Quoting: Nhl_oilers
And your saying you know more than Tippett? Jones isn’t even that good, as we all saw for how much he has played. I don’t mean to sound rude but talk about favouritism.
Nurse
Barrie
Larsson
Kulikov
Bouchard
Russell/Lagesson
Bear
Jones
Jones and Bear aren’t even top 5 on the oilers for the defence! They have a lot to work on to make it that high.
1. Barrie isn't a defenceman, he's a forward. We can't play him with anyone besides Nurse because he actively bleeds chances against.
2. Bear is the only defenceman Edmonton's had in its past 10 game stretch with an xGF above 50%. He's been phenomenal since recovering from his concussion.
3. If you don't subscribe to analytics and insist on the eye-test, you aren't watching the games then. Jones and Bear have been super-effective defenders for Edmonton in the past dozen games, save for the Calgary and Habs blowouts where nobody looked good.
4. I find it exceedingly curious that two of our non-white defenders on the roster are considered to be the 'worst' defenders on this team by yourself and a growing sect of the fanbase. Take it as you will, but both Russell and Lagesson are effectively useless at both ends of the ice. I'd find your opinion reasonable if you didn't think two of our defenders that can actually transition the puck are our absolute worst pieces on the back end. 3rd worst? 4th worst? I can accommodate that provided you have the means to back it up.
Now, I want to be very clear about point #4: I don't think this is your personal view. There has been a noticeable uptick in media witch hunts against Jones and Bear, and I think it stems directly from within the organization. We were sold last year on Nurse not being what he was cut out to be, and we're seeing it regarding Bear and Jones now. Souray was ran out of town under similar circumstances, some internal conflict within the Oilers office. I cannot for the life of me recall periods of time where other defenders have been scrutinized like this. Russell has never been criticized by this organization. Larsson, despite his frequent lapses in ability, has never been criticized to this extent. Barrie's inability to defend is never mentioned. It's not a stretch to recognize that there are some pretty extreme views in this province, especially among the older generations, which almost exclusively makes up the Oilers office.
Make an exaggerated effort over the next half-dozen games to really focus in on Jones and Bear. What you hear from the Sun or even the Journal doesn't align with what they're doing on the ice.