Ryan Garner: Assessing a Bad Relationship: Leafs Rout Oilers

U took the words right outta my mouth.

Great blog

Don't worry Be Happy ....

The season is done(playoff)let's see what Eakins can do for the rest of the season with a healthy team,and make the players improvements in the off season.

Its a common saying in Edmonton but time and patience is needed. Theres been too many coachs in the recent years and the team is just scrammbled and plays like a different team every night. Each game is a mystery. Once they settle in to Eakins system the team will play more consistant as they gel as a team and know where each other is on the ice. All the kids are still maturing as well and improving as the days go by so. Its all a matter of when this group comes together collectively as a team.

Thats not to say we still cant improve in other areas as well. Bishop and Bernier were two guys we missed out on. Maybe if MacT were at the helm at that time we could have snatched on of them but thats all talk of the past and when we all believed Dubnyk could be our starter. Its over 10 games in now and I dont see him taking us to the finals, let alone playoffs. Some may disagree. But if MacT wants to maje a "bold" move, Hiller, Halak and Elliot would be #1 in my books to go after.

Maxbone has been chirping eakins hard for a couple weeks and i just mostly scoffed. I really thought he was just finding excuses. How could it possibly be 'coaching' after years of failures with different coaches?

Of course The answer isnt so simple as to one guy. But a supposed more mature team, a year furthur in development, some very solid pieces and depth added and a much worse record than last year? Or a pp thats went from first to close to last? A pk thats atrocious? How could this be?

Maybe it is just trying to learn the system. But either this system is much more complex (which seems like an odd strategy to employ on a young and new team) or there's something very wrong with it.
Cant argue with the lack of results thus far can we?

Outta the playoffs by november? Wow. What's the silver lining here?

This about sums it up.
The first Leafs loss this season crushed most of what was left of my hope. I realized it was the same old song. The difference for me now is the progression from rage to apathy. Having 2 die hard Leafs fans in my family should have made this one stung, but I simply shrugged.

Like you, I'm life long and always will be, but at this point I'm shrugging until they're bonafide. Done with the injuries, done with the excuses, done with the future. I'll watch and I'll shrug.

And I'm a Bills fan, so I'm destined to be unhappy with my sports life.

Guys I know I am Leafs fan and that the Oil played below average tonight but I do think this team will start rolling soon but they do need consistency (in a good way). In my mind they need an upgrade in goaltending (it was pretty good tonight though), a big tough defenceman (nurse will be that guy soon) and a gritty forward like clarkson who isnt afraid to go to the dirty areas. Too many perimeter players in my mind. I am not the biggest Yak fan and watched this kid in Junior. I believe he should be the one to go and that you may get a good piece back for him. Just an opinion.

Oilers suck from the head office to the water boy. Heck the water boy they have now is probably Steve Smiths grandson. Krueger and Renney are laughing after every oilers loss.

Guys I know I am Leafs fan and that the Oil played below average tonight but I do think this team will start rolling soon but they do need consistency (in a good way). In my mind they need an upgrade in goaltending (it was pretty good tonight though), a big tough defenceman (nurse will be that guy soon) and a gritty forward like clarkson who isnt afraid to go to the dirty areas. Too many perimeter players in my mind. I am not the biggest Yak fan and watched this kid in Junior. I believe he should be the one to go and that you may get a good piece back for him. Just an opinion.
- Babalu88

You're absolutely right with the perimeter players. When Lars Eller called them a junior team, were any fans upset? I wasn't, that's how I've described them during some games. Individualistic, fancy, players who always try to make the extra move over the smart play.

I don't even know what to think at this point as to what needs to be done. Obviously a goalie and top pairing D are needed. Hopefully Nurse is that guy on the point.

Guys I know I am Leafs fan and that the Oil played below average tonight but I do think this team will start rolling soon but they do need consistency (in a good way). In my mind they need an upgrade in goaltending (it was pretty good tonight though), a big tough defenceman (nurse will be that guy soon) and a gritty forward like clarkson who isnt afraid to go to the dirty areas. Too many perimeter players in my mind. I am not the biggest Yak fan and watched this kid in Junior. I believe he should be the one to go and that you may get a good piece back for him. Just an opinion.
- Babalu88

Hiller, Coburn, and Ott? Maybe not the first one as Dubnyk had a solid stretch of 3 games that I'd like to believe was his actual level, but those other two would be nice.

Preach!

This team (frank)ing blows... and what makes it worse is that I can't think of a single Oiler that I like right now.

I hate them all equally!

Maxbone has been chirping eakins hard and i really thought he was just finding excuses. How could it possibly be 'coaching' after years of failures with different coaching?

Of course The answer isnt so simple as to one guy. But a supposed more mature team with some very solid pieces added and a much worse record than last year? Or a pp thats went from first to close to last? A pk thats atrocious? How could this be?

Maybe it is just trying to learn the system. But either this system is much more difficult to employ (which seems like an odd strategy to employ on a young and new team) or there's something very wrong with it.
Cant argue with the lack of results thus far can we?

Outta the playoffs by november? Wow. What's the silver lining here?
- hugefemale dog77

Not defending Eakins but the Oil started the season with out Nudge and Gagner so that didn't help but even with out them the Oil could have won 2 or 3 more games if the Goalies would have done there job and in particular Dubnyk,I don't like Eakins system because I haven't seen one yet with this team but we have to realize that this season started bad for the new Coach with those two players injured and a Goalie that not one though it would struggle that bad his first few games,I say give Eakins this full season no matter what and see what improvements or positive things happen at the end of the season.

Hiller, Coburn, and Ott? Maybe not the first one as Dubnyk had a solid stretch of 3 games that I'd like to believe was his actual level, but those other two would be nice.
- MaximumBone

I don't want to see trades happen yet for any of the top 6(in particular Yak)let's be honest the Oil won't make the playoff this season,so to improve the team I say way till the off season to make trades etc,who knows Yak could end up with 30 goals still at the end of the season and if he is the player to go then his value will be even higher in a trade,any trade now it should only be for picks or propspects from the Oil.

I don't want to see trades happen yet for any of the top 6(in particular Yak)let's be honest the Oil won't make the playoff this season,so to improve the team I say way till the off season to make trades etc,who knows Yak could end up with 30 goals still at the end of the season and if he is the player to go then his value will be even higher in a trade,any trade now it should only be for picks or propspects from the Oil.
- AlEx_OiL

Level headed and realistic.

Certainly doesnt alleviate the sting and embarassment of talking about picks and prospects again. All before november

I don't want to see trades happen yet for any of the top 6(in particular Yak)let's be honest the Oil won't make the playoff this season,so to improve the team I say way till the off season to make trades etc,who knows Yak could end up with 30 goals still at the end of the season and if he is the player to go then his value will be even higher in a trade,any trade now it should only be for picks or propspects from the Oil.
- AlEx_OiL

Coburn for Smid, Gernat, and our 2015 2nd
Ott for Lander and a pick (or Musil)

It shouldn't take any or our top-6 to acquire guys like those I mentioned (assuming the teams they play for are open to moving them). The problem in making deals this early is very few teams are looking at deals now as there aren't enough who have resigned themselves to failure and become sellers. Teams are still trying to figure out what they have and what they need. The few sellers there are don't want to sell now because they want to wait to create a bidding war for their assets.

Buffalo is currently the only team in "Sell Mode" while Philly (before this recent stretch) might've been looking for a move to shake up their roster. Beyond those two, maybe Florida could be open to a move, but with them being mid-rebuild like us, they're unlikely to trade away any valuable pieces.

Coburn for Smid, Gernat, and our 2015 2nd
Ott for Lander and a pick (or Musil)

It shouldn't take any or our top-6 to acquire guys like those I mentioned (assuming the teams they play for are open to moving them). The problem in making deals this early is very few teams are looking at deals now as there aren't enough who have resigned themselves to failure and become sellers. Teams are still trying to figure out what they have and what they need. The few sellers there are don't want to sell now because they want to wait to create a bidding war for their assets.

Buffalo is currently the only team in "Sell Mode" while Philly (before this recent stretch) might've been looking for a move to shake up their roster. Beyond those two, maybe Florida could be open to a move, but with them being mid-rebuild like us, they're unlikely to trade away any valuable pieces.
- MaximumBone

While they may not be HUGE upgrades, they ARE upgrades. Adding those two creates stronger depth and adds two pieces that seem like viable fits into Eakins' system (aggressive and fast-paced). The trickle-down effect of two moves like these would in my opinion be equally as- if not more- valuable than trading a bunch of pieces for a single top-2 Dman.

Coburn represents a legitimate top-4 Dman who stands as a reasonable expectation for what Nurse can become. A big-bodied, smooth skating, physical D presence that puts emphasis on strong defense. The addition of a guy like him pushes Smid down off of the top pair that he's not really suited for and down into a position that he, Belov, and Ference will compete for alongside J. Schultz on the 2nd pairing.

Coburn- Petry
Smid/Belov- J Schultz
Ference- Belov/Smid
N Schultz/Larsen/Grebishkov/Fedun

We all know what Ott would bring and he's slot right into the 3LW slot after Hall and Perron returned.

Hall- Gagner- Eberle
Perron- Nuge- Yak (if he can smarten up)
Ott- Gordon- Arco
Smyth/JJ- Acton/Lander- Jones/Pitlick
Gazdic/Eager

(frank) I hate this team...

Quick question: why the (frank) are the Flames always getting the easy side of the back-to-backs this season?

Level headed and realistic.

Certainly doesnt alleviate the sting and embarassment of talking about picks and prospects again. All before november
- hugefemale dog77

Lets wait and see how this season ends,yes its embarrising right now and upseting but lets breath for a moment and see what this team can do with a full healthy team,btw I think the Oil should finish this season with Dubnyk and Bachman in net.

Quick question: why the (frank) are the Flames always getting the easy side of the back-to-backs this season?
- MaximumBone

Leafs will beat them too.. No worries..

But to answer your question, Harper.

This doesn't feel like a team that hates to lose.
Being told to be patient is saying it's OK to lose.
No more excuses.

Leafs will beat them too.. No worries..

But to answer your question, Harper.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Coburn for Smid, Gernat, and our 2015 2nd
Ott for Lander and a pick (or Musil)

It shouldn't take any or our top-6 to acquire guys like those I mentioned (assuming the teams they play for are open to moving them). The problem in making deals this early is very few teams are looking at deals now as there aren't enough who have resigned themselves to failure and become sellers. Teams are still trying to figure out what they have and what they need. The few sellers there are don't want to sell now because they want to wait to create a bidding war for their assets.

Buffalo is currently the only team in "Sell Mode" while Philly (before this recent stretch) might've been looking for a move to shake up their roster. Beyond those two, maybe Florida could be open to a move, but with them being mid-rebuild like us, they're unlikely to trade away any valuable pieces.
- MaximumBone

You'll have to overpay for that to happen. We're a very young team and more importantly we lack stability. Most of the vets on our team are terrible influences on the young players so a guy like Ott who works hard at both ends of the ice is a plus for us. I hope that makes sense.

Stay the course Oiler fans, your nearly half way there.

You'll have to overpay for that to happen. We're a very young team and more importantly we lack stability. Most of the vets on our team are terrible influences on the young players so a guy like Ott who works hard at both ends of the ice is a plus for us. I hope that makes sense.
- Sabresfan-365

Yeah, but I wouldn't go much higher than that for a guy that's a UFA at season's end unless it were a sign and trade. Even then, Ott isn't a guy you pay a premium for. Let's say it was a sign and trade, would Lander, Gernat, and a pick suffice? The pick probably being a 2015 3rd or perhaps a 2nd.