Here's a kid coming from the German junior leagues. I know they are becoming better and better but let's be honest, they are pretty damn far from being at the level of other euro-countries despite their recent moderate success with their national team...
Actually, Rieder played pro-hockey in Germany
Tier-2, which has some former AHL and ECHL-players, and even some with NHL-experience. It's rather uncommon for players that age to get a significant role in the DEL or 2.Bundesliga. In the recent past there were only Kühnhackl and Rieder.
Brilliant steal for the Oilers. Would have been nice to get Saad as well with the Oilers 2nd round pick last year when he dropped... but you can't have them all.
Elite talent always, always before size. Preferably the two together but talent always trumps sheer size.
If the Oilers had a 2nd line with clones of Hall/RNH/Eberle... you think anyone would be *****ing about a small top 6? I know I wouldn't.
[QUOTE=nexttothemoon;49101675]Brilliant steal for the Oilers. Would have been nice to get Saad as well with the Oilers 2nd round pick last year when he dropped... but you can't have them all.
QUOTE]
Yeah, it would be nice if they could swap out Perhonen for Brossoit too at this point, although Perhonen had a crappy off-season last year with getting sick then never got on track. Maybe if he puts in a good off-season he can bounce back.
Anybody know how Rieder played in the last two games of the London series? He didn't get any points and was -2 but stats aren't everything.
I just don't see it. To me he could be the perfect 3rd line center, and I don't see a reason to try and play his above his abilities.
I think Gagner would fit better on the second line and he would be cap friendly as well.
Gagner? We talking about Gagner man? Gagner? We're not talkin about the game I love and die for on the ice...we talking Gagner? Gagner?
Are you seriously talking about Gagner? Makes me really question posters if they just love Gagner for being Gagner, or actually seen him play an NHL game lately. Aside from his rookie season, this kid who puts up a soft 40 pts per year in meaningless games should not be on the Oilers roster after this draft. Gagner was my favorite player for 2 years...then he stunk the joint up, and now his skillset is not where we need him to be, no where close to being 6th overall, and has regressed each and every year.
Even if his offence doesn't translate to the NHL, he sounds like one hell of a penalty killer as well. Could fill in a nice role on the Oilers in the future.. a good bottom 6 player, great on the Pk with offence to boot.
Even if his offence doesn't translate to the NHL, he sounds like one hell of a penalty killer as well. Could fill in a nice role on the Oilers in the future.. a good bottom 6 player, great on the Pk with offence to boot.
Best case, as an NHLer, he's a bit grittier Marco Sturm or worst case, again as an NHLer, he's the winger equivalent of Marcel Goc.
Gagner? We talking about Gagner man? Gagner? We're not talkin about the game I love and die for on the ice...we talking Gagner? Gagner?
Are you seriously talking about Gagner? Makes me really question posters if they just love Gagner for being Gagner, or actually seen him play an NHL game lately. Aside from his rookie season, this kid who puts up a soft 40 pts per year in meaningless games should not be on the Oilers roster after this draft. Gagner was my favorite player for 2 years...then he stunk the joint up, and now his skillset is not where we need him to be, no where close to being 6th overall, and has regressed each and every year.
I'd rather see Gagner on the 2nd line than Lander yes if we're going with the mindset that we need an affordable 2nd line center.
Posters here are so quick to throw Lander/Pitlick/Martindale into our lineup, I'd like to see them show that they can do it first. Pitlick has had an impressive postseason so far but it looks like he's being developed as a winger. Martindale had a terrible year in the ECHL, not exactly encouraging. Lander has some offensive instincts but I don't think he's there yet.
I'd rather see Gagner on the 2nd line than Lander yes if we're going with the mindset that we need an affordable 2nd line center.
Posters here are so quick to throw Lander/Pitlick/Martindale into our lineup, I'd like to see them show that they can do it first. Pitlick has had an impressive postseason so far but it looks like he's being developed as a winger. Martindale had a terrible year in the ECHL, not exactly encouraging. Lander has some offensive instincts but I don't think he's there yet.
Absolutely agree that Lander/Pitlick/Martindale shouldn't be thrown into the lineup. Lander has proven he can check, but does not have the NHL puck poise to be top 6 yet. Pitlick looked bad until the playoffs and Martindale has been a bust by most sources. If we take Yaks, we have options. Possibly lining up Gagner, packaged with MPS/Omark/draftpick for a 2/3 Centerman. We have some defenceman that will be coming in and challenging for a spot. Marincin/Fedun, and we can explore the UFA/RFS scene.
If I'm looking at an affordable center, that should be the third line one. I'd pay good money for a second line center, not named Gagner.
I'm not discounting the need for good defence.
Everyone has to remember we have a lot of cap space. Smyth will hopefully not be back with the club, Khabby will likely not be back after his contract is up, Jones might not resign, and Horcoff...well maybe we'll buy him out. This is where we explore the free agency and sign a character defenceman or role veteran.
Anyways I'm going off on a tangent so i'll shut up now.
Best case, as an NHLer, he's a bit grittier Marco Sturm or worst case, again as an NHLer, he's the winger equivalent of Marcel Goc.
Because they are the only two German's you could think of, or because he actually plays like them? Sturm I can see, but I just find it weird that a diminutive sniper would be comparable to a 4th line defensive specialist like Goc. To me its like saying he's the winger equivalent of Uwe Krupp or Olaf Kolzig.
Because they are the only two German's you could think of, or because he actually plays like them? Sturm I can see, but I just find it weird that a diminutive sniper would be comparable to a 4th line defensive specialist like Goc. To me its like saying he's the winger equivalent of Uwe Krupp or Olaf Kolzig.
He's not diminuative. He is actually bigger than Eberle.
Brilliant steal for the Oilers. Would have been nice to get Saad as well with the Oilers 2nd round pick last year when he dropped... but you can't have them all.
Elite talent always, always before size. Preferably the two together but talent always trumps sheer size.
If the Oilers had a 2nd line with clones of Hall/RNH/Eberle... you think anyone would be *****ing about a small top 6? I know I wouldn't.
Chicago were no geniuses when taking him. If they believed he was so great he would not have been the 3rd forward and 4th player they took in the draft.
They felt Mcneil #18 and Danault #26 and dman Adam Clendening #36 were better.
Chicago were no geniuses when taking him. If they believed he was so great he would not have been the 3rd forward and 4th player they took in the draft.
They felt Mcneil #18 and Danault #26 and dman Adam Clendening #36 were better.
Or they felt like he would be available later and the others wouldn't... Kinda like us with Gernat
Because they are the only two German's you could think of, or because he actually plays like them? Sturm I can see, but I just find it weird that a diminutive sniper would be comparable to a 4th line defensive specialist like Goc. To me its like saying he's the winger equivalent of Uwe Krupp or Olaf Kolzig.
Both because they are German forwards and because that's the kind of game I expect to have.
Sturm is a multiple 20+ goal scorer and former regular top-6 forward. He's a mid sized forward.
So if some of Rieder's offense translates and he can continue to bring his grit, he would be a grittier Marco Sturm
Goc is a bottom-6 forward, defensive guy who chips in a little bit offensively. He's a a bit bigger then Rieder and he's a center.
So if Rieder's offense doesn't translate well, but he brings the rest of his physical tools he could make a decent bottom-6 forward, who happens to be a winger as opposed to a center.
Anyone get a chance to see him this year?
He went from 42-42-84 last season to being on pace for 21-32-53 for 60 games.
Haven't seen him but it seems like he really fed off of his excellent chemistry with Catenacci last year, whereas this year, the entire Kitchener offense hasn't been able to find chemistry.
I still have hope that he becomes a 2nd-3rd line two-way winger in the NHL.
