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Oliver Ekman-Larsson | #23 | D


-AJ-

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3 hours ago, The Lock said:

I've been on this board long enough to know there are a lot of people who like to "pretend" they are experts or have some crystal ball. I don't think lemmings suits most people here at all. People are way too ([perhaps foolishly) headstrong here for that. Also, it doesn't seem to matter if one has played hockey or not. I've noticed knowledgable people who have never played a game in their life. I've also noticed hockey players who are so set in their ways that they might as well just forget they played hockey in the 1st place.

 

The ones I respect are the ones who are willing to listen to another's opinion and consider it. Those people are the actual knowledgable people in the end as they're willing to learn, willing to understand, willing to weigh ideas.

But we can all agree Benning sucks, Green stinks, and OJ's a bust right?

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1 hour ago, kloubek said:

We do. As decent as he looked, it's a small sample size. He will likely never be the player he was earlier in his career, and although he should be able to generate some scoring and playmaking from the blueline, I view his contributions more as a supplement rather than points and dynamism we can rely on every single game like we expect from Hughes.

I was joking with Alf. This time. 

 

Everyone likes to type a version of Burrows - do we need him. I wanted to be cool too

 

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I'm delighted OEL had a strong first outing and made a good first impression. Even if preseason.

 

Not at all like LE scoring an own goal in his first game...(Omg).

 

Gonna predict OEL is more like an Ehrhoff than a LE for us going forward based on the early positive vibes. Hope I'm right!

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OEL has had an outstanding pre season so far.  He has looked every bit of a true #1 D.  He creates a ton of chances, and has been very good defensively.  Long way to go, but I have been nothing but impressed by him so far.  

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At the start of camp I believed that how OEL plays will largely dictate how the team does. I don’t think he can maintain the level he is at during preseason throughout the whole year but even a small step back will be fine. I think despite the largely popular opinion on him now it is still being underestimated how important he will be to this team. Even at 80-90% OEL can take a ton of stress off of Hughes. A true offensive threat, a vet that can actually teach Hughes something other than a drop pass to the other team as well as play some extra minutes against top lines will only make everyone better. I’m ok if he takes a small step back as long as he can remain steady. I believe he is being described as a better skating Edler and that is huge. I can’t wait to see how teams react to being pinned in their own end for a minute and then having Hughes come over the boards on a change. This team looks very different with two big time threats in the top 4 D. 

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55 minutes ago, Amebushi said:

At the start of camp I believed that how OEL plays will largely dictate how the team does. I don’t think he can maintain the level he is at during preseason throughout the whole year but even a small step back will be fine. I think despite the largely popular opinion on him now it is still being underestimated how important he will be to this team. Even at 80-90% OEL can take a ton of stress off of Hughes. A true offensive threat, a vet that can actually teach Hughes something other than a drop pass to the other team as well as play some extra minutes against top lines will only make everyone better. I’m ok if he takes a small step back as long as he can remain steady. I believe he is being described as a better skating Edler and that is huge. I can’t wait to see how teams react to being pinned in their own end for a minute and then having Hughes come over the boards on a change. This team looks very different with two big time threats in the top 4 D. 

 

His defensive ability & edge in the corners has really stood out, for a guy that's thought of as more OFD.

 

A much better skater than Edler at this stage. I'm not surprised he's been great so far, but its still been fun to watch. If he & Myers can form a good pair our top 4 could be alright after all. 

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People tend to forget that OEL played for a team that spent more time in the Dzone than in the Ozone. This tells me that defensively, he will be very sound. What impressed me is his offensive abilities. That drop pass to Pearson was like he had eyes in the back of his head. Just imagining him and Hughes quarterbacking two lethal defensive lines on the PP is going to be fun. I actually see him having his best NHL year.

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20 hours ago, smokes said:

People tend to forget that OEL played for a team that spent more time in the Dzone than in the Ozone. This tells me that defensively, he will be very sound. What impressed me is his offensive abilities. That drop pass to Pearson was like he had eyes in the back of his head. Just imagining him and Hughes quarterbacking two lethal defensive lines on the PP is going to be fun. I actually see him having his best NHL year.

If he does that we could have a Norris winner on our hands this year as he’s a former Norris finalist.  Honestly I wouldn’t put it past him.  I don’t think I’ve anticipated a season more than this one.  Imagine if we become analytical darlings this year like we have in the preseason.  That’s something we have never had in the stats era that would be so cool and usually that comes with being a really good team especially with all the excellent finishers and goaltending we have.

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1 hour ago, smokes said:

I don't see where the skepticism comes from. The Sedins won their trophies as 30 and 31 years old so to think OEL is past is prime who is still only 30 years old is nonsense. 

I would say the source of the skepticism comes from recent trends. After a slow start, the Sedins only got better and better each year until the turn of the decade around 30 years old. OEL was very good in his early and mid 20s, but has tailed off in recent years, unlike the Sedins, who only started tailing off after they won their Art Ross Trophies.

 

I do think he can bounce back, but I don't expect anything close to a Norris-candidate level performance. I'd be very happy with 0.5 points-per-game and solid defense.

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12 hours ago, -AJ- said:

I would say the source of the skepticism comes from recent trends. After a slow start, the Sedins only got better and better each year until the turn of the decade around 30 years old. OEL was very good in his early and mid 20s, but has tailed off in recent years, unlike the Sedins, who only started tailing off after they won their Art Ross Trophies.

 

I do think he can bounce back, but I don't expect anything close to a Norris-candidate level performance. I'd be very happy with 0.5 points-per-game and solid defense.

Isn’t that exactly what he was when he was a Norris candidate lol?  I’m excited to see him and Myers as a pairing.  They’ve had out of this world possession numbers in the preseason and their PK together has been good as well.  Keep this up and they might be one of the top D pairs in the league this year.  I’ve really hyped myself up with OEL but from what I’ve seen I think it’s warranted.

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1 hour ago, Rindiculous said:

Isn’t that exactly what he was when he was a Norris candidate lol?  I’m excited to see him and Myers as a pairing.  They’ve had out of this world possession numbers in the preseason and their PK together has been good as well.  Keep this up and they might be one of the top D pairs in the league this year.  I’ve really hyped myself up with OEL but from what I’ve seen I think it’s warranted.

OEL was at his peak in terms of Norris voting when he was 21 years old, and he finished 7th in Norris voting. He was 24 when he finished 9th in Norris voting. His most recent and third-highest placement was in 2019, when he was 27 years old and finished 11th in Norris voting. The twins didn't get serious trophy consideration until 2010 when they were 29 years old, so there is a notable difference.

 

I am also excited about OEL, but I think less so than many fans. He's been better than I expected in the pre-season thus far, at least.

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The panic button sure was pushed too soon on OEL and Poolman. OEL looks to be playing like he did in his prime. Poolman has been a key signing and showing to be just as calm and poised as Taven in his defensive play. I am not being a homer when I evaluate that : OEL is equal to Edler in his prime right now, and Poolman is showing to be just as steady defensively as Taven ever was. 

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