WWYDW: Would Jordan Eberle be in your long-term plan for the Edmonton Oilers?
7 years ago
Jordan Eberle was once the darling of Edmonton Oilers fans,
but the last few years have seen a shift in sentiment. The very real strengths
in his game have taken a back seat in many discussions. Instead, his flaws have
taken center stage.
but the last few years have seen a shift in sentiment. The very real strengths
in his game have taken a back seat in many discussions. Instead, his flaws have
taken center stage.
In this week’s edition of What Would You Do Wednesday, we
want to get your view on the player. If you were the general manager, would
Eberle be in your long-term plans, or would you be plotting a replacement?
want to get your view on the player. If you were the general manager, would
Eberle be in your long-term plans, or would you be plotting a replacement?
Strengths
Let’s just take a moment and make a complete list of the
right-shooting forwards currently on Edmonton’s roster with any history at all
of being real scorers in the NHL:
right-shooting forwards currently on Edmonton’s roster with any history at all
of being real scorers in the NHL:
- Jordan Eberle
- (crickets)
The Oilers are demonstrably weak on the right side, and
Eberle is one of the few sure things on the team. And let’s not forget how good
of a player he is, either; even if we take out his lightning-in-a-bottle run in
2011-12, he’s among the most talented forward in the NHL. Over the last four
season, he
ranks 27th overall among forwards in scoring, and is in some pretty awesome
company:
Eberle is one of the few sure things on the team. And let’s not forget how good
of a player he is, either; even if we take out his lightning-in-a-bottle run in
2011-12, he’s among the most talented forward in the NHL. Over the last four
season, he
ranks 27th overall among forwards in scoring, and is in some pretty awesome
company:
- T18. Taylor Hall, Evgeni Malkin, Steven Stamkos: 233 points
- 21. Max Pacioretty: 230 points
- 22. Matt Duchene: 227 points
- 23. Daniel Sedin: 224 points
- 24. Henrik Sedin: 223 points
- 25. Patrice Bergeron: 217 points
- 26. Jaromir Jagr: 215 points
- T27. Jordan Eberle, Henrik Zetterberg: 212 points
- T29. Zach Parise, Derek Stepan, Vladimir Tarasenko: 209 points
- T32. Andrew Ladd, Kyle Okposo, Mike Ribeiro: 208 points
- T35. Jeff Carter, Eric Staal: 207 points
If there’s one thing the Oilers endless rebuild should have
taught people, it’s that just counting on the next top pick to do a better job
is a bad idea. So rather than again throwing everything on the newest one (Jesse
Puljujarvi), why not just hang on to the guy who scores like Zetterberg? If
Puljujarvi turns into a better right wing down the road, great; there’s no law against
having multiple offensive threats on the roster.
taught people, it’s that just counting on the next top pick to do a better job
is a bad idea. So rather than again throwing everything on the newest one (Jesse
Puljujarvi), why not just hang on to the guy who scores like Zetterberg? If
Puljujarvi turns into a better right wing down the road, great; there’s no law against
having multiple offensive threats on the roster.
Whatever his flaws, Eberle is a first-line scoring threat in
the NHL. He’s in the prime of his career at age 26. That’s a hard player to
replace and there simply isn’t any need to do so.
the NHL. He’s in the prime of his career at age 26. That’s a hard player to
replace and there simply isn’t any need to do so.
Weaknesses
Remember those scouting reports on Eberle from his junior
days? Lowetide
does. Here’s what scout Mike Remmerde said about him before he was even
drafted:
days? Lowetide
does. Here’s what scout Mike Remmerde said about him before he was even
drafted:
Strengths: Great sniper’s touch. Knows how to find scoring
chances. Quick hands. Will take a hit to make a play. Weaknesses: Casual player
– effort level is never there. Tends to stick to the perimeter. One of the best
natural goal scorers in the draft. I’d like him a lot more if he ever broke a
sweat. Skating seems alright, but almost never uses what speed he has. I’ll say
one thing for him, he’s not scared. I’d rather have a lazy player than a scared
one. Summary: Light a fire under him and you might have a 1st/2nd line scorer.
I don’t like using the word lazy—lazy people don’t become elite
athletes—but Eberle’s game does include some bad habits and when they show up
the results tend to be ugly. Here are two quick examples from the last two
weeks:
athletes—but Eberle’s game does include some bad habits and when they show up
the results tend to be ugly. Here are two quick examples from the last two
weeks:
Not only did Eberle lose the puck, but despite starting in
the same position as Jeff Carter he lost the footrace by a massive margin. The
result: a shorthanded breakaway and a goal against.
the same position as Jeff Carter he lost the footrace by a massive margin. The
result: a shorthanded breakaway and a goal against.
The key thing here is to start watching in the neutral zone.
Eberle starts out in front of Antoine Roussel, but stops skating before he hits
the blue line. Roussel doesn’t. By the time Eberle realizes this, he’s already
behind the play and there’s another goal against.
Eberle starts out in front of Antoine Roussel, but stops skating before he hits
the blue line. Roussel doesn’t. By the time Eberle realizes this, he’s already
behind the play and there’s another goal against.
This doesn’t happen all the time, but Eberle’s commitment to
backchecking does wane and it can be hard not to find that frustrating. He can’t
help being 5’11”/180 pounds in a 6’2”/200-pound league, but over the years the
Oilers have had plenty of smaller players who made up for their physical
disadvantages with tenacity and competitiveness. It’s one of the biggest reasons
Kris Russell is almost 600 regular season games into his NHL career rather than
playing in Europe somewhere.
backchecking does wane and it can be hard not to find that frustrating. He can’t
help being 5’11”/180 pounds in a 6’2”/200-pound league, but over the years the
Oilers have had plenty of smaller players who made up for their physical
disadvantages with tenacity and competitiveness. It’s one of the biggest reasons
Kris Russell is almost 600 regular season games into his NHL career rather than
playing in Europe somewhere.
As Peter Chiarelli plans for the future, which way should he
be leaning? Is Eberle a somewhat flawed but highly useful NHL’er with a role to
play on a successful team? Or is he a flashy individual talent whose flaws make
him a bad fit for a club trying to win a championship?
be leaning? Is Eberle a somewhat flawed but highly useful NHL’er with a role to
play on a successful team? Or is he a flashy individual talent whose flaws make
him a bad fit for a club trying to win a championship?
Let us know in the
comments.
comments.
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