Is Edmonton intentionally tanking?

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Komskies

True, but you could also look at the #2's in those years (Seguin, Landeskog, and Murray) and conclude that the Oilers simply took the wrong player.

Or that they would have ruined any player they took.

[HUSKER4FLAMES]

One of the coaches looked at me funny and I gave him the analogy.

In the 80's when that baby fell down the well they spent days ##### footing around and digging up huge tracks of land. At some point you just have to throw a grenade down the well to see if the baby will fly out.


He looked at you funny before this analogy?

How did he look at you after?

[jg13]

Originally Posted by OldDutch

Did they not trade Smid to get the room to sign Brez?

They did yes, but their biggest issue is on defence not in goal.

Plus Bryz is a UFA at the end of the year, Smid is on a decent contract over the next 3 years.

Their management is stupid yes which you can argue is the reason it happened.

But in my opinion even if you're stupid you don't make this move if you're trying to compete.

[northcrunk]

Originally Posted by jg13

They did yes, but their biggest issue is on defence not in goal.

Plus Bryz is a UFA at the end of the year, Smid is on a decent contract over the next 3 years.

Their management is stupid yes which you can argue is the reason it happened.

But in my opinion even if you're stupid you don't make this move if you're trying to compete.

Management is stupid. Why trade your number 1 tender (even though he sucks) and a 3rd round pick for an expiring unproven goaltender in scrivens who didn't excel in toronto and was only good behind a defensive la kings team and a player who chose not to go to your city in free agency even though you offered him more money. Just stupid.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

I have changed on thinking they should have taken between Hall/Seguin

if Seguin had alleged 'character' issues with a team that had the veteran leadership and solid management Boston did what might have happened if he was in Edmonton?

Hall has the same character issues as Seguin, I know the boys at the Ranch know him and his buddies well. It is always 5 o'clock somewhere in Edmonton.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Hall has the same character issues as Seguin, I know the boys at the Ranch know him and his buddies well. It is always 5 o'clock somewhere in Edmonton.

No kidding. If I played for the Edmonton Oilers I'd need some whiskey to make all of the screaming stop...

"The lambs Clarice....make the lambs stop screaming..."

[Icon]

I really don't think it's intentional (not at this point of the season anyway).

And that's hillarious.

[DazzlinDino]

I found it suspicious last year I think it was a couple months before the end of the season they were scoring goals winning games and then they went into a free fall losing a bunch of 1 goal games. This year they could have made trades (with key pieces), improved their team but they seem content to ride things until the end of the season. Then you have MacT saying they have a plan and that they are on the right track... I agree they do suck but sometimes its hard to believe they are not tanking to some degree. I liked the comment one poster made suggesting they went into "operation shutdown" once they realized they were not able to compete.

[saXon]

Originally Posted by edn88

I think suggesting the Oilers are tanking is flattering the Oilers. It suggest they are good enough to tank. As stated - terrible defense and as an extension, terrible goal tending. Bad player development, poor management, no vision etc are all part of the Oilers demise.

Plus if you were going to tank - wait until next year.

There are different forms of intentional tanking. Most teams that are good or even decent, aka Lighting, Preds, and Avs turn their production on it's head after learning they aren't making the playoffs.

In regards to the Oilers, knowingly not trading any of their 1st overalls or top tier producing players such as Schultz/Eberle for a return that could help steer their ship around is a form of tanking. Trading away one of their best NHL shot blocking d-men for 2 middling prospects adds to the equation.

They are intentionally tanking. MacT has his eye on Ekblad, and he'll be damned if the Flames are going to take him away like they did with Monahan. That single pick behind Calgary must have really stung last year.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Even today you hear the Steve Simmonds and other media talk about the Flames like they are hot garbage yet the media seems to remain pretty optimistic about the Oilers. It just goes to show how far you can sell potential. The Oilers are worse than the Flames but are looked at as better because of their "potential". Hope is a lot easier to sell than reality.

It comes from how hyped the draft has become among NHL sportscasters. Top prospects are built up so much nowadays, And there's this idea fed by the media that once you have a few of them you have the superstar core of an elite team.

Also, the Canadian sports media has become very patriotic in the last 10 years ago or so. They used to more objectively professional, but most are flag-waving patriots these days. So every Canadian franchise is treated with kid gloves. Canadian sportscasters find it perfectly acceptable to laugh at a franchise like the Islanders or Panthers. But they bite their tongue when it comes to the train-wreck of the Oilers.

[4oh3]

Dumb I think Edmonton will end up with the 3rd pick. I don’t think Oilers will take Ekblad unless their 1st pick is gone. Oilers don’t need another Dman with potential. Ekblad could be years away from making an impact. They need a skilled big Center they have no dept in that position. I could see Dal Colle or Draisaitl"



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[4oh3]

That was a quote from copper and blue


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[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Hugh Jahrmes

Let's be honest here, MacT spoke of targeting ekblad halfway through the season. Also admitted in the same interview he likely goes first overall. I wouldn't call it a reach to make that connection.

I saw where MacT mentioned Ekblad and mentioned other forwards they were looking at for a potential top pick. I can't recall which forward but just the fact they are already looking at who they want to draft instead of improving their team.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by DazzlinDino

I saw where MacT mentioned Ekblad and mentioned other forwards they were looking at for a potential top pick. I can't recall which forward but just the fact they are already looking at who they want to draft instead of improving their team.

Staples: How many players down does this draft go then?

MacTavish: (Aaron) Ekblad is the right-handed defenceman that seems like a book-end for Nurse. …There’s some good players. The type of player we need is a guy like Curtis Lazar, like that type of driver. He and Nurse are kindred spirits, they’re just good leaders and good foot soldiers, that’s the type of guy that we could use. We get Ekblad, that’s another big piece.

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/201...te-these-guys/

Here's the quote. It sounds like fanbase prepping to me. Draftspeak at the midpoint, to me, shows that that's where their focus is, not improving the team at all. Ekblad! Ekblad! Ekblad! Say it with us fans!

Following that was the Katz letter which said no "short term moves" to improve the club.

[DazzlinDino]

^ That was the quote on Ekblad I was referring to. Sounds a bit like they may be intentionally tanking. Musical coaches/Gm's shifting people around and displacing blame while they gun for another pick. Katz letter is just icing on the cake buying them more time with the fans while they go for one more piece of pie.

[Swayze11]

They are in good hands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-KAoQ6mgNk&t=3m4s

[Shawnski]

Originally Posted by Redliner

tankiest tankers that ever tanked.

Out of tanks, so, tanks.

[OzSome]

When the Oilers won the lottery in drafting Yakupov, I told my friend from Red Deer who is an Oiler fan, they should trade the pick or trade Taylor Hall to Columbus or another team then either pick a defenseman or trade for an established D. He was laughing and mentioned keeping the pick(Yakupov) will make them an awesome team. He said having those 3 first pick overall Hall, RNH and Yakupov plus Eberle, Gagner and Hemsky. Those are solid two scoring lines. Look how that turned out, eh? Now the Oilers is trying to tank the season so they can pick a defenseman Ekblad.

[saXon]

Originally Posted by DazzlinDino

^ That was the quote on Ekblad I was referring to. Sounds a bit like they may be intentionally tanking. Musical coaches/Gm's shifting people around and displacing blame while they gun for another pick. Katz letter is just icing on the cake buying them more time with the fans while they go for one more piece of pie.

Not to mention they traded their best goalie in their system who could steal a few wins here and there, and put in a backup for the rest of the season.

Can't have stolen wins now, can we MacT?

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

a lot of this goes in to unlucky draft years too, not that they deserve any credit for 3 straight first overall picks, but going back to 2000 1st overall picks they just picked the worst time to suck

If you were going through this list and were told you could pick any 3 year run of 1st overall picks to build your team around I think 2010-2012 would be the least desired


2013 Nathan MacKinnon
2012 Nail Yakupov
2011 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
2010 Taylor Hall
2009 John Tavares
2008 Steven Stamkos
2007 Patrick Kane
2006 Erik Johnson
2005 Sidney Crosby
2004 Alexander Ovechkin
2003 Marc-Andre Fleury
2002 Rick Nash
2001 Ilya Kovalchuk

You do have to look at developing. If you take out Ovechkin, Crosby and Tavares - I'd argue Hall (and maybe RNH) were at the same level as most of these guys when they were drafted. Thinking back to their draft years... I'd have Hall ahead of Kane, Nash, Johnson, Fleury and MacKinnon... and fairly similar to Stamkos.