Comedy gold out of Edmonton

[KennyBanyeah]

Not to defend Edmonton but it's been a crazy year really.

Who would have expected Chicago, Pittsburgh, Edmonton, NYI, Ottawa, Minnesota and Montreal to ALL be outside the playoff picture this late in the year?

 

[dash]

Not to defend Edmonton but it's been a crazy year really.

Who would have expected Chicago, Pittsburgh, Edmonton, NYI, Ottawa, Minnesota and Montreal to ALL be outside the playoff picture this late in the year?

Edmonton had a cupcake schedule last year (they played a tired team on back-to-back nights 19 times last season). Also, Cam Talbot played like Georges Vezina last season. I also think teams though the Oilers were the free space on the Bingo card last season and did not take the team seriously. This season, the chickens have come home to roost. Losing Sekera for pretty much the first half of the season didn't help either.

/In all honesty, I thought the Oilers were in tough to make the playoffs this season. I will admit I didn't think they would be this bad, but we should all know by now to never discount the amount of suckage possible from Edmonton.

 

[dash]

From Spruce Grove (just outside of Edmonton)

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Edmonton had a cupcake schedule last year (they played a tired team on back-to-back nights 19 times last season). Also, Cam Talbot played like Georges Vezina last season. I also think teams though the Oilers were the free space on the Bingo card last season and did not take the team seriously. This season, the chickens have come home to roost. Losing Sekera for pretty much the first half of the season didn't help either.

/In all honesty, I thought the Oilers were in tough to make the playoffs this season. I will admit I didn't think they would be this bad, but we should all know by now to never discount the amount of suckage possible from Edmonton.

Agreed. No excuses for the Coil or any of the other teams I mentioned. I just don't think anyone would have predicted that all those teams that were relatively successful last year would be as bad as they've been.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

From Spruce Grove (just outside of Edmonton)

 

[dash]

The other thing to keep in mind is that the huge contracts for McJesus and Leon kick in next season (a total of 21 shmill). Also, Darnell Nurse and Cam Talbot will be looking for new contracts (aka more money) next season as well. Even with the salary cap going up, there isn't much money left to try to improve this Oilers club.

Edit: My bad, Talbot still has a year left on his contract at the end of this season.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

The other thing to keep in mind is that the huge contracts for McJesus and Leon kick in next season (a total of 21 shmill). Also, Darnell Nurse and Cam Talbot will be looking for new contracts (aka more money) next season as well. Even with the salary cap going up, there isn't much money left to try to improve this Oilers club.

Gotta think they'll have to be looking to shed yet another #1 overall pick int he Nuge.

Of course they'll have to replace him with a another top 6 C. Maybe Brassard from Ottawa if the Sens decide to retool? He comes cheap and is off the books after next year.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Not to defend Edmonton but it's been a crazy year really.

Who would have expected Chicago, Pittsburgh, Edmonton, NYI, Ottawa, Minnesota and Montreal to ALL be outside the playoff picture this late in the year?

Other than Pittsburgh, none of those are really shocking. Maybe as a unit but still not as shocking to me as Vegas being good.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Other than Pittsburgh, none of those are really shocking. Maybe as a unit but still not as shocking to me as Vegas being good.

I think Chicago should still have some good years in them but it's more that all of them went backwards.

As for Vegas being good, they play hard all game long; their coaching staff has done a phenomenal job. And all those points from the good teams turned shitty had to go somewhere.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I think Chicago should still have some good years in them but it's more that all of them went backwards.

Eh. Defence is aging with a lot of mileage and now sans-Hjalmarsson, traded their second-best scorer, Toews' decline, getting swept by Nashville last spring, tough division. I didn't have them making it.

I didn't have LA making it either though and they've been great so...

 

[dash]

Eh. Defence is aging with a lot of mileage and now sans-Hjalmarsson, traded their second-best scorer, Toews' decline, getting swept by Nashville last spring, tough division. I didn't have them making it.

Do we know how long Corey Crawford will be out? I agree with BBB, the Hawks are in tough.

/As are the Flames, I don't think they will make the playoffs either (which is fine as it should mean that Gulutzan will be fired and they can move on from a bad coach).

 

[dash]

I think the Maroon should sit for a game, he's been on the edge with some questionable hits for a while now.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Do we know how long Corey Crawford will be out? I agree with BBB, the Hawks are in tough.

Yeah, this is important too (and you can argue that most of the teams Kenny mentioned have dealt with goalie injuries and/or poor play save NYI, who never had a good goalie to begin with).

 

[dash]

Maroon can sit and swoon for two.

 

[dash]

Apparently, some Oilers fans are upset and are taking out their frustration on Patrick's fiance/family

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Apparently, some Oilers fans are upset and are taking out their frustration on Patrick's fiance/family

Every team has bonehead fans but this is a weird hill to fight from. It's not Maroon's fault Edmonton's PK is god-awful.

 

[dash]

Every team has bonehead fans but this is a weird hill to fight from. It's not Maroon's fault Edmonton's PK is god-awful.

Very true about boneheaded fans for every team - I will say this, Maroon has better than Lucic this season, yet Lucic signed that big long contract and Maroon will likely be with another team next season as his contract is up and this type of stuff doesn't help his chances of re-signing with the Oil.

 

[forty_three]

Gotta think they'll have to be looking to shed yet another #1 overall pick int he Nuge.

Of course they'll have to replace him with a another top 6 C. Maybe Brassard from Ottawa if the Sens decide to retool? He comes cheap and is off the books after next year.

And no, they need D. Veteran D with intangibles and leadership and what not.

 

[dash]

Dreger says that the Oilers were working on a Hall for Ceci trade (1-for-1), but while the Senators were waiting for Melnyk's approval, the Oilers made the trade with New Jersey for Adam Larsson.

Dreger | Senators And Oilers Worked On Hall-for-Ceci Trade

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Dreger says that the Oilers were working on a Hall for Ceci trade (1-for-1), but while the Senators were waiting for Melnyk's approval, the Oilers made the trade with New Jersey for Adam Larsson.

Dreger | Senators And Oilers Worked On Hall-for-Ceci Trade

I for one am very happy they didn't make this deal.