling with Skinner.
Looking ahead, this is the full list of goalies that I could imagine being possibly available in some scenario, and possibly representing an upgrade if you squint. Not a particularly inspiring list.
Hard to see a clear solution there.
Darcy Kuemper was traded last summer for $8.5M/year 40 point player Pierre-Luc Dubois. Logan Thompson was moved for two 3rd round picks, Linus Ullmark was traded, Mackenzie Blackwood was traded.
There will be options this year that don’t seem obvious but are available. There always are.
I think those were all known options last year. They all would have been solid upgrades too (though I would not have been interested in Kuemper at the time, and probably not Ullmark at his price), but in the summer it felt like a reasonable approach to run it back with Skinner. Feels like there is less out there this summer.
Demko – huge risk, high reward; Vancouver has a 3 goalie problem with Lankinen and Silovs. Demko is UFA at the end of next season, and will be playing for his next contract.
Hart – optics are a concern, but he’s coming home to an organization with a GM who has been heavily involved in Sheldon Kennedy’s program
Demko would actually be a risk the Oilers could be able to take if they can find the space for $4MM over Pickard and pair him with Skinner.
The upside is obvious. The risk is clearly that he simply cannot play games due to injury and, if that came to fruition, well, the Oilers have their 1A from the last 3 years to take over.
One year left on the term.
Stan Bowman cannot sign Carter Hart – its not something conceivable.
Is there any reason to think Carter Hart can give the Oilers better goaltending than Stuart Skinner? Or Calvin Pickard for that matter. I’d bet on a Stuart Skinner bounce back year before a Carter Hart one. Optics aside, which, regardless of the legal judgement, would be worse than any other reclamation project this team has taken on recently.
Varlamov might be available.
Well how many years before we buy out this contract?
Which one? There are more than a few bad contracts.
The newest one
It’s not all that bad. In fact, I’m quite optimistic. How can you not be when you’ve got the two of the best players in the world on your roster? The problems they have are quite fixable, either by trade or free agency which, by the way, is pretty much how teams like the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche of the early 2000s fixed their shortcomings on the way to Cup wins. Yes, yes, they drafted well. But they also plugged holes and addressed problems, large and small, via trades and free agency. It was a non-salary-cap world back then, mind you, but the power of the chequebook is still a powerful tool now and so is a good-old-fashioned hockey trade.
Furthermore, these Oilers are fixable. They need size in their bottom six. Ideally, that size comes with 10-15 goals each. That’s findable. They need a new starting goaltender. That’s probably a trade, but do-able. Yes, they’re old, but several of their oldsters are UFAs and can walk. Others, like Kane and Arvidsson, would find takers in a trade. BTW, I dare say Nurse would, too. And Nuge, although it pains me to have just typed that.
The story of the 2024-25 Oilers is far from a tragi-comedy. From January 2025 onward, they were either banged up or worn out. Honestly, how the hell they ended up with home-ice for the final was a minor miracle (that ended up being a non-factor). That they caught fire when the playoffs started was the tell – when they finally got healthy, they reached their potential. Some might say they over-achieved given how soundly smoked they were in the final but I would suggest to you that it was more of a case of running into an experienced playoff juggernaut than the comeuppance. Now we know how the 1985 Flyers and 1988/1990 Bruins felt.
What’s a bit surprising about your take is that you’ve not usually been this pessimistic before. The other day on the radio, you were imploring listeners to enjoy the ride. Enjoy this time, win or lose. What changed? You’ve written in here, extensively, that next year is always a possibility if you’ve got Connor McDavid in your next year. And we will. And probably for several years beyond that. Is there something changed with that? Is there something we need to know?
Can the Oilers win this thing in a year? Two years? Yes. No. Maybe. It will require some skill and craftiness on the part of Stan Bowman and Jeff Jackson but it needn’t require any rabbits pulled from hats (we can keep Nuge!). Players in. Players out. Has always been so. And you know that.
This team just lost and apparently the first order of business is signing an injured vending machine to a 8 year deal.
I’m having a real hard time with this. Is this Bowman justifying spending a 1st on vending machine who was injured at the time of the trade and never got healthy?
FREDERIC IS NOT THE CONCERN RIGHT NOW, STAN, THANKS.
oh my. I thought Frederic played a smart game but made very little difference. 4M sounds much too high.
He is younger, he can bring energy for sure. Credit he is the player “type” needed to get past the Panthers, but he did not, maybe could not show it this year. Does he get paid for what he was supposed to do but didnt get done? Still banking on a big return from injury.
He is not Evander Kane, he is a supporting Evander Kane.
Could they move him again if it is a mistake? Can they move 4M X 8years? Based on his averages, based on results shown this year, is there a line up to sign Frederic at this value?
I think there always is for a player with his attributes. There aren’t many
8 years x $4M coming down the pipe for Frederic shortly.
What are we doing here???
Trading someone?
Where are you seeing 8 X $4M? Rumours were 7 X $3.25M.
If they sign him I’m hopeful it is to fill a 3rd line C role. Adam Lowry type. I was impressed with his defensive positioning and anticipation, but not his ability to get to plays on the forecheck.
Andy Strickland.
Yikes. Hope he’s wrong.
Like an NHL coaching job, the brain works on a What have you done for me lately? basis, and grief puts that mindset into overdrive, blocking out the preceding good memories like a pair of lows-colored glasses. Thus, one thing I try to remind myself while treading water in the deep pool of disappointment is all the joy brought along the way. The excitement of every Oilers goal scored, including the elation brought by one man and this four (!!) OT winning goals. The gleeful sting of high-fives with strangers in familiar jerseys. Feeling the nervous energy in the air the day of, witnessing the small moments culminate into big win, and the excitement in the following morning air. What an experience!
As they say, we may be done with the past, but the past isn’t done with us.
In 2016, the math was screaming at us to take Chucky, so we chose Puljo. Chucks goes to Calgary.
Between 2020-2023, Calgary decides to send both Bennet & Chucky to Florida for 60 cents on the dollar.
Sometimes, that’s how it works out.
Good host, I respectfully disagree – I believe this team was good enough to win and out there in the infinite multiverse, there are plenty or realities where they won this series. We often get confused between conversations about ‘what is’ versus ‘what should be’. One of those is easy so long as you have a grasp on reality, the other is extremely subjective with a wide dispersion of ideas from person to person. One of those implies an acceptance of reality and the other questions it. I offer my take:
The Oilers were out of gas. But the factors affecting the flame burning out were numerous. Age played a role. Injuries played a role. The physicality of the other team played a role. The uncalled clutching and grabbing played a roll. The attempts to injure (and success at injuring) played a role. The consistent retaliation against said attempts to injure being called played a roll. The ignored fouls played a roll. The lack of consistency of calls on the other team played a roll. The unearned goals for the other team played a roll. And finally, chasing the game from behind was the biggest culprit, in my opinion.
Last year, a little bit of snow made a puck wobble a bit between Bouchard and McD’s stick in game 7 and the deflection went over the net (I argued that if it were Edmonton ice, that game would have been tied). This year, several Sam Bennett goals, I believe, were gifted by bad calls or non-calls. I believe these moments turned out to be critical because they contributed to the Oilers playing from behind despite outplaying Fla early in the series. I think if those goals did not stand, this would have been a very very different series. The cascading effect of just refereeing would have made a significant difference on the final outcome (not necessarily who won but how the winner won).
It’s easy to dismiss refereeing as a critical component of outcomes. The apologies given are “it’s a difficult job” (so are a lot of other jobs that don’t accept mediocrity), “you’ve got to just play through it” (this ignores that skill is disproportionately affected by clutching and grabbing), “it’s a tough sport” (hockey is tough without not calling penalties), “the game goes so fast” (carrying water for referees that are often in the right place at the right time to see exactly what’s going on), “nothing would get done if they called everything” (not true – did you watch the past 2 Dallas series?), and finally, the most irritating, “it goes both ways” (it so clearly doesn’t, and it so consistently doesn’t that you can see it affecting outcomes quite patently).
Do I need cheese with this whine? Yep. The wound is fresh
I think the double OT in game 2 did them in. It was a seesaw battle and they had a chance to go up 2-0. The ignored (not missed) call on the Ekblad limping off too-man-men that directly impeeded a scoring chance, I think, really got to this team. Losing those long OTs can be a backbreaker. They came into game 3 looking to play a dirty physical game (much like Fla does), and got consistently called (in the first period) and very quickly found themselves in a hole. Then they started panic chasing and the errors compounded. This, combined with Fla correctly understanding that they can get dirtier as the games progressed, the Oilers went mad.
Game 4 was their last gasp, and they were lucky to win. Through games 5 and 6, they played well until they got behind and then began taking mental shortcuts that blew up in their face. This is all and outcome of exhaustion, I believe.
I still believe this team was ready to play the SCF and if the series behaved, from a refereeing standpoint, like last year, they’d have faired much better. They may have still lost but I think we wouldn’t have seen them completely undone.
I hate to consider conspiracy when incompetence could explain what we see. If this is incompetence and not a specifically mandated type of referee game management, I’ve seen better refereeing all season. To me, the officiating in this final was an abomination that disproportionately and consistently affected one team more than the other. You can claim that The Oil didn’t cheat the ‘right way’ all you want, but that’s an admission that cheating is required (gamesmanship is a euphemism for poor sportsmanship and cheating). They were not protected by the officials, and when they took matters into their own hands to defend themselves, they got called for retaliation. I’m not sure why anyone considers that hockey. The game is beautiful (and I argue more beautiful) without that.
Small events can cascade, especially when similar events occur in succession. I believe the calls made, the non-calls, and the resulting style of play between the teams was a significant factor affecting this series outcome. Instead, the referees were too concerned with the Oilers winning 2 OT games on the PP that they wouldn’t call obvious penalties that directly impeded a scoring chance. That incentive, if it exists, could imply that there’s someone or something to answer to for the referees.
Rant over.
I agree strongly with this comment.
There’s a video on youtube with former mobster Micheal Frenzese where he talks about referees fixing the spread in an NBA game. The story he spins falls neatly in line with the assertion you’re making. Small, otherwise innocuous moments that cascade into influence.
I’m not saying the finals are fixed by the mob, I’m just supporting the concept of small decisions butterflying into large effects. The whole idea of separate rulebooks for the post-season gives the officiators significant leeway to impose themselves on the result of the game and then the series.
I think about the bizarre icing calls, the missed high sticks, the choice to call diving or not, the number of times the ref deflected the puck… or lets talk about Ekblad’s PED suspension lining up fortuitously with the post-trade deadline.
…and then I think of the conflict of interest between the Panthers management group and the NHL’s hockey operations.
Small, cascading events.
— if it went to game 7 I’d be more inclined to agree that they “could” of won
— they got clobbered in 3 games and won a 1-100 game
— McDrai didn’t step up (to what extent that was FLA or them is open to interpretation)
— So many others basically off the score sheet this finals and underperformed big time
— Skinner : he’s not a winner.
— It turns out Boston Bruins went to B2B cups and lost in the 70s
— They will have kicks at the can but we are peak McDrai full stop and they weren’t good enough
— Teams going to have to get a lot better from bottom-up as McDrai not getting another gear at this age and stage
— A tall task getting to a 3rd Cup : Florida did it so who knows
THANKS LT FOR A GREAT SEASON: CANT WAIT FOR MORE STORY TELLING…
McDrai’s 5v5 play is already declining. This might’ve been their last chance. Not good.
I actually think Draisatl best play this playoffs occurred when he was given a shutdown role against Eichel.
Drai just had his best G/60 and 2nd best P/60 of his career while have the 2nd best GA/60 of his career.
Drai had has best 5 on 5 season of his career this past season.
Hey Kinger, a few years back you directed me to a bar in Toronto to watch the good guys play the kings while I was in town. Thanks for that mang!
What I’m getting at is McLeon didn’t just have to play Florida. Consider this: if you strip out all within-the-rules play that McLeon faced and what Barkov/Reinhart faced, given what’s left over, was it equal? I’d argue that it almost certainly was not.
I generally dislike the overall distillation of a player being a winner or a loser. There are far too many factors out of the individual player’s control that affect grand outcomes like winning the SC. Are we going to conclude that Ekblad is a winner and Bouchard is not? I don’t think that would be reasonable.
That was a beautiful post. I agree with much of it, and some things I don’t agree with. But I still uploaded you because of the absolute substance.
I needed to just vomit this out there. I feel like my dog died. This is way too much grief for something that should just be entertainment. This team is in part identity for me…
Clearly a mandate from the league to encourage ‘growth’. The Canadians will pay and cheer no matter what….screw the NHL.
So… ah… I guess we’re living in the version of Shawshank where Andy Dufresne stays in prison at the end of the movie?
Is there a nurse swayman trade out there? Has swaymans value dropped enough / has organization soured on him. Boston might be a place nurse would go. I know I’m dreaming but to remove that contract would just be something
How many times are you going to post this?
Personally, I am in the “Nurse for Hughes” camp. I’m not even picky as to which Hughes, but I figure if we’re going to be unrealistic, we might as well shoot for the moon.
Why might Boston be a place Nurse would go to?
I mean, I don’t know it isn’t but Nurse has set down roots in Edmonton, he has been raising a young family with his wife in Edmonton, he appears to be very good friends with Leon and Connor and his wife in the inner circle of their partners (he was at Celeste’s bachelorette in Greece last week). Boston means a change of countries and a team with less of a chance of winning in the near future, right?
Well…
Here I thought it was a pessimist, and LT you have been the perpetual light through all the gloom through all the years. If anything, I want to see the team win for YOU.
But here’s some food for thought: in a 32 team league, 97% of teams don’t win the Stanley Cup in a given year. It’s a damn hard trophy to win. And there’s no shame in finishing twice.
Life’s funny. Sometimes you can have the best plan, the best ideas, the best people, the best resources, and still there isn’t ultimate success at the end of the tunnel.
I’ve been very entertained over the last few years. I also think we have an excellent core and we’ll probably have a few more trips to the final book to over the few years coming.
The pre final years, there’s no excuse for that however. Burning up the ELCs on the glimmer twins, inexcusable.
You may be speaking the truth LT but Im not there yet.
I just logged in today to say that while I am disappointed, the team was not disappointing. Maybe the org, okay. Discussion for another day.
But this years team was excellent once again. They were finalists. This is excellent while still being disappointing.
Massive entertainment by every one of these Oilers. The rolled over teams thought to be better than them. Their make-up could not overcome Florida game. I said it in September. Yet they still delivered a huge season, huge effort and sacrifice. Oh so close once again.
For readers of this blog, it was a season of highs and lows, ups and downs, edge of your seat, yelling at the TV.
Dam shame for the guys in that room, they are going to need a massive re-set if ever getting over these losses at all. I feel for them. Head up, you did a fine job helping put Edmonton back on the map, and I appreciate that.
Thanks Oilers. And thanks LT for your dedication to Oilers fans.
That was as exciting a playoff run as it gets, barring the last two games. Never say die attitudes, physicality, elite skill. Not beating the Panthers is hardly a major flaw.
I’m on board for some big changes, but only because they need to get a bit younger and faster IMO. The spine of the team is fine (well, goalie is up for debate) but they need to do something different to beat Florida…and I won’t be remotely surprised if the Panthers are in the final again next year.
What do we think 97 is referring to in this?
Coaching strategy?
Players attempts?
Defense passes?
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I never seen this but I absolutely agree. They did not adapt, they kept throwing themselves at the wall. Id like to know the answer, my bet is coaching, yet it would be contrary to coaches history.
I don’t think it’s one thing, it’s all of them. They couldn’t get to a place to execute much push back for a team with a lot of good players. They aren’t alone obviously, no one else has beat the Panthers the last two seasons. I think a lot of folks even outside of Oiler fans expect to see more bcs Connor. I think they can do more bcs Connor, but haven’t found it yet (or won’t). Could coaching, could be McDrai are too stubborn
Chips up the boards. Trying to skate it into the offensive zone past 4 Panthers. Curling inside the blueline. Forced passes through the middle. So many other things where they didn’t adapt well.
Listening to the interview I don’t think anything sinister was meant by McDavid.
I think he meant “we never quit, we kept trying and we kept running into their wall.”
So do we re-sign Perry for the guarantee of making the SCF, or does the guarantee that we lose when we get there tip the scales more?
Do anything possible to move him to the Panthers
Perry was amazing, but Father Time is undefeated and he was weak 5v5. I’d let him walk unless he’s near league minimum, which a 19 goal (plus 8 in playoffs) scorer won’t be.
I think Perry is awesome, but he has to be used the right way, and I don’t think the Oilers can manage that. You have to be able to use him as an O zone only specialist
So if we have to blow up half the roster for the next season like many suggest, what the hell do the other 30 teams have to do?
you can run it back and lose in the finals or try to retool for a better shot. Alot of the wingers ran out of gas at the end of the playoffs and another year with a short summer might be a death knell
If they don’t have an elite player, do what the Panthers did. Create depth, have a good goalie, hope for LTIR and overload
All the Oilers have to do because they have elite talent is balance the roster better (not wholesale to me) and get to playing a good team game all of the time against teams like Florida
While I’m advocating turnover in quite a few positions, it’s not that we need world beaters. Just a different look, a bit more speed, some younger players.
I would like to see balanced D pairs and a strong 3C. If the back bone is down the middle we have a couple of slipped discs
They went vet vs kids. Then realized come the finals they needed the youthful energy to keep up with the rat squad. Full marks to Florida. They are the standard.
Who do they target if Florida is the standard? Gritty goal scorers who can skate and play D.
Some new, speedier faces in the lineup. A faster 3C perhaps. A better 2RD as well. And some youth, Frighteningly a whole lot of what we lost in the last off season.
What’s everyone thoughts on KK, will he back if not, Peter DeBoer an option?
I would like to see him come back and assume he will. He is no doubt still learning and made some mistakes but changing coaches every 18-24 months is not a recipe for success.
Why would we want to hire the coach the Oilers broke in the conference final?
KK pushed all the right buttons and soundly outreached DeBoer. I don’t see the attraction.
KK did not have enough to work with to beat Florida; that’s not his fault.
Might be an unpopular opinion (and I am not a huge Skinner apologist) but losing the finals, as a series, is not on Stu in any way. Did I dislike goal 3 in game 6? Yes. Did I dislike the overtime winner in game 2? Yes. Did I want a big stop from him on some breakaways (like goal 1 in game 6)? Yes.
But this series is on the lack of scoring. They had basically nothing going in game 6. Game 2 overtime was a moment for McDavid or Draisaitl or Bouchard to make one play. Superstars can’t single-handedly win a game, but when you are in overtime and all you need is one play to win, big time players have to make big time plays.
In half of the games, our offence was non-existent. We allegedly have the two best players on the planet but Bennett and Marchand were the ones making the big plays to win games.
But your argument is exactly the reason we should look at the options – the superior goalie made big saves when needed, ours did not. Big time players need to make big time plays. And Stu let in a bad goal every game. And often at terrible times.
Goals are not just about was the goalie great or terrible. Shooters are the other half of the equation. Pick your spot and hit it. Stu could have bailed out the team one or two more times per game and we’d still lose 3,5, and 6. That’s on the offence to show up.
I agree with you. I’ve posted a lot about it starting a few seasons ago, and before last playoffs a lot that they needed to add to what they do offensively. I felt that way because of games and series like against the Panthers
They have skill, and in some games even against teams like Florida the breaks and bounces go their way, or the other guys have an off game, and they can do well. But when there is no room and tight checking they can really struggle. I think they rely too much on things working out, high light plays or it just showing up, as opposed to working hard and together for 60 minutes and making it happen regardless of the circumstances. To me that’s what Florida does and the Lightning did
Knoblauch talks about it, that by playing the system and 200 feet it helps offense. Also GA of course. But they don’t consistently do that or the things you have to do to create chances when there are no bounces and no clean air
Florida comes at you a certain way and don’t stop, nothing fancy. Teams that can’t respond to it with enough push back break down and get little done, while the Panthers exploit the frustration and mistakes
If you want to beat it, you need to play a certain way, and the top Oilers players don’t seem to want to or can’t well. It appears at times but never sticks. Perry knows what to do, but is pretty limited at this point. I think they need to play playoff hockey all season, which won’t be as fun but I don’t think you can flip a switch in April
Anyone ever wonder if it’s the goalie coach? I have heard it discussed before. Same coach and many golies who seem to flounder under his guidance. Mike Smith refused to use him and wasn’t affected but Mike was at the end of his career. If we could find the next Shawn Burke to come in I wonder if that is all we would need??
I’ve never been one that thought moving on from Skinner in the near future was likely – that contract is real value (yes, I do think that $2.6MM for Skinner, who has played 55+ regular season games with well over .900,. etc., etc. is value).
At the same time, the 3rd goal last night could be “the moment” that solidified a change here. I mean, that was such a dagger and 100% goaltending and it was just a “bad goal” it was almost like a “lack of effort” goal which is not something I can every really say about a goaltending play – it was like he had given up at that point – I know that isn’t true but that was something else.
In the post game he said he directed the rebound to that spot and then admitted it was a bad choice.
I wonder how well liked Skinner actually is in the room. He seems super likable in his interviews, but there’s something off with the vibe there with him and his teammates..or at least..that’s my gut feeling.
The 3rd goal was a total brain cramp.
The difference between a top 10 goalie like Bob and a mediocre starting goalie like Stu over a sample of 1000 shots, is no more than 50 to 100 saves. Over the course of a season, that amounts to 1-2 shots per start … aka “the bad/soft goals”.
The margin of error in the Finals is so small, that you can’t have your goalie routinely letting in a soft goal every game if you want to win.
That was a really bad goal. It was also 37 mins into a game where the Oilers had zero goals and very few chances and were already down 2.
Get out of my head OP! I had the identical thoughts on Stu. That 3rd goal was when I knew they were going to lose because confidence often comes from the net out.
On the other hand, I think Stu outperformed $2.6M. Once Campbell’s buyout comes off the books, there’s no excuse for spending $7M on that position.
Thank you LT for hosting us all for another year. I (we all) owe you a beer and then another!
A brief post-mortem through my eyes.
This was a wildly successful season by most metrics, that again ended in heartbreak.
Florida basically ran back the same great hockey team as last year, augmented at the deadline with two major acquisitions. Their best players outplayed our best players and looking in the rearview mirror, I think we might have been lucky in winning those two games in OT.
Coaching matters. Kris is good, but Paul is better.
I’ve defended Skinner the entire year but goaltending is an issue. As a father, I hate that Stu and his young family will shortly be uprooted but as a fan, Edmonton needs to cut bait on a homegrown tender whose play style resembles a lowercase h Hasek (seriously, there’s no positional awareness!)
The team needs to get younger, and provide in-season key role developmental time for Pod, Savoie, Emberson and any other NHL-ready prospect we can acquire this offseason. Harsh decisions will need to be made on our veterans and it may cost us to offload the likes of Henrique, Arvidsson, Kulak.
I don’t think we can trade Nurse and hope to re-sign McDavid.
Bouchard, despite his defensive lapses, is a top-5 defenseman with the puck on his stick. He’s going to cost a boatload but will be worth it.
This Oilers can and will make the playoffs next year, but the team doesn’t need to be fully constructed this off-season. Smart mid-season and deadline acquisitions have been beneficial to the last cup winners, and was also pivotal to the Oilers run to the finals in the likes of Kapanen and Walman. Do not overpay on day 1 of free agency. This needs to remain our philosophy.
While I agree with you that Skinner is likely gone, I think it is a mistake. He would be a capable 1B goalie with a top tier 1A. Not picking up Blackwood was a huge missed opportunity. Hopefully filling that role next year does not cost the team like signing Campbell did a few years back.
Pretty incredible luck for Florida to have their entire roster intact for the playoffs.
Turtle had a hernia. Was there news on what Reinhart was dealing with?
Not just a sports hernia, but an avulsion of his adductor. I’m floored that he could skate with his adductor ripped from the bone.
Some of the injuries they had are gruesome…
My Ron Gunville (Late PP Dir PA Raiders) position Theory (mid 70s).legs down track ball hit him at high rate. Results in close sh theory.
We know many corsi are blocked, missed & Shot into Goalie without movement (Closed SH theory = Bio evo hunt mechanism = shot into G body).
So we have a 2 SH x,y heat maps (TA (tse) 00’ 3D maint redesign faghing sys w/ G. Woods Current head Trans Alta Gen & Renew)
1 Open SH & 1 Closec SH density maps. W/ goAlie position top view on each indv. Shot.
Their is also a net elevation y,z 3D profile based on G pos. Netbpkabne cover by angle. I allways think people can visualize this. But now that havevkost identic memory (Chemo) not so easy!
SH% has a very close (98+%) to OPenSH targeting.
Edm has many Top OSH targeting fwds. Drai, Henrique, Perry, Hyman.
But repeat top 30 OSH% & Top EV & PK Def F Mcleod was really missed!
There was a time a few years back where Charlie Huddy was widely considered a D Whisperer of a coach. Where is he at these days and wouold he be a good addition to our staff?
Anyone else you would consider a great addition as a D coach? I like Coffey for his work with the puck moving game, but is there someone else who can get them to a more complete game on D?
What’s with the tide turning on Coffey? From LA Game 3 until the Florida series, the d-corp played the tightest and most effective defensive Oilers hockey I’ve seen since ’06. Great coverage, phenomenal stick work, and consistent effective first pass breakouts.
The Oilers defense was essentially that Homer Simpson meme of presenting an impressive facade but having serious structural issues, notably:
-Two guys who had just come back from severe injuries, where their physical abilities steadily deteriorated game by game.
-No effective 3rd pairing RHD, leading to having to play LHD on their off hand, which was badly exposed
-An LHD who struggled with every pairing partner except for an undersized RHD that couldn’t compete.
I don’t know really if Coffey is a good coach or not. But by and large, I’m having a tough time attributing the issues to his coaching and more unfortunate roster limitations that was exposed by Florida’s brutal forecheck. If anything, he squeezed some pretty good juice out of these guys given the roster issues for three straight series.
The only reason I’m “sad” is I wanted this one for Bruce. For a man I never met, I felt like I lost a Uncle.
According to the article in the Edmonton journal, his celebration of life will be live streamed, I believe on June 22nd.
It is – Bruce loved the solstice.
I’m gutted that I won’t be able to make it!
Best post of the day
Haven’t read all the comments so I hope I’m not repeating someone elses thoughts.
I agree with the posters who say Stan Bowman has a tough job ahead of him, but his first year on the job gives me some reason for optimism. Other than the Frederic trade, I like the moves he made. He spent most of the season backfilling holes dug by Jeff Jackson, and I think he did a reasonably good job on a shoestring budget.
Moving forward, the Oilers need to acquire at least one new center capable of playing top 9 minutes. Henrique is not that player. If he stays he needs to be 4C or a winger. The Oilers did remarkably well playing Henrique at 3C and Janmark, a career winger, at 4C. Once again, thank you Jeff Jackson.
The real tough choices are going to be on defense and in net. I have no idea about the goaltending, but 1 of the lefties has to go. If it’s not Nurse, could it be Eckholm? I hate to say it, but he’s a 6 million dollar cap hit with a year left on his contract. Is he tradeable? Can they get some value for him? He was noticeably slower all year and Kulak looked pretty damm good next to Bouchard during these playoffs.
Not sure how they’re gonna do it, or if they even can: Kane, Arvy, Henrique, HAVE to go. Upgrades on Janmark and Kapanen would be preferable too. I also don’t get the love for Frederic (was he THAT injured?!? and if so, why make the freaking trade in the first place?) ESPECIALLY not long term. He was invisible. Can’t expect Perry to repeat this performance either.
They absolutely CANNOT sit pat with goaltending and I’m pretty certain, regardless of contract that Skinner has played his last game in the uniform. He simply isn’t good enough.
In a perfect world, they can move Nurse and used that cap space on 2 competent players.
I’m used to disappointment from this organization so I’m more angry than sad today.
What I would give for a time machine to 2019 for them to hire Zito and not Holland. Having 2 all-time greats and going cup-less is criminal.
Prime years are waning. It’s gonna take an imaginative manager (because the cupboards are bare) to take this roster where it needs to go. Frankly, I don’t think management is capable.
We could definitely use picking up some younger players. But you guys are all acting like there’s no way this exact team can win the cup next year.
Although I would like the top pp unit to get 1min of pp time so they learn some urgency
And would like to see Mcdavid shoot the puck more
McDavid let the playoffs in shots with 80 – 10 more than the next guy.
Same thing could be said of Florida
SCF
McDavid – GF 3 / GF 8
Drsi – GF 4 / GA 9
Maybe Paul Maurice will get stymied by the loading up McDavid and Drai trick next year?
EDzm last 2 stanley cups 4L:
23’ 3.25 gaa (13); 24’ 5.25 gaa (21) gaa.
Before ssn looked at last 30 final 4 90% 2.00gaa to .75 gaa in 4 wins.
2/3 1.50 or less. Top 3 1 2.25, 1 2.50, 1 3.25 gaa in 4 wins.
3.25 Col vs Edm WC 5.50 gaa (22ga) in 4 losses.
We know elite Muti M fwds are shutdown!
It is pretty clear why we lost!
Can you put this in a way that is understandable please? Glad you’re back Friend, but at least run this through chat GPT first.
(1) They decided to live or die with Skinner the last 2 years;
(2) They couldn’t fix the PK or the PP, which is a killer against Florida, remember we allowed I think 4 PP the entire playoffs last year, not sure what happened;
(3) Losing McLeod, Foegele, Holloway, Broberg looked like a loss of team speed and youthful energy at the time, and to the team’s credit, it really only became an issue against Florida, but you need ELC players on their cheap contracts in this cap world if you’re going to have 3 players over $10m/year.
(4) I’m not convinced Savoie amounts to anything, and the rest of the prospect cupboard is poor.
I realize having 97, 29 & 2 means elite talent and a chance every year for the next several years, but it’s not automatic, nothing is a given. Just look at Colorado, it ain’t easy.
In the words of LT, this year really felt like Last Chance Texaco to me.
It really was their last chance. McDrai’s 5v5 production will start to noticeably decline starting next season, especially as their wingers get even older.
We can’t know for sure yet but I can see Savoie being a legit complimentary 2nd line winger with a floor of a solid 2-way energy 3rd line winger.
This is based on his AHL play – his style of play, etc., etc.
I think he’s a lock for the roster in October and we see where we get to.
Great post….
Savoie’s might not translate in the NHL.
Further, 5’9 – 170 lbs might not like Panther playoff hockey
LT says start as you mean to go. And I turn to the historically loaded 2015 draft, where we have the extreme privilege of drafting Connor McDavid #1….and then we trade #16&33 for Griffin Reinhart.
Seriously think Pocklington got the Monkey’s Paw and asked for 5 Cups, which he got, but the Monkey’s Paw interprets that as “5 and not one more”.
A lot of negative comments but let’s say Bennett dislocated his wrist in the conference final and Hyman is in the final it’s probably a very different series.
Agree…Brown was starting to role prior to his concussion, Ek not right, Nuge was hurtin’
no excuses for injury, verhaeghe was def hurt… chuckaluck, reinhart were initially but started to heal
Frederic was a shell
Losing Hyman was a huge loss. He was sorely missed on the forecheck 5×5 and I have to think that his presence would have led to more PP success.
It’s also possible that if Skinner doesn’t let in a questionable goal in 2OT in Game 2, the series plays out differently.
Florida is the rare team that is capable of playing near perfect hockey. Edmonton is MILES from that and needs a goalie that can erase mistakes and Skinner ain’t that guy