Keenan blasts young Oilers; same could be said for the Flames

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

I don't think what Keenan outlines is the true problem with the Oil. Rather I think they have too many guys of the same type. It is a team built like a fantasy team not an NHL team.

Plus you don't win with goofs like Yakupov.

Doesn't Yakupov have a pretty good track record of winning?

[PeteMoss]

Sarnia didn't win anything while he was there and they also had Galchynuck.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

ES strength production was not a problem for Hall or Eberle in each of their first two seasons. It wasn't an issue for Hopkins last year.

They didn't have a big body on their line in the last two seasons so that clearly isn't the problem.

The Oilers should be looking for a player like that in their top six, but the lack of one isn't the reason for their 5 on 5 scoring issues when they have shown they can succeed in the past without.

When have these Oilers shown that they can succeed?

[FAN]

Originally Posted by vektor

I think the key here is you need a team built with players of multiple different skillsets. An entire team of playmakers or snipers is a losing team; you need power forwards, shut down d-men, agitators, grinders, playmakers, snipers all on one team to win. Edmonton has a bunch of playmakers/snipers and nothing else, just like us. We have no Lucic on our team, we have no Byfuglien, the opposing teams wake up and are happy that it's the Flames and not Boston they are playing against. Our biggest agitator is Jackman that has been useless this season and our power forward is relegated to weak boardplay and shots from the perimeter.

Keenan is obviously trying to stay relevant, but what he says has merit. I wrote in the Feaster thread how Feaster seems to have just went out and acquired the most talented guys he could get without regards to fit. For a rebuilding team that may be a good strategy, but for a team trying to compete you can't do that.


Ultimately, the Oilers have to find away to add the key pieces. That could mean trading one of their star forwards. The truth is the Hawks and Pens were lucky. There was a very narrow window for them to win the Cup and they won. We then saw their depth gutted in order to keep their star players.


For the Flames, it's a good thing that the team haven't just concentrated on drafting skill, otherwise, the Flames would be further away from contention. Contending teams have found the need to add size and grit to their lineup. Feaster is betting that the addition of skill can help the team make the playoffs and that gives the team a chance to win the Cup? Feaster has turned the Flames into a team that is one of the easiest to play against. Sometime soon Feaster is going to realize this and what will he do? Make the team less skilled?

[I_H8_Crawford]

Originally Posted by moon

When have these Oilers shown that they can succeed?

In Edmonton, success comes from obtaining high draft picks, not winning.
So the Oilers have been super successful the past 3 years.... hell, they've won their version of the Cup 3 years in a row!

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by StAlbertFlame

Wow... did you say Sutter?...Brent Sutter? you must be drinking to much Oiler Kool-aid. As the Flames go through this painfully long rebuild...it would do my poor aching Flames heart good to know that the Oilers might want to potentially waste years of all of this super talent with Brent Sutter as coach...yes please.

Nah, no love lost here for the Sutter tribe. But I give him props for getting lots from teams of talented kids. The teacher approach does not work of old farts like the flames core that knows everything.

IMO Keenan set the flames back quite a bit.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Doesn't Yakupov have a pretty good track record of winning?

he won that Stanley Cup a couple weeks back

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

Who has said they suck at drafting? Save for Eberle their draft picks have all been easy safe choices. Most teams I think would have picked Hopkins, Hall, and Yakupov. Some teams at the time might have picked Seguin. All teams with hindsight would probably pick Seguin now. I don't think anyone is criticizing their drafting but how their team is being built. No defence or a NHL capable goalie, although Dubynk has looked good this year.

Dubnyk is actually a young starter now - not an elite starter but someone who has actually performed really quite well given that a lot of people had given up on him a few years back (much like Irving right now). He has had a few weak games but he has stolen a few for the Oilers as well.

Nugent-Hopkins is going through a sophmore slump, which isn't unheard of, I still have some concerns about his frame but he is a good player. It is easy to forget that the team is still pretty young and will have some growing pains in the next year or so. They need to shore up the defence and get some toughness up front - although I think Hall is a pretty tough player there are some major concerns about his durability.

Yakopov is a player who is tough to get a read on, he has some talent but I just don't see where he fits on the team.

The one thing I think of when I think of the Oilers is that they have a good individual collection of parts but I don't see the team atmosphere sometimes and that is what is really required to win games.

[GoFlamesGo1989]

Oilers could of drafted skill and grit. This forward group if the drafted different picks for first overall would put them in an elite category.


Eberle- Seguin -Landeskog
Galchenyuk -Ganger-Hemsky
Smyth-Belanger-Paaravi
Hertikinen-Jones-Eager

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by GoFlamesGo1989

Oilers could of drafted skill and grit. This forward group if the drafted different picks for first overall would put them in an elite category.


Eberle- Seguin -Landeskog
Galchenyuk -Ganger-Hemsky
Smyth-Belanger-Paaravi
Hertikinen-Jones-Eager

That forward group doesn't look any better if you ask me.

[stang]

Meh, they are all still young. Having said that, they need to come out of this slump and get on a winning streak. You'd think that there shooting percentages will even out. Hall at 4.9 and RNH at 2.9. Don't forget that Gagner is younger then Backlund. Still time for them to get it together. Gagner has stepped it up btw.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

That forward group doesn't look any better if you ask me.

It is just switching one young player with holes in their game for another young player with holes in their game. Seguin is in a position in Boston where he looks better because he is sheltered as they are an elite team whereas Edmonton is obviously still pretty close to the bottom and is inconsistent at best, exposing some of their young players through their growing pains.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by stang

Meh, they are all still young. Having said that, they need to come out of this slump and get on a winning streak. You'd think that there shooting percentages will even out. Hall at 4.9 and RNH at 2.9. Don't forget that Gagner is younger then Backlund. Still time for them to get it together. Gagner has stepped it up btw.

Sam Gagner is a player who has seemed to be around forever and the problem is that people view him as a veteran as a result when in fact he is still 23 years old and has those growing pains as any young player does. I think he will be a second line center for a few years to come in this league but will always leave people wanting more - likely a 60-65 point player in his prime with some defensive gaps in large part because he just is so damn small. In retrospect Couture would be a better fit but that is the thing with drafting young players, 90% of the time there is always some better selected later.

[The Coppernian One]

Edmonton needs a few things. Dubnyk has been all they need at this moment and not a concern. It remains to be seen if he will continue that.

The need a defensive upgrade on Whitney and Nick Schultz. A top end defensive dman, but that's not a surprise.

Top 6 grit, but it's coming, I think. Hall has been much more physical (Clutterbuck incident aside) and is developing that part of his game. Yakupov has also shown he's alright laying the body, but both are young and need to get stronger physically at the NHL level. On top of this they still need a "drive the net" power type of guy in the top 6. I think a bigger part of this is attitude. Even Gagner is 200 lbs but doesn't have that angry edge. Kruger talks about the need to play angry but thus far it hasn't really shown on the ice.

The Oilers are also guilty of buying into their own hype and are often guilty of trying to overskill the other team. Too many attempts at highlight reel goals instead of taking the shot when it's there. A lot of generated scoring chances that don't even result in a shot or attempted shot. Garbage goals count too. Most of their games have been close, so if they figure this out they could do well (still not contend), question in this short season is do they figure it out.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

Fact: Keenan will say anything to stay relevant in NHL circles.

I'd like to see you prove that this is indeed a fact.

[stang]

I'm not sold on Dubnyk at all.

[Flamefan1]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Are the Flames a Brandon Prust away from being hard to play against? I know the Flames wanted him badly but that 4th line hasn't been nearly as hard to play against this year as they were last. Sarich should be sticking around in the lineup just to ensure we have that toughness on the backend.

We need toughness, but not Sarich. He is very scary in front of the net or for that matter at anytime as he is is pathetically slow. By not getting the puck out of the end zone he hurts the team. He should not have been re-signed and definitely is a waste of $2 million a year.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by stang

I'm not sold on Dubnyk at all.

Me neither watching khabibulin he has been lights out gave them a chance to win every time he is in net i actually question managements desire to win when they play dubnyk in front of khabibulin

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Robo

Me neither watching khabibulin he has been lights out gave them a chance to win every time he is in net i actually question managements desire to win when they play dubnyk in front of khabibulin

I was worried this sentence would go on forever.

[stang]

Originally Posted by Robo

Me neither watching khabibulin he has been lights out gave them a chance to win every time he is in net i actually question managements desire to win when they play dubnyk in front of khabibulin

If they ride Bulin too much his play starts to fall off. Dubnyk let's in a softie a game it seems. I don't know what's better.