2 or 3, I aim for Zadina if he's there. If we land at 4 or 5, I do Boqvist. Anywhere below that and I'm targeting Dobson or Smith.
- MaximumBone

I think my preference is
Zadina
Tkachuk
boqvist
Svechnikov

I think my preference is
Zadina
Tkachuk
boqvist
Svechnikov
- sfrizz

WAY too ugly. Pass.

WAY too ugly. Pass.
- MaximumBone

I wanna see a Tkachuk vs Tkachuk fight with the dad as the ref.

Nice pass by Strome. Nice finish by Slepy. That Khaira, Strome & Slepy line has been good.

I disagree with your assessment.

My thoughts put simply (he says before writing an essay...) are that we only need one true top-6 winger and a couple other "right fits". What I mean by "right fits" are exactly what Calgary employs in their top-6. Neither Ferland or Frolik are classically defined top-6 players, but because they fit the role their linemates need, they get by (Frolik) or thrive (Ferland).

With how our team's cap structure has to operate, we essentially need to have our top 3 lines to drive positive goals for (GF) results and our 4th line to not give up so much that they negate our top 9's positive impact. To break it down:

McDavid has consistently driven his lines to at or above 55% GF regardless of linemates (exception being Caggiula). It's safe to assume that he will continue doing so and that he can carry two less than optimal top 6 guys to those results because he has done so this year with the exact two I'm suggesting: Lucic and Puljujarvi. That's line 1.

Draisaitl has pretty consistently drive his lines to at or around 50% GF despite having sub-optimal linemates (Lucic, Slepyshev, Strome, Khaira, etc) but that's not quite where we need him with our cap structure.

Ideally we want to aim for that 55% GF mark for this line, as well. To achieve this, you look back and see what it's taken for him to achieve these results in the past. His time with Hall and McDavid are times where his line has driven upwards of 60% GF. What is similar about McDavid and Hall? They're both excellent, fast skaters that drive possession and drive defenders back to give Draisaitl space to work his magic. There you have your criteria for acquiring the true top 6 winger I mentioned earlier: find a fast skater that pushes positive possession results from the wing (Hoffman, Skinner, Kreider, Nyquist, Sheary, Tatar, etc).

To compliment those two higher end skill guys, you probably want a balanced two-way guy in the mold of a Frolik. Options there are bit tough to discern, but he doesn't need to skate well as neither "other" linemate from the Hall-Draisaitl and McDavid-Draisaitl duos was a good skater (Purcell and Maroon). Just need to be able to make and take a pass and function without carrying the puck much.

Third line becomes a tad tougher as we're likely having to move Nuge in order to acquire the aforementioned top 6 winger, but it's FAR easier to craft a 3rd line that pushes positive GF results than it is to make a 2nd or 1st line do so. Easy enough that we actually already have a tandem that does so, in fact. Strome and Khaira when together have maintained positive results in GF and possession while playing a low event style conducive to a successful 3rd line. If you can enhance that line by adding another low event player that brings some speed to the equation (Hagelin would be cheap and Slepy has done well with them), I think you've set yourself up with a strong, results-driving 3rd line.

The final step is managing to avoid a "blackhole" 4th line like the one Letestu has centered this year. Gotta get them up from a sub-35% GF up to AT LEAST 40% (ideally higher) and doing that starts with ridding the team of Letestu. To replace him, you want to compliment Kassian's high-octane style with a fast skilled guy (perhaps an elite AHL scorer) and a solid skating defensive conscience (Calvert and T Mitchell come to mind).

With that, you've fixed the general structure of the forward core and then need to turn your attention to tearing apart the special teams as they have been the biggest contributor to the team's failure this year. To do so, I honestly fire the coaches. This isn't the only reason I fire them, but it plays into the decision. Bring in Sheldon Keefe.

D corps is fine. We have at least 3 2nd pairing guys (4 if Sekera bounces back) and that's as good as the competitive teams we're trying to stylistically emulate (Dallas, Pittsburgh). Maybe swap a Klefbom or Nurse out for a Barrie or Trouba, but I don't pay it too much mind. I'm confident that the change in systems will change the perception of our D corps' puck movement pretty much overnight.
- MaximumBone

I'll have to update periodically because I have company. I'll chew the fat with on this later for funsies. Again short and sweet for now. (Sort of)

I'll start here.

What. The. (frank).

Did you just say the D corps is fine?!? I sincerely hope your half a bottle of Jack Daniels deep.

D corps is fine. We have at least 3 2nd pairing guys (4 if Sekera bounces back) and that's as good as the competitive teams we're trying to stylistically emulate (Dallas, Pittsburgh). Maybe swap a Klefbom or Nurse out for a Barrie or Trouba, but I don't pay it too much mind. I'm confident that the change in systems will change the perception of our D corps' puck movement pretty much overnight. -Max

This is one of the most absurd things I've ever heard you say. 4 2nd paring guys huh. I only see Nurse and Klefbom. Sakera has regressed badly. I know injuries and lack of training camp and all that jazz but he was never the defenceman you guys thought he would be in the first place when healthy, and now he's a shadow of his former self. For now. Maybe. Who's this 4th 2nd pairing guy you speak of? Larsson? You get what you see with him. Which is not that great.

Barrie is an offensive stud but not that good in the defensive zone(!) And trade Klefbom for him?! Rearranging the deck chairs is what that would be. A little more of this for a little less of that. And Trouba's only ever going to amount to a 2nd pairing guy.

Sure a systems change might help a little but a leopard doesn't change its spots. This is some rose coloured glasses thinking if I've ever heard it.

So you have missing piece and Klefbom 1st pairing, Larsson and Nurse 2nd pairing, and Sakera and some plug 3rd pairing. Even if you could find a #1 defenceman you would mortgage the farm to get him, you don't have much to offer, and you couldn't afford him anyways. So many wrongs here..

BTW.
Dallas has an elite #1 defenceman in Klingburg, he's probably still tops in points for the league.

Pittsburg has an elite #1 defenceman in Letang, albeit perpetually injured, but good for 3/4 of the year.

All I have time for for a few minutes.

I'll have to update periodically because I have company. I'll chew the fat with on this later for funsies. Again short and sweet for now. (Sort of)

I'll start here.

What. The. (frank).

Did you just say the D corps is fine?!? I sincerely hope your half a bottle of Jack Daniels deep.

D corps is fine. We have at least 3 2nd pairing guys (4 if Sekera bounces back) and that's as good as the competitive teams we're trying to stylistically emulate (Dallas, Pittsburgh). Maybe swap a Klefbom or Nurse out for a Barrie or Trouba, but I don't pay it too much mind. I'm confident that the change in systems will change the perception of our D corps' puck movement pretty much overnight. -Max

This is one of the most absurd things I've ever heard you say. 4 2nd paring guys huh. I only see Nurse and Klefbom. Sakera has regressed badly. I know injuries and lack of training camp and all that jazz but he was never the defenceman you guys thought he would be in the first place when healthy, and now he's a shadow of his former self. For now. Maybe. Who's this 4th 2nd pairing guy you speak of? Larsson? You get what you see with him. Which is not that great.

Barrie is an offensive stud but not that good in the defensive zone(!) And trade Klefbom for him?! Rearranging the deck chairs is what that would be. A little more of this for a little less of that. And Trouba's only ever going to amount to a 2nd pairing guy.

Sure a systems change might help a little but a leopard doesn't change its spots. This is some rose coloured glasses thinking if I've ever heard it.

So you have missing piece and Klefbom 1st pairing, Larsson and Nurse 2nd pairing, and Sakera and some plug 3rd pairing. Even if you could find a #1 defenceman you would mortgage the farm to get him, you don't have much to offer, and you couldn't afford him anyways. So many wrongs here..

BTW.
Dallas has an elite #1 defenceman in Klingburg, he's probably still tops in points for the league.

Pittsburg has an elite #1 defenceman in Letang, albeit perpetually injured, but good for 3/4 of the year.

All I have time for for a few minutes.
- Flamin_Irishmin

Klingberg is a liability defensively. Like at least Karlsson can play a bit. Even Burns but (frank) Klingberg is horrible in his own end.

Thanks Hallfan!
- ghostofRC

Exactly.

Benning is trash.

Zadina. The answer is always Zadina.
- Wildschwein

Really?! Like Really Really?!

You'd pick Zadina over Brady Tkachuk. Man some of you guys never learn.

Matt Tkachuk said in an interview. Not quoted exactly tho. "My brother?! Yeah he's bigger than me, stronger than me, way faster than me and has much better hands than me. And is just a nasty."

To pick Zadina over Brady is ridiculous. He's going to be Matt Tkachuk version 2.0.

Hey, if you want to make the same mistake twice, help yourself.

It's the old saying. "Fool me once and it's your fault, fool me twice and there is nobody to blame but myself"...

Lucic needs to be traded.

Trying to hit McDavid? What a female genitalia.

I'll have to update periodically because I have company. I'll chew the fat with on this later for funsies. Again short and sweet for now. (Sort of)

I'll start here.

What. The. (frank).

Did you just say the D corps is fine?!? I sincerely hope your half a bottle of Jack Daniels deep.

This is one of the most absurd things I've ever heard you say. 4 2nd paring guys huh. I only see Nurse and Klefbom. Sakera has regressed badly. I know injuries and lack of training camp and all that jazz but he was never the defenceman you guys thought he would be in the first place when healthy, and now he's a shadow of his former self. For now. Maybe. Who's this 4th 2nd pairing guy you speak of? Larsson? You get what you see with him. Which is not that great.

Barrie is an offensive stud but not that good in the defensive zone(!) And trade Klefbom for him?! Rearranging the deck chairs is what that would be. A little more of this for a little less of that. And Trouba's only ever going to amount to a 2nd pairing guy.

Sure a systems change might help a little but a leopard doesn't change its spots. This is some rose coloured glasses thinking if I've ever heard it.
- Flamin_Irishmin

Evidently we disagree on a lot of fronts. All of Klefbom, Nurse, Sekera (if healthy) and Larsson a solid-to-great 2nd pairing guys. Both Klefbom and Larsson played top pairing brilliantly last year so they're at least capable of it.

I don't necessarily believe we SHOULD trade Klefbom for Barrie, but one of our LD moving out for an offensive RD makes a lot of sense. We're gonna have to balance the pairings and find our offensive guy somehow.

As for Trouba, he already IS a top pairing, results-driving #2 Dman, just like Klefbom (in every year but this year).

BTW.
Dallas has an elite #1 defenceman in Klingburg, he's probably still tops in points for the league.

Pittsburg has an elite #1 defenceman in Letang, albeit perpetually injured, but good for 3/4 of the year.

All I have time for for a few minutes.
- Flamin_Irishmin

Yes, Dallas and Pittsburgh have their #1 Dmen but the rest of their D corps are thoroughly unimpressive. Lindell, Pateryn and Hamhuis/Methot fill out the top-4 for Dallas and- excluding Lindell- I'd take all four of the Oilers' top-4 over the other two and it's not close. Pens have it better, but Letang has been struggling a lot this year and the rest of their top-4 features Dumoulin (pretty much Larsson), Schultz and Maatta (inferior to Nurse and a healthy Sekera).

I think you underrate how significantly systems impact the perception of a D corps. Just last year with virtually the same top-4, Dallas was viewed as having among the worst D corps in the league and now it's not viewed as much of a problem at all because the system has been adapted to play to their #1 Dman's strengths and support his weaknesses. While Klefbom isn't on Klingberg's tier, he'd look a lot closer if coached by a Ken Hitchcock or Jon Cooper.

I reckon a similar thing goes for Calgary. That first season they had Hamilton, their D corps was Giordano, Brodie, Hamilton and Russell and yet they blew goats at defense. The following year, they hire Gulutzan and- while it takes a couple months- they start producing FAR superior results (both defensively and possession-wise) as Glen adjusted his system to better suit his D corps. And that was despite having a tangibly worse D corps (Russell out, Wideman elevated to top-4) until Stone was brought in.

In reality, we can debate this for hours and get nowhere. You believe that systems don't have significant enough impact on results of a D corps to be able to accept my opinion on how to fix the Oilers. That's fine. Fundamental disagreements like this aren't something I plan on debating.

Evidently we disagree on a lot of fronts. All of Klefbom, Nurse, Sekera (if healthy) and Larsson a solid-to-great 2nd pairing guys. Both Klefbom and Larsson played top pairing brilliantly last year so they're at least capable of it.

I don't necessarily believe we SHOULD trade Klefbom for Barrie, but one of our LD moving out for an offensive RD makes a lot of sense. We're gonna have to balance the pairings and find our offensive guy somehow.

As for Trouba, he already IS a top pairing, results-driving #2 Dman, just like Klefbom (in every year but this year).


Yes, Dallas and Pittsburgh have their #1 Dmen but the rest of their D corps are thoroughly unimpressive. Lindell, Pateryn and Hamhuis/Methot fill out the top-4 for Dallas and- excluding Lindell- I'd take all four of the Oilers' top-4 over the other two and it's not close. Pens have it better, but Letang has been struggling a lot this year and the rest of their top-4 features Dumoulin (pretty much Larsson), Schultz and Maatta (inferior to Nurse and a healthy Sekera).

I think you underrate how significantly systems impact the perception of a D corps. Just last year with virtually the same top-4, Dallas was viewed as having among the worst D corps in the league and now it's not viewed as much of a problem at all because the system has been adapted to play to their #1 Dman's strengths and support his weaknesses. While Klefbom isn't on Klingberg's tier, he'd look a lot closer if coached by a Ken Hitchcock or Jon Cooper.

I reckon a similar thing goes for Calgary. That first season they had Hamilton, their D corps was Giordano, Brodie, Hamilton and Russell and yet they blew goats at defense. The following year, they hire Gulutzan and- while it takes a couple months- they start producing FAR superior results (both defensively and possession-wise) as Glen adjusted his system to better suit his D corps. And that was despite having a tangibly worse D corps (Russell out, Wideman elevated to top-4) until Stone was brought in.

In reality, we can debate this for hours and get nowhere. You believe that systems don't have significant enough impact on results of a D corps to be able to accept my opinion on how to fix the Oilers. That's fine. Fundamental disagreements like this aren't something I plan on debating.
- MaximumBone

Uhh... Gio and Brodie were the #2 defensive pairing in the league in the timeline your talking about. Gio was the leader in Norris trophy votes until that freak accident in the Devils game where he blew out his biceps near the end of the season. So what about the blowing goats part?!?..

And anybody who knows you know that fundamental disagreements is your (frank)ing M.O.

Take one more slug from the bottle buddy..

Really?! Like Really Really?!

You'd pick Zadina over Brady Tkachuk. Man some of you guys never learn.

Matt Tkachuk said in an interview. Not quoted exactly tho. "My brother?! Yeah he's bigger than me, stronger than me, way faster than me and has much better hands than me. And is just a nasty."

To pick Zadina over Brady is ridiculous. He's going to be Matt Tkachuk version 2.0.

Hey, if you want to make the same mistake twice, help yourself.

It's the old saying. "Fool me once and it's your fault, fool me twice and there is nobody to blame but myself"...
- Flamin_Irishmin

If he is all that, then isn't it a red flag that despite all those advantages he has never produced as much as his brother? In fact, he has consistently produced notably less even when Matt didn't have the benefit of Matthews. I'll happily take the speedy, sniping two-way forward that's leading his team and producing comparable numbers to Hischier and Ehlers.

at that Toronto goal counting. Zero chance that would have counted if it were the Oilers.

Uhh... Gio and Brodie were the #2 defensive pairing in the league in the timeline your talking about. Gio was the leader in Norris trophy votes until that freak accident in the Devils game where he blew out his biceps near the end of the season. So what about the blowing goats part?!?..
- Flamin_Irishmin

Except I'm not comparing Calgary's blueline to Edmonton's. I'm commenting on the effect systems had on the results your team and blueline achieved despite being pretty much the same (if not worse) on paper year-over-year, but sure.

at that Toronto goal counting. Zero chance that would have counted if it were the Oilers.
- laughs2907

I couldn’t believe that. But hey.. (frank) the Bruins.

Except I'm not comparing Calgary's blueline to Edmonton's. I'm commenting on the effect systems had on the results your team and blueline achieved despite being pretty much the same (if not worse) on paper year-over-year, but sure.
- MaximumBone

What you should be talking about is how you’re trading Nurse and Klefbom for Ericsson and DDK.

What you should be talking about is how you’re trading Lucic and Russell for Ericsson and Larkin.
- RafiDRW

I can agree with that

I can agree with that
- MaximumBone

Yeah. That’s happening as soon as Kronwall and Zetterberg are traded to you for Puljujarvi, Draisaitl and a 1st

Yeah. That’s happening as soon as Athanasiou and Mantha are traded to you for Pakarinen, Letestu and a 7th
- RafiDRW

I mean, if you're gonna insist

I mean, if you're gonna insist
- MaximumBone

It’s unfair. I can’t quote the quote you quoted in an easy manner

It’s easy to get annoyed with him cause he tends to get frustrated and ineffective. But man he’s so fukin good when he’s on.

Even when he was “struggling” his numbers were quality

It’s unfair. I can’t keep up with your stunning intellect
- RafiDRW

Life is unfair

Drai

And Hall’s streak now 21 games.

Life is unfair
- MaximumBone

See above for my response to this.

It’s easy to get annoyed with him cause he tends to get frustrated and ineffective. But man he’s so fukin good when he’s on.

Even when he was “struggling” his numbers were quality
- HB77

You talking our boy Drai? I don't think I ever got frustrated with him this year. Maybe a game or two.