Edmonton Oilers’ missed design options – The hockey writers Edmonton Oilers Laatste Nieuws, Analysis and more

The Edmonton Oilers Commits on a one -off duo in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. But in today’s NHL, championships are not only won on the back of two players. You need a strong supporting cast, and the most cost -effective way to acquire it through the design.

From 2012 to 2017, Edmonton made picks from the first round that had not tackled striking schedules-especially on defense and in the net. Even more frustrating, the players they spent were not hidden gems from the sixth round; They were obvious, controversial talents who were taken shortly after the choice of Edmonton.

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Here is the breakdown from the year to year of what a team could have been that got so close, but did not take the Stanley Cup home. Oh, what could have been.

The entrance to 2012: The oilers missed two solid defenders

Looking back on the NHL design of 2012, it is difficult not to imagine how different things could have been for Edmonton if they had chosen one of the various striking players who are still on the board. Morgan Rielly, fifth generally taken by the Toronto Maple Leafs, has become the leader in played games (867) of his design class and serves as the Quarterback of the Power Play by Toronto. He is the kind of two-way defender that Edmonton has long needed mobile, ready under pressure and able to log in tough minutes into every situation. During his career, Rielly consistently driven an attack and built up a reputation as one of the most reliable top couple Blueliners in the competition.

Also available for the oils was the first choice of the Anaheim Ducks. That was Hampus Lindholm, a large, reliable defender who could have been anchor that the top four of Edmonton desperately needed. Lindholm turned out to be a smart, puck-moving, GAP-Control Blueliner who was able to close opposing attackers. He has been a stabilizing presence where he also played. Since he came to the Boston Bruins, he has linked this defensive reliability to timely attack and became an important part of one of the vulture blue lines of the competition.

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Instead, Edmonton used the first general choice on Nail Yakupov, who was a fast winger, expected to add attacking firepower alongside Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Although he was less than advertised, the bigger problem was that scoring was not the biggest problem of the oilers. They needed players who could prevent goals. By grabbing another attacking attacker and ignoring their more important defensive problems, the oilers missed a crucial opportunity to tackle the weakness that stopped them.

The entrance of 2016: The oilers let two elite defenders slip away

In the NHL entry 2016, the Montreal Canadiens Nam Mikhail Sergachev Ninth GeneralAnd he later found a house with the lightning of Tampa Bay. Sergachev has grown into a mobile, physical defender who can register big minutes, can play the Power Play Quarterback and can easily process Toppaar Matchups. He has been an important piece about two Stanley Cup-winning teams and combines attacking skills with solid defense game.

Charlie Mcavoy was also available and the Bruins chose him 14th in general. Mcavoy turned into the defensive heart and the soul of Boston. He regularly eats ice age for more than 25 minutes and he is solid all over the ice. He brings size, good skating and, the best of all, a high hockey -iq. Game After the game he closes the best attackers from the NHL and gives his team solid game in both special teams. In short, he is one of the best defenders of the NHL.

Instead, Edmonton used the fourth overall choice in 2016 on Jesse Puljujärvi, a competent winger who had fallen somewhat of his projected third lock. Although seductive, the choice was despite the fact that the team already had a surplus of offensive talent, while the defensive corps remained thin and unstable. Only a few choices later selected teams Sergachev and Mcavoy, who both developed into top -saving defenders and fundamental pieces for their franchises.

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By giving priority to the observed best player who is available over the urgent needs of the team, the oilers missed a crucial opportunity to build the type of defense that wins championships. Oh, by the way, even if they were held in an attacker in that design, the oilers missed a huge degree of grit and leadership in the front by not taking Matthew Tkachuk. While fans of the Battle of Alberta know too well, he was generally chosen by the Calgary Flames. He turned into a ruthless agitator and coupling scorer, who now led the Stanley Cup trend of the Florida Panthers.

The Entry Draft 2017: The Oilers missed the franchise goalkeeper they needed

Perhaps the biggest blunder of the oilers can be found in the NHL entry 2017, when the oilers missed a potential franchise-changing keeper. Well on the Dallas Stars for selecting Jake Oettinger 26th General. He would have become exactly what Edmonton had missed for years: a quiet, athletic goalkeeper who can steal play -off games.

Oettier has everything you want in a modern keeper: size, lightning high rings and a calmness with which he can make big saves without ever seeming confused. Even better for the stars, it shines during the play -offs. His positioning, rebound control and the ability to read play a game changer. He is the kind of last line of defense that Games can steal for his team.

Fans can only wonder what could be if Edmonton had gone behind Oettinger. Would they bet two-time Stanley Cup champions? Who knows, but it would have shifted their drawing strategy and eventually tackled one of their most striking defects.

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Instead, the Oilers used their first round pick on Kailer Yamamoto, a fast, flashy wing player who fought potential but moisture injuries and inconsistency. While he brought energy, the greater need of the team was clearly in the fold. Taking a goalkeeper like Oettener may have saved Edmonton from taking risky fluctuations on just lessons such as Jack Campbell and could have changed the story of various play -off outputs.

Speaking of the stars, they were lucky a second time when they selected Jason Robertson with the 39th general choice in the second round. Robertson turned into a wing of 40 goals with a high hockey-iq. He is able to control the pace of the game, read defenders and to create scoring opportunities out of nowhere. He combines skill, vision and size and has become an offensive talent. Even if Edmonton Oettinger had missed, the grabbing of Robertson would have helped the team to pick up the secondary score that was needed to supplement McDavid and Draisaitl, so that the team was worn by the play -offs.

The Oilers followed a pattern that is difficult to ignore

From 2012 to 2017 a clear pattern will come to the fore: the oilers have consistently drawn up players who added skills where they were already filled, instead of tackling critical structural gaps. They have overlooked the defense and goalting, despite years of evidence that shows that these were the biggest barriers of the team. At the same time, they gave NHL-ready talent quickly that other general managers grabbed. These were not an obscure mistakes were almost accident on players who have won cups since, elite grilles and teams wore deep in the play-offs.

The costs of these decisions are steep. Their choices forced Edmonton to pay too much in a free agency and to do risky transactions to patch gaps that could have been filled in internally. Some of these choices have been solid; There is no doubt. The team has benefited from taking Mattias Ekholm from the Nashville Predators and Zach Hyman from the Maple Leafs. (Who knew?)

Nevertheless, the oilers also make their flexibility of the salary cap and limited long -term scheduling stability. In the meantime, teams such as the stars, Lightning and Bruins picked the benefits of building their own cores, giving them a regular path to position – a path that Edmonton could have followed if the past -made mistakes had been avoided.

Why these mistakes are still important for the oilers today

While McDavid and Draisaitl are in their prime, the championship window does not remain open forever. In a hard cap NHL it is not optional to hit picks-especially in the first round. It is the basis of a sustainable competition.

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The history of the Oilers of 2012-2017 shows what happens when you set up for flash instead of fit: you finally look at players, you could have lifted the cup somewhere else. If Edmonton wants to avoid a decade of ‘what if’, the next design cannot be about who falls on their lap. It must be about who fills the biggest gap in the line -Up – even if that choice is not the sexiest name on the board.

[Note: I’d like to thank Brent Bradford (PhD) for his help co-authoring this post. His profile can be found at www.linkedin.com/in/brent-bradford-phd-3a10022a9]