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toby91_ca

The Edmonton Oilers Mystery

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Okay, so this isn't as interesting as the title may suggest, but I'm just wondering what is wrong with that organization? As a very young kids in the early to mid-80s, they were my favourite team. From Eastern Canada, there was no local team, tons of Leafs, Canadiens and Bruins fans, but as a young boy, just getting into hockey, they were the best.

Anyway, they have fallen far from grace over the past 20 years. That much isn't that surprising, what is surprising is the lack of getting any better after drafting all the 1st overall players they have in the past little while. Chicago and Pittsburgh got a lot of high end picks and you see where they have been able to go (both winning cups). Winning a Cup isn't what I'm looking at though, Pittsburgh and Chicago have had good teams every single year (maybe except for 1 for Chicago). What's the deal Edmonton? You can't expect a turnaround in 1 year after drafting well, but their top draft picks have been in the league for a while now.

So what is it?

- What Chicago and Pittsburgh have done isn't as easy as simply sucking for a while? or

- Something is just not right with Edmonton

My guess is a combination of the two. One common missconception though is that the Oilers are simply a high skilled offensive team....but they are actually one of the worst offensive teams in the league. Only NJ and BUF have scored fewer goals.

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Too many of the same kind of player. All these number one picks, keep drafting the highest rated player rather than draft what they need. To this day I don't get why they drafted Yakupov. They should have drafted a Dman.

That is just the problem with the team itself. Their management is an absolute mess. They need to start over right from the top. They have a lot of good players, and can quickly turn it around with the right people in charge. A few of the right trades and they are a much better team. It isn't like they don't have the assets.

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They've got like 40 guys on their team that need the puck to be effective. There's only one puck. Trade a couple superstars for really good depth/role guys and use the freed up money to land a quality free agent or two. Look at what Columbus has been able to do with half the assets. Do that.

Oh, if management/coaching could collectively pull their heads out of their asses that would be a big help.

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Okay, so this isn't as interesting as the title may suggest, but I'm just wondering what is wrong with that organization? As a very young kids in the early to mid-80s, they were my favourite team. From Eastern Canada, there was no local team, tons of Leafs, Canadiens and Bruins fans, but as a young boy, just getting into hockey, they were the best.

Anyway, they have fallen far from grace over the past 20 years. That much isn't that surprising, what is surprising is the lack of getting any better after drafting all the 1st overall players they have in the past little while. Chicago and Pittsburgh got a lot of high end picks and you see where they have been able to go (both winning cups). Winning a Cup isn't what I'm looking at though, Pittsburgh and Chicago have had good teams every single year (maybe except for 1 for Chicago). What's the deal Edmonton? You can't expect a turnaround in 1 year after drafting well, but their top draft picks have been in the league for a while now.

So what is it?

- What Chicago and Pittsburgh have done isn't as easy as simply sucking for a while? or

- Something is just not right with Edmonton

My guess is a combination of the two. One common missconception though is that the Oilers are simply a high skilled offensive team....but they are actually one of the worst offensive teams in the league. Only NJ and BUF have scored fewer goals.

Chicago and Pitts sucked at the right time to land elite generational talent.

Crosby

Malkin

Toews

Kane

etc.

Edmonton got Hall, Nuge, and Yakupov.

While I agree the Oilers should be better, you can't really compare their draft hauls to Pittsburgh's or Chicago's.

Edit: drafting Seguin, Landeskog, and Ryan Murray would probably have been more wise that taking Hall, RNH, and Yak

Edited by rick zombo

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They should be trading top picks (if they can't get the type of player they need) for either more picks or the types of players they need. Yakupov was such a dumb pick I can't even describe. If they traded that pick for a solid dman in their prime they would have made out much better. Or if they traded that pick for multiple firsts etc. they could have picked more depth at spots they are weak and had a better chance that some would pan out for them. They also take their players and insert them into the nhl right away which is a huge mistake - that is how one dimensional players are born because they just develop one facet of their game that they are already good at to try to become effective on one level rather than developing everything.

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Chicago and Pitts sucked at the right time to land elite generational talent.

Crosby

Malkin

Toews

Kane

etc.

Edmonton got Hall, Nuge, and Yakupov.

While I agree the Oilers should be better, you can't really compare their draft hauls to Pittsburgh's or Chicago's.

Edit: drafting Seguin, Landeskog, and Ryan Murray would probably have been more wise that taking Hall, RNH, and Yak

I understand that PIT and CHI had some luck as well in their drafting or timing thereof....but my point wasn't really that it is surprising that they are not at the same level as thoose teams, my point was they still suck pretty bad and battle for worst team in the league, year after year.

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Haven't they had locker room problems, too? I imagine a lot of their struggle relates to chemistry and immaturity in the locker room. They're still very, very young on average, aren't they?

Toss in terrible management and it's not really a surprise. I mean, when they were drafting pretty much everyone figured this would happen.

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Like Kip suggested, CBJ tried the whole draft high strategy of PIT and CHI, but it didn't work just like in EDM. Then they made some key trades and FA acquisitions and now they look good, without a number 1 star like Nash btw.

PIT and CHI got very lucky with their draft years. CBJ and EDM didn't. They also addressed issues on their team, like drafting Letang and Fluery, to bolster things other than just offense. They also put capable vets around them and made good trades and FA decisions to bring in important players to compliment them.

EDM has done nothing to address any problem on their team. This year they added Fraser to their blue line, a guy who couldn't crack the leafs. They added Scrivens to the net, who had good numbers with the Kings (as every goalie does), but did bad in Toronto and is now doing bad in EDM. Sutter also replaced Scrivens with his young back up many times bc he didn't like his play.

The best thing EDM has done is add Ference. But is Ference going to single handedly change that team? No. They need a GM with Devellano type vision.

IMO they should trade Yakupov and get a Dman. Also get a big overpriced FA acquisition like Parise if they can. They have plenty of cap room and it would give them a definitive locker room leader for the kids

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They really need to trade two of Hall, Eberle, Nugent Hopkins, and Yakupov for defense or a veteran top line center, and then keep Hemsky and Gagner. Afterward use the freed up money to sign whichever one (center or d-man) you didn't get in the trade. Personally, I'd move Nuge and Yakupov and keep the other two. For example, trade Nugent Hopkins and a pick for Ryan O'Rielly (since he wants out) and then sign a good d-man, or trade Nugent Hopkins for a quality d-man and sign Paul Stastny. Then trade Yakupov for a second second pair defenseman. You could theoretically have top six of...

Hall-Stastny-Eberle

Hemsky-Gagner-Perron

The above much better than what they've got now and they'd get some help on defense if they traded both Nuge and Yakupov for quality veteran defense.

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They really need to trade two of Hall, Eberle, Nugent Hopkins, and Yakupov for defense or a veteran top line center, and then keep Hemsky and Gagner. Afterward use the freed up money to sign whichever one (center or d-man) you didn't get in the trade. Personally, I'd move Nuge and Yakupov and keep the other two. For example, trade Nugent Hopkins and a pick for Ryan O'Rielly (since he wants out) and then sign a good d-man, or trade Nugent Hopkins for a quality d-man and sign Paul Stastny. Then trade Yakupov for a second second pair defenseman. You could theoretically have top six of...

Hall-Stastny-Eberle

Hemsky-Gagner-Perron

The above much better than what they've got now and they'd get some help on defense if they traded both Nuge and Yakupov for quality veteran defense.

They already traded Hemsky

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They really need to trade two of Hall, Eberle, Nugent Hopkins, and Yakupov for defense or a veteran top line center, and then keep Hemsky and Gagner. Afterward use the freed up money to sign whichever one (center or d-man) you didn't get in the trade. Personally, I'd move Nuge and Yakupov and keep the other two. For example, trade Nugent Hopkins and a pick for Ryan O'Rielly (since he wants out) and then sign a good d-man, or trade Nugent Hopkins for a quality d-man and sign Paul Stastny. Then trade Yakupov for a second second pair defenseman. You could theoretically have top six of...

Hall-Stastny-Eberle

Hemsky-Gagner-Perron

The above much better than what they've got now and they'd get some help on defense if they traded both Nuge and Yakupov for quality veteran defense.

Hemsky got dealt to ottawa and was the subject of trade rumors for yrs there ... I don't expect him to return Edited by nyqvististhefuture

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Nothing worse than trying to convince current season ticket holders that renewing their seats is a good idea when the team stinks; even more so when a new proposed arena has to be filled.

From a marketing standpoint, I think that a "Oilers Jersey Giveaway Night" would be a great idea; they've collected enough of them this season alone that the cost to the team would be zero.

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They already traded Hemsky

Jesus did they? How did I miss that? Well that was really stupid. Why move a veteran skill player from a team desperate for veteran players? Almost as dumb as moving Smid. They're still never going to make any noise until they move two of Hall, Eberle, Nuge, Yakupov, in my opinion.

I'd still try and land Stastny or ROR though and trade for/sign defensemen based on how this shook out.

Hemsky got dealt to ottawa and was the subject of trade rumors for yrs there ... I don't expect him to return

Yeah, I completely missed him being traded somehow. I thought he was still there. I definitely don't expect him to go back (why would any sane person do that).

Edited by kipwinger

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Oh man. I check Copper & Blue at least once a week. It's become like a national disaster kind of thing where I really feel for these people and want very badly for things to work out for them.

What I've learned is that it isn't any one thing, it's many things. Maybe even everything. But if I had to put my finger on just one thing...Kevin Lowe. But, see, even then, he's inextricably intertwined with what disgruntled Oilers fans call The Boys on the Bus - the owner and his cronies. The local media won't call any of them out, so there's a problem even there.

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http://www.coppernblue.com/2014/3/30/5565196/edmonton-0ilers-new-york-ranger5-post-game

There's no reason to do anything but drop to our knees, stare at the disturbed earth, and think about Heaven, because we know what Hell looks like.

Did you notice the way Scrivens reacted to the third goal, when the puck was bouncing out of the back of the net and Scrivens feebly pawed at it, like his very spirit was broken and he had nothing left but embracing Death whenever it finally arrived? He's fitting into the Oilers very well.

Edited by Dabura

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I think the way Eakins incorrectly reacted to getting splashed with a bit of water sums up the train wreck that are the Oilers.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/03/23/edmonton-oilers-taylor-hall-soaks-coach-with-exploding-water-bottle-during-blowout-loss-to-calgary-flames/

It was a total accident, he over reacts, acts as if someone dumped 10 gallons of water on him, benches his captain as a result, and then comes out in a new jacket after the intermission. Give me a break diva... you got like 5 teaspons of water on you...

If your coach is acting like a little b*tch over something like this, imagine how that translates to the team compared to say the way a Roy acts with his team. Both started out the same way this season (as last years losers) and now look.

Edited by LAWings

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I think if Old Man Wirtz didn't pass away the Hawks would still be trash similar to Edmonton. They went from the worst owner in professional sports to a competent owner(his son) who hired good people. These people made some smart and daring moves. Even when the signing of Hossa put them in cap hell, they won a cup, got under the cap, developed young role players and won the cup again in 3 yrs.

As much as I hate to say it as a Wings fan living in the Chicago area, the Hawks are very well run and will be good for many years to come.

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Yeah, we mocked them mercilessly for "the core", but thanks to good management they've come out the other side, and could easily win another 1-2 cups in the next 5 years, much as it pains me to say that.

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Too many of the same kind of player. All these number one picks, keep drafting the highest rated player rather than draft what they need. To this day I don't get why they drafted Yakupov. They should have drafted a Dman.

That is just the problem with the team itself. Their management is an absolute mess. They need to start over right from the top. They have a lot of good players, and can quickly turn it around with the right people in charge. A few of the right trades and they are a much better team. It isn't like they don't have the assets.

Jacob Trouba went in the 1st round to the Jets :lol:

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