Quote:
Originally Posted by djsFlames
#4-5 D - #2 D (ideally a #3)
#5-6 D - #3-4 D
NHL tweener - #5-6 D
#7/depth D
Better, but still not a playoff blue line. Not even close. And that's if they sign Russell.
|
For crying out loud, let's take off the Oilers hatred glasses for a second and evaluate the team accurately, shall we?
Sekera you listed as a #4-5? He's quite easily a 2nd pairing d-man with leaning towards a top pairing support guy. Final verdict: #2-3, likely a #3.
Larsson is without a doubt in the same bracket as Sekera, but slightly better. He's ideally a #2 defensively focused player to complement an offensive defenseman. Final Verdict: #2-3, likely a #2.
Klefbom is a solid player, but still young for a defenseman and yet to reach his peak. He's likely a 2nd pairing guy at the moment, but could still turn into a top pairing defenseman. Final Verdict: #3-4 currently, possibly top pairing in the future.
Russell has been the source of much debate around here, but I think he's firmly established himself as a better player than a guy who can't rise above the 3rd pairing. On a really good team he's likely a #5, but that's not the Oilers. Final Verdict: #4-5, depending on the team.
Nurse is young, but he's definitely an NHL player. He's got upside that he hasn't realized yet, but as of now he's an ok 3rd pairing defenseman. Almost all 3rd pairing guys have holes in their game, and Nurse has some holes. Final Verdict: #5-6 currently, trending upward.
Davidson has sort of come out of nowhere, as he was one of the few good news stories for Edmonton last year. I doubt he rises above the 3rd pair, but he's established himself pretty well. However, I think it's possible he regresses back a little into being the extra defenseman, but it's just as likely that he progresses into more of a Kris Russell level. Final Verdict: #5-6 currently, future is unknown.
Mark Fayne's stock has fallen a lot since his days in New Jersey, but that's largely because of the lack of support from his teammates. He's not great, but he's no worse than Engelland. He can still play 3rd pairing minutes just fine, but is closer to an extra d-man these days. Final Verdict: #6-7.
Basically you have everyone listed at least a slot or two too low, probably due to anti-Oiler bias. They aren't a fantastic group, but there's enough talent there to be a passable defense provided the right system and coaching. If you add Russell to that group, all of a sudden there's a lot more quality depth in the group. No, he wouldn't turn around the franchise, but he would make them a lot more competitive.
If you look at the makeup of their defense, the Oilers are still missing that bonafide #1 defenseman who is an offensive catalyst and power play quarterback. Until they get that guy, they have everyone slotted a spot too high which exposes their weaknesses. So basically, they don't have a great defense yet, but it's hardly awful and the team makeup is slowly getting better.
We can sit and laugh all we want at the Oilers' past failures, and rightly so, but they shouldn't be taken lightly. They're creating a team that will definitely be more competitive this year, so the Flames better be ready to play when the puck drops.