Edmonton Oilers

[The Black Panther]

Lack of depth is killing Oilers. Shut down or limit their first line and u have a shot to beat them every game.

[hockeyrobot]

Bring on Jesse! Again!

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/o...-slepyshev-ir/

[The Comish]

Edmonton really needs Draisaitl to start carrying his own line.

Completely agree.

[Shift Disturber]

Edmonton really needs Draisaitl to start carrying his own line. Whether thats on McLellan or on Drai, I dunno.

Agree as well. I was thinking Nuge with Puljujarvi and Draisaitl...give them some time to gel and build a real second line. Put Lucic on the 3rd line where he belongs and give Strome a real long audition with McDavid.

[Wfactor]

If Slepyshev gets/stays healthy will he be on Nugent-Hopkins for good, he has a goal and assist the last few games on that line. Edmonton doesn't have the best Rw depth

[The Black Panther]

Agree as well. I was thinking Nuge with Puljujarvi and Draisaitl...give them some time to gel and build a real second line. Put Lucic on the 3rd line where he belongs and give Strome a real long audition with McDavid.

I like that idea. When was the last time they tried that?

[donions]

I like that idea. When was the last time they tried that?

They havent really shuffled the lines in about 100 games. Maroon's had a free ride for a long time now. Taking bad penalties most guys would get benched for after so many.
Im all for a major shuffle to kick-start the offense and establish clear PP guys and PK guys.
Too much crossover between PP and PK guys, its difficult to take pride in being a PK'er when you are also a fixture on every PP. *cough* Letestu. There's others too.

[rataylor22]

Letestu has consistently made Edmonton’s PP perform better than it does without him. I don’t believe he is the problem.

[donions]

Letestu has consistently made Edmonton’s PP perform better than it does without him. I don’t believe he is the problem.

Can you really say that confidently this year? The point was tho, that we have all these guys that play both PP and PK, and both units stink.

Of course Letestu isnt the main problem on the PP, the lack of an offensive dman is, but my suggestion was based around improving the PK, and the idea that maybe just maybe, the PK is struggling partially cause its full of guys who also play on every PP. Not seeing that extra energy and willingness to block every shot and hustle to cover a passing lane out of our PK.

[donions]

double post oops
..slow internet today

[rataylor22]

Can you really say that confidently this year? The point was tho, that we have all these guys that play both PP and PK, and both units stink.

Of course Letestu isnt the main problem on the PP, the lack of an offensive dman is, but my suggestion was based around improving the PK, and the idea that maybe just maybe, the PK is struggling partially cause its full of guys who also play on every PP. Not seeing that extra energy and willingness to block every shot and hustle to cover a passing lane out of our PK.

I can confidently say a 17 game sample size is generally irrelevant when taken in context with his larger body of work on the Edmonton PP. I also don't believe playing on the PP has any bearing on a player's willingness to block a shot on the PK. Energy? Maybe, I doubt it. RNH and Letestu play both special teams last year and were just fine.

[donions]

Energy? Maybe

we agree then

[rataylor22]

we agree then

Just weird that they could do it just fine last year but all of a sudden it’s an issue this year, but sure. I’d still take Letestu and RNH off the PK before I took them off the PP.

[Jouko-Pouko]

Can you really say that confidently this year? The point was tho, that we have all these guys that play both PP and PK, and both units stink.

Of course Letestu isnt the main problem on the PP, the lack of an offensive dman is, but my suggestion was based around improving the PK, and the idea that maybe just maybe, the PK is struggling partially cause its full of guys who also play on every PP. Not seeing that extra energy and willingness to block every shot and hustle to cover a passing lane out of our PK.

That is an interesting question and it would be interesting if someone made some proper research into this topic. Some players and coaches seem to think that it's better to have elite players on the PK so that they don't get cold sitting on the bench. For example, the Jets are regularly using Wheeler and Scheifele on the PK. Is that good or bad for their offense? Is that good or bad for their PK? Those would be interesting questions to look into, and of course the research would need to include much more than just one team.

But as said, it's an interesting topic but I don't know if there are any right or wrong answers right now. Or maybe there are but we just don't know what's right and what's wrong.

[Axeman33]

That is an interesting question and it would be interesting if someone made some proper research into this topic. Some players and coaches seem to think that it's better to have elite players on the PK so that they don't get cold sitting on the bench. For example, the Jets are regularly using Wheeler and Scheifele on the PK. Is that good or bad for their offense? Is that good or bad for their PK? Those would be interesting questions to look into, and of course the research would need to include much more than just one team.

But as said, it's an interesting topic but I don't know if there are any right or wrong answers right now. Or maybe there are but we just don't know what's right and what's wrong.

I know in Jr's (I can speak from watching the Q) that it's common practice to play the star players on the PK.