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What's Worse: The Coaching, the Players or the Management? |
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The Oilers sorta-lost to the Chicago Blackhawks tonight. Only "sorta" because they managed a regulation tie...One point out of a possible two. Perhaps not a bad result against the best team in the NHL.
The Oilers could have won this game. The Hawks didn't exactly dominate the play. So why didn't the Oilers win?
1. No Taylor Hall - Without him, the Oilers have no one who scares the opposition 5-on-5 with blazing-fast rushes into their defensive zone.
2. Wrong Goalie in Net - I have no idea why Nikolai Khabibulin got a second straight start in goal, but he let in one, if not two goals he should have stopped.
3. Too Small - The Oilers, especially up front, continue to scare no one with the way the forwards play. Little guys like Sam Gagner and Nail Yakupov end up attempting to throw hits because the few big players there are (ie. Ben Eager) don't do it. The players who cause trouble physically (Hall and Teemu Hartikainen) were both not in the line-up. I couldn't believe Eager, Smid or Fistric didn't exactly make Dan Carcillo eat the puck after he took runs at several Oilers star players.
4. Wrong Players on the Ice - If I'm the Oilers Head Coach, I have Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins, Gagner, Yakupov, Hemsky, Schultz x 2, Petry and Smid out of the ice as much as possible. It seems like we see way too much of Belanger, Smyth and Eager. Eager is an absolutely pointless player to give ice time too if he's not out there to run over people.
Twitter is going crazy tonight with Oilers fans venting their frustration at this team. As I tweeted, getting a point while playing against the best team in the NHL isn't so bad. I mean, do we really have the right to complain?
But there are things that continue to concern me. I'll list them.
1. Why is Dubnyk suddenly on the bench? I thought he was the starter this season? (Coaching issue).
2. Why is Yakupov, who clearly is an offensive player with elite skating speed and skill playing on the 4th line and is 2nd last with 5-on-5 ice time...only Chris Vandevelde had less (Coaching issue).
3. It seems like the Oilers organization does a terrible job of developing talent, because they constantly give them confused messages. Is Paajarvi being turned into a Top 6 winger or a checker? Is Yakupov a sniper or an extra? Did Ryan Smyth finally find his legs in such a significant way that he should be taking ice time away from the kids we're trying to develop? (Coaching + Management Issues)
4. Why do we continue to see old-timers who can't skate get so much ice time? (Coaching issue).
5. Why do the players with size play without a physical edge? Shouldn't they be making the skilled players on the other team fight for every inch? It should be hits, hits, and more hits.(Player issues: Paajarvi, Petrell, Eager, Fistric, Smid, Potter, Petry).
6. Why isn't management doing anything to bring in help for a team so close to being good? Is it a lack of deals available, or is Tambellini and company just too scared to deal the wrong guy? (Management issue).
I don't actually believe the situation is that complicated, especially when it comes to coaching and management.
Step 1: Oilers management need to explain in an interview (on Oilers Now, perhaps) that the agenda this season isn't specifically to make the playoffs. I mean, if it happens, fine...But right now fans are frustrated because they can't understand what the hell the team is doing. So explain it to them. It's not that hard. Just say, "we don't feel the Oilers have all the pieces needed yet, and we're not sure where those missing pieces will come from...so this is the season we need to figure that out."
Step 2: Get Ryan Nugent-Hopkins some help. If he needs surgery, do it, even if it means his season is done. He's obviously not right and I'm worried by continuing to play him, the Oilers run the risk of making his injury worse. He's not exactly helping the team win the way he's playing now. Have the courage to shut him down.
Step 3: Move Hemsky+ to bring in a player who fits into the long-term. Obviously Hall, Eberle, Nuge, and Yakupov are long-term Oilers. Sam Gagner has played his way onto my future Top 6 too, so he stays. Hemsky is a good player who's starting to fall asleep out there. Deal him while his stats look more good than bad. Add a quality prospect and a draft pick if required to turn Hemsky into either a legit Top 4 defenseman, a 2nd line LW with size, a high-end prospect, or a 1st round pick that has a chance to be in the lottery. The Capitals, Islanders, Jets, Panthers, Jackets, Avalanche and Coyotes are all teams the Oilers could perhaps move Hemsky+ to in an attempt to get a decent 1st round pick.
Step 4: Quit goofing around with the kids you're attempting to develop. 1st line could be Hall/Gagner/Eberle while Nuge is healing. Stick Yakupov on the 2nd line and leave him there. Maybe the player acquired for Hemsky is someone like Niederreiter...Stick him on the wing. When Nuge is back go Hall/Nuge/Eberle and Niederreiter/Gagner/Yakupov. Stick Hartikainen/Lander/Paajarvi on the 3rd line and put Smyth/Horcoff/Jones on the 4th. Keep Petrell as your extra forward. Deal the leftovers away for whatever. Eager and Belanger haven't done anything to make the Oilers better. If Eager isn't out there running people over, he's worthless to us.
Step 5: Figure out the defensive mess. Deal Ryan Whitney for whatever. A 3rd round pick is his top end, so do it. Re-sign Mark Fistric and Ladislav Smid. Explain to the fans that next season, the Oilers D6 will be Schultz x 2, Smid, Petry, Fistric and Klefbom. In net, if you're gonna find out if Dubnyk is your starter, play him the whole season as your starter. Give him a reason to feel confident.
Step 6: And whatever the Oilers do, they shouldn't deal their 1st and 2nd round picks this June, because they're gonna be high ones. You can't tell me an Oilers team with a Core 12 of Hall, Eberle, Nuge, Gagner, Niederreiter, Yakupov, Lander, Petry, J. Schultz, N. Schultz, Smid and Dubnyk would do anything better or worse than things are going now. Give the kids consistent ice time, and things will get BETTER, not worse. Develop the kids. Let them play.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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