Edmonton is No Good VIII: There's Still Something in the Water!

[Jacks]

Another excuse "McDavid and Drai are just getting warmed up, with no training camp they haven't caught fire yet".
Every team started off the same, if anything the greasers have had it easy with no travel.

[Fuzz]

How does it work if Neal is just fat and lazy and doesn't want to get in shape, so they don't play him at all? Are the Oilers stuck with that, or do they have some sort of out?

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

How does it work if Neal is just fat and lazy and doesn't want to get in shape, so they don't play him at all? Are the Oilers stuck with that, or do they have some sort of out?

I think there is a fairly high chance they end up buying Neal out this summer.

1.9M cap hit for 4 years and for 2 of those years they are still retaining 750k on Lucic so a 2.65M cap hit for those 2 years

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

If there was a demanded trade Buffalo could do it with ease.

Something like...

To Edmonton:

Jack Eichel and Jack Quinn

To Buffalo:

McJesus

What does Edmonton do when Eichel immediately requests a trade when he arrives?

[Flashpoint]

Imagine being top 5 in the world at something.

Stockbroking, neurosurgery, fashion, directing. Something that’s automatically lucrative at a level most people can’t contemplate. Massive 7 figures as a base, and fame extending through a good portion of society.

Then being told you had to live in North America. Ok, not so bad, sure it isn’t Paris, or London, or Tokyo, but there is still beauty and culture. New York, LA, Montreal.

Well, no, it’s going to be... Edmonton. The northernmost settlement in Canada.

Yikes. What the primary industry? Diamonds and eco tourism?

No, petroleum extraction.

What do they have for culture? Do they celebrate First Nations and Inuit culture?

They have a really big mall.

Are there mountains nearby?

...yeah...real close...

Well, at least I’ll bring my talent to this backwater and with me there we’ll put it on the map!

Oh, we’re going to surround you with “local” talent. Just the dudes willing to come here for a paycheck. You’ll need to make do with them. We will send you on tour though. Fans in other cities will drool over your abilities...

...and weep at your wasted career.

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by Boreal

Andreas Anthanasiou

3 games
3 goals

He’s also +3.

If he keeps on scoring I might need to get myself an AA jersey. Go Kings!

[Rejean31]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

Watch them put Drai back with McDick and go 8-1-1 in their next 10.

They had those two playing together most of the third period the other night. They did jack squat!!

[Rejean31]

From a Ken Campbell Hockey News article about the Oilers rough start. I was wondering how long it would take before someone would call them a "young" team, like that was the cause of all their problems. Except they seem to forget the fact that the Flames are actually a younger team than the Oilers.

And if there’s anything – beyond the power play, beyond goaltending, beyond the lack of production from secondary players – that should alarm Oilers fans, it’s that. Bear was the one who sat out, but it’s pretty clear Tippett is not pleased with level of compete up and down the lineup. Just four games into the season with a team that is supposed to be young and hungry and there are already questions about their commitment and willingness to compete? That’s a tad scary.

I swear, Kevin Lowe, has sent out his trademarked memo to the media demanding that anytime the Oilers are mentioned they must be described as youthful, young etc.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

What does Edmonton do when Eichel immediately requests a trade when he arrives?

Holland: Jack? Ken Holland here. I'm just calling to welcome you to Edmonton! I can see big things for you here. You immediately make us a.. <Jack cuts him off>

Eichel: Trade me, right freaking now! <click>

[Yrebmi]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

Imagine being top 5 in the world at something.

Stockbroking, neurosurgery, fashion, directing. Something that’s automatically lucrative at a level most people can’t contemplate. Massive 7 figures as a base, and fame extending through a good portion of society.

Then being told you had to live in North America. Ok, not so bad, sure it isn’t Paris, or London, or Tokyo, but there is still beauty and culture. New York, LA, Montreal.

Well, no, it’s going to be... Edmonton. The northernmost settlement in Canada.

Yikes. What the primary industry? Diamonds and eco tourism?

No, petroleum extraction.

What do they have for culture? Do they celebrate First Nations and Inuit culture?

They have a really big mall.

Are there mountains nearby?

...yeah...real close...

Well, at least I’ll bring my talent to this backwater and with me there we’ll put it on the map!

Oh, we’re going to surround you with “local” talent. Just the dudes willing to come here for a paycheck. You’ll need to make do with them. We will send you on tour though. Fans in other cities will drool over your abilities...

...and weep at your wasted career.

..wut?

[Textcritic]

So, I have been listening and reading to gauge Oilers fans's mindset in view of starting the season 1–3. For further context, it should be noted that while this dismal sort of start is nothing new for Edmonton, it never ends well: since 2010 the Oilers have started 1–3 or worse five times; in four of those seasons they have finished either 28th, 29th or 30th; in their best season after starting so poorly they finished 23rd in 2017–18.

Anyhow, fans and media alike are in near-panic with the current situation, and there are a couple of changes that they imagine will make an immediate improvement:

1. Line adjustment which results in Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl and Yamammoto together on a line: fans are absolutely pissed about the fact that the "DRY line" has not yet seen the ice together this season. So much so that many see this as a serious enough indictment to cost Dave Tippet his job. The expectation is that this single adjustment makes the Oilers a great team that can win. How realistic is this hope? It seems completely delusional to me to imagine that a simple line adjustment would resolve all of their problems, especially in the light of how briefly this group played together last year.

2. The return of James Neal: according to Oilers fans James Neal is just what the Oilers need right now. His "filthy mitts in close" (yes, that IS a direct quote) are apparently sorely missed on the powerplay, and he also possesses a remarkably calming influence that helps keep things light on the bench. Neal can make a direct impact on the team's play and results by way of his mere presence that is surely to help them succeed. I have to say, this is a completely different James Neal from what I remember of his time in Calgary.

No.

Not even the stupefyingly over-rated "DRY-line," nor the legendary quasi-leadership facade of James Neal can save the Oilers.

No one can. Nothing can.

Not a thing.

Edmonton is no good.

[Alpheus]

Originally Posted by Yrebmi

..wut?

Edmonton is the northernmost city in North America with a population of over 1 million.

[TheIronMaiden]

People getting totally tilted over line combinations always makes me laugh.


Cause coaching is 90% line combos amirite.

[Reggie Dunlop]

McAvi needs to put on his Big Boy Sweatpants.

[tsquared1967]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

McAvi needs to put on his Big Boy Sweatpants.

Is that Pull-Ups Sweatpants that you get from the big mall?

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

1. Line adjustment which results in Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl and Yamammoto together on a line: fans are absolutely pissed about the fact that the "DRY line" has not yet seen the ice together this season. So much so that many see this as a serious enough indictment to cost Dave Tippet his job. The expectation is that this single adjustment makes the Oilers a great team that can win. How realistic is this hope? It seems completely delusional to me to imagine that a simple line adjustment would resolve all of their problems, especially in the light of how briefly this group played together last year.

I'd like to see them together too ... see if what they did last year was sustainable.

Sometimes good to great players can just roll out great numbers year after year, but Nugent Hopkins has never had those numbers, and Yamamoto only played a half season.

Can Draisaitl elevate players that much?

Some numbers ...

Average NHL forward on ice shooting percentage 8.2%
The top 50 NHL forwards by xGF last season averaged 9.0%

Yamamoto led all NHL forwards with 12.5% on ice shooting percentage.

The Oilers also had McDavid (14th), Draisaitl (16th), and Kassian (22nd) in the top 25

Nugent Hopkins is way down the list at 73rd.

Finally ... if you look at actual goals vs expected goals into ice time, Yamamoto is 2nd to only Kadri in surplus vs expected /60. Draisaitl is 26th, McDavid 31st, Kassian 37th

Great players have better stats in these cases for sure, but that's a lot of Edmonton mentions in stats that look a little bloated.

The Calgary perspective?

On ice shooting percentage ...
Mangiapane 68th
Tkachuk 87th
Backlund 90th
Lindholm 141st
Lucic 165th

the rest of the forwards were under the league average including Johnny Gaudreau at 224th and Sean Monahan at 250th.

Looking at GF-xGF/60 ...

Mangiapane 102nd
Backlund 105th
Dube 130th
Lucic 148th
Lindholm 149th
Tkachuk 156th
Ryan 209th
Gaudreau 231st

the rest of the forwards were under water ... meaning they had less goals when on the ice than expected

Good summary of when things go right and when things don't.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Bingo

.... if you look at actual goals vs expected goals into ice time, Yamamoto is 2nd to only Kadri in surplus vs expected /60. Draisaitl is 26th, McDavid 31st, Kassian 37th

Great players have better stats in these cases for sure, but that's a lot of Edmonton mentions in stats that look a little bloated.

Thanks, Bingo. Can you help me understand what this "actual goals v. expected goals" means?

[CaptainCrunch]

The problem for the Oilers is that they're only playing 6 opponents this year, not 29. So coaches have had a lot more time to focus on systems. You can bet the coaches out in the Canadian Division all said the same thing. The oilers last year were awful 5v5, so take away their power play and penalty kill success and they're dead in the water.


Add to it, it looks like teams are blatantly shooting to Koskinen's glove side and having pretty good success with that.


It doesn't help that McDavid has looked completely uninterested except for 1 game and Drai has looked pretty selfish so far.


I'll content that its a combination of coaching (Tippett being over rated) and leadership. The Oilers through in the towel in the last game after 20 minutes. The whole lot of them. Who's that one.


They lose tonight to the Leafs, and they should be overwhelmed by the Leaf's forwards and The Oilers are 10% and deep into their home schedule with dismal results, and the rage, crying and panic will increase.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Burning Beard

Four games into the season and it's a full blown crisis up there Hahaha.

And in Vancouver too...meanwhile we off to a nice little start here, beating them with their own former players haha. Things are good

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

McAvi needs to put on his Big Boy Sweatpants.

Originally Posted by tsquared1967

Is that Pull-Ups Sweatpants that you get from the big mall?

The man literally has a sweatpant 'Suit.'