Confirmed with Link: Ryan Smyth agrees to 2 year deal with Oilers. $2.25 per year (July, 2012)

[GreatKeith]

Originally Posted by Red Deer Rebel

1 goal from a complacent veteran with a $7 million cap hit, so Warrener called him out.

Ironic that it takes Calgary-based media to call out our own complacent veterans, while Edmonton media kisses ass.

As much as I don't like Smyth, I don't think he's been complacent, he's just been... stupid and not very good.

He's very old and his age is showing. The guy IS trying, he just can't move like he used to.

[Red Deer Rebel]

Originally Posted by GreatKeith

As much as I don't like Smyth, I don't think he's been complacent, he's just been... stupid and not very good.

He's very old and his age is showing. The guy IS trying, he just can't move like he used to.

We'll see.

I wouldn't be surprised to see about twice the energy level from Mr. Smyth that we have seen to date this season.

Thank you Rhett Warrener.

[GreatKeith]

Originally Posted by Red Deer Rebel

We'll see.

I wouldn't be surprised to see about twice the energy level from Mr. Smyth that we have seen to date this season.

Thank you Rhett Warrener.

Let's hope...

[jbean]

Rhett Warrener looks like a fool criticizing players that have acomplished much more than him and had greater longevity including recent productive years.

[Seedling]

5 bucks says he takes more dunb penalties.

[Turrican]

Originally Posted by Seedling

5 bucks says he takes more dunb penalties.

Better dunb penalties than dumb ones!

[Replacement]

Originally Posted by GreatKeith

It could be that because Rhett called him out that Iginla decided to wake up. He was very unnoticeable prior to that.

Iggy is often a slow starter. Every Calgary fan and player would know that.

Has he not been full value on a Calgary Flames team? (or for us)

Without Jarome Igninla in the lineup Calgary would be in the running for top picks with us these past few seasons.

I love myself some Jarome Iginla. Good ol St Albert boy helping out the local team.

[Replacement]

Originally Posted by jbean

Rhett Warrener looks like a fool criticizing players that have acomplished much more than him and had greater longevity including recent productive years.

Yep. Seriously. Are there a dozen players in the league that have scored as many goals as Iginla the past couple years?

Its a good laugh that the flames fans are grumping as well and they always do about Iginla. I don't even know how he's managed to have such a positive attitude down there all these years. He's heart and soul guy and always this criticism because he can't clean and jerk a bad club all the way into the playoffs by himself.

The guy has a dozen seasons in a row of +30 goals and I don't know anybody else in the league has put in these consistent seasons.

For a club not trying to tank he's well worth the money.

[Replacement]

Originally Posted by GreatKeith

As much as I don't like Smyth, I don't think he's been complacent, he's just been... stupid and not very good.

He's very old and his age is showing. The guy IS trying, he just can't move like he used to.

Without meaning to defend his play, and not what I'm doing here, it looks like he's behind on the play all the time now. As much as people say Smyth was always slow he's been one of the more resolute forecheckers in the game for his career. So he's used to being able to close on opposition.

This year he must be wondering W T F as he's sucking on exhaust fumes much of the time.

I think in large part there could be some denial going on in Smyth right now where there would be for any person aging and thinking they can still deliver X performance.

Nobody is more frustrated than Smyth I suspect. We'll find out if he has the extra gear still.

I will note here Smyth has been guilty of picking spots and resting through games at times since his first stint here. Judging from his play in LA, and Col, and last year for some reason he hasn't come close to bringing complete seasons. Large bodies of work where he's not getting production anyway. Usually not hurting the team much like in this case though. Usually when Smyth is low production he manages to be a low event player both ways. Not so much now.

By the time Smyth came back here ample questions were already being asked about his game. The start of last season if anything was quite surprising and far off what this player had been in recent seasons.

[Mr Sakich]

Originally Posted by GreatKeith

It could be that because Rhett called him out that Iginla decided to wake up. He was very unnoticeable prior to that.

I will deisagree with this, he was noticable. I saw him live the game before and he was noticably bad. he looked finished. Too slow to get into te position to make a difference.

Iggy has lost a bunch a weight to try to get faster. the problem is that he is a power forward who is now a lightweight. it helped his speed last year but then he got a year older.

he looked good playing pond hockey vs the dallas rookie backup. Tonight, he gets another rookie backup vs the blues. playing against a competent team, he is a non factor (kinda like Smyth). Rett was 100% correct in his assesment of iggy and smyth.

[Replacement]

Originally Posted by Mr Sakich

I will deisagree with this, he was noticable. I saw him live the game before and he was noticably bad. he looked finished. Too slow to get into te position to make a difference.

Iggy has lost a bunch a weight to try to get faster. the problem is that he is a power forward who is now a lightweight. it helped his speed last year but then he got a year older.

he looked good playing pond hockey vs the dallas rookie backup. Tonight, he gets another rookie backup vs the blues. playing against a competent team, he is a non factor (kinda like Smyth). Rett was 100% correct in his assesment of iggy and smyth.

Do people factor into this an older player that hadn't been playing much since early April?
Lockout years can have a profound impact on the play of older players and especially those of whom have had to carry their teams through several seasons.

I don't know that its fair, or accurate to judge a player on a 12 game sample who has been excellent for his club in recent seasons.

[Seedling]

Originally Posted by Leman Russ

Better dunb penalties than dumb ones!

I hate my iPad sometimes.

[nexttothemoon]

I'd agree that the level of old, slow and dumb is much, much higher in Smyth than the level of "don't give a ****".

That's actually meant as a compliment to him before any supporters get up in arms. I think he's still got the heart and try in him, he's just on a downward spiral which unfortunately is likely irreversible and terminal.

[SephF]

Originally Posted by Red Deer Rebel

We'll see.

I wouldn't be surprised to see about twice the energy level from Mr. Smyth that we have seen to date this season.

Thank you Rhett Warrener.

Yes lets give Rhett Warrener props instead of Kreuger who lit a fire under his ass by healthy scratching him for the first time in over a decade.

Good job Rhett!

[joestevens29]

Originally Posted by Replacement

Do people factor into this an older player that hadn't been playing much since early April?
Lockout years can have a profound impact on the play of older players and especially those of whom have had to carry their teams through several seasons.

I don't know that its fair, or accurate to judge a player on a 12 game sample who has been excellent for his club in recent seasons.

While I see what you are saying. Who's fault is it that he wasn't playing? Thornton a year younger went to the Swiss league to play. If a player is in bad conditioning or not in game shape because of the lockout he has no one but himself to blame.

With that being said if Kipper would've been playing better no one would really be looking at Iggy right now.