[OOT] October 14, three games.

[Tinordi]

Oilers just have no complete players in their prime. Basically that's their problem. Outside of some flashy young winners there's nothing else. You can't rebuild by only getting the high picks right. That's the easy part actually. You need to convert the second and third rounders to contributors as well.

[PlayfulGenius]

I'm enjoying the Oilers losses oh so close to as much as the Flames victories this far, I must admit

[stemit14]

I just don't think the oilers have a solution with the core that they have . It's so important to build from the right kind of foundation and I don't see it in hall, RNH, yakupov, Schultz, or eberle. Hall might have the lowest hockey IQ to skill ratio in the league. The more I see of RNH, the more I think his ceiling is closer to a Derek Roy than a Tavares. And it's not just because of size... There are lots of players that are his size or smaller that adjust better than him to the NHL. Yakupov is a streaky goal scorer who is VERY moody and is already becoming a bad part if the dressing room. Schultz is a one-dimensional defenseman that will be lucky if he ever has a positive +/- season. I think eberle is the best player on their team but he should just be a complementary piece (like marchant is to boston) on a good team.

This oiler team will know doubt be able to wow people for years when they are on the powerplay and these hot shots get more time and space but they will never be a contender or even a playoff team with the core that they have built around.

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by stemit14

I just don't think the oilers have a solution with the core that they have . It's so important to build from the right kind of foundation and I don't see it in hall, RNH, yakupov, Schultz, or eberle. Hall might have the lowest hockey IQ to skill ratio in the league. The more I see of RNH, the more I think his ceiling is closer to a Derek Roy than a Tavares. And it's not just because of size... There are lots of players that are his size or smaller that adjust better than him to the NHL. Yakupov is a streaky goal scorer who is VERY moody and is already becoming a bad part if the dressing room. Schultz is a one-dimensional defenseman that will be lucky if he ever has a positive +/- season. I think eberle is the best player on their team but he should just be a complementary piece (like marchant is to boston) on a good team.

This oiler team will know doubt be able to wow people for years when they are on the powerplay and these hot shots get more time and space but they will never be a contender or even a playoff team with the core that they have built around.

There is nothing wrong with the Oilers top end guys. The issue is depth and an organizational need to collect and play incredibly terrible bottom six players.

Acton, Gadzic, Smyth, Brown, Joensuu are all really terrible players, they most likely shouldn't be on any NHL roster, much less bein given the ice time that their coach is giving them.

Dallas Eakins has surprised me with his coachin acumen, it seems that Eakins is no better than Krueger or the many plugger obsessed coaches before him.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

There is nothing wrong with the Oilers top end guys. The issue is depth and an organizational need to collect and play incredibly terrible bottom six players.

Acton, Gadzic, Smyth, Brown, Joensuu are all really terrible players, they most likely shouldn't be on any NHL roster, much less bein given the ice time that their coach is giving them.

Dallas Eakins has surprised me with his coachin acumen, it seems that Eakins is no better than Krueger or the many plugger obsessed coaches before him.

No one can turn chicken s___ into chicken salad.

[JobHopper]

I was watching That's Hockey 2 with Craig Button doing an analysis of the Edmonton Washington game. Pointed out some pretty big flaws about Taylor hall in that game.

[SuperMatt18]

This is the issue with not having some established veterans in the lineup and just letting the young guys run free.

[calumniate]

Just wait until they get Stevie Mac back. That'll turn things around

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by JobHopper

I was watching That's Hockey 2 with Craig Button doing an analysis of the Edmonton Washington game. Pointed out some pretty big flaws about Taylor hall in that game.

Well, he is less than a year older than our own Baertschi. Players in the age group usually still have issues to work out in their games. For their sake, they should be treating Hall as a work and progress, but it seems like they are expecting him to be more a of key player at this point. It makes me wonder how much they are working with him individually on those weaknesses.

[strombad]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Well, he is less than a year older than our own Baertschi. Players in the age group usually still have issues to work out in their games. For their sake, they should be treating Hall as a work and progress, but it seems like they are expecting him to be more a of key player at this point. It makes me wonder how much they are working with him individually on those weaknesses.

Yes, a year older and a 1st overall pick. You're picked 1st overall for a reason. Tavares the year before him, Stamkos before that, Kane before that, they all put it together by Hall's age. Not to mention that they were all expected to be key players by his age, and they were. Hall isn't even in the same conversation as those guys of course, but still, at this point the excuses are pretty much done. You can't be having that many glaring issues in your game.

[JobHopper]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Well, he is less than a year older than our own Baertschi. Players in the age group usually still have issues to work out in their games. For their sake, they should be treating Hall as a work and progress, but it seems like they are expecting him to be more a of key player at this point. It makes me wonder how much they are working with him individually on those weaknesses.

Yeah but some of the things Craig B. was pointing out were hockey sense type plays. Like making soft casual plays, that shouldn't be a coaching issue at that level. This is what his 3rd coach now? I don't mind Hall but the guy is probably lacking a bit of confidence and not quite sure what to do out there.

[JobHopper]

I also don't think when you talk about high skill/talent players, that a year or 2 make a real big difference. You look at Sean Monahan for example, what you see now is what you're going to get. Players only get better at what they have. An above average player will not get exceptional with 2 more years experience.

[trackercowe]

Originally Posted by FlamesPuck12

The best part about the Oilers sucking is that all the Oilers trolls on CP went back to hiding in the caves.

They'll be back once the Oilers going on their season long winning streak.. of two games.

[Enoch Root]

There are a lot of problems in Edmonton - too many for a post like this actually.

But to say that the stars are fine, and it's the bottom 6 guys that are the problem, really misses some of the keys issues IMO. (though yes, the bottom 6 guys, or role players, are also a problem)

The star players - particularly Hall, Eberle and Yakupov (though he is only in his 2nd season) - have never committed to, or learned how to, do the things you need to do to win in this league.

They were handed their status and it was never in doubt, so why bother doing the not-so-fun stuff?

If I were an Oilers bottom 6er and I were sitting on the bench watching these guys float around, waiting for the pass to go on the rush, I would find it pretty hard to commit to doing the dirty things every night.

Eakins has his hands full.

[Canada 02]

Originally Posted by JobHopper

I was watching That's Hockey 2 with Craig Button doing an analysis of the Edmonton Washington game. Pointed out some pretty big flaws about Taylor hall in that game.

http://video.tsn.ca/?dl=shows-thatsh...23656/clip/216

[bubbsy]

Yup, i'm in the group that thinks the top end guys are at serious fault here.

well, not even 'at fault', but more in a position to not succeed. RNH/Hall/Yakupov, perhaps even eberle, may become top line players one day. The problem is that they are being inserted into that role immediately, with no teammates to lean on or learn the ropes from.

it's amazing the oilers don't just come out and acknowledge the fact that Smyth/hemsky suck and can't be the veteran leaders in the top 6. The perron deal was great value, but absolutely nothing to solve any organizational need (instead they got another redundant winger).

Mactavish should be applauded for only 1 frigin thing this offseason, and that's unloading horcoff. The problem with that is it was more a contract/cap-space improvement, but did little to improve the on-ice product. Ference being the biggest change on their blue line is laughable. The guy was a 4-6 dman for the bruins, what exactly were they expecting for him??

mactavish talked a lot of big talk about making drastic change, well 2 of the best under 25 goaltenders in the league were available on the market this offseason in bernier and schneider, and he couldn't land either. How is moving your #3 center out, and bringing in a #4-6 dman in "drastic" moves to improve the team.

Loving every moment of this.

fun fact of the day: Oilers big guns are all kinda minus:
- RNH = -9
- hemsky = -8
- hall = -7
(the above are in the bottom 5 of the entire NHL)
- J.Shultz = -6
- ference = -5
- smyth = -4
- Yakupov = -3
- perron = -3

just awesome.

[moon]

Originally Posted by strombad

Yes, a year older and a 1st overall pick. You're picked 1st overall for a reason. Tavares the year before him, Stamkos before that, Kane before that, they all put it together by Hall's age. Not to mention that they were all expected to be key players by his age, and they were. Hall isn't even in the same conversation as those guys of course, but still, at this point the excuses are pretty much done. You can't be having that many glaring issues in your game.

Hall was top 10 in scoring last year he may be a step below those guys but he definitely is in the same conversation as them.

It isn't like those 3 are Selke candidates or immune from boneheaded, frustrating plays.