HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Which team has the worst forward core in the NHL?

Vote to kick Edmonton from the league?

HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Which team has the worst forward core in the NHL?
- ToddCordellVAN

Hard to argue the Sens dont have the worst everything in the NHL.

Trying to understand how a team with McDavid and Draisaitl, despite the lack of depth, are worse off then a team whose top two players are Tkachuk and ....Anisimov?

Coyotes

Stepan - Mediocre 2nd line center at best masquerading as a 1st line center

Kessel - Floater who is poor defensively, needs elite players to produce and doesn't have that in Arizona

Schmalz, Dvorak - Unproven guys which Chayka gave $$$ to in hopes they become legit

Keller - The lone bright spot, don't get too hyped about 47 points in 82 games

Soderberg - Got dumped by a real contender for scraps - nuff said

HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Which team has the worst forward core in the NHL?
- ToddCordellVAN

Red Wings. Larkin, Mantha, Athanasiou, Bertuzzi... The rest is a bag of barf. Zadina and Veleno aren't ready yet.

As an Oiler fan, Todd’s words are a harsh reality

Can’t be long before McDavid asks to be traded

The ducks have a few bright spots. But overall a pretty poopty forward core. Even with subtracting ugly.

Hard to argue the Sens dont have the worst everything in the NHL.

Trying to understand how a team with McDavid and Draisaitl, despite the lack of depth, are worse off then a team whose top two players are Tkachuk and ....Anisimov?
- systemtool

RNH would be their best forward. I’m not impressed by LAK or ANA forward cores either.

Oilers are a lazy but popular choice because they have had a lot of good fortune with high picks but they are still in the conversation for this due to horrible management.

RNH would be their best forward. I’m not impressed by LAK or ANA forward cores either.

Oilers are a lazy but popular choice because they have had a lot of good fortune with high picks but they are still in the conversation for this due to horrible management.
- RonPielep

Reality is I would probably take RNH, McDavid and Draisaitl over some teams complete forward cores. Teams like the two you mentioned and Habs, Sens..maybe Yotes and Rangers.

Coyotes

Kessel - Floater who is poor defensively, needs elite players to produce and doesn't have that in Arizona

empircal data suggest otherwise. he never had elite players in toronto and was producing at a high rate offensively. obviously you will put up more points playing with malkin than with bozak but from the 11/12 season to 13/14 season he was pretty much a ppg player playing on a line with 2nd and 3rd line players (jvr and bozak).

he is definitely a poor defender though.

empircal data suggest otherwise. he never had elite players in toronto and was producing at a high rate offensively. obviously you will put up more points playing with malkin than with bozak but from the 11/12 season to 13/14 season he was pretty much a ppg player playing on a line with 2nd and 3rd line players (jvr and bozak).

he is definitely a poor defender though.
- danktrees

Rolo is a mouthbreather Pens fan. Pay him no attention.

RNH would be their best forward. I’m not impressed by LAK or ANA forward cores either.

Oilers are a lazy but popular choice because they have had a lot of good fortune with high picks but they are still in the conversation for this due to horrible management.
- RonPielep

Pretty much this

It may not be the worst or even bottom few. Especially considering that Connor and Leon alone give them a head start on virtually every team.

But the real point is that after all those picks, and while having the best player in the world, it’s embarrassing and a joke that they’re even somewhere in the conversation.

I don’t like to wish Ill on people. But wow chiarelli was awful. Fuk him. I will never ever listen to appeal to authority bs again after witnessing the debacle he had in edm. You could have actively wanted to hurt the oilers and not done a much worse job

Ottawa is the only choice here, guys. Edmonton is close to the bottom but Ottawa's is as bad as it gets. I'd also list Minnesota, Detroit and even Columbus before Edmonton. Depth isn't all there is to a forward corps.

You clowns do realize when you're talking about a group, it's corps, and not core, right?

Overall, the Edmonton forward corps might be bad, but you can't say the the core of McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins isn't good.

But hey... don't let the Queen's English get in the way of a good bashing.

empircal data suggest otherwise. he never had elite players in toronto and was producing at a high rate offensively. obviously you will put up more points playing with malkin than with bozak but from the 11/12 season to 13/14 season he was pretty much a ppg player playing on a line with 2nd and 3rd line players (jvr and bozak).

he is definitely a poor defender though.
- danktrees

He was 24-27 - Now he's 32

Kessel is not the kinda guy who will age like Wine

You clowns do realize when you're talking about a group, it's corps, and not core, right?

Overall, the Edmonton forward corps might be bad, but you can't say the the core of McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins isn't good.

But hey... don't let the Queen's English get in the way of a good bashing.
- BaronVonShiznit

They’re talking about the core of the team you dimwit. You know? Main pieces.

They’re talking about the core of the team you dimwit. You know? Main pieces.
- shack67

Then riddle me this, Batman...

How can one say McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins isn't a good core?

Ottawa is the only choice here, guys. Edmonton is close to the bottom but Ottawa's is as bad as it gets. I'd also list Minnesota, Detroit and even Columbus before Edmonton. Depth isn't all there is to a forward corps.
- MaximumBone

Ottawa has no one on their radar projecting to be anywhere near McDavid or Draisatl

He was 24-27 - Now he's 32

Kessel is not the kinda guy who will age like Wine
- RoloTahmasee

Trading kessel just completely closed the Penguins Stanley cup window. Only chance they have now of winning another cup in the Crosby era is if they start rebuilding right now maybe they can build a team back up by his final season.

next week: Worst defense corps in the league...Edmonton Oilers

two weeks from now: worst Goaltending tandem...Edmonton Oilers

three weeks from now: worst GM over the past 5yrs....Edmonton Oilers

hopefully Holland and Co. can right this ship...so far so good.

Then riddle me this, Batman...

How can one say McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins isn't a good core?
- BaronVonShiznit

When you only have three forwards that other teams would want that’s a pretty weak core.

next week: Worst defense corps in the league...Edmonton Oilers

two weeks from now: worst Goaltending tandem...Edmonton Oilers

three weeks from now: worst GM over the past 5yrs....Edmonton Oilers

hopefully Holland and Co. can right this ship...so far so good.
- JLO961

How is it possible that Chiarelli managed to get that job after that seguin trade fiasco being released and then holding onto it through the hall/larsson, Eberle/strome, reinhart/barzal trades. I swear when making trades he's pulls up the players scouting report from their draft year and goes off that.

When you only have three forwards that other teams would want that’s a pretty weak core.
- shack67

Your point is rather weak considering one of those 3 happens to be the best player in the world.

When you only have three forwards that other teams would want that’s a pretty weak core.
- shack67

Are you honestly trying to tell us you think there's 20 - 25 other teams out there with a better group of core forwards to build around than McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins?