How much longer do you think the Oilers will be this bad for?

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by moon

I dislike Yakupov as much as most but that seems to be an honest question and not meant to be racist or anything malicious.

Yah, I'm sure he was simply surprised and excited that there were multi cultural broacasts in the NHL, and rather than ask one of his team mates about how long this has been going on or if it was normal, he decided to gete on the pine to his friends back in Russia and ask "how could this be?"

[robaur]

Originally Posted by moon

I dislike Yakupov as much as most but that seems to be an honest question and not meant to be racist or anything malicious.

Here comes moon defending the Oilers. I call Taylor Hall bad and he points out that Hall is ppg+ top 10 in the NHL. Well....stats arent everything. But continue...keep being an Oilers apologist.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by Hockey_Ninja

The Oilers sure did a fine job picking such a classy guy in Yakupov...

http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/sports/sto...ntroversy.html

Definitely grasping at straws here.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

Definitely grasping at straws here.

I admit that it was a mistake, i apologize. Yakupov still doesn't seem like the brightest individual around.

[moon]

Originally Posted by robaur

Here comes moon defending the Oilers. I call Taylor Hall bad and he points out that Hall is ppg+ top 10 in the NHL. Well....stats arent everything. But continue...keep being an Oilers apologist.

LOL

I am an Oiler apologist you sure got me.

What better evidence than not agreeing that Taylor Hall is bad and pointing out that Yakupov being surprised that there is a Punjabi broadcast isn't really a big deal?

I am sure Walter, Oil Stain, Money Guy, Stang and Oil Fan #81 will all gladly attest to me being a huge Oiler fan and always talking the team up.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by robaur

Here comes moon defending the Oilers. I call Taylor Hall bad and he points out that Hall is ppg+ top 10 in the NHL. Well....stats arent everything. But continue...keep being an Oilers apologist.

Lol. You're a funny guy (not intentionally I don't think). You hype up one Russian prospect ahead of prospects who are clearly more impressive while trashing the Oilers picks to a point where Flames fans have to step in to tell you you're underrating them to a ridiculous degree.

There is just no objectivity in your posts. No acknowledgement of reality. In your world Malkin>Crosby, Nichuskin=Malkin, RNH=bust, MacKinnon/Drouin=not possible franchise players and other such rubbish that clearly is not true.

Moon isn't an Oiler apologist. You are just very clearly out of touch with reality when it comes to Oilers players and prospects for the 2013 draft. This has become obvious.

[Bertuzzied]

hahaha best stat ever!

Oilers only have 8 wins at home this season! hahahahahha suckers

[CarlLester]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

hahaha best stat ever!

Oilers only have 8 wins at home this season! hahahahahha suckers

I'll keep that in mind this year while I watch Flames playoff hockey

[Husky]

Hall is a legit threat and guy you build the team around. I am not sold on Yakupov, Shultz or RNH as being in the same class./ Eberle when "he is on" can be that type of guy.

The Oilers D is currently horrible and their prospect pool is thin (except for potentially Klefbom). Oilers D is pretty udnerwhelming as well. Another issue is the Oilers have zero decent veterans to help the inconsistent young players.

Overall the Oilers team makeup is brutal. Other than 1st overall picks, they ahve done a very poor job when having high spots in the 2nd and 3rd round as well.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by CarlLester

I'll keep that in mind this year while I watch Flames playoff hockey

Huh?

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Husky

Hall is a legit threat and guy you build the team around. I am not sold on Yakupov, Shultz or RNH as being in the same class./ Eberle when "he is on" can be that type of guy.

My biggest problem with Hall is he tends to have moments of Hemsky stupidty where he puts himself in jeopardy, he also has his own injury problems.

I think Oiler fans realize that J Schultz might have a longer development curve then most expected, I think he's a guy that could have benefited by staying on the AHL. Yakopov I think is the weakest of their first round picts because he just doesn't appear to be a well rounded player, maybe he'll learn that he's still really young. I honestly thought that RNH was the offensive catalyst to build around, not sure now with the injuries.



[QUOTE=Husky;4216473The Oilers D is currently horrible and their prospect pool is thin (except for potentially Klefbom). Oilers D is pretty udnerwhelming as well. Another issue is the Oilers have zero decent veterans to help the inconsistent young players.[/quote]

yup, They don't have a whole lot coming that's going to turn things around, Plante is looking like a bust, Klefbom looks decent but it takes a while to develop defensemen.

Its going to take the Oilers a while to rebuild their organization depth, they continually guess wrong in terms of veterans to pick up or put their horses behind.



[QUOTE=Husky;4216473Overall the Oilers team makeup is brutal. Other than 1st overall picks, they ahve done a very poor job when having high spots in the 2nd and 3rd round as well.[/QUOTE]

Yup built the team like a drunken teenagers hockey pool without much thought.

[Kaine]

Originally Posted by CarlLester

I'll keep that in mind this year while I watch Flames playoff hockey

I assume this was some sort of troll comment, but wha...? I don't even...

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Kaine

I assume this was some sort of troll comment, but wha...? I don't even...

Deflection is a standard tactic when presented with an unwinnable argument.

How does one spin the fact that only Florida has fewer home wins than the Oilers? It can't be done, so the only alternative is to attack a strawman.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Deflection is a standard tactic when presented with an unwinnable argument.

How does one spin the fact that only Florida has fewer home wins than the Oilers? It can't be done, so the only alternative is to attack a strawman.

I would guess it has something to do with the 9 game road trip that they had to go on due to the Brier.

At least that is what I hear is the reason to excuse the Oilers struggles this year completely.

[Steve Bozek]

Originally Posted by Husky

Hall is a legit threat and guy you build the team around. I am not sold on Yakupov, Shultz or RNH as being in the same class./ Eberle when "he is on" can be that type of guy.

The Oilers D is currently horrible and their prospect pool is thin (except for potentially Klefbom). Oilers D is pretty udnerwhelming as well. Another issue is the Oilers have zero decent veterans to help the inconsistent young players.

Overall the Oilers team makeup is brutal. Other than 1st overall picks, they ahve done a very poor job when having high spots in the 2nd and 3rd round as well.

I agree re Hall being the best of the bunch, and none of the rest look like eventual Hart trophy candidates. But they all should evolve into reasonably high level players. If the Oilers management is able to build around them (and that's a mighty big if), that group should be able to form the core of a top 5 team in the league.

Teams that have hit bottom for several years in a row (Quebec/Colorado, Pittsburgh [getting two ""generational talents" - Lemieux, Crosby/Malkin], Ottawa) have eventually succeeded to greater or lesser degrees. I think it's hard to be this bad for this long without eventually being able to climb out of the crud. Edmonton's management may not be of the same quality as Pitt, Ottawa and Colorado, but now that they're into a fourth season of high draft picks, I don't see how they can remain bottom feeders forever.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Maybe he's just better in the NHL then the AHL, the coaches seem to think so. We know when he was drafted and going to the farm that he was considered a guy with a good hockey IQ. His last period of time with Abbotsford was considered to be night and day from his first part of the season when he was lost and trying to figure out the pro game and his role in it. Wouldn't it be terrible for you if Rhino was actually following some kind of natural pro progression.

I can't find a non goon that jumped to the NHL the year after having a 20 point AHL rookie season. Maybe you can?

Natural pro progression would see the kid playing another season in the AHL to show that he can be a top player there.

By size they are not really tiny if you compare them to other rosters in the NHL,I'd argue that they are average sized.

Really? Maybe not tiny compared to the Oilers. The projected top nine next season barring changes->Backlund, Stajan, Horak, Tanguay, Cammalleri, Baertschi, Glencross, Hudler, Cervenka.

Stajan and Glencross are the only ones over 6 foot.

Compare that to the teams in the Flames division next season.

Kings- with guys like Kopitar, Carter, Penner, Stoll, King, Nolan, Clifford. Only one player on the forward roster under 6 foot. Richards, who plays like a bigger man. 7-8 of those guys are over 210 lbs.

Ducks- have a few smaller guys Cogliano, Koivu. They also have 20 minute a night big men in Getzlaf, Perry, Ryan and top niner Winnik all 6'2 or larger.

Phoenix- has 3 forwards on their roster under 6'1". Got some biggins in Hanzal, Moss, Klinkhammer.

San Jose- Thornton, Marleau, Burns playing forward now, Sheppard, Torres.

Vancouver- Nothing special. They have some taller player but most of them are pretty light. They've got Kassian. Kesler isn't a shrimp despite his diving making him look like he weighs 150 lbs.

Then you've got teams like Chicago and St.Louis, Columbus, all who have big men who can play in their top 9. Calgary is definitely undersized compared to who they are competing with to make the playoffs.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I think Oiler fans realize that J Schultz might have a longer development curve then most expected, I think he's a guy that could have benefited by staying on the AHL. Yakopov I think is the weakest of their first round picts because he just doesn't appear to be a well rounded player, maybe he'll learn that he's still really young.

Speaking as someone who watched 30 of Schultz's 34 AHL games in person, he didn't have anything more to prove in the AHL. It came too easy for him. He really needs to battle through at the NHL level to get better defensively, that's the only way he will.

Yakupov's work ethic is unbelievable. I see him running stairs after most games and coming in to work out on off days. I think he'll turn out fine also.

[Rhettzky]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

The projected top nine next season barring changes->Backlund, Stajan, Horak, Tanguay, Cammalleri, Baertschi, Glencross, Hudler, Cervenka.

Stajan and Glencross are the only ones over 6 foot.

I know you said over 6 foot but Backlund, Horak, and Tanguay are all 6'-0". Not small guys by any stretch of the imagination.

It's not always about height either. Cervenka and Stempniak are both 5'-11" and a very solid 200lbs. Matt Stajan may be 2 inches taller but plays a much smaller game than either of them.

The only real small guys in our top nine as it stands right now are Baertschi and Cammalleri. Not too bad in my opinion.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

Speaking as someone who watched 30 of Schultz's 34 AHL games in person, he didn't have anything more to prove in the AHL. It came too easy for him. He really needs to battle through at the NHL level to get better defensively, that's the only way he will.

Yakupov's work ethic is unbelievable. I see him running stairs after most games and coming in to work out on off days. I think he'll turn out fine also.

Just curious because I didn't watch him in the AHL, but did he succeed in the AHL because he was kind of insulated by Hall, Eberle, and RNH?

[Kaine]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

Speaking as someone who watched 30 of Schultz's 34 AHL games in person, he didn't have anything more to prove in the AHL. It came too easy for him. He really needs to battle through at the NHL level to get better defensively, that's the only way he will.

Yakupov's work ethic is unbelievable. I see him running stairs after most games and coming in to work out on off days. I think he'll turn out fine also.

Really? I can't say I saw as many as 34 games, likely not even half of that however I have yet to see him play defense that would be considered acceptable at even the junior level. Heck I've seen pee wee players demonstrate better defensive IQ. Or is the AHL not the place players demonstrate an ability to play their positions these days? I'm so out of the loop.

You really are mistaken if you honestly think players have to play in the NHL to learn to play defense, he is missing the most basic fundamentals a defenseman should demonstrate at a far earlier level then the NHL. Then again the Oilers are worse than your average AHL team anyways so it's a good a place as any to learn I suppose. Touche.