in 2006, PIT should have drafted Wishart, Okposo or Frolik instead of Staal because they already had Crosby and Malkin as centers.
The difference is that Murray is the second ranked skater after Yakupov. Frolik, Okposo and Wishart didn't even have a chance to go in the top six. After Johnson, the next 5 top players were all centres. Pittsburgh had to take one.
I remember this season. Where "Oilers hockey" was cheering for Hall-Nuge-Ebs and watching the other team pile-drive over the next three lines we sent out.
We won the first few games because of Khabi's outstanding play and because we had depth scoring.
At least one of those two things can be helped by drafting Yakupov and keeping Hemsky. Don't trade away depth, especially for unproven worth.
Depends. If there is a deal out there that makes sense for us then I'd think about moving Hemsky. By no means does drafting a winger mean we have to move Hemsky ASAP. Let's see how things go and if Yakupov becomes the real deal and we truly have too many rw's then move Hemmer.
They shouldn't trade Hemsky unless he is producing well and we can get good value for him. We see each year that we are missing 1 or more of our top end guys due to injury.
What I would do however is tell Hemsky that he is playing left wing the day he arrives in camp. This is one of the 'tells' of the organization if they make Eberle or Yakupov change wings then they will be catering to the vets who have let the team down recently.
The difference is that Murray is the second ranked skater after Yakupov. Frolik, Okposo and Wishart didn't even have a chance to go in the top six. After Johnson, the next 5 top players were all centres. Pittsburgh had to take one.
I still think we should draft Yakupov though.
Murray is hardly the consensus #2 behind Yakupov. I actually doubt he goes in top5.
Also, Kessel was a projected top5 pick in 2006 with many believing him to go #2 to PIT.
Tlusty was ranked near the top as well
They shouldn't trade Hemsky unless he is producing well and we can get good value for him. We see each year that we are missing 1 or more of our top end guys due to injury.
What I would do however is tell Hemsky that he is playing left wing the day he arrives in camp. This is one of the 'tells' of the organization if they make Eberle or Yakupov change wings then they will be catering to the vets who have let the team down recently.
Kids take 100% priority in my mind from now on.
There should be no need to switch sides. It is ok to have more then 2 'scoring' lines.
We will just call Smyth-Horcoff-Hemsky our top line instead of 3rd
Murray is hardly the consensus #2 behind Yakupov. I actually doubt he goes in top5.
Also, Kessel was a projected top5 pick in 2006 with many believing him to go #2 to PIT.
Tlusty was ranked near the top as well
Kessel was a centre until the Bruins converted him to a right winger.
You really doubt that Murray will be drafted in the top 5? I could see Columbus taking him at 2 and there is no way he gets by the Islanders at 4. If he does fall it is because he is a defenceman, not because he isn't one of the top 2 most talented draftees.
Kessel was a centre until the Bruins converted him to a right winger.
You really doubt that Murray will be drafted in the top 5? I could see Columbus taking him at 2 and there is no way he gets by the Islanders at 4. If he does fall it is because he is a defenceman, not because he isn't one of the top 2 most talented draftees.
I can easily see him falling out of the top 5. After Yakupov, there's like 6 guys that could be picked in any order
I can easily see him falling out of the top 5. After Yakupov, there's like 6 guys that could be picked in any order
I can see where you are coming from- but the only person with any credibility that has Murray outside the top 5 is Craig Button. He is rather unorthodox with his ranking, but still worth reading.
With Murray being selected for team Canada and not playing a game outside of Junior, I have a very very hard time believing his makes it outside of the top 3 let alone top 5.
Columbus has been burned too many times by the KHL- a solid, multi skilled defenseman in Murray is far too tempting. Murray goes to Columbus at number 2- book it.
"I don’t think the Oilers would go wrong taking him as well as Everett Silvertips captain Ryan Murray, who is over in Europe right now playing exhibition games for Team Canada. Oilers president of hockey operations Kevin Lowe is watching him. I had one NHL scout tell me last week that Murray flat-out can play in the NHL next season and he’s not lasting past the top five picks. "
People act like Hemsky is disposable, like we've got massive scoring depth even without him.
We don't.
Until we get a decent NHL defense and goalie tandem, we're going to need all the talent up front that we can get.
Fair, but look what happened to Magnus P. this year. We brought in Smyth to give us depth and Magnus bombed out. Coincidence? Perhaps. Sophomore Slumps happen all the time. It certainly didn't help that the second line LW position had an incumbent at the start of the season.
I can see the same happening this year with Nail. He comes into camp and plays well enough for a 9 game look. He has a few tough games, and Hemsky assumes the second line RW with Nail playing 3rd line minutes. Confidence issues...blah blah...back to Junior....
Give the guy a run like we availed to RNH, Hall and Eberle.
I'll add to my statement to say that if they could get a top flight defenseman for Hemsky, then I see no reason not to trade him. But I doubt that'd ever happen.
I think you quietly listen to offers for him, but if nothing great comes up, you just keep him and play him with Yakupov.
Perhaps his point totals come back and then his trade value will be considerably higher in a few months. Honestly guys this ...
Hall RNH Eberle
Hemsky Gagner Yakupov
Isn't the end of the world if we have to ride it out and then make changes at the deadline. It gives Hemsky + Gagner a chance to increase their trade value and probably produces at least a few entertaining games.
Kessel was a centre until the Bruins converted him to a right winger.
You really doubt that Murray will be drafted in the top 5? I could see Columbus taking him at 2 and there is no way he gets by the Islanders at 4. If he does fall it is because he is a defenceman, not because he isn't one of the top 2 most talented draftees.
Murray may not be the first Dman taken.. Murray maybe more NHL ready but Dumba and even Reilly can both get selected ahead of him. Lets see how he performs at worlds and then at combine.
in 2006, PIT should have drafted Wishart, Okposo or Frolik instead of Staal because they already had Crosby and Malkin as centers.
Or they should have traded Malkin for a Dman since they were getting one of Staal or Toews or Backstrom.
PHI should have traded Giroux when they acquired Schenn and drafted Couturier.
Unless Yakupov is expected to score 90-100 points in NHL next season we should keep Hemsky.
It is a good point but the big thing here is when STaal was drafted they were expecting him to start on the 3rd line. If you are expecting to start yak on the 3rd line that is fine. Comparing Yak's talent to these player when ddrafted is not even close. yes Giroux now is one of the top fwds but when drafted his talent level was not suppose to be like Yak's.
I think you quietly listen to offers for him, but if nothing great comes up, you just keep him and play him with Yakupov.
Perhaps his point totals come back and then his trade value will be considerably higher in a few months. Honestly guys this ...
Hall RNH Eberle
Hemsky Gagner Yakupov
Isn't the end of the world if we have to ride it out and then make changes at the deadline. It gives Hemsky + Gagner a chance to increase their trade value and probably produces at least a few entertaining games.
I am fine with that, it is just whether Hemsky or Yak can produce on their wrong wing.
Fair, but look what happened to Magnus P. this year. We brought in Smyth to give us depth and Magnus bombed out. Coincidence? Perhaps. Sophomore Slumps happen all the time. It certainly didn't help that the second line LW position had an incumbent at the start of the season.
I can see the same happening this year with Nail. He comes into camp and plays well enough for a 9 game look. He has a few tough games, and Hemsky assumes the second line RW with Nail playing 3rd line minutes. Confidence issues...blah blah...back to Junior....
Give the guy a run like we availed to RNH, Hall and Eberle.
I agree you have to give him a legit chance to prove himself. We gave it to Hall and RNH they have to do it for Yak.
It is a good point but the big thing here is when STaal was drafted they were expecting him to start on the 3rd line. If you are expecting to start yak on the 3rd line that is fine. Comparing Yak's talent to these player when ddrafted is not even close. yes Giroux now is one of the top fwds but when drafted his talent level was not suppose to be like Yak's.
Why cant Yakupov start on the 3rd line?
PHI pick Couturier while they already knew Giroux would be #1C for them and Schenn in the fold for future. Couturier scored 6 less points then Yakupov in a lot less games as a 16yo. and had 96pts in 58GP (1.66ppg) his draft yr.
Hemsky is signed for only 2 more seasons.. Yakupov will not be stuck behind him and Ebs forever. Staal and Couturier (assuming they sign long term deals) wont have that assurance.
All good teams have scoring threats on 3rd and 4th lines. EDM with injury history and no secondary scoring is the last team that should worry about having too many offensive players.
Why cant Yakupov start on the 3rd line?
PHI pick Couturier while they already knew Giroux would be #1C for them and Schenn in the fold for future. Couturier scored 6 less points then Yakupov in a lot less games as a 16yo. and had 96pts in 58GP (1.66ppg) his draft yr.
Hemsky is signed for only 2 more seasons.. Yakupov will not be stuck behind him and Ebs forever. Staal and Couturier (assuming they sign long term deals) wont have that assurance.
All good teams have scoring threats on 3rd and 4th lines.
Yakupov is already better than every forward we have not named Eberle/RNH/Hall and honestly even that might quickly be up for debate. He could've played and produced a fairly reasonable clip in the NHL last season IMO.
No offence to Couturier but he was always way bigger than everyone else in junior. He has no where near the speed or shot that Yakupov has.
People act like Hemsky is disposable, like we've got massive scoring depth even without him.
We don't.
Until we get a decent NHL defense and goalie tandem, we're going to need all the talent up front that we can get.
This is what gets my peed off, all these "so-called" media experts talk about oilers offence like it's the greatest thing since sliced bread..truth is this team had one scoring line this past season..
