[Signing] Oilers sign Dominik Kahun (1 yr, $975k)

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Oilers fans are salivating over their top 6 that includes Kahun, Yamamoto, and Kassian. I see them posting lineups on HF and they think they have a deep forward crop. Hilarious

I still think that Yamamoto is going to come back to earth. He was a guy that struggled in the AHL, came up and lit it up in the NHL, at a point a game pace. Then fell completely apart against the Hawks. I think he'll slide. Kahun is a guy that people bounce pucks off of and Kassian was hot garbage after Tkachuk moved into his head, and also got lazy after getting his massive contract.


It doesn't matter, looking at that blueline, I expect that the Oilers will be spending a lot of time in their own end fishing pucks out of their net.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I think their top 6 is pretty solid.

It is their bottom 6, their defense, and their goaltending that are not so solid.

If Koskinen has a good year, they should make the playoffs. If he is his normal self, or if they have any kind of injury trouble whatsoever, they will be swimming upstream bigtime.

The reason I think they make the playoffs isn't because of their sudden awesomeness, it is because the Pacific is a dumpster fire. My rankings:

VGS - changes were probably a wash, but still the team to beat
CGY - improved goaltending, and lots of depth, most improved team in the division
EDM - weak goaltending is a year older, Klefbom is probably out for the season
VAN - weaker than last year, and relying on a goalie that couldn't handle the workload last year
SJS - didn't improve, but better than their disastrous last season
ARI - falling apart
ANA - bad
LAK - badder

I think the Oilers make the playoffs, simply because VAN and ARI are both poised to take a step backwards.

Edmonton - signed a bunch of castoffs, that couldn't find their own end with a GPS, saying their goaltending is suspect is being kind. McDavid and Draisaitl might score, but don't care about the other side of the game. If Klefbom is out, that blueline is a disaster and probably one of the worst in the West. Bear their sure fire rookie of the year, fell apart after the return.

Dave Tippet fired in January and Mac-T makes a triumphant return with a wrestlemania type of entrance/return.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I think their top 6 is pretty solid.

It is their bottom 6, their defense, and their goaltending that are not so solid.

If Koskinen has a good year, they should make the playoffs. If he is his normal self, or if they have any kind of injury trouble whatsoever, they will be swimming upstream bigtime.

The reason I think they make the playoffs isn't because of their sudden awesomeness, it is because the Pacific is a dumpster fire. My rankings:

VGS - changes were probably a wash, but still the team to beat
CGY - improved goaltending, and lots of depth, most improved team in the division
EDM - weak goaltending is a year older, Klefbom is probably out for the season
VAN - weaker than last year, and relying on a goalie that couldn't handle the workload last year
SJS - didn't improve, but better than their disastrous last season
ARI - falling apart
ANA - bad
LAK - badder

I think the Oilers make the playoffs, simply because VAN and ARI are both poised to take a step backwards.

All the talk is this upcoming season will be a Canadian division and I see the Oilers fighting at best for the third spot with the Habs and Canucks.

Their goaltending has a chance to be Flames 2015/16 bad. I don’t like Kassian or Kahun in the top 6 and could definitely see Yamamoto struggling and demoted to their bottom 6. They have a few question marks on D as well.

They remind me a lot of the 2017 Oilers and how that team overachieved and came right back down to earth the following 2 years. Unless all of a sudden Puljujärvi plays like a 4th overall pick and they get unusually strong goaltending, while young blue liners like Jones, Bear, Broberg etc take big steps I believe they are due to crash and burn again.

[Bingo]

Yeah Yamamoto is heading for a fall.

He was ranked first of all NHL forwards for on ice shooting percentage (players playing 350 or more minutes).

If he's better than all NHL forwards than he should be fine, but I'm betting that won't be the case.

I think Tippett knew that too, and that was why he broke that line up for the playoffs.

[CaptainCrunch]

I point to the ungodly and unsustainable level of their historically high special teams. They were atrocious 5v5, so if the PP or PK slips. this is a lottery team.

[Vinny01]

We have seen first hand with the Flames that if they are firing on all cylinders this is a top team in the league. Last season when they were faced with a ton of adversity and a big step back from their top players they were still on the right side of the bubble. They have since solidified their goaltending and added some nice cheap depth this offseason.

When everything goes right for the Oilers they are a playoff team or right there on the bubble. If things go wrong for them they will be a bottom 10 team. They are paper thin across the board with the exception of center ice. No true top pairing D or legit starting goalie leaves no room for error.

I for one would love another year of no McDavid in the playoffs.

[Harry Lime]

I agree with everything that is being said here, and yet Kahun is still the fourth best forward on their team.

[ForeverFlameFan]

It’s a good signing. A really good one actually, especially with Kahun’s familiarity with Draisaitl.

However, they will not get past round 2 (if they even win round 1 or make the playoffs) if they’ve got a Koskinen/Smith tandem and a bottom 5 defensive core. They’re going to have to win 5-4 most nights in order to get W’s.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Oilers fans are salivating over their top 6 that includes Kahun, Yamamoto, and Kassian. I see them posting lineups on HF and they think they have a deep forward crop. Hilarious

Did they forget about Neal already?

[bubbsy]

Decent pick up.

I think, given the oilers cap constraints, the oilers have done pretty well to pick up some cheap 1 year deals with Barrie, Turris, Ennis, and now Kahun.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

Decent pick up.

I think, given the oilers cap constraints, the oilers have done pretty well to pick up some cheap 1 year deals with Barrie, Turris, Ennis, and now Kahun.

They still have Bear to sign and they are already at 23 on the roster and into LTIR. Not out of the woods yet.

[Boreal]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Edmonton - signed a bunch of castoffs, that couldn't find their own end with a GPS, saying their goaltending is suspect is being kind. McDavid and Draisaitl might score, but don't care about the other side of the game. If Klefbom is out, that blueline is a disaster and probably one of the worst in the West. Bear their sure fire rookie of the year, fell apart after the return.

Dave Tippet fired in January and Mac-T makes a triumphant return with a wrestlemania type of entrance/return.

Additionally Oiler fans fail to contemplate that other teams watch video, scout teams/players, look for tendencies, and make adjustments.

It’s not an accident that McDavid and Draisatl are in the basement of defensive exploits. They’re ceremoniously and ritualistically exploited.

It’s almost as if the average Oiler fan's wishfully thinking thought process is devoid of fact, logic, and reason.

Say... someone like. David S. or.... D. Staples.

[Eric Vail]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

So he goes on to score 0 goals and get blamed by Nicholson for them missing the playoffs. Than he signs with the Flames next season.

Either that or he scores 30 points in the first 50 games and the Oilers sign him to a 4 year $16 million contract and suddenly he is a 20 points/season player for the next 4 years.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I doubt he had many options. He has been in the league since 2018 and is going on to his 4th team.

He's Quine and Czarnik level. He has some skill and can put up a few points, but he isn't a complete enough player to warrant a lot of ice-time.

He's better than Quine and Czarnik. He's basically Dominik Simon.

[Hockey-and_stuff]

He's Simon with crazy shooting percentage. He had 12 goals on an xG of like 6.4. Crazy lucky, and doesn't really drive play.

That being said at less than a million there is zero chance he disappoints. He'll be a steak or produce like a 4th liner while being paid like one.

[Eric Vail]

When the bottom forwards on the Oilers struggle to get to 10 points in a season (Haas, Khaira, Nygard), pretty much anyone who has played in the NHL is going to be an improvement.

[Macho0978]

I still think the Oilers biggest problem is spreading out the ice time. Leon and McDavid in tight games quite often played 25 mins in a regular season game. This leads to 6 forwards nightly sitting and watching them play. If they scale back the big 2 ice time they just don't have the depth that makes them better with Leon and McDavid playing less.

Those 2 nuge and barrie I expect to get 2 mins every pp too.

They also might as well buy out neal now as he will not be happy a week in with his role. He will be a complete cancer this year. Can't wait

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Macho0978

I still think the Oilers biggest problem is spreading out the ice time. Leon and McDavid in tight games quite often played 25 mins in a regular season game. This leads to 6 forwards nightly sitting and watching them play. If they scale back the big 2 ice time they just don't have the depth that makes them better with Leon and McDavid playing less.

Those 2 nuge and barrie I expect to get 2 mins every pp too.

They also might as well buy out neal now as he will not be happy a week in with his role. He will be a complete cancer this year. Can't wait

I don't think he cares about regular season 5 on 5 play any more. As long as he gets his PP1 time, he'll be happy.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Yeah Yamamoto is heading for a fall.

He was ranked first of all NHL forwards for on ice shooting percentage (players playing 350 or more minutes).

If he's better than all NHL forwards than he should be fine, but I'm betting that won't be the case.

I think Tippett knew that too, and that was why he broke that line up for the playoffs.

I've watched games where Yamamoto was the worst player on the ice for either team. Just looked lost out there a lot of times.

I'm glad they are pinning their hopes on him.

[CaptainCrunch]

I'm loving Staples right now, according to him, this latest signing is the best signing of the year and the steal of the year.



I have no doubt he gets a fat check from the Oilers Public relations office.