Also to everyone saying OKC, do you think the lockout will last all season? Some teams are stacked without NHL players coming down, and soon as RNH, Eberle, Hall leave what do you think will happen to the team?
They made the third round of the playoffs without any of those players last season. I think they'll be fine.
Apart from RNH, Eberle and Justin Schultz, they've got 2011-12 AHL top goaltender Yann Danis, AHL all-star Alex Plante on D, a myriad of reliable veterans like Josh Green and Dane Byers, and lots more young guys including Paajarvi, Hartikainen and Teubert.
They were already the second best team last season. Can't imagine what they'll be like this season.
Danis and plante were waived...! Oak city would have been way better with yakupov headed that direction. Him with pitlick and Hamilton would have been fun on the 3rd line
Frattin was on the clear day roster last year. Hall was not.
Quote:
EDMONTON - There are still hurdles to clear before Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall can even slip into a game jersey — starting with some contact to test his surgically repaired left shoulder and concluding with clearance from team doctors.
But when the 20-year-old Oilers star winger is ready to return, he’ll have to find work in Europe, if he’s going to play during the NHL lockout.
Because Hall was on the injured reserve list when the American Hockey League assignments were made, the Oilers could not include him on the list of 26 players headed to the Oklahoma City Barons — a list that included star forwards Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and prized young defenceman Justin Schultz.
“I’m going to have to find somewhere to play, I’m not sure when that is going to be,” said Hall, who arrived in Edmonton on Thursday.
Even if Hall can't be sent to OKC, RNH, Eberle, Paajarvi, Hartikainen, Arcobello, Green, and Byers will provide lots of offense up front, then you have guys like Pitlick, Lander, and Cornet up front who at least in the case of the first two should see improvements.
On defense we have Teubert, Justin Schultz, Taylor Fedun (was very impressive in camp last year before his unfortunate injury), Marincin (promising rookie), and Alex Plante who was an AHL allstar last year.
In net we have the reigning AHL goalie of the year and one of two promising rookies in Olivier Roy or Tyler Bunz.
__________________ Treat Others As You Would Like To Be Treated
Well obviously everyone is talking about OKC but how many players is Norfolk returning and aren't they going to get Connolly and Namestnikov? Those are probably the two teams to watch right? People in AHL cities probably have a better idea.
Different team in Norfolk this year, the team that won the Calder Cup moved.
I'm not questioning how good OKC might be, I'm just surprised the Hall news wasn't well known on these boards. I came across it casually yesterday.
I'm not even sure if it's "official" yet on whether or not he can be sent down, there's been a lot of speculation to this point IMO. I'll believe that he can't play there if/when he signs with a European team.
Norfolk/Syracuse was unbelievable last year, and they did it without an overwhelming amount of talent. The team was just a machine. They might be weaker on paper than TOR/OKC but they're going to be very competitive.
Talent-wise I think the Barons are pretty far ahead of everyone, at least as long as the lockout goes for. Adding Schultz on D really closed the last big gap on the roster and the forwards went from excellent to scary with RNH/Eberle.
Toronto was pretty clearly the better team last year and they're going to look similar this year; they're going to be very, very close I think.
As for Hall, I'm about 90% sure that he could come to OKC at any time this season, he's still on his ELC which is a two way contract.
With SKA refusing his contract, Tarasenko will likely be playing in Peoria during the lock out, making the Rivermen a very dangerous team. Potential roster.
Pretty solid team. High powered offense on the top line. Balanced scoring and defensive play on the second and third line. Nice checking line on the fourth line too.
Rock solid defense. Cole, Ford, Ponich, Woywitka and Edmundson are big boys who can play a physical game. Fairchild and Chorney are two of the AHL's best puck movers.
If Allen can pick up from his rookie/end of sophomore year production, that's a deep, strong club.
With SKA refusing his contract, Tarasenko will likely be playing in Peoria during the lock out, making the Rivermen a very dangerous team. Potential roster.
Pretty solid team. High powered offense on the top line. Balanced scoring and defensive play on the second and third line. Nice checking line on the fourth line too.
Rock solid defense. Cole, Ford, Ponich, Woywitka and Edmundson are big boys who can play a physical game. Fairchild and Chorney are two of the AHL's best puck movers.
If Allen can pick up from his rookie/end of sophomore year production, that's a deep, strong club.
I'm not even sure if it's "official" yet on whether or not he can be sent down, there's been a lot of speculation to this point IMO. I'll believe that he can't play there if/when he signs with a European team.
What we do know are the following two rules:
A player could be sent down prior to the lockout if they met the following two conditions: Healthy AND two-way contract.
A player could be sent down after the start of the lockout if they met the following three conditions: Healthy AND two-way contract AND [on 2012 clear day list OR finished last season in AHL].
Hall will eventually become healthy. He also has a two-way contract. However, he was neither on the 2012 clear day list nor finished last season in the AHL.
I cannot think of any mechanism by which Hall will be allowed to be sent down to the AHL, which is kind of silly because he's waiver-exempt and it would be in everyone's best interest for him play there.
A player could be sent down prior to the lockout if they met the following two conditions: Healthy AND two-way contract.
A player could be sent down after the start of the lockout if they met the following three conditions: Healthy AND two-way contract AND [on 2012 clear day list OR finished last season in AHL].
Hall will eventually become healthy. He also has a two-way contract. However, he was neither on the 2012 clear day list nor finished last season in the AHL.
I cannot think of any mechanism by which Hall will be allowed to be sent down to the AHL, which is kind of silly because he's waiver-exempt and it would be in everyone's best interest for him play there.
