A Lack Of Buy-In Revisited

I remember reading an article on ESPN.com a few weeks back by one of the best NHL insiders/writers around, Pierre LeBrun. The article focused on the Oilers and their rough start to the season, and there was an interesting quote in the article that caught my eye. An eastern conference executive calling out the Oilers for a lack of buy-in to being complete players. It’s something I wrote about here: http://www.theoilersrig.com/?p=1497

I’ve been paying a lot of attention to this as of late, and I think I’ve come to a conclusion on how I feel about the issue. I agree with the executive, and I’m starting to feel there is a real issue with the Oilers young star players playing a complete game. Is it a lack of buy-in, a lack of give a damn, or is it confusion with the system?

Personally, I feel it is a lack of buy-in. Everyone ripped him, but like it or not Lars Eller was right. The Edmonton Oilers play just like a junior hockey club, and it shows in the standings and in the stats. The Oilers, especially the young group of Yakupov, Hall, Eberle and RNH try to make the pretty play to score.

They are focused on one thing and one thing only, and that is scoring goals. Outside of RNH, I feel like there is almost no real emphasis on the defensive part of the game. No team will find success that way. They also don’t do the little things to score either. We see them try to make the pretty play far too often, and it usually ends up costing them.

Sure, when it works it looks really pretty and the goal probably ends up in some top play countdown, but far too often it comes back to bite the Oilers.

Every player has examples of this, and it’s a little disturbing to see night in and night out.

The most obvious is Taylor Hall and his toe-drag move. Hall is a great player, but far too often we see him use these junior hockey moves and try to do it by himself. He needs to work on his defensive game too, and while it has improved since he came into the NHL, it still isn’t great. That all being said, Taylor Hall is still one of the best wingers in the game and is Edmonton’s best player.

I don’t necessarily question Hall, but those tendencies are certainly worth pointing out. Same goes for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who I don’t exactly question for a lack of buy-in, but some of the same concerns are there. Trying to make the pretty junior play, and struggling defensively.

RNH has improved a lot in this area, but Thursday against the Caps was a prime example of the problem here. RNH goes against the other team’s top competition and gets dominated on the score-sheet. That’s a problem for a team attempting to make a run at a playoff spot. The top line center has to be much better than that.

Nail Yakupov has been very frustrating, and I’m wondering if buy-in is an issue here. We heard the quote from Nail, that hitting and defense isn’t his game. I’ll back him here, I don’t think what he said was what he meant. He most likely was trying to say he isn’t comfortable playing that kind of game, and I understand that. That being said, he needs to make an effort to do it, and he hasn’t to this point.

Yakupov has been brutal defensively so far and has missed a lot of assignments on plays that have been goals against. He’s also not taking the body nearly enough, and is looking to only score. It almost looks like he isn’t trying when it comes to playing a complete game and that is a worrisome point for me.

Offensively? He hasn’t been much better. He’s trying too hard to make the perfect and pretty play, and as a result nothing is working for him. He’s trying to do everything on his own and as a result a lot of plays are dying on his stick. For a guy who has his game built around offense, these aren’t good signs.

Yakupov is extremely talented, and I’m not saying to dump this guy for magic beans, that would be stupid. What I am saying is this. It is quite clear that Nail Yakupov isn’t comfortable right now, and is trying to do too much and isn’t prepared to play a complete NHL game.

The way I look at it, I wouldn’t be overly upset if the Oilers moved him for a LEGIT piece or two that changes the complexion of this team and makes them better overall. Yakupov is a great talent, but what we have seen so far is kind of alarming.

Jordan Eberle has been decent offensively to this point yet again, but defensively I feel like he has been okay to this point. Certainly not the problem for the Oilers.

I’m also a little scared about Justin Schultz, who hasn’t exactly been what people were expecting. Schultz has been good offensively again this season, but defensively it looks worse than last year, and that is a problem. Schultz is a great talent, but far too often he is pinching in at the wrong times and is joining the rush and leaving his partner out to dry. That’s a problem, and one that should be corrected rather easily one would think.

When I watch the Oilers, Flames and Avalanche, I notice something. The Oilers are more talented than Calgary and one could argue are better all around than Colorado, but they sit behind both teams. The Flames, in the three games I have seen of them, do not quit. They fight every play and bring intensity and urgency from puck drop to the final whistle. It’s something Edmonton does not.

Colorado? Their young players, Gabriel Landeskog, Matt Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly, Paul Stastny and Nate MacKinnon, all play complete games. They all not only show their high-offensive potential, but all also back check and help out defensively. It takes a huge burden off of their weak defense. The Oilers could learn a thing or two from those teams.

For Edmonton, the question needs to be asked again. Is there a lack of buy-in from the young players in terms of playing a complete game? I’m not talking about learning a system, because that clearly isn’t a problem in Colorado, but I’m asking if these guys are willing to give what it takes every night to be complete hockey players and win games. Are they willing to bring urgency from the start and are they willing to keep pucks out of their net?

Right now, I think it’s a question worth asking and the answer might upset some Oilers fans. Feel free to disagree with me on twitter @Alex_Thomas14