Honestly what is the difference between a stacked core say like Chicago and the Islanders...

Execution, that is it. Every team truly have players that could potentially become great, but don't get recognized unless the whole team plays well.

How many fans really really knew Kopitar until he won a cup or LA finally started to make the playoffs. The exceptions only seem to be players on bad teams, BUT they score a lot...Erik Karlsson?
- Glak18

What is the difference between Keith , Seabrooke & Hjarrlmarsson and Dehaan, Boychuck and Hamonic?

What is the difference between Hossa , Kane , Toews ,Sharp and Tavares, Nelson , Okposo and Nielson?????

Seriously you think those cores are close?

Agreed they are tough, but I don't think anyone in the Organization figured that we could just draft the BPA's , collect assets and develop role players and win a cup with 23 drafted and/or self developed players.
There will come a time when we have to sit back , count our assets and start dealing much like The Kings did. I didn't think we were there even up to the draft last year but after the free agency period saw the Oilers add some good players I think were close to that point now.
- Jeropotato

Agreed to a certain extent. It's just a matter of time before other teams look to move key players. At some point the Canucks may be looking to unload some d-men. I think Shanny will start a big sell-off in the near future with the Leafs. etc. etc.

But really, you can't predict when the next Carter/Richards/Kesler will become available. I think Edm is at a point that they can wait for the right big trade opportunities; and jump on them when they do come up.

I partially agree. If those assets are not valued as high as they should be then maybe look at trading our next couple of firsts? Hell, it sure looks to me that those picks highest value is the moment before the draft and 7 years later when that player is his prime .
- Jeropotato

Don't trade 1st round picks either. That's pretty stupid unless you're already a playoff team and a legit contender. Trading a 1st round pick for the Oilers is a huge risk not worth taking yet.

The LA Kings and Chicago Blackhawks were really bad for a really long time, but in the end, it paid off, two fold. People in Edmonton need to just calm their tits and realize being bad can still be a good thing.

What is the difference between Keith , Seabrooke & Hjarrlmarsson and Dehaan, Boychuck and Hamonic?

What is the difference between Hossa , Kane , Toews ,Sharp and Tavares, Nelson , Okposo and Nielson?????

Seriously you think those cores are close?
- Jeropotato

Your vision of the two is clouded because you are only comparing the two on what they have ALREADY accomplished....hence execution. IF potential was guaranteed, I would take the Islanders over Chicago.

Is Buffalo or Calgary's core better than Edmonton today?

Any of those 3 players will not give them enough in return to make the Oilers a playoff team. This team should have been a playoff team a few years ago with all the high draft picks they have had.

This starts with ownership, instead of hiring a true GM he goes for loyalty, ex Oilers who do not know what in the heck they are doing. Trickle down effect here...and on and on. This organization is lost and an embarrassment to the NHL in their decision making, wasted draft picks, terrible hiring decisions and a coach who is trying to implement a system with the wrong type of players for the system.

Im sure Oiler fans have heard this over and over again. They would be best boycotting and not attending home games to insure the owner pulls his head out of his A S S and make the BALLSY, good hockey decisions to turn this franchise around.

Your vision of the two is clouded because you are only comparing the two on what they have ALREADY accomplished....hence execution. IF potential was guaranteed, I would take the Islanders over Chicago.

Is Buffalo or Calgary's core better than Edmonton today?
- Glak18

I think the talent levels are unbalanced in favour of Chicago....but yeah if the Islanders could play a team game flawlessly or even better than Chicao they could achieve similar results . Easier said than done.

Any of those 3 players will not give them enough in return to make the Oilers a playoff team. This team should have been a playoff team a few years ago with all the high draft picks they have had.

This starts with ownership, instead of hiring a true GM he goes for loyalty, ex Oilers who do not know what in the heck they are doing. Trickle down effect here...and on and on. This organization is lost and an embarrassment to the NHL in their decision making, wasted draft picks, terrible hiring decisions and a coach who is trying to implement a system with the wrong type of players for the system.

Im sure Oiler fans have heard this over and over again. They would be best boycotting and not attending home games to insure the owner pulls his head out of his A S S and make the BALLSY, good hockey decisions to turn this franchise around.
- blk4x499

This post is not smart. You don't have your finger anywhere near the pulse of the issues. Do some research and get back to us with an educated point of view. I am dissapointed that a Kings fan would make this kind of statement looking at how your team was constructed.

Don't trade 1st round picks either. That's pretty stupid unless you're already a playoff team and a legit contender. Trading a 1st round pick for the Oilers is a huge risk not worth taking yet.

The LA Kings and Chicago Blackhawks were really bad for a really long time, but in the end, it paid off, two fold. People in Edmonton need to just calm their tits and realize being bad can still be a good thing.
- JohnFergusonJr

That is a good point. Like in the earlier conversations about trading a core piece or what you think is a core piece. LA drafted Brayden Schenn thinking he was going be a big piece of the future. At that point Kopitar had already established himself as a top 6 go to guy. He already played through what. 5 and a half seasons then LA was at the point of trading Schenn for a piece to help push them over the top. Nuge and Hall are still only a few years into the game.

But. With that said. They did get a coach to teach them how to play defense and got them into the playoffs. They started to learn what it took to get in. Then it took another trade of a "core piece" and a new coach to push them over the top.

EDM just needs to learn a system and execute that system. It will hurt big time to lose one of these young kids just to continue in the same failures. Even if they move Eberle or Yak for a solid or stud defensemen. Theyre still not executing the systems that are in place now. Unless what we are seeing is the system and it simply just doenst work for these guys.

Any of those 3 players will not give them enough in return to make the Oilers a playoff team. This team should have been a playoff team a few years ago with all the high draft picks they have had.

This starts with ownership, instead of hiring a true GM he goes for loyalty, ex Oilers who do not know what in the heck they are doing. Trickle down effect here...and on and on. This organization is lost and an embarrassment to the NHL in their decision making, wasted draft picks, terrible hiring decisions and a coach who is trying to implement a system with the wrong type of players for the system.

Im sure Oiler fans have heard this over and over again. They would be best boycotting and not attending home games to insure the owner pulls his head out of his A S S and make the BALLSY, good hockey decisions to turn this franchise around.
- blk4x499

So, they should have been playoff team before most of the high draft picks?

Any of those 3 players will not give them enough in return to make the Oilers a playoff team. This team should have been a playoff team a few years ago with all the high draft picks they have had.

This starts with ownership, instead of hiring a true GM he goes for loyalty, ex Oilers who do not know what in the heck they are doing. Trickle down effect here...and on and on. This organization is lost and an embarrassment to the NHL in their decision making, wasted draft picks, terrible hiring decisions and a coach who is trying to implement a system with the wrong type of players for the system.

Im sure Oiler fans have heard this over and over again. They would be best boycotting and not attending home games to insure the owner pulls his head out of his A S S and make the BALLSY, good hockey decisions to turn this franchise around.
- blk4x499

just a terribly terribly uneducated post.

I laughed at the bolded and didn't even bother readin the rest before my reply. then I went back and read it.....the rest is no better

So, they should have been playoff team before most of the high draft picks?
- Tumbleweed

Draft Hall , Draft Nuge and BOOM! Play offs or bust I guess.

Seriously, us Oilers fans at least deserve a higher class of Trolls by now don't you think ?

Might be case of ' my team is elite- that makes me a knowledgable poster'. See it all the time in certain threads.

Draft Hall , Draft Nuge and BOOM! Play offs or bust I guess.

Seriously, us Oilers fans at least deserve a higher class of Trolls by now don't you think ?

Might be case of ' my team is elite- that makes me a knowledgable poster'. See it all the time in certain threads.
- Jeropotato

Agreed. Edm is really on the right track. Too bad it'll all come together right when the oil economy collapses driving the Oilers to become a low budget team.

Agreed. Edm is really on the right track. Too bad it'll all come together right when the oil economy collapses driving the Oilers to become a low budget team.
- Tumbleweed

Balls to that.


Edit: the thing is with these elite type teams that got there through I tough rebuild , and I'm not talking about Chicago, LA, Pittsburgh and even the Quebec Nordiques/Avalanche of the 90's.....there wasn't much of a gradual improvement where they got a bit better year by year. It was suck, suck, suck, suck, suck, a bit of progress, a pretty good season , elite. Take a look I'm not far off.

That is a good point. Like in the earlier conversations about trading a core piece or what you think is a core piece. LA drafted Brayden Schenn thinking he was going be a big piece of the future. At that point Kopitar had already established himself as a top 6 go to guy. He already played through what. 5 and a half seasons then LA was at the point of trading Schenn for a piece to help push them over the top. Nuge and Hall are still only a few years into the game.

But. With that said. They did get a coach to teach them how to play defense and got them into the playoffs. They started to learn what it took to get in. Then it took another trade of a "core piece" and a new coach to push them over the top.

EDM just needs to learn a system and execute that system. It will hurt big time to lose one of these young kids just to continue in the same failures. Even if they move Eberle or Yak for a solid or stud defensemen. Theyre still not executing the systems that are in place now. Unless what we are seeing is the system and it simply just doenst work for these guys.
- poisondhearts37

The next three years should be about drafting nothing but defense and goaltending. Yakupov will eventually have a year where he scores 30-40 goals and at that point they can move him to further solidify their backend when the time is right.

Balls to that.
- Jeropotato

The next three years should be about drafting nothing but defense and goaltending. Yakupov will eventually have a year where he scores 30-40 goals and at that point they can move him to further solidify their backend when the time is right.
- JohnFergusonJr

All in all. Its still going to be best player available. Because those pieces can be traded later. Theyre going to end trading for a goalie or getting lucky and a team loses a guy to free agency. Def a few goalies coming up that are going to be good.

All in all. Its still going to be best player available. Because those pieces can be traded later. Theyre going to end trading for a goalie or getting lucky and a team loses a guy to free agency. Def a few goalies coming up that are going to be good.
- poisondhearts37

Agreed. Always take best player available and organizational depth as the tie breaker. No one says you have to marry the chosen player.

All in all. Its still going to be best player available. Because those pieces can be traded later. Theyre going to end trading for a goalie or getting lucky and a team loses a guy to free agency. Def a few goalies coming up that are going to be good.
- poisondhearts37

At some point, they need to consider moving down. Like the Yakupov draft should have been about moving down, grabbing a top tier defenseman plus more picks and assets. Or in a draft where a guy like Ekblad is available, moving up.

At some point, they need to consider moving down. Like the Yakupov draft should have been about moving down, grabbing a top tier defenseman plus more picks and assets. Or in a draft where a guy like Ekblad is available, moving up.
- JohnFergusonJr

Do you think that Tallon would of moved his 1st overall pick? I know he said he would listen. But I would doubt it. At that point it would of taken EDM more than just one of either Eberle or Yakupov. Ekblad is a kid EDM would love to have. But they would have to of given up a ton.

At some point, they need to consider moving down. Like the Yakupov draft should have been about moving down, grabbing a top tier defenseman plus more picks and assets. Or in a draft where a guy like Ekblad is available, moving up.
- JohnFergusonJr

Rumour has it that was Tambo's plan, but the offers were mild in an unspectacular draft year.

Do you think that Tallon would of moved his 1st overall pick? I know he said he would listen. But I would doubt it. At that point it would of taken EDM more than just one of either Eberle or Yakupov. Ekblad is a kid EDM would love to have. But they would have to of given up a ton.
- poisondhearts37

Not really. The Oilers needed a big Center in the system more than they needed a Defenseman . We just drafted Nurse and Klefbom and our best Center prospect was not gonna be a 2C in the NHL.

The next three years should be about drafting nothing but defense and goaltending. Yakupov will eventually have a year where he scores 30-40 goals and at that point they can move him to further solidify their backend when the time is right.
- JohnFergusonJr

with some luck, by that time nurse and klefbom will be impact makers. along with marincin who looks very solid early in his career

with some luck, by that time nurse and klefbom will be impact makers. along with marincin who looks very solid early in his career
- hugefemale dog77

That's my thinking as well.

Do you think that Tallon would of moved his 1st overall pick? I know he said he would listen. But I would doubt it. At that point it would of taken EDM more than just one of either Eberle or Yakupov. Ekblad is a kid EDM would love to have. But they would have to of given up a ton.
- poisondhearts37

He would have taken Yakupov plus something else. And it would have been worth it for both sides. Yakupov and Barkov would make a great dynamic duo for them.

with some luck, by that time nurse and klefbom will be impact makers. along with marincin who looks very solid early in his career
- hugefemale dog77

Of all the games Ive seen so far this year. Including other teams what not. I really really like what Im seeing from Marincin.