Edmonton is No Good VIII: There's Still Something in the Water!

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Roughneck

What coach do they think would solve the teams problems?

At this point non, look at that lineup, there's no depth, very little for Oiler fans to get super excited about prospect wise, they're literally pissed away a generation of high draft picks in every round.


Tippett I think is over rated. What do you do with a team with very little talent. You teach them a defensively strong high effort team. The Oilers do neither well, they play like they're entitled and just deserve wins for throwing pucks on the ice. The defensive system that's in place is severely lacking, that's on Tippett.



What they really need to do is trade one of the glitter twins to build up their organizational hell and get out of cap hell. Personally I would trade Drai, he's not a line driver. He's rarely successful without McDavid, and they're paying him money to be that driver franchise type of guy.


Also I'd ask McDavid if he would want to play for a team doing a serious rebuild. Then when I'm fired, I'd collect my salary for a few years on a beach somewhere.

[Enoch Root]

The Oilers started the season with a 4 game home stand - they have not had to get on a plane yet. They have played 2 games against the Canucks, who I don't think are a playoff team, and 2 games against the Habs, who are a strong team, but let's not pretend they are some dynastic powerhouse.

The Oilers have had last change in every game, allowing them to utilize McDavid and Draisaitl as they see fit, and with control of the matchups.

Despite this very favorable situation, they are tied for last in regulation losses with Chicago (who are going to be historically bad) and - somehow - with Vancouver, who they have played twice (how is that even possible?).

They are 24th in goals against per game

They are tied for 20th in goals per game

Only Chicago has given up as many 5on5 goals (11)

They have also given up 2 shorties, meaning they have allowed 13 goals against, in 4 games, while even strength or with the man advantage. Only 5 other teams have given up 13 goals TOTAL!

[corporatejay]

It is a truly incredible feat to have the best player in the league for 5 years and have essentially nothing to show for it. What an absolute tire fire that franchise is.

[Eric Vail]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Tippett might need to go, he's mishandled the lines and has lost control of Connor who supposedly refuses to let Tippett reunite the DRY line.

Is it possible that Connor feels he lost out on the Hart Trophy because Dri got to play with talented wingers while he got Kassian? He doesn't want to see that happen again.

When winning is out of the question, personal awards are the focus.

[The Yen Man]

If you swapped McDavid for say Dylan Larkin, I honestly think Oilers would be even worse than Detroit right now.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

It is a truly incredible feat to have the best player in the league for 5 years and have essentially nothing to show for it. What an absolute tire fire that franchise is.

Best? What?

[Plett25]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

It is a truly incredible feat to have the best player in the league for 5 years and have essentially nothing to show for it. What an absolute tire fire that franchise is.

I'm confused.

I'm pretty sure the Penguins have a couple of recent Stanley Cups.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

it is a truly incredible feat to have the best one-way offensive player in the league for 5 years and have essentially nothing to show for it. What an absolute tire fire that franchise is.

fyp

[kukkudo]

Well if the tire fire continues won't be surprised seeing Tippet let go. Holland will call Bruce, Gerard, Darryl, and just maybe his friend Babcock.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

It is a truly incredible feat to have the best player in the league for 5 years and have essentially nothing to show for it. What an absolute tire fire that franchise is.

I think people need to get out of the habit of calling McDavid the defacto best player in the game as long as he only plays half of it.

MacKinnon and Crosby simply do more for a team as it pertains to the goal of winning. There might be more on that list that can produce similarly while doing other things.

Of late it feels like McDavid puts up two points for every three against that he's out on the ice for, floating in no man's land.

[old-fart]

The Oilers have a PP % right now of 11% (and have given up 2 shorties which I believe make the PP "even").

McPoopypants has been on the ice for 26:29 of PP time, or 84.2% of the total, more than any other player on the team, although superstar#2 - Leon Drysaddle - comes a close second at 25:57. That's.... horrible.

Nice to see Kostinem with a sub .900 save percentage and a GAA pushing 4...

[CaptainCrunch]

Yeah, McDavid isn't the best player in the league, he's probably the best pure offensive player in the league, though I don't think he's a Dynamic Offensive player. His strength is his speed, so he does the same thing every time.


When he loses a step, and that happens, he's going to struggle.


But lets be honest, in the what 5 years that he's been there, he doesn't look like he's tried to evolve his game. He doesn't care about the defensive aspects of the game, or the 200 foot game. He feels like a guy that cares about points, and maybe he gets off on individual trophies. But I honestly don't think he's that guy that's going to drive your team to a Stanley cup.



Sid absolutely is that guy, and outside of his offense, his physical play and his play without the puck are elite, and he plays every game like he gives a crap.


McKinnon is just way more dynamic with his speed period.


I just get the feeling that Connor deep down never learned to lead, doesn't care all that much if its outside of a 6 foot circle around him. I figure his decline when it inevitably comes is going to be shocking, and maybe he'd be happy playing for a team without a fan spot light.

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

I'm not even biased, but I think the orange Oiler abomination of a jersey is the worst looking jersey in the league (if we're just judging on normal jerseys and not special third jerseys). When the had the blue one, I begrudgingly thought it was pretty good looking. Now though, I can honestly say that orange pylon looking one is terrible.

Their 3rd jersey is in the running too.

[You Need a Thneed]

I don’t even think McDavid is the best offensive player in the league.

Perhaps most gifted offensive abilities.

But you actually have to try on the ice, or look like you care more than 25% of the time.

“Best player in the league” has always been beyond laughable. He has Not helped his team be a winning team.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by calf

My son forgot the Edmonton team is called the Oilers, so decided to call them the Orange Raindrops. I think that's going to stick in our household.

Edmonton Hockey Team = Orange Teardrops

[FlamesAddiction]

If they would have traded the draft pick or McDavid on his ELC, they could have built an extremely deep team. Some other team would have plied the Oilers with an embarrassment of riches to have McDavid on a low-cost contract. They could have come out on top the way Quebec/Colorado did when they were forced to trade Lindros. The depth and flexibility set that franchise up for several years. I get it though, it is a tough sell and a hard decision to make. Quebec's hand was forced, but the way it worked out, I am surprised that it hasn't become more of a building strategy for franchises that are bare to the bones. Seriously, after your first couple of 1st overall picks and the team is not getting better, you think you would learn.

No matter how good McDavid is now (and that is debatable), his maximum value was at its peak when he was being underpaid. It's extremely difficult in the cap era to build a winning team around one player making the league maximum. Having Draisaitl near that amount too doesn't help.

I think the Oilers had the idea that players would be lining up to play at a discount just to play with McDavid and it would all even out. They failed to understand that players aren't going to do that until you can prove you can win. By failing to do that in McDavid's first few seasons, they ruined the chance for players to come in at a discount. It was a huge miscalculation and a massive display of hubris. I think they looked at Pittsburgh as an example, but didn't consider that Crosby at his peak played at a slight discount so that the team could lure more talent.

And no matter how good he is, that $12.5 million cap hit means even if they did decide to trade him now, they would never get full value. They would have to take on a bad contract just so another team could make room for him.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Edmonton Hockey Team = Orange Teardrops

Tears of a clown?

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

If they would have traded the draft pick or McDavid on his ELC, they could have built an extremely deep team. Some other team would have plied the Oilers with an embarrassment of riches to have McDavid on a low-cost contract. They could have come out on top the way Quebec/Colorado did when they were forced to trade Lindros. The depth and flexibility set that franchise up for several years. I get it though, it is a tough sell and a hard decision to make. Quebec's hand was forced, but the way it worked out, I am surprised that it hasn't become more of a building strategy for franchises that are bare to the bones. Seriously, after your first couple of 1st overall picks and the team is not getting better, you think you would learn.

No matter how good McDavid is now (and that is debatable), his maximum value was at its peak when he was being underpaid. It's extremely difficult in the cap era to build a winning team around one player making the league maximum. Having Draisaitl near that amount too doesn't help.

I think the Oilers had the idea that players would be lining up to play at a discount just to play with McDavid and it would all even out. They failed to understand that players aren't going to do that until you can prove you can win. By failing to do that in McDavid's first few seasons, they ruined the chance for players to come in at a discount. It was a huge miscalculation and a massive display of hubris. I think they looked at Pittsburgh but didn't consider that Crosby at his peak played at a slight discount so that the team could lure more talent.

And no matter how good he is, that $12.5 million cap hit means even if they did decide to trade him now, they would never get full value. They would have to take on a bad contract just so another team could make room for him.

I challenge anyone to come up with a theoretical trade involving McDavid, realizing that teams are all close to the cap, so salaries going each way have to be fairly close (likely within $500k). Also, there would have to be some amount of perceived value going each way that also has to line up.

[albertGQ]

I wonder how true the rumours are that the reason Tippet hasn't reunited the DRY line is because of Connor

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

I challenge anyone to come up with a theoretical trade involving McDavid, realizing that teams are all close to the cap, so salaries going each way have to be fairly close (likely within $500k). Also, there would have to be some amount of perceived value going each way that also has to line up.

I remember trying to see a type of deal as well, and just rarely lined up.



Things like Seguin, Heiskanen, prospects/picks type stuff is all you can really work with. I mean, if you're building around a McDavid <-> Dubois swap, how would it work? McDavid to the Senators (most cap space)? To the Kings (cap space and the lulz)?



The no-growth cap era isn't a good time to be trading a high-paid superstar. You're never going to see a Lindros-type trade again. You're more likely to see Thornton to the Sharks type returns.