Yep same thing every summer. The deck chairs are shuffled, fans and media get excited, but at the end of the day the team still stinks. Guys the issue with the Oilers isn't the support players it's the core players and coaching. Perron had a fantastic season last year and the team was worse so improving the supporting cast is irrelevant. That didn't change so I fail to see where they will make substantial improvement. This could be the year the core players finally buy into a coach but it hasn't happened yet and we shouldn't give them the benefit of the doubt until it actually happens.
Exactly, problem with the core.
Eakins is as bad of a coach as we have seen in NHL in sometime.
No benefit of the doubt whatsoever.
I will give credit to MacT, he has taken some steps trying to improve the team, Oilers in the past few years made no effort to do so.
It's a real stretch to say "Well, Buffalo HAD to add players, so they're clearly still tanking"
They didn't have to buy out a complete useless schlub like Leino and replace him with an experienced, respected veteran in Gionta. They didn't have to buy out a player that was disinterested in playing for the team in Ehrhoff and trade for a player that waived his no trade clause to come here and provide a far better defensive game and leadership qualities in Gorges. They didn't have to sign one of the top wingers on the FA market in Moulson (a player who played here in the 'tank year' and is excited to come back), as signing our RFA's in the next couple weeks would put us over the cap floor without Moulson.
If Buffalo was not interested in trying to get out of the basement they would still have Leino and Ehrhoff and would have been a lot less active yesterday. Tim Murray clearly wants to improve not only the culture and identity but also the points standings. We may still be bad, we may still finish last, but it's certainly not on purpose.
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I said that Buffalo has brought some character, good move as they need to do what Calgary has done, surrounding the kids with team players.
They simply had to make an improvement on 52 points, they will be better as you say it reminds to be seen how much better.
It is the case of going from subbasement to basement.
2. Colorado - Mackinnon emergence/Iggy/Stuart should make them just as good
3. St. Louis - got better
4. San Jose - likely to be a bit worse
5. Chicago - got better
6. LA - hard to argue they won't be at the top
7. Minnesota - hard to argue they won't be very good again
8. Dallas - got better
9. Arizona - well coached team, likely won't be worse
10. Nashville - shouldn't be any worse
11. Winnipeg - this team will suck
12. Vancouver - should be slightly better as last year was a disaster thanks to the coach
13. Calgary - lost goal scoring, added grit
14. Edmonton - added good depth, will improve
Last place in the West will be between Winnipeg, Calgary and Arizona. The west is really, really good so we'll have a hard time with all of our in-conference games.
Well since you put it that way, it sure doesn't look good. Maybe some of the teams in the east are worst?
They will play hard. It would take a miracle for them not to be a bottom 5 team. The talent is just not there. Since they will play hard I don't see them finishing in the bottom 2.
No. It's a no. We are not a playoff team. We would not be a playoff team in the East. We worked harder than any team in the league last year and finished 27th. Most of the teams in our conference improved. Most of the teams in our division improved. We added a goalie and maybe, maybe an undersized rookie.
We lost our #1 goal-scorer and did not replace those goals. We added some toughness and some speed, that does not add up to coming anywhere near the playoffs next year.
We will, hopefully, play the same kind of hard-working, never-give-up, entertaining hockey this year as we did last year and we will see similar results.
We're going to finish with something like 70 points, I'd give us a margin of 8 points around that, depending on luck. Which puts us, at best, 25th in the league, and at worst, 30th. That is where this season is headed, and anyone with 'maybe, maybe we're a bubble playoff team' in their head is deluded.
Seems pretty sure when it's an outcome we can not know.
Raymond and Gaudreau (if he makes it, maybe Granlund makes it, or Vrbata gets signed, or another signing,) could make up the 80-90 points we're missing from Cammy/Stempniak/Byron. Jones could improve. Colborne could take another step.
Our goaltending is better, and our defence is (at worst) the same, so if Gio stays healthly for the whole season it will be improved.
Anything could happen. Not much point IMO of setting limits. Can't see why you would need to insult people for their optimism.
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No. It's a no. We are not a playoff team. We would not be a playoff team in the East. We worked harder than any team in the league last year and finished 27th. Most of the teams in our conference improved. Most of the teams in our division improved. We added a goalie and maybe, maybe an undersized rookie.
We lost our #1 goal-scorer and did not replace those goals. We added some toughness and some speed, that does not add up to coming anywhere near the playoffs next year.
We will, hopefully, play the same kind of hard-working, never-give-up, entertaining hockey this year as we did last year and we will see similar results.
We're going to finish with something like 70 points, I'd give us a margin of 8 points around that, depending on luck. Which puts us, at best, 25th in the league, and at worst, 30th. That is where this season is headed, and anyone with 'maybe, maybe we're a bubble playoff team' in their head is deluded.
Sums up my thoughts as well, the bolded part is all I really hope for.
The team is still nowhere near ready for primetime, especially when you consider the overall strength of the conference. It would take a miracle to even be within sniffing distance of the playoffs IMO. Just play hard and represent the logo on the chest with honour, all we can ask for.
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A few weeks after crashing head-first into the boards (denting his helmet and being unable to move for a little while) following a hit from behind by Bob Errey, the Calgary Flames player explains:
"I was like Christ, lying on my back, with my arms outstretched, crucified"
-- Frank Musil - Early January 1994
Still a long off season ahead of us, with potential for many more changes, but as it stands right now, some of the bigger questions......
1. Can Gio stay healthy?
2. Even if he can, will he be able to repeat the performance he gave last season?
3. Will the 25 and under players take another step forward (namely Bouma, Backlund, Brodie, Colborne)?
4. Will we have a rookie or two step up out of camp and contend for the Calder (namely Bennett, Gaudreau, Baertschi, Granlund)?
5. Does our division as a whole take a step back, given Vancouver's fall from grace, San Jose's supposed "rebuild" and Arizona losing some key contributors?
I expect a bottom 5 finish again...I see FLA and BUF improving beyond the McDavid race.
CGY, WPG, EDM, CAR are the 4 teams looking the weakest right now.
I thought NJD would be worse last year, and now maybe with Scneider as #1 and Cammi on board they're a little better???
The other teams that could be bad are PHX and NSH... I see a big divide happening in the West this season with a clear Top 8 or 9...not much of a playoff race happening.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LickTheEnvelope View Post
... Eakins' claims Gagne's line played Kessel's line even...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hells Bells View Post
Yeah, Gagner's line was -4 and Kessel's was +4, so it all evened out.
At the start of the rebuild, some of the things I wanted to see were:
1) patience
2) don't throw kids to the slaughter
3) don't spend wads on free agents, trying to be a little better
4) have vets to teach and maintain a culture of work ethic and being good professionals
5) avoid the Oilers-esque culture of 'losing now means winning later'
6) surround the kids with not only vets, but also physicality - to protect them in every sense
7) re-establish the 'tough to play against' image
8) patience
For people saying the Flames are going to be crap this year - what would you rather see?
Personally, I think the rebuild is going fantastically! Lots of kids to develop, showing patience in developing them, establishing good culture, playing entertaining hockey... what's not to like?
To me, the dream season would be to be competitive and entertaining every night without ringing up too many wins, while giving the kids a good environment to continue to develop (that includes the A).
And that is pretty much what we'll see I think.
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I'd say they are going to be amazing but finish the same if not lower nest year. They showed that they're will in to work hard and do whatever it takes. I think this year we might see some individuals improve and some might take a step back. I think this year will be much the same as last year, a finish low in the standings but a great year of hockey.
Things are going great with the rebuild and I think they'll only get better!
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Fan of the Flames, where being OK has become OK.
