Edmonton is No Good Episode 4: New Rink, Same Stink

[Bingo]

From Staples this morning ...

P.S. This in from TSN’s Jason Gregors on Oil’s line combos today at practice: “19-97-29 27-93-56 36-18-91 16-55-44. Slepyshev skating on 5th line.”

So Draisaitl isn't a center then?

[Poe969]

is pulju making the team?

[kukkudo]

Originally Posted by Poe969

is pulju making the team?

He was sent down.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Bingo

From Staples this morning ...



So Draisaitl isn't a center then?

Backlund, Frolik and Tkachuk better be ready.

Ditto on the Hamilton, Giordano, Hamonic, and Brodie front.

Our depth should be able to expose their other lines.

[kukkudo]

Originally Posted by Bingo

From Staples this morning ...



So Draisaitl isn't a center then?

Nope apparently he will be on the wing. Oilers are going to be that one line team.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Five-hole

Yeah, and my comment was mostly toward people wishing he gets mono or musing about his injury history with the obvious implication being they would relish a long absence from McDavid.

Do whatever you want. I just think as a fan base we don't have to stoop to that level. There is endless material for this thread without that stuff. Just my opinion of course.

Relax, Moral Orel-we are joking.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

From Staples this morning ...



So Draisaitl isn't a center then?

So for anyone (like me) that doesn't speak Oiler:

Maroon - McDavid - Draisaitl
Lucic - RNH - Yamamoto
Jokinen - Strome - Caggiula
Khaira - Letestu - Kassian

anyone that thinks the Oilers are going to be some kind of force this year - all I can say is McDavid and Draisaitl better put up Gretzky - Kurri numbers, because the rest of that team is not good.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

So for anyone (like me) that doesn't speak Oiler:

Maroon - McDavid - Draisaitl
Lucic - RNH - Yamamoto
Jokinen - Strome - Caggiula
Khaira - Letestu - Kassian

anyone that thinks the Oilers are going to be some kind of force this year - all I can say is McDavid and Draisaitl better put up Gretzky - Kurri numbers, because the rest of that team is not good.

That second line is going to be bad, its a complete mismatch.

Of course the first line is going to be good, but they're going to be getting a lot of attention from other teams.

The third and fourth lines look pretty bad, Strome is terrible, Jokinen isn't that good.

Letestu is probably going to see a drop in production.

Plus their blueline doesn't have that much offense.

I think its going to be a loooong year from the Oilers (And no I'll cut this off at the feet, not long in terms of some playoff run).

[TheIronMaiden]

The Oilers are looking like a home ice team. If they can get last change they will look good because they can get favourable match ups. Otherwise, it looks like some of their lines will be easy to exploit for teams with more depth.

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

So for anyone (like me) that doesn't speak Oiler:

Maroon - McDavid - Draisaitl
Lucic - RNH - Yamamoto
Jokinen - Strome - Caggiula
Khaira - Letestu - Kassian

anyone that thinks the Oilers are going to be some kind of force this year - all I can say is McDavid and Draisaitl better put up Gretzky - Kurri numbers, because the rest of that team is not good.

Based on preseason performance, the Oilers advanced stat guys have determined that Yamamoto will score 82 goals this season.

With that they've concluded that Draisaitl isn't really needed on the second line anymore...

[Calgary4LIfe]

Meh, that lineup doesn't look horrid to me actually.

It is, however, in now way shape or form a lineup that I expect from a bona fide contender.

[jonkaupp]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

Meh, that lineup doesn't look horrid to me actually.

It is, however, in now way shape or form a lineup that I expect from a bona fide contender.

Good top line and I think the bottom six will be effective but I think that 2nd line is gonna be garbage and then when you factor how weak the back end is...I just dont see it. It’s gonna be a four player team imo... McDavid, Draisaitl, Klefbom and maybe most importantly, Talbot. I know it logical to point to McDavid but if Talbot isnt lights out again I think they’ll lose more games than they would if they suffered a McDavid injury.

[djsFlames]

It's only not a bad lineup (up front) if RNH, Strome and Jokinen are a good margin better than their previous seasons.

Right now the Flames' third line would eat that one alive. And 3M is a better shut down line than RNH, Looch and a rookie.

Of course we don't even need to get into the defense conversation.

Once again, the only strengths of the Oilers that probably keep it from mediocrity are its top end and goaltending. Pillars they have in place, but would take merely an awkward spill or hit for one to collapse, and subsequently the team.