Presentation on why the Oilers are screwed

[ricardodw]

The Oilers have way too many low grit players.

They are not bad players but the max of all skill not grit players any successful team can handle is 4.

Eberle, Justin Schultz, Purcell,RHN, Gordon,Draisaitl, Nitkinin and Fayne only hit people rarely (accidentally contact) Nitkinin and Fayne and Gordon block some shots so the Oilers are playing at least 5 soft players and 3 borderline soft.


The Flames were on their way to suck-dom using this formula and have drastically changed it with Burke taking over.

[timbit]

Who are these "grit" players that Burke et al have brought to the team that have reversed the "suck-dom"?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by timbit

Who are these "grit" players that Burke et al have brought to the team that have reversed the "suck-dom"?

Since he got here and assuming we don't count players no longer here like Westgarth.

Smid, Bollig, Engelland, Colborne (plays with grit now anyway).

[FaFaFlamey]

I can't help but think about my friend who knows an ex-Oiler, and his comment after the Flames fired Feister was something along the lines of "they are the biggest joke of an organization according everyone around the league". These kinds of comments are why I love watching that team implode.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Since he got here and assuming we don't count players no longer here like Westgarth.

Smid, Bollig, Engelland, Colborne (plays with grit now anyway).

Colborne doesn't hit, participate in scrums or do much other gritty stuff. He protects the puck well I suppose, but that's not gritty

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but just read the OP and it feels like an episode of undercover boss a little to me.

At the end the OP is going to come back and tell us he was Daryl Katz all along, then pay for our kids to go to college or something.

[SeeGeeWhy]

What about the awesome rumours the fans started about pronger after he wanted out? Didn't they also break into his vacant house and burn the furniture including a baby crib? Messed up. Like rider fans dumping a pile of maneur on mccallums yard. WDF

[SeeGeeWhy]

PS - what on earth is this a presentation for?

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Since he got here and assuming we don't count players no longer here like Westgarth.

Smid, Bollig, Engelland, Colborne (plays with grit now anyway).

as well Backlund changed his physical shyness, as well as Granlund and Byron. Even Baertschi has gotten through that he has to battle for a few puck.

Jooris plays with sufficient grit.

2012-13 low grit Flames: Hudler, Cammalleri, Tanguay, Cervenka (4 of the top six forwards) Baertschi, Smith, Babchuk,

Borderline no-grit players: Bouwmeester, Butler, Backlund , Brodie

2014-15 no grit Flames Hudler, Gaudreau, Raymond, Rienhart and Baertschi (only 3 in the line-up at any one time)

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Colborne doesn't hit, participate in scrums or do much other gritty stuff. He protects the puck well I suppose, but that's not gritty

Yet he has 21 hits in 11 games. Suffers from the 6-6 220 syndrome.... A guy as big as him is expected to dominate physically every shift.

[burn_baby_burn]

One thing to mention is the reputation the Oilers have with the rest of the league. How will they ever attract a decent coach, General Manager, or quality free agents without grossly over paying? No one with an ounce of pride would ever put their career at risk by having anything to do with that organization.

Kevin Lowe has alienated himself from the rest of the league. As a result he had no choice but to hire a GM with no experience or qualifications for such an important role. As a result, a coach without any experience was hired to coach young inexperienced players. It's a recipe for disaster with no end in sight.

Mean while the owner sits back and watches the cash flow in from the most gullible fan base in North American professional sports. Any other market would have abandoned hope long ago and found other ways to spend their entertainment dollars. Not Oilers fans. They will continue to support the Oilers regardless of on ice performance. Why would the owner change a thing? He gets maximum returns for minimal effort.

All in all it stems to the owner. However, if the fans continue to blindly support this team in droves. There will never be any incentive to change. Fans need to start showing their displeasure with their wallets. Which I understand can be hard to do. But without hitting Katz where it hurts, why would he interfer?

[Scoutski]

It's been stated but I think far and away the biggest problem is their inability to draft and develop players on par with the other teams in the league. How many players from the last couple of draft years outside the 1st round have made the team?

Of the players that have made the team from the draft, how many of them worked their way into the roster?

I think the answer to both those questions is very low if not 0. The lack of these team building fundamentals has meant that the roster is constantly evolving and people are brought in to fit holes without that sense of being part of a team. Seems a bit more like there are a few guys who have been given the reigns and a few mercs lined up around them. Either way the make up doesn't seem much like a team to me, I feel like if they could establish that sense of who they are they would see more improvement, because right now I don't know if they have a clue about who they are.

[burn_baby_burn]

I wonder if part of the reason for the old boys club in Edmonton is compensation. I'm not sure how many guys outside of Lowe and MacT are former players. But could ownership get away with hiring these guys because they are cheap? Does MacT take the job for much, much, less than a qualified person does? Obviously you get what you pay for. But if the building is full every game. Maybe Katz saves a pile of money by paying his management team peanuts compared to the league average.

[The Fonz]

Is it possible to censor words for certain users?

I nominate "grit"

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Scoutski

It's been stated but I think far and away the biggest problem is their inability to draft and develop players on par with the other teams in the league. How many players from the last couple of draft years outside the 1st round have made the team?

Of the players that have made the team from the draft, how many of them worked their way into the roster?

I think the answer to both those questions is very low if not 0. The lack of these team building fundamentals has meant that the roster is constantly evolving and people are brought in to fit holes without that sense of being part of a team. Seems a bit more like there are a few guys who have been given the reigns and a few mercs lined up around them. Either way the make up doesn't seem much like a team to me, I feel like if they could establish that sense of who they are they would see more improvement, because right now I don't know if they have a clue about who they are.

Definitely agree with this. They need to find NHL caliber players not only outside of the first round, but outside of the top 10. Their biggest problem will always be management though.

[Ulrith]

[QUOTE=JohnnyNipshank;5025010]

Originally Posted by Cflames_12.5

It would be a better presentation if some pictures were involved. Maybe a power-point or something.[/QUOTE

Thats what I was thinking so I am preparing a power point. First picture on the list kevin lowe balloon hat stupid face.

Is Hartley the porcupine then?

[Barnes]

Here, I did your bibliography.

References

"Edmonton is No Good"

Forum.calgarypuck.com,. 2004. 'Edmonton Is No Good - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community'. http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=4.

[darthma]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I would also include the Oilers rushing players back from injury.

- The things Souray has stated about the Oilers was very damning, I thought.

- The recent interview by Renney saying he was 'forced' to play kids who were returning from injury but NOT ready

- Oilers trading Fraser (who was injured, but they didn't 'know') after trying to trade Brule (not cleared from concussion) to LA

- Inability to find a good coach (having the right coach and vets is extremely important for a rebuilding team

- Lowe not rebuilding the drafting and development department when he decided the team needed to be rebuilt

Just a couple of points that I don't think was touched on. Good luck!

As much as I'd like to just make jabs at the Oilers here, if you're really giving a legit presentation I have a bit of advice. The best presentations are grounded in facts. Numbers are awesome. Some potentials:

- Graph the pt totals vs. year and show the decline.
- Pt totals of 1st round draft picks per year.

And the anecdotal points made above are also very useful, especially if you can find the direct quotes. Direct quotes make the arguments much more legit. (e.g., Souray's jab, Lowe's 'I think I know a thing or two about winning').

If you're going to go after their management, do it in an organized way. Show the corporate structure - then show the relationships between the people. A flow diagram maybe?

I wonder if its possible to do a correlation between the number of rings the management has (across all staff across all teams) and the average number of points per season over the last 5 years?

Good luck to you.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Colborne doesn't hit, participate in scrums or do much other gritty stuff. He protects the puck well I suppose, but that's not gritty

IMO board battles and going to tough areas during the play are the essence of grit. I don't care anything at all about scrums and facewashes.

[bucksmasher]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Is it possible to censor words for certain users?

I nominate "grit"

I nominate swagger