well james said yes so that means they'll come last

HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Hotstove: Are The Edmonton Oilers A Playoff Team Next Season?
- ToddCordellVAN

FFS! Seriously. Since when did Sekera become a top pairing defence man in this league??? What has been Talbot's most starts in a season as a #1 goaltender? I don't see not 1 dman that is even close to the calibre of McDonough or Staal.
Oilers should not be a bottom 5 team but they have a long way to go & they need at least 2 more years for Nurse/Klefblom & Reinhart to establish themselves as bonafide top 4 dmen. Maybe it might be prudent to let McDavid get 1 year of NHL under his belt too.

Didn't they already do a little of this?
- LamontSanford

Here's the problem. We needed to add a guy like Sekera and even Gryba going into last year. We loss Petry from that group. So now all we really did was get back to where the defense was going into last year.

The wild card on the point is once again how do young d-men improve from the previous season. Last year Marincin took a step back, but Klefbom took a step forward. What happens this year? I do however hope with better coaching we have a better defense, but there is still a lot of wild cards on our defense.

Flames were a fluke last year.... there the next Toronto.
- Niesner

*they're

The flames weren't a fluke, they just prove that working really hard, sticking to a system that works, and never die attitudes can equate to winning. I guess it's just a fluke the oilers have sucked so bad for so long too, eh?

a real defense?? All their top forwards play great offense but are questionable on D, which you have to play in order to get the puck...
- richardson30

Actually Nuge is quite good defensively

Here's the problem. We needed to add a guy like Sekera and even Gryba going into last year. We loss Petry from that group. So now all we really did was get back to where the defense was going into last year.

The wild card on the point is once again how do young d-men improve from the previous season. Last year Marincin took a step back, but Klefbom took a step forward. What happens this year? I do however hope with better coaching we have a better defense, but there is still a lot of wild cards on our defense.
- Lahey

Getting a Franson or Erhoff would help as long as term/money is right. And we can dump some dead weight aka the Russian Spy and Marathon Ference.

Actually Nuge is quite good defensively
- ystoil

He is, but is anyone else?

Love your optimism!

Actually Nuge is quite good defensively
- ystoil

IMO nuge is on the verge of becoming one of the better 2 way centers in the league. And now with secondary matchups thanks to McDavid he'll look even better. Edmonton is a year of two away from having the best center depth in the NHL

Edmonton will have a top 10 pick in the next draft.

I predict a 12 point increase in points, but no not enough to reach the playoffs. But that's why they play the games.

Don't believe James Tanner, he said Sam Gagner would get 70 points last season... with the COYOTES. I'm surprised his top three teams weren't, Anaheim Edmonton and ARIZONA. Anaheim, Calgary, LA

Edmonton will have a top 10 pick in the next draft.
- matt1337

This year 9th place had 89 points and missed the playoffs in the west. I think a lot of oilers fans agree that's a good possibility for this year. That's basically what 3 of the 4 writers were suggesting as well

James Tanner,

your integrity as a hockey expert as now been comprimised.

it's not about offense - it's about defense - of which the oilers have none of. their offense is better this year? who cares? their offense was already top tier last year - a strong offense doesn't indicate a strong defense - nor will it help when that defense can't get the puck to the offense - what would you rather have - a good mix of offense and defense who all play 2-way or just an amazing offense which consists of almost zero 2-way players (mcdavid will struggle defensively this year and RNH is arguable the only formidable 2-way threat).

top 3 in the pacific? are you kidding me

No

It won't be easy, but teams can rise and fall quickly.
Gotta think LA will be better this year, good enough to push at least one team out of last years top 8
Calgary may have gotten lucky last year, but adding Hamilton to an already great defense and the improvement of their young guys should keep them in the playoffs.

I don't think Edmonton's back end is nearly good enough, I'm still shocked they haven't moved one young guy for some solid depth, they'd still have like 6 other young stars.

I can't believe everyone is being so cautious. Tempering expectations is not what I am here for. Just look at that roster and tell me who in the NHL has comparable offensive talent to McDavid, Hall, Eberle, RNH, Draisaitl, Yakupov, Schultz and Sekara?

This team will be all about exploiting matchups. Not many teams can put a Yakupov one timer on the second PP unit, or Draisaitl on the third line (if they go that way) or even a RNH passing to Eberle and playing against secondary defenses.

If this was any other team than the one people unanimously picked to breakout year after year only to look like idiots, people would be calling this the best roster ever assembled under the salary cap.

A bubble team? Are you kidding me? McDavid alone makes every single team in the NHL a bubble team were he added to their roster.

Last year, lets not forget that the Oilers were eliminated from the Playoffs very early in the season almost exclusively because of terrible luck - injuries + playing a decent to very good possession game that was not getting the results it probably should have.

Lets not forget that Hall's injury was a huge part of their not recovering. That RNH had a pretty amazing year, all things considered. And they'll be icing a team with a real defense and goalie.

The question shouldn't be "will the Oilers make the Playoffs" but how long until the Oilers make the Western Conference their female dog?
- James_Tanner

Lol, and where did they finish this past season? Oh I see, adding teenager McDavid and the great Sekera will change that bottom feeding finish into making the conference their female dog....

Not a bottom feeder but not playoff bound. A year to gel with the group they've assembled and of course if Talbot can steal games... Maybe next year (again)...

4th in the in the Pacific...

Oilers will not make the playoffs without the power of OEL.

#JamesTannerAnecdotes

Oilers will not make the playoffs without the power of OEL.

#JamesTannerAnecdotes
- ChetManly

ya but you're the worst poster on this site...

*they're

The flames weren't a fluke, they just prove that working really hard, sticking to a system that works, and never die attitudes can equate to winning. I guess it's just a fluke the oilers have sucked so bad for so long too, eh?

- Emcee27

Yea they fought hard. But if you don't think it was a fluke the you're just a homer.

Oilers will not make the playoffs without the power of OEL.

#JamesTannerAnecdotes
- ChetManly

I really hope that sometime in his career OEL is traded or signs somewhere else.. I just want to read the amazing blog from tanner that would come

Hurricane of intelligence going through these parts

ya but you're the worst poster on this site...
- geta02it

It's a gift, what can I say?

I really hope that sometime in his career OEL is traded or signs somewhere else.. I just want to read the amazing blog from tanner that would come
- kessellover69

It would either be
a) a sad love story
b) a hate speech stating how terrible OEL actually is
c) we would never hear from Tanner again