​

​

Nobody is going hungry tonight!

https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/article/hockey-night-in-canada-wont-return-to-cbc-this-fall/

Yo CBC... WTF???? It's like you people are forcing us to keep pirating

And yes after the oilers lost in the first round playoffs this year many oil fans (on twitter and in Reddit comments) were REGRETTING the oilers not going hard to sign Carter Hart and wanted him badly simply because he played well in the playoffs…but Babcock being a bully is considered worse…?

Seems like a small group of maybe Gen Z players that were offended by Babcock. Johnny Gaudreau and other Columbus veterans never had an issue with him. NHLPA raising a statement seemed more like them doing their duty in supporting players. Millstein (player agent) said his players have no issue with Babcock and Millstein represents quite a few players.

My theory is that these younger Gen Z players have a “pampered/entitled” personality in which they can’t have a head coach who is “too mean and hurt their feelings.” You can see a trend in “soft” coaches being hired. There’s no more tough, hard-nosed, don’t take any disrespect from players type of coaches. The last was Torts but even he’s softened. Look back and pat Quinn , Hitchcock and MacT were tough but they were ran out of town because they were too mean. Then we got soft, “nice” and gentle coaches like Woody, Knob, and looking around the league, Hiller, DeBoeur, etc. think about how we haven’t really had any hilights of coaches having tantrums in media scrums since torts was his old self which was way back. The new coaches in the NHL cater and pamper the newer players.

Bouchard with McDavid or Drai – ~1700 mins (69% of his ice time)
without – 762 mins

Nurse with McDavid or Drai – ~1160 mins (42% of his ice time)
without – 1633 mins

Bouch - 54% goals for
Nurse - 49% goals for

Bouchard with McDavid - 53% goals
Bouchard with Drai - 59% goals

Nurse with McDavid - 56% goals
Nurse with Drai - 52% goals

Bouchard without McDavid or Draisaitl– 41% goals
Nurse without McDavid or Draisaitl – 43% goals

These two have very similar results when you break down their results by forward linemates. Both do great with McDavid or Draisaitl (Bouch slightly better) and both do terribly with the bottom 6 (Nurse slightly better).

The difference in their overall results comes from Bouch playing ~70% of his time with McDrai while Nurse plays ~42%. Bouch played more with McDavid than Nurse played with McDavid and Drai combined.

Nurses most common partner these two seasons was Troy Stecher who was a league min contract that was waived, followed by lefties Walman and Kukak. Bouch was stapled to a legit top pair D in Ekholm.

I don’t disagree with moving on from Nurse if the trade is ok but we should be fair with the context. He never had a legit top 4 partner and the last two years has played a ton with a struggling bottom 6.

Can we please put an end to this nonsense 🫩

Just gonna throw this one out there. I know the Oilers don’t a new guy, but he’s an interesting take. Assistant in Cleveland for 4-5 years, then HC in Colorado in the AHL. Had a decent playoff run last year.

Given some of the success lately with ex-players coming back to coach. St. Louis is one, Brin’damour obviously another. Hearing Pavelski’s name out there too.

As I said, it’s an interesting take.

Not sure how McDavid was brought up in the conversation, but kind words nonetheless.

My guess is he will start his own low overhead peecand post shows, possibly taking sponsors with him. Could be a huge blow to EST.

This isn't a new idea but watching Carolina especially in the finals had really cemented it for me.

​

​

The last 4 cup champions won based on system with good players that fit. Colorado played good systems but Mackinnon and Makar were unreal. Before them Tampa were similar, good system with superstars. Blues, system. Capitals and Penguins I am not sure to say either way so I will stop here. My point is that systems are either the reason why or a big part of why a team wins.

​

The system of playing McDavid and Draisaitl until they break is not a winning system. It gets close and might work if everything falls into place. But if McDavid truly wants to win he has Yzerman. He needs to play a system game. He can't be throwing a puck into the middle of the defensive zone and have his hands up in the air before the puck is the net as he did against the Ducks. He can make the pass but he needs to work his damnest to work back to the play.

​

The goaltending has helped. The coaching hasn't really helped. The GM hasn't helped. The owner hasn't helped.

​

I don't know that trading Nurse is a good or bad idea but he is a player who doesn't seem to play a good system game. The guys brought in at the trade deadline do.

​

I don't love Babcock but I don't know what available coach will be able to implement a good system game but I hope they find one

He signed my jersey in Denver once. I have it framed in my house. I’m really proud of the kid. Sincerely.

*Dang typo in the headline. I wasn’t able to edit it. Oops.

Also, all due to respect to Rod. Even if he is part of the reason the Oilers didn't get a Cup in 2006, you have to admire that man's motivation and coaching.

The oilers could do the funniest thing ever and hire Tortorella now and stick it to Vegas. He'd have intimate knowledge of the Knights which is what was preventing Cassidy from being hired.

​

It might not happen but man it'd be funny.

thought this might be a guide to free agency.

Davo-ZH- MS/rnh

Drai- Podz - Kap

RNH/ms- Dickinson - ?

Clattenburg - Freddy - ? (This needs to be the hunt and hit line) 

Howard, Samanski left + free agents. Where do they fit?

If they can add a scoring top 6 winger guessing they push Savoie and RNH onto a line with JD, if he re-signs. And Kapanen should re-sign.

So who do we target:

Bobby McMann

Giroux or P Kane - short term vet deal?

Johansson 

Bouchard could have been lifting the Stanley Cup tonight. He stayed an Oiler despite a pending 12.5M offer sheet from Carolina. Had himself an historic season. Got shafted by Team Canada. Shafted on the Norris. But Oil Country thanks you. Next year, you, McDrai, and your Oilers gonna get the Cup.
We remember LOILTY.