WCR1: Edmonton Oilers (P3) vs Los Angeles Kings (P2) - Oilers win 4-2

[dammage79]

Kings in 5 . Goaltending and no Ekholm is the dagger .

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Cap going up helps them.
He's an offensive cheat code. When they trade him I doubt they are better. It will be a quantity for quality deal like most of those types.
I want him out of there.

I'm torn, Part of me wants them to stubbornly hold onto a max salary McDavid with no draft picks, no prospects in their pipeline of note, a aging roster locked in with cap issues.



I want to see McDavid become more and more despondent as the dream of leading a team to the cup fades, and he inevitably loses a step and his production starts to drop from both a diminished physical ability due to the Oilers over playing him for more then a decade, and a realization that . . . he . . . just not the best player int he world anymore.



Then one day just before training camp on another dreary season for the Oilers who can't even rebuild. McDavid vanishes. The mystery deepen, was he kidnapped by Aliens? Snatched by a radical offshoot sect of Scientology in Guatemala and murdered and stuffed and worshipped as their reborn god Xenu?



Then one day some news reporters files a exclusive story of a reclusive, grubby long bearded cab driver in Mexico city named Mojo Risen who bears a striking resemblance to McDavid who's quoted as saying "I f####### hate hockey."

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Our desired end game here is McDavid wanting out. I think chances are he does-re-sign with them, but a massive first rounder failure lowers those odds.

He's going to re-sign. Katz is going to front load over $100 million in signing bonus which is something few teams will do if any. While I think McDavid would likely prefer to play for another organization out east, money always talks and I don't think Katz will be outbid. He's just going to have to accept that he's not going to win a Stanley Cup as the team is already into decline and has no prospects or draft picks.

[Hockey_Ninja]

If there's any year for the Kings to finally beat the Oilers, it's this year

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

He's going to re-sign. Katz is going to front load over $100 million in signing bonus which is something few teams will do if any. While I think McDavid would likely prefer to play for another organization out east, money always talks and I don't think Katz will be outbid. He's just going to have to accept that he's not going to win a Stanley Cup as the team is already into decline and has no prospects or draft picks.

My guess is they offer him $150 x 8 with $100M of signing bonus money.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

He's going to re-sign. Katz is going to front load over $100 million in signing bonus which is something few teams will do if any. While I think McDavid would likely prefer to play for another organization out east, money always talks and I don't think Katz will be outbid. He's just going to have to accept that he's not going to win a Stanley Cup as the team is already into decline and has no prospects or draft picks.

You are probably right.

I still wonder if there were NBA shenanigans around the Doncic trade because it still doesn't make sense. It just seems like the NBA wanted their star in Hollywood.

Maybe the NHL pulls some strings in the background to get McDavid to the Rangers, Hawks or Leafs and Katz somehow gets compensated on the backend.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

You are probably right.

I still wonder if there were NBA shenanigans around the Doncic trade because it still doesn't make sense. It just seems like the NBA wanted their star in Hollywood.

Maybe the NHL pulls some strings in the background to get McDavid to the Rangers, Hawks or Leafs and Katz somehow gets compensated on the backend.

I think Katz has too much on the line to let go of McDavid. I'm sure he saw the Oilers last game without McDavid and Draisaitl in the lineup and knows that will be a hard sell even in a Canadian market.

[Ruttiger]

Yeah this matchup worries me this year. Sooner or later the Kings have to figure it out after getting kicked year after year by the Oilers. Goaltending, momentum, health, home ice all look to be in the Kings favour. The fan in me clings to the year Ovie got his cup, as that was definitely not the strongest Caps team of his era, and it tells me maybe this will be the Oilers path this year too.

But logic and the fatalist in me says Kings in 6.

[FanIn80]

LA in 3.

[EDMONTONisNG]

Can't see how you lose to the same team 4 times in a row. You are truly terrible if you do.

LA in 6

[dino7c]

If the Kings lose they need to tear it down and trade everyone over 30

[Engine09]

I'm still pissed at Dallas and Vancouver for not getting rid of those pieces of #### last year, the Kings have to pull it off this time!

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by EDMONTONisNG

Can't see how you lose to the same team 4 times in a row. You are truly terrible if you do.

LA in 6

If any team can do it, it's the Kings. They are the NHL's version of red carpet. Oilers in 6.

[FlamingHomer]

I don't want the Oilers to win a game. I don't want them to score a goal. I want them to be embarrassed every game. 10-0 Kings x 4.

[NewFan]

For just for fun NHL should implement Mongolian wrestling tournament rule - "higher-ranked wrestlers have the opportunity to choose their opponents from lower-ranked wrestler from those remaining in the competition"
So 1st team in WC can choose which ever team from the 7 teams in playoffs. Then in the second round the best team remaining can choose any of 3 remaining team. and continue.
Then later rounds will have a great matches and lower teams always have a hardest way to become champion.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by manwiches

If the Flames don't make it, I want Oilers to make it to Stanley Cup Final, Game 7, OT, and lose. In glorious fashion. Maximum pain

Yah, no... Last year's playoffs were so PAINFUL to watch. I want them to be swept by the Kings so I can enjoy the rest of the playoffs impartially.

Unlike previous years where I was more just hoping the Kings will win, but objectively did not think they have a chance, I'm more confident in this year's Kings team vs. this year's Oilers team. Kings finally got decent goaltending, and are deeper in scoring.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by NewFan

For just for fun NHL should implement Mongolian wrestling tournament rule - "higher-ranked wrestlers have the opportunity to choose their opponents from lower-ranked wrestler from those remaining in the competition"
So 1st team in WC can choose which ever team from the 7 teams in playoffs. Then in the second round the best team remaining can choose any of 3 remaining team. and continue.
Then later rounds will have a great matches and lower teams always have a hardest way to become champion.

Edmonton would always be the last team picked because no one would want to go to Edmonton so they'd get the lowest of the top 8 teams by default.

[Tbull8]

They dont start till Monday...? of course. Gotta let draisaitl and mcdavid rest up from their injuries!

[Toonage]

I can understand why that series starts late, LA plays tonight etc but this is not the first time the Oilers have been one of the last two series out of the gate. It does have a smell.

[White Out 403]

It'll be nice when the Kings knock off the Oilers. Everything about that organization is third-rate, gross, and tacky. From hiring pricks, dickheads, and alleged criminals to run your organization and play for your team, to using a disabled person as some sort of human mascot, everything about them is gross.

They are the truck nuts of the NHL. A stain on our nation.