Article: The Oilers Provided the Blueprint For Minnesota’s Blue Line

[Justin Wiggins]

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[FredJohnson]

Boo Yum!!

[Burnt Toast]

The best organizations create opportunities for the players they can acquire. Not every player type is best available to be drafted in your slot. Not every player type is available in trade or FA. There are styles and trends but ultimately the Wild have ended up with a mix. They sure seemed excited about drafting ZB and picking up Jiri. I think the change you’re describing as a possibility for our Dcore is coming. As a fan I enjoy that style of hockey. Hopefully someone in the NHL can put together a formula for knocking off what the Panthers have going. I’d enjoy the current SC champions getting lit up. 

[BillieGismylover]

I don’t think our defensemen are going to be the problem. Faber, Buium and Brodin will make for a very solid core. BG needs to really think about what he’s potentially getting in Boeser. A good player no doubt. But unless he signs for a hometown discount I’d be passing. He’s a career plus minus -33. He’s not known for his defense or physicality. He’s a 40 to 50 point a year player. Personally I’d rather pay Rossi. I think BG knows he needs a top line center to give Ek a break. Problem is who do you go after now that Duchene and Toews are off the market. Do we really think Tavares or Marner would sign here???

[Will D. Ness]

I thought Edmonton's defense was pretty awful in the finals.  Their gaffes far outweighed their offensive contributions.  Difference in the series IMO.

[Patrick]

If Edmonton had the Wilds D they would be hoisting the cup right now. 

[Mateo3xm]

“Edmonton just proved that those mistakes don’t have to torpedo your season.”

I feel like Their defense torpedoed their playoff series. Edmonton’s defense has always been subpar at playing defense and you can’t win a championship with horseshit defense. I don’t see any similarities in those two with Buium and Jiricek. Buium is actually very defensively responsible and so is Jiricek.

Jiricek just needs a little work on backskating. Edmonton is one of the most oblivious teams in terms of filling holes on their team. They obviously didn’t need more offense and yet they chose to get offensive defenseman like walman and klingberg. For some reason the fans of the oilers can’t figure out that it isn’t the goalie, it’s the defenseman in front of the goalie.

[Mateo3xm]

1 hour ago, Will D. Ness said:

I thought Edmonton's defense was pretty awful in the finals.  Their gaffes far outweighed their offensive contributions.  Difference in the series IMO.

100% I don’t know why their management can’t see that that’s the issue. Oilers management is atrocious and I’m honestly wondering if MCD is second guessing if he wants to stay there.

[NoJoSux]

Klingberg is gonna be the answer, yup. That's the ticket boys. A defensive liability Euro defenseman. 

This article should be talking about Florida's Euros and effective value guys like Schmidt and Kulikov. The Panthers Euros are big and play the body. Their defense is a solid group with very few weak points.

The Oilers couldn't say that. They gave up a ton of goals in the finals.