2021 Edmonton Oilers season thread

[nafnikufesin]

This year is gonna be different, right?

At least, if nothing else, the misery will be shorter.

[Uncle Bobby]

Re: 2021 Edmonton Oilers season thread

Wow, crickets in here. I guess no one wants to get their hopes up too high or jinx it if things are going good.

Sarry. I'll quietly back away now.

[Esks4ever]

Re: 2021 Edmonton Oilers season thread

Its nice not see see endless whining over and over again.

[Hotrodzz]

Re: 2021 Edmonton Oilers season thread

Leafs and Oil. Should be a barn burner

[nafnikufesin]

Re: 2021 Edmonton Oilers season thread

We should make the playoffs, and 2nd in the North should be the expectation at this point, but the last two games show that this team isn't ready to go all the way.

[bone]

Re: 2021 Edmonton Oilers season thread

We should make the playoffs, and 2nd in the North should be the expectation at this point, but the last two games show that this team isn't ready to go all the way.

At this point, I think the best case scenario for the team is playoffs and hopefully win a series or two. They aren't ready to go the distance, but a reasonably successful year while burning off a little more of the excessive cap burden of past buyouts, Russell, etc, and development of the younger players should put us in much better position to go for it the next few years while still having Leon and Connor locked up. The fixed cap is a bit of an issue, but perhaps it allows a couple one or two year transition contracts like Barrie to get the younger players ready for primetime shortly after.

Say Barrie's inflated stats this year get him that big contract somewhere else he desires. That may become the biggest selling point we can offer to veterans that may not be getting the offers they want and they are willing to try a 1 or 2 season discounted contract to try and pump up their value for their next contract. So with this in mind, people probably need to stop wishing less success on Barrie. He's insulating Bouchard and Bear a bit this year and a successful season for him could help us getting those one year stop gap contracts going forward as well. For example, next year, we'll really need to find stop gap veteran top 6 left winger (or two if Nuge is gone) and third line centre to insulate for guys like Benson, McLeod, Holloway coming in the next couple years.

All that said, the goaltending situation definitely needs to be cleared up soon if they want to accelerate when they are ready. If you put a top 10 goalie behind this crew they could become really dangerous really quickly. We can hope Konovalov may be that guy a couple years from now, but with that, we'd again need that one or two year stop gap goalie option to get him ready, and at this point, we know Koskinen isn't the guy and Smith is too far into his career to rely on anything beyond this year.

The good news is the things the Oilers need most now, aren't nearly as tough to obtain as the things they needed a few years back and they do at least have some in house (ie. cheaper options) growing that could ultimately fill those holes.

[Uncle Bobby]

Re: 2021 Edmonton Oilers season thread

Time to lock this thread. Things went bad when comments started.

[Uncle Bobby]

Re: 2021 Edmonton Oilers season thread

I grew up with the Oilers in the 80's. These high scoring shatkickings like they just laid on Calgary feel very familiar and comfortable.

[glenvb]

Re: 2021 Edmonton Oilers season thread

I grew up with the Oilers in the 80's. These high scoring shatkickings like they just laid on Calgary feel very familiar and comfortable.

Me too. I hope that they continue to become more and more familiar and comfortable.

[Esks1975]

Re: 2021 Edmonton Oilers season thread

"I can’t believe I’m going to say this but the Oilers need to re-sign Mike Smith."

I can't believe I was reading this.

[eskfan152]

Re: 2021 Edmonton Oilers season thread

In the strangest of years, we got to watch something truly remarkable. Mcdavid with 100 points in 53 games! WOW!! The guy is really something else to watch, really too bad there were no fans in the building to celebrate with the team. Second place in the north clinched, the playoffs should be fun! I’ve really enjoyed the north division this year, playing the same small amount of teams has actually reminded me of the CFL. It’s easier to get to know the makeup of these teams when you watch them so much.

[Esks4ever]

Re: 2021 Edmonton Oilers season thread

Whata feat by McD.

Sadly theres people out there that dont think he should be winning the MVP because of PP points blah blah... Whom are they pumping?? Matthews of course. And now some dipship in Boston is joining the parade in saying McD shouldn't win.

It pisses me off at how ignorant the East is. Because McD is on western team they are completely oblivious/ignorant to what he's doing which is making the NHL his bitch If MacD was on a eastern team it would be wall to wall all they talk about. The NHL should be promoting the **** out of McD like they've done with Crosby.... but oh no he's on a western team in Canada **** him.


When that conner Bernard hits the NHL in a few years, I'm sure they'll make sure he'll be on a Eastern team and they will promote the hell out of him and McDavid will just fade away ( in terms of being promoted not dominating the league)

[glenvb]

Re: 2021 Edmonton Oilers season thread

I'm getting a little tired of the Toronto Sports Network myself...every day it seems there are more stories and columns about the Leafs than about all the other teams (sometimes all the other sports!) put together.

But look what happens over the long term. Greatness wins out in the end. Wayne Gretzky was the greatest of all time, and he played his glory days in Edmonton. Mario Lemieux didn't play in New York or LA; he played in Pittsburgh, an often-overlooked city in Pennsylvania. Those are the names we remember. Now there's a third player in that pantheon, and he's in Edmonton again. McDavid's accomplishments will conquer the eastern bias as easily as he conquers goalies on the ice. We are so lucky to have been, twice, in the presence of greatness.

And imagine... he's only 24 years old!

[Esks4ever]

Re: 2021 Edmonton Oilers season thread

I'm getting a little tired of the Toronto Sports Network myself...every day it seems there are more stories and columns about the Leafs than about all the other teams (sometimes all the other sports!) put together.

But look what happens over the long term. Greatness wins out in the end. Wayne Gretzky was the greatest of all time, and he played his glory days in Edmonton. Mario Lemieux didn't play in New York or LA; he played in Pittsburgh, an often-overlooked city in Pennsylvania. Those are the names we remember. Now there's a third player in that pantheon, and he's in Edmonton again. McDavid's accomplishments will conquer the eastern bias as easily as he conquers goalies on the ice. We are so lucky to have been, twice, in the presence of greatness.

And imagine... he's only 24 years old!

both TSN and sportnet are garbage in the amount they have to bring up the leafs. Their love in for Matthews is just annoying. A few weeks ago during sportscenter or whatever they call it, they said Matthews had the GOAL of the YEAR!!! Unbelievable!!! Just pure magic. I was intrigued to see what this magical goal was..... he knocked it out of the air and shot at the net... whoppeee doo.. .the puck barely trickled in. I get promoting your cities star but come on.


I always laugh at leaf fans who say McDavid is a lesser player who doesn't play a 200 foot game, and cherry picks at the line for break outs. Funny I've seen Matthews doing exactly that, and those who made those comments clearly dont watch Edmonton games cuz McD doesn't do that.

[bone]

Re: 2021 Edmonton Oilers season thread

both TSN and sportnet are garbage in the amount they have to bring up the leafs. Their love in for Matthews is just annoying. A few weeks ago during sportscenter or whatever they call it, they said Matthews had the GOAL of the YEAR!!! Unbelievable!!! Just pure magic. I was intrigued to see what this magical goal was..... he knocked it out of the air and shot at the net... whoppeee doo.. .the puck barely trickled in. I get promoting your cities star but come on.


I always laugh at leaf fans who say McDavid is a lesser player who doesn't play a 200 foot game, and cherry picks at the line for break outs. Funny I've seen Matthews doing exactly that, and those who made those comments clearly dont watch Edmonton games cuz McD doesn't do that.

That Matthews goal was at least impressive hand eye coordination and in real time happened ridiculously fast, so it's definitely one of his nicer goals and I think it's better seeing them pumping that then when they were pumping Spezza's head fake on Smith as the goal of the year. But still, looking at the individual efforts on some of Connor's goals it's crazy that they think those are the same level.