Oil Spill

[coopaloop1234]

Who else is absolutely giddy with the embarrassment that is the 2023-2024 Oilers right now? 

Over the past few years I've realized that I no longer care about supporting a team in the NHL and that my joy mostly comes from rooting against teams. 

So (ignoring Boston), I'm enjoying this season. 

[froese]

I absolutely find more pleasure in watching teams I hate fail than I do seeing ones that I like succeed. The Jets are definitely my team, but I prefer to monitor their games and feel good when they win but allocate most of my focus on watching the Leafs suck . I don't mind the Oilers, but it's such a train wreck right now that the entertainment factor is too good not to enjoy. 

Besides that I make decisions on what games to watch based mostly on who's in net and whether I want to focus on them and watch their game or not. Oh, and Calgary...definitely enjoying their misery as well.

[WillyGrips13]

Ah yes, Schadenfreude. 
The Oilers and Leafs are similar in that they either drafted or signed highly skilled goal-scorers and payed them huge contracts. Due to the salary cap, they can’t fill the rest of their roster with comparable players. Neither organization seems to be able to draft an elite goaltender. And the goaltenders they’ve had haven’t been helped by the poor defensive zone play by their players. Commitment to defense is not a core principle of either team. So both teams are set up to fail in the playoffs. It’s just surprising it’s happening to the Oilers now, during the season.

[froese]

24 minutes ago, WillyGrips13 said:

Ah yes, Schadenfreude. 
The Oilers and Leafs are similar in that they either drafted or signed highly skilled goal-scorers and payed them huge contracts. Due to the salary cap, they can’t fill the rest of their roster with comparable players. Neither organization seems to be able to draft an elite goaltender. And the goaltenders they’ve had haven’t been helped by the poor defensive zone play by their players. Commitment to defense is not a core principle of either team. So both teams are set up to fail in the playoffs. It’s just surprising it’s happening to the Oilers now, during the season.

And the Leafs are in danger of it happening to them during the season as well. Right now the difference is they're still out scoring their horrible goaltending/defense, but if that dries up they're going to be in trouble. It's actually jarring watching Campbell, Skinner and Samsonov and how terrible they are. Skinner was better last night but all three have moments where they're swimming like a beer league goalie and look like they don't know how to play. Although I'd argue Campbell has never been good, except for a 3 month stretch with the Leafs where he went on a heater and made the all star team. Other than that, he's just a bad goalie who taps his teammates on the shin pads so they all like him.

[WillyGrips13]

Really it sounds like you are saying they are backups, which illustrates that management doesn’t know how to identify elite goaltenders. This is not a new problem. Both organizations inexplicably thought Campbell was their guy. He actually looks like a beer league goalie when he plays. Would anyone ever think that Mike Smith or Mikko Koskinen were anything more than good or average backup goalies? Samsonov and Skinner might actually be good. I don’t know because they play on teams who are clueless defensively. It should not be lost on anyone that Adin Hill was languishing on two bad teams before going to the Vegas organization. They were forced to use him as their fourth option due to injuries. Turns out he’s actually pretty good when playing on a team that’s not incompetent. Now he’s their guy and it’s going quite well. 

[coopaloop1234]

24 minutes ago, WillyGrips13 said:

 Would anyone ever think that Mike Smith or Mikko Koskinen were anything more than good or average backup goalies? 

Mike Smith was a starter for most of his career and posted pretty average numbers for a NHL starting goalie. Especially when playing for the Coyotes for years. 

Dude was a headcase and prone to some bad fucking goals. But he was a legit goalie. 

[tubby34]

The longer this goes on the closer we get to two things:

Draistl and Mcdavid in another uniform

OR

Oilers overpaying for a proven commodity like Hellebuck, Bobrovsky or Saros (while those teams eat cap hits for good assets.)

I love bob, and feel like he's gotten a bad shake in florida with his usage and three coaches in three years- but if they can get great stuff for him they should move on and give the net to Stolarz and Knight

[coopaloop1234]

Just now, tubby34 said:

The longer this goes on the closer we get to two things:

Draistl and Mcdavid in another uniform

OR

Oilers overpaying for a proven commodity like Hellebuck, Bobrovsky or Saros (while those teams eat cap hits for good assets.)

I love bob, and feel like he's gotten a bad shake in florida with his usage and three coaches in three years- but if they can get great stuff for him they should move on and give the net to Stolarz and Knight

Edmonton tried to throw massive money at a few guys over the offseason. They all denied so they were stuck with Campbell. 

Guys know how rough the defense is out there, and it doesn't help that Edmonton is a hole too. 

I bet you anything the duo leave. Imagine McDavid almost anywhere else.

[WillyGrips13]

1 hour ago, coopaloop1234 said:

Mike Smith was a starter for most of his career and posted pretty average numbers for a NHL starting goalie. Especially when playing for the Coyotes for years. 

Dude was a headcase and prone to some bad fucking goals. But he was a legit goalie. 

Yeah, I’m not saying he was bad. I’m saying he’s not an elite goalie and paired with poor defensive zone play, it was never going to work. So after the fact when fans and pundits blame Smith instead of the organization for setting up the team to fail seems delusional at best. 

[jerd31]

17 hours ago, tubby34 said:

The longer this goes on the closer we get to two things:

Draistl and Mcdavid in another uniform

OR

Oilers overpaying for a proven commodity like Hellebuck, Bobrovsky or Saros (while those teams eat cap hits for good assets.)

I love bob, and feel like he's gotten a bad shake in florida with his usage and three coaches in three years- but if they can get great stuff for him they should move on and give the net to Stolarz and Knight

The second can’t happen with their current cap situation.  Helle just signed long term, Bob’s cap hit his massive, and Saros will probably command two firsts at minimum from the Oilers.  
 

The reality is, any move they make for a goalie will require giving up significant draft capital, plus trying to find someone to offload Campbell’s contract onto.  
 

That still doesn’t solve the defensive situation, which is saddled with Nurse’s god awful contract.  
 

IMO, Oilers are fucked and will have no choice but to trade away significant draft picks to fill one of many holes.  McDavid and Drai will still probably leave anyway, because they’re not going deep into the playoffs anytime soon.  

[Fullright]

Sucks to see the Oilers spilling. I dont know whether the problem is cap space, bad management, or what. Regarding the situation in net, it just sucks to see it. I'm sitting here scratching my head about their last stud goalie (defined in my concussed brain as a goaler who can win by himself) and unless I am forgetting someone, Grant Fuhr is the only one who comes to mind who did it for more than a season or two.

[RichMan]

21 hours ago, Fullright said:

Sucks to see the Oilers spilling. I dont know whether the problem is cap space, bad management, or what. Regarding the situation in net, it just sucks to see it. I'm sitting here scratching my head about their last stud goalie (defined in my concussed brain as a goaler who can win by himself) and unless I am forgetting someone, Grant Fuhr is the only one who comes to mind who did it for more than a season or two.

Bill Ranford? Maybe?

I feel for Soupie. He's a good goalie struggling with some bad spirits or shit. I hope he can fix whatever is broken and work his way back up again before he becomes forgotten and obsolete. 

On a good note, Oilers opened up the machine last night and had a strong outing. Maybe they broke the curse and are now going to shine...or it was a fluke and fans got a rare freebee.

Edited November 12, 2023 by RichMan

[35RoloSmith41]

On 11/10/2023 at 12:02 PM, coopaloop1234 said:

Who else is absolutely giddy with the embarrassment that is the 2023-2024 Oilers right now? 

Over the past few years I've realized that I no longer care about supporting a team in the NHL and that my joy mostly comes from rooting against teams. 

So (ignoring Boston), I'm enjoying this season. 

Im more of a hockey analyst/goalie supporter than the average fan who just yells stuff at their tv. gets drunk and calls into the radio shows. The decade of darkness was a good way to stop getting so emotionally invested in just a game. I'm still an oilers fan to some extent but i honestly don't really care if we were to blow the team up. Its kind of fun to just interact with the fans who act like this game affects their life. 

[35RoloSmith41]

On 11/10/2023 at 1:43 PM, WillyGrips13 said:

Really it sounds like you are saying they are backups, which illustrates that management doesn’t know how to identify elite goaltenders. This is not a new problem. Both organizations inexplicably thought Campbell was their guy. He actually looks like a beer league goalie when he plays. Would anyone ever think that Mike Smith or Mikko Koskinen were anything more than good or average backup goalies? Samsonov and Skinner might actually be good. I don’t know because they play on teams who are clueless defensively. It should not be lost on anyone that Adin Hill was languishing on two bad teams before going to the Vegas organization. They were forced to use him as their fourth option due to injuries. Turns out he’s actually pretty good when playing on a team that’s not incompetent. Now he’s their guy and it’s going quite well. 

mike smith had a .923 and .915 sv% his last 2 years with us and his goals saved above expected was 6th in the NHL. He was elite for the oilers. His puck playing made the D look better than they were. 

[Fullright]

@RichMan: I forgot about Ranford. Tremendous goalie esp when the Oilers won the Cup with him.

@35RoloSmith41: I forgot about Smith also....good numbers on a crap team & his puck playing skill covered a lot of flaws on his D.

[WillyGrips13]

On 11/12/2023 at 1:34 PM, 35RoloSmith41 said:

mike smith had a .923 and .915 sv% his last 2 years with us and his goals saved above expected was 6th in the NHL. He was elite for the oilers. His puck playing made the D look better than they were. 

[coopaloop1234]

The trade request looks closer and closer. 

I can't wait. 

[johncho]

I really hope they overpay for Jake Allen and not realize that it's their D that's rotten. Nurse is just horrible.

Edited November 23, 2023 by johncho

[keeperton]

The current rumor is Mrazek since he didn't practice with the Blackhawks (and Perry?). We'll see, I guess, but he's done rather well on a terrible Blackhawks team.

[ethanallen]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cz_pqRWLPEl/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

[johncho]

Isn't Mrazek very injury prone? Perry would be a good get though for the 20 goals and veteran presence in the playoffs.

[Fullright]

Mrazek's injury history is groins. He's looked really sharp this year so far. The Hawks arent going any where this year with 3 D each of which is less than 22 yrs. old. He's covered a lot of mistakes this year. If they trade him, it means Commesso must be close. I just dont know about Soderbloom; he's big and mobile but really hard to project which level he'll reach. Oh no! Dont trade Perry. Mystery why he has not practiced and dressed for 2 games. Bedard needs him. Saw clips of the Oiler the last few games....geez. Their problems are not only in net. 

Speaking of Bedard: any one using VH or reverse VH with him is going to get beat. He just waits for it and either wires it bar down or puts it in off the goalie's head. He's really something else. 

Edited November 25, 2023 by Fullright