Forward group in good but the D is bottom 5 in the league unless Bouchard becomes a #1 D miraculously overnight. Running back the same goalie tandem is a mistake. Holland has shut the door on 97 cup window by using his cap space to build a mediocre D that will be in place for the next 3 years.
Oilers are capped out and have to pay Nurse and JP next summer. Only hope they have is if Keith retires and we get a $3M cap cushion and Samorukov or Broberg can play top 4 minutes right out of the gate .

FIRE HOLLAND
FIRE TIPPETT

That's a little harsh. This is the deepest Oilers team in ages, and while the defense isn't great defensively they aren't terrible either. Do you think Caleb Jones is better than Duncan Keith? Ceci doesn't have Larsson's defensive chops, but he's far better at getting the puck out of the zone than Larsson was.

And with proper rest and practice time for both goalies, they should be fine again. Neither is a 60-game starter but they don't need to be, they can split the games 50/50 and deliver good results doing it.

A lot of negativity regarding the Oiler defense is based on one-for-one comparisons; Keith's cap hit is too much and he's too old, Ceci won't replace Larsson's shutdown ability, and Barrie is not as defensively sound as Bear. While fans pine for what was "lost" they forget what may have been gained. In focusing on comparisons between individual players, they fail to see how each player fits into the unit; they can't see the forest for the trees. As a unit, the new group has the potential to provide a more balanced performance because of improved overall size, mobility, and passing ability. Those attributes should translate to quicker puck retrievals and quicker, better decisions with the puck.

It should also be noted that Hyman, Foegele, and Ryan all bring strong underlying stats with them, each having a positive share of shots on goal, scoring chances, and goals over the past three years. These guys should help team defense as much as offense. RNH is considered a responsible and cerebral two-way forward, Puljujarvi's defensive play is quite underappreciated, and McLeod's performance at the end of last season suggests he too might be a very strong 200-foot forward. Each of RNH, JP, and McLeod may see their level of play elevate with the presence of the new additions. That can only improve the potential for the additions to further elevate the play of McDavid, Draisaitl, and perhaps Yamamoto and a rookie like Tyler Benson.

Will it all unfold as I think? Only time can tell, but until we know there is no reason to believe this team is weaker than its last rendition.

I hope so

9-1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BEST FIRST 10 GAMES IN FRANCHISE HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HOLLAND ADDITIONS HAS WORKED OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

🤨 Oilers are also 3-7 in their last ten.

And on those 10 games they have been riding McD and Leo