Edmonton Oilers

[chuckcouples]

It's less about the system and more about the complete lack of defensive awareness by all the players. The forwards don't know how to back check and, the biggest issue, is that the dmen have no clue how to control the gap. Check out how many goals the opponents score with a dman standing right on top of the goalie. Just from last night's game...

Goal 1: Desharnais standing in the crease not covering anyone
Goal 2: Kulak backs right in and leaves his man wide open in the slot
Goal 3: Nurse standing on the top of the crease defending an open space
Goal 4: Ekholm goes to his belly and defends no one while sliding past the goalie
Goal 5: Kulak standing in front of Skinner screening him and defending no one
Goal 6: Kulak standing in front of Skinner defending no one nor taking away the pass

[Canucks_fan18]

What is the fix? I think Lawman said they would go back if they could but they can't at least under this coach. I know this is such an arm chair GM thing to say but I would get somebody new in like Bourdeau and just try to outscore their problems until they can right the ship with personnel. Forget the forwards their competent enough, even if the depth isn't there.

It's the D and goalies. I actually just think Skinner needs more time and coaching. Last year he was a rookie of the year finalist, he's still very young and clearly not ready to be battling for a crease yet. I wouldn't give up on him but Campbell is horrific and no one is touching that contract. Everyone thinks Ekholm is the savior, and he's a good defensemen but he's not a #1, never has been. He's also not a spring chicken, he's 33 and will turn 34 by the end of the season/playoffs. He's good for a 2nd pairing but not as your top guy. Nurse played decent last game but again is probably at best a 4th/5th D. As for Bouchard the next of the big 3. He's playing like a prototypical offensive defensemen. Great on the PP but a liability elsewhere. You can get those guys relatively cheap on the open market. Deangelo, Barrie and Ghost as just a few names that come to mind.

In a nutshell they don't have a starting goalie, not even close and they don't have a #1 D, not even a #2. There only way out is to try and outscore their problems and with their PP and McDavid looking pedestrian that hasn't worked.

[LawMan]

Good points. I agree with everything except saying Nurse is a #4/5. While he may not be a #1 he is a tweener #2.

Given how cap constricted the Oilers are there are very limited options:
1. Fire the Coach
2. A trade where you take on no additional dollars. Very hard and limited in season.

If Lawman was in charge at the coaching level he would say "F(*CK It, Go Score" We are going to play all out offense and try and right this ship by outscoring our problems.
Play 10 games of all out attack on offense and a simpler game on D.

Also, the Oilers Goalie coach should have been fired a loooooong time ago. He has been there 9 years now and not a single goalie has gotten better while with the team.
Several have left the team and found a second life.

[LawMan]

Jack Campbell placed on waivers today.
I cannot see anyone claiming him

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/edmonton-oile...vers-1.2032465

My understanding is this gets the oilers about $2.25M in cap relief.
I assume Pickard will be recalled.

[2014olympicgold]

You can bury up to $1.15m in cap in the AHL. So Campbell will still count $3.85m towards the NHL cap. Then if you bring up Pickard, the whole thing will save the Oilers $387,500.

Unless I'm missing some cap rule.

[rataylor22]

I wouldn't say Nurse is a 4/5, but he's also not a 2. He's a solid 3 and pretty much always has been. Contract agnostic I don't think it would be hard to list 60D I would prefer over Nurse.

As for Campbell, the Oiler's will net $375k in cap space. They'll get $1.15M for Campbell but need to call up a goalie, likely Rodrigue, at $775k. If they call up Pickard they'll net $387.5k in cap space.

The Oilers will save $1.15 million of his $5 million cap hit should Campbell clear waivers and be assigned to the AHL's Bakersfield Condors.

Legit do feel bad for Campbell though, He really is supposed to be a great dude.

[Axeman33]

I was waiting for someone to start this thread up. I was avoiding it because I am too bitter right now.

Listening to the Got Yer Back podcast with Ryan Rishaug and Jason Strudwick this morning (I usually listen to this one on my way to work the day after games), you can tell Rishaug is simply frustrated himself and I agree with a lot of what he's saying. He asked, at the last press scrum, Woodcroft about accountability and how that was a buzzword coming into this season, but yet Woodcroft has yet to really hold anyone of any importance on this team accountable. Sure, if Broberg or Holloway make a mistake, they will sit on the bench, but watching Bouchard make stupid mistake after stupid mistake, game after game, there's no accountability. He's right back out there for the next shift. Same for Darnell Nurse. We saw a week or so ago, Rich Tocchet sit JT Miller for 5 mins after a stupid play. He came back and was awesome. You don't see Woodcroft hold his key players to that same standard. Now I get it, they are short benched as it is because they dont have a full roster due to cap restraints, but sit Bouchard for a couple turns. Do SOMETHING to wake these guys up and light a fire under their asses.

After last nights game, they played a clip from Gene Principe ask Woodcroft about Bouchard directly, and why wasn't he held accountable for his stupid pinch play and Woodcroft basically said we needed Bouchard to help us get back into the game because of his offensive abilities. It's unreal. I like Woodcroft, but his coaching decisions late last season right into this year have been questionable at best. When he first arrived, he brought something different where he wasn't riding McDavid and Draisaitl all the time, and running three lines consistently but so far this year, he's just like every other Oilers coach where he's fallen into the same trap of overplaying McDavid and Draisaitl. He's afraid to hold his offensive players accountable so what's the problem if they make mistakes.

Goaltending. Early in the year, I defended both Skinner and Campbell. They would give up maybe one bad goal a game but the others were solely on piss poor play in front of them. The last couple games I have watched both of them give up sketchy goals. It was very frustrating watching Demko last night steal that game. He was awesome. If Skinner played half as good as Demko did last night, the Oilers are in that game. Instead it's the same old crap. Stupid penalties. Mental errors and breakdowns in their own end that lead to grade A scoring chances for the opposition and eventually goals.

At this point, sending Campbell down is a smart move but it can't be the only move. I am ready to send Woodcroft packing and I know how much Holland loathes firing a coach mid-season, but in this "Cup or bust" season, you can't afford to play it slow here. They are already behind the 8-ball. Thankfully it's SJ up next and then Seattle. That should be four points in the bank. IF they dont win these next two games, pull the trigger on Woodcroft, but if that is already a potential game plan, don't wait. Just do it. I am curious to see how Jeff Jackson works with Holland here.

Bruce there it is!

[rataylor22]

Oh FWIW I think the Oilers could win a cup with Sutter, but I don't know what the long term cost of that decision might be.

[metaldude26]

I wish this team could fold. Forfeit the rest of the games, start again next year. Every single player, coach and GM should return their salary and every fan should have their tickets refunded for this mess. They need to just go away. And no not get traded and start fresh. Go join Babcock in purgatory.

[tweetdrivr]

At least they aren’t San Jose

[metaldude26]

At least they aren’t San Jose

I'd rather be San Jose. Mood = Reality - Expectations. The disparity in Edmonton couldn't be wider.

[Canucks_fan18]

I feel like the inmates run the asylum with this team. I can't stand Drasatil, he seems so arrogant. Not just saying this because we have him as our coach but they need a Rick Tocchet type of coach. They have for years, going back to the Hall and Ebs days of running around after games at night clubs. Just a losing culture.

[doulos]

McDavid and Draisaitl need to get out as soon as they can. We had a few fun years, with one nice shit kicking of the Flames in the playoffs that my son and I enjoyed in 80s style fashion. Let these guys go somewhere they can win a Cup.

[2014olympicgold]

Connor Brown: 9gp 0pts. $3,225,000 performance bonus at 10gp played (hits 2024-25 cap). What do you do here? If he's on the team for the 10th game, you have some heavy decisions come 2024 cap.

You enter 2024 with $3.225m dead cap, Draisaitl's final year, Campbell getting $5m (or a penalty of $1.1m if you buy him out).

If Brown plays that 10th game, and Campbell is bought out in the summer....there's the cap raise gone. I think it's a bit early to think about a Campbell buyout, but that Brown performance bonus is starring at Ken Holland right in the face.

[Canucks_fan18]

Connor Brown: 9gp 0pts. $3,225,000 performance bonus at 10gp played (hits 2024-25 cap). What do you do here? If he's on the team for the 10th game, you have some heavy decisions come 2024 cap.

You enter 2024 with $3.225m dead cap, Draisaitl's final year, Campbell getting $5m (or a penalty of $1.1m if you buy him out).

If Brown plays that 10th game, and Campbell is bought out in the summer....there's the cap raise gone. I think it's a bit early to think about a Campbell buyout, but that Brown performance bonus is starring at Ken Holland right in the face.

It's a bad look not to pay him for his 10th game, at the same time he hasn't earned it. I don't see how with what you have seen so far you let him get the 10th game and lose 3.225 million of cap space.