As of today, Edmonton has 3 players all ranked in the top 30 of points per game. How great is that? I know this team has plenty of holes to fill in other areas, but this is a huge positive. So, on average each team should have one of these players, and we have 3, and 2 are in the second year, and one is in his first year.
Eberle (8th)
Hall (26th)
RNH (29th)
All 3 are only going to get better. It makes me really excited for the future.
And if you could leave out Gagner's first 20 games this year, he'd be on this list as well. Hopefully management can get on this team's weaknesses (Goalie, Puck Moving/PP top pairing dman, and depth scoring). This group could end up being really special.
I don't think there is a trio of forwards on any team in the NHL that I would trade these 3 for. Pitts (Crosby, Malkin, Neil) is clearly the best, but due to age, injury history, and contract size (8.7, 8.7, 5), I still like our 3, and the potential that that they represent.
Last edited by JustinCider: 03-01-2012 at 12:43 PM.
As of today, Edmonton has 3 players all ranked in the top 30 of points per game. How great is that? I know this team has plenty of holes to fill in other areas, but this is a huge positive. So, on average each team should have one of these players, and we have 3, and 2 are in the second year, and one is in his first year.
Eberle (8th)
Hall (26th)
RNH (29th)
All 3 are only going to get better. It makes me really excited for the future.
And if you could leave out Gagner's first 20 games this year, he'd be on this list as well. Hopefully management can get on this team's weaknesses (Goalie, Puck Moving/PP top pairing dman, and depth scoring). This group could end up being really special.
I don't think there is a trio of forwards on any team in the NHL that I would trade these 3 for. Pitts (Crosby, Malkin, Neil) is clearly the best, but due to age, injury history, and contract size (8.7, 8.7, 5), I still like our 3, and the potential that that they represent.
very good, no doubt, but i have the following trios as better right now:
vancouver - sedins, kesler
chicago - kane, toews, sharp (and hossa for that matter)
pittsburgh - crosby, malkin, staal
anaheim - perry, ryan, getzlaf
there are other trios that are about even with us:
jersey - kovi, elias, parise
washington - ovi, semin, backstrom
tampa - stamkos, st. louis, lecavalier
san jose - thornton, couture, marleau
detroit - datsyuk, zetterburg, filppula
there are also other teams that have a very good 1-2 punch, followed by good complimentary players ... philly with giroux + hartnetll, complimented by briere is a good example
all that being said, i would say that we finally have 3 forwards that allow us to at least have this conversation ... we finally have enough skill up front, where we aren't vastly out-classed in pretty much every game... also, i wouldn't be surprised if in 2-3 years (maybe as early as next year), this trio is solidly top-5 in the league
Eberle also still leads the entire NHL in points scored per 60 minutes played (among all players who've played 10+ games)... just ahead of Malkin and Stamkos... very elite company.
No doubt in anyone's mind that a Hall/RNH/Eberle line will be dominating in years to come.
Now to work on a 2nd line that can be solid as well. A few pieces there now MPS/Gagner/Hemsky but not a lot of chemistry. I think it's obvious that adding one of Yakupov/Grigorenko/Galchenyuk would make their 2nd line much stronger and I'm hoping one of them are chosen in this upcoming draft by the Oilers.
Eberle also still leads the entire NHL in points scored per 60 minutes played (among all players who've played 10+ games)... just ahead of Malkin and Stamkos... very elite company.
No doubt in anyone's mind that a Hall/RNH/Eberle line will be dominating in years to come.
Now to work on a 2nd line that can be solid as well. A few pieces there now MPS/Gagner/Hemsky but not a lot of chemistry. I think it's obvious that adding one of Yakupov/Grigorenko/Galchenyuk would make their 2nd line much stronger and I'm hoping one of them are chosen in this upcoming draft by the Oilers.
It's gonna be hard not to take one of these 3, they would be my pick, especially if the Oil get top 2, I feel they have to take the elite winger or the elite centre (Grigs). I know how badly this team needs D, but there isn't a number one stud available this year, I like Murray, I like Dumba, but taking a dman in the top 5 is too risky IMO. I like aspects of our D right now, it has 2 major holes...
1)a top pairing picking moving, PP quarterback Dman
2)a top 4, minute eating, physical, crease clearing Dman
Is Kelfbaum one of these, who knows? is Marincin one of these? who knows? Dmen, like goalies are very hard to predict. I think the safe choice is to go with safer choice of one of the 2 top rated forwards if we get top 2, if we're 3 or later, I believe the Oil will take a dman, and I still am not a big fan of this. If I was Tambo, i'd be on the look for other team's struggling young D, one's who have fallen out of the coach's favour or have stalled a little in development, or are too far back on a depth chart due a team having too much strength in that area. Just like net, sometimes there aren't enough spots open for dmen and goalies to get a shot. The Oil need to obtain a few of these guys, eventually we will find a goalie and a dman that can play in our top 4, maybe even top 2.
very true. this is another huge offseason, if Tambo/lowe don't start getting these holes filled, it might be time to bring in some new management that will.
very true. this is another huge offseason, if Tambo/lowe don't start getting these holes filled, it might be time to bring in some new management that will.
As much as it would suck for not getting to see games live, I really want Phoenix to relocate. If Tippet/Maloney are available, there's no reason to resign Tambo and Renney
I really hate they will only get better you don't know that. Magnus, gags, nils, cogs all projected to get better and better.
Im not saying the wont or will in simply saying this assumption is flawed
Gags has gotten better. He's improved every season and PRV is hardly a good example for reason known to all Oiler fans. Cogs and Nilsson are hardly proof to make me worry about our top 3 improving (even if they don't I'm not worried anyways)
Don't get use to it. Renney has pulled the hitch card. talked about point totals and sacrifice for the ten to the kids today
Hitch said this to his team when he first coached the blues.
Renney stated that the young guys are already making such a sacrifice, and feels that ideally we achieve both (The team does better and they achieve better individual point totals).
The positives from this season are great, even if we are 29th. We are so close in so many games. Even in that last game, we are only a post(RNH) and whiff(Hall), and one less Barker, from beating St. Louis. I have never been this stoked about this teams future, as I was just a baby when Edmonton came into this league. Next season should see some huge strides.
yes, you can't count on players getting better... cogliano and nilsson are great proof of that in the long term, and paajarvi is pretty good proof in the short term... but if people can't see the different between hall/eberle/RNH and gagner/cogliano/nilsson, then they aren't watching the games
also, gagner HAS improved pretty much every year, he's just improved very slowly and his ceiling isn't as high as the 3 kids
we sure are a lot closer in games this year, thats for sure... our goal differential is dramatically better this year... here is our goal diff/game from the past 3 years:
2009-10: -70 total, last in the league by 15 goals, -0.85/game
2010-11: -76 total, last in the league by 17 goals, -0.93/game
2011-12: -20 through 63 games, tied for 8th last in the league, -0.32/game
that is just over half a goal better per game, which is pretty dramatic for one year... if we have even 50% of that improvement again next year (making us a +0 goal diff. team), we'll likely be in the playoffs
Imagine how many points they would have if our D was any good.
You look at a team like Vancouver, and the Sedins get a ton of points from passing to an open point man (Bieksa, Salo, Edler) and having that point man either score or create a rebound.
I bet RNH's point totals go through the roof if/when we pick up some dmen that can shoot.
Imagine how many points they would have if our D was any good.
You look at a team like Vancouver, and the Sedins get a ton of points from passing to an open point man (Bieksa, Salo, Edler) and having that point man either score or create a rebound.
I bet RNH's point totals go through the roof if/when we pick up some dmen that can shoot.
Totally agree, I was going to make that point in my original post. These guys are putting great numbers, and this team doesn't have one great puck mover on the back end. Whitney used to be that guy, but he's rarely in the line up, and hasn't been himself in over a year. Imagine Karlson here, or Yandle, or Weber, or Suter, or any true top pairing dman. Tambo needs to make a 2 or 3 for 1 this summer, and bring that dman in.
Imagine how many points they would have if our D was any good.
You look at a team like Vancouver, and the Sedins get a ton of points from passing to an open point man (Bieksa, Salo, Edler) and having that point man either score or create a rebound.
I bet RNH's point totals go through the roof if/when we pick up some dmen that can shoot.
Hall's too, that kid loves the right side of the net, he knows how put the puck in from those crazy angles.
