2021/22 Edmonton Oilers

[Gronk!]

I predict that if Tyler Benson doesn't score any points with the Oilers then he will be dealt by the trade deadline for a draft pick and will blossom with his new NHL team.

 

[IanO]

Abysmal effort by the Oilers tonight.

5 and a game for McD.

 

[Andrei]

Abysmal effort by the Oilers tonight.

5 and a game for McD.

I don't think now's the time, but if they keep playing like this, something has to change. It starts with Tippett.

 

[OverheardatYEG]

I don't think now's the time, but if they keep playing like this, something has to change. It starts with Tippett.

Oh boy, lets not get ahead of ourselves, hahah lets look at the whole of the season.

 

[archited]

Some of you are reading too much into this game -- Even the Great Gretzky teams of the 1980s suffered back-to-back losses on occasion.

 

[Edmontonian]

I'm with Andrei to be honest, despite the record Tippett really isn't a great coach. We were 9-1 to start the year, since then we've been 7-6, again the record is good but lets think about how we got those wins. We had a PP that was running at 50%, great goaltending and McDavid and Draisaitl putting up insane starts. The last few games McDavid and Draisaitl are starting to cool down, the PP isn't clicking and it shows how big of an effect that has on the team. The bottom 6 is all revamped with new players who are known to be good bottom 6 forwards yet under Tippett they are struggling to produce. We start each game slow, often allow the first goal and get outshot a bunch in the first period, when it happens this many times it's not a coincidence, it's a coaching problem. Our PP is currently 34% (#1 in the league) and our PK is 85% (#5 in the league), these are 2 factors that Tippett doesn't directly control, special teams are often the job of the assistant coaches. 5v5 we are still below league average, and with the pieces this team has that should be better. We are probably still going to win 50-55 games, because it's a good team with some really good players, but then we get into the playoffs. So far with the Oilers Dave Tippett is 1-7 in the playoffs, we have lost to 2 teams worse than us including the 12th seeded Chicago Blackhawks back in the play in round. Dave Tippett in 16 years of coaching has never made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, and he's had some good teams. The furthest he's made it is the conference finals, twice, in years where his teams were absolutely carried by elite goaltending, including his run to the conference finals in 2011-12 where Mike Smith posted a .944 SV% over 16 games, one of the greatest goaltending performances I've ever witnessed. Tippett's Coyotes still fell short to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion LA Kings in 5 games who were coached by none other than Darryl Sutter (Calgary's Coach). In the 10 years Dave Tippett has made the playoffs, he has lost in the first round 7 times. He is simply not a coach capable of taking this team to the promise land, aside from goaltending the two most important things in the playoffs are depth scoring and good 5v5 play which are two of our weaknesses in Dave Tippett's system, if he even runs one at all because there are genuinely moments in games where this team simply looks lost.

 

[archited]

^^^^ Your comments are valid for me -- you seem to have the best insights and the best handle on the players' performances so I am always interested to read your insights on the game.

 

[Gronk!]

There was a time when the Oilers went through coaches and GMs like toilet paper. Do we really need to dredge up those dark days again?
Really, people.

 

[Edmontonian]

I don't want to be anywhere near those days again, I don't want Tippett fired immediately because we lost back to back games, something that every team does. I'm just saying in the grand scheme of things Tippett, and no coach for that matter, should have job security because they have a good regular season record, making the playoffs each year is nice but because of how poor we were for the start of McDavid and Draisaitls career we have to start going on deep runs right now, and I'm not sure Tippett is the guy who can get us there consistently. If you're content winning ~50 games a season and losing out in like round 2 or something then you would have no problems with Tippett, but I'm young and anxious I want to see them win after watching them suck and lose my entire life

This Oilers team is a good team, no doubt about it, but as much as I want to see them go on a deep run in the playoffs they just don't look built for it right now, I've watched so much hockey from this era and the way our game is played just is not built for the post season. It relies heavily on rush chances, special teams and McDavid and Draisaitl both scoring at insane rates. In the playoffs you score more "garbage goals" than pretty ones, you need shots on net and a cycle, you need your goalie to stand on their head and the defence hold strong and be consistent. There will be less PP's and PK's and more 5v5 hockey, overtime will be played 5 on 5 instead of 3 on 3. I hope I'm wrong and they can overcome these challenges, but this teams system is simply flawed for the playoffs, we saw it last year with Winnipeg and I really don't want to see it again, and unless Tippett can change his system, then finding a new coach may be inevitable.

 

[jason403]

I think Tippett (and Holland for that manner) are dinosaurs. It's not like we need a 30 year old coach/GM, but these geriatrics are just well past their prime. Their dedication to veterans (who are more expensive) simply isn't optimal operating in a system with a salary cap. Unfortunately, if they are the problem, it won't be remedied until its too late as ownership seems to have loyalty towards the old guard.

 

[Edmontonian]

You're 100% correct, they aren't bad at their jobs, they just haven't adapted to the way the league is now compared to how it was 10-20 years ago. Holland and Tippett both are mediocre, they are far from the worst we have seen, in fact they are probably the best management group I've ever seen watching this team play, and the reason for that is indeed ownership. Bob Nicholson, the man in charge of hiring our GM, hired both Peter Chiarelli and Ken Holland without interviewing them, simply based off of their previous success they were hired, the runner up for the job and the man who was likely going to get it before Holland became available was Bill Zito, who is now the GM of the Florida Panthers and has completely turned that team around in just 2 years. I'm hoping we can find a coach similar to Mike Sullivan, who was in his late 40's at the time of being hired by the Pittsburgh Penguins and immediately won 2 cups and even with all the injury problems the penguins have he still finds a way to win games.

 

[IanO]

A three game slide for the Oil... and a good test of their character and locker room. We needed this and better mid-Dec than mid-march.

 

[Airboy]

at the game last night. crap was that a lack luster performance. Someone called it sleep walking. and they should just not put a goal tender in, they way that was played last night.

 

[IanO]

I hope former Oiler Jujhar Khaira is ok from the devastating hit during the CHI/NY game last night.

Stretchered off but released now.

 

[IanO]

NHL team valuations from Forbes got released.

Canadian Team rankings:

2. Toronto at $1.8 billion (20% increase and #2 in league)

3. Montreal at $1.6 billion (19% increase)

9. Edmonton at $1.1 billion (100% increase) - Five-Year Change: 147%

14. Vancouver at $825 million (14% increase)

18. Calgary at $680 million (42% increase)

26. Winnipeg at $575 million (42% increase)

28. Ottawa at $525 million (22% increase)

NHL Team Values 2021: New York Rangers Become Hockey’s First $2 Billion Team

The ice is hot, with the average team value soaring 32% and the sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins for $900 million.

www.forbes.com