Use 2013 1st, 2012 2nd, Gagner, Omark, Peckham, Potter and Jones to do something with the D, including adding more prospects, and an upgrade in goal with Dub..Pay Khabby to sit and mentor....
Don't sign Barker...
Sign J Schultz.
Sign Petrel.
Sign Smyth but limit his icetime on the PK, etc, so he isn't wiped out by Xmas. Use MPS, Eberle, Nuge, Harti instead on PK, etc...
Sign an FA for the 4/3rd line...
Sign Hortichuk and use as needed..
Seems simple enough...
Marc Savard... Eric Lindros... both played center, both had careers ended by concussions due to hits. I think your reasoning is a bit flawed.
Marc Savard... Eric Lindros... both played center, both had careers ended by concussions due to hits. I think your reasoning is a bit flawed.
His problem hasn't been open ice hits....It's the boards that get him because the D know his speed and cut him off. There's nowhere to go along the boads...Not easy to catch him in the middle.
I say moving MPS to Center would be sick, he seems like a player that would succeed there now that I think of it
Hall - MPS - Yakupov
who wouldnt succeed as a Center with those 2 on your wing?
More like:
Hall - RNH - Eberle
Hartikainen - MPS - Hemsky/Yakapov
... the combination of Harikainen to do the spade work along the boards, Hemsky to circle around and control the puck, and MPS to come in as the high man and set up for the one timer... yeah that's pretty damn intriguing a thought. Now you have pieces like Gagner/Hemsky that you can afford to trade, or just take your time with Yakapov.
... the combination of Harikainen to do the spade work along the boards, Hemsky to circle around and control the puck, and MPS to come in as the high man and set up for the one timer... yeah that's pretty damn intriguing a thought.
If the Oilers had any intention of converting Paajarvi to a C he would have played 20+ games in the AHL as a C already.
If the Oilers had any intention of converting Paajarvi to a C he would have played 20+ games in the AHL as a C already.
This is just not happening.
Lander would be just as good as a top 6 C.
Lander doesn't have the offence in him MPS does. Not even close.
Obviously this is a long shot, but this is a message board. A new coach can change MPS's direction. I doubt Todd Nelson had the leeway to do such things, so it'd take someone new at the NHL level to drive that even at the AHL level.
The major problem, is you're the worst face-off team in the league in regards to your top 2 lines. And you don't have any wingers who can take them, either.
Paajarvi will never be that physical. That's just not his game. All he needs to do to be effective is use his body to protect the puck and battle in the dirty areas.
Lander doesn't have the offence in him MPS does. Not even close.
Obviously this is a long shot, but this is a message board. A new coach can change MPS's direction. I doubt Todd Nelson had the leeway to do such things, so it'd take someone new at the NHL level to drive that even at the AHL level.
The major problem, is you're the worst face-off team in the league in regards to your top 2 lines. And you don't have any wingers who can take them, either.
Lander has a lot more going for him as a 2nd line C than Paajarvi. MPS's offense this season hasnt been any better.
Nelson had the lee way to move MPS to RW. Im sure he couldve put him down the middle if that what Oilers wanted to explore.
Putting MPS down the middle will not help the faceoff situation. I think one of the main things EDM wanted Lander to work on in AHL was his faceoffs. Lets see if he can get to 50%.
How about instead of moving him the center we actually play him on the proper wing where he's most comfortable?
Todd Nelson knows what's up and plays him on the RW and look at his offensive success since going down to OKC. He comes back up and gets put on the LW and has trouble producing...
How about instead of moving him the center we actually play him on the proper wing where he's most comfortable?
Todd Nelson knows what's up and plays him on the RW and look at his offensive success since going down to OKC. He comes back up and gets put on the LW and has trouble producing...
hmmmmmmm
I like Paajarvi at RW too, but you're ignoring two incredibly significant points.
1. Eberle, Yakupov, and Hemsky are all RWs and all ahead of him on the depth chart.
2. His offensive success (.75PPG) is also coming in the AHL. There's a slight difference in quality there.
If the goal is to get him producing more offensively, bringing him up to the NHL to play on the 4th line with Belanger and one of Eager/Hordichuk might not be the best way to do it.
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If you are offended by this post, it's probably because you're ugly.
I'd rather use Hartkianen in the top 6 than Paajarvi.
Paajarvi will be a good defensive 3rd liner some day because he's smart and he can skate. He's pretty useless in the Oilers' top 6 plans right now because he's as soft as baby ****. If he can grow a dick maybe one day he'll be a good player, if not, **** it he'll be a solid PK guy who can step in adequately if/when Hall gets injured.
I like Paajarvi at RW too, but you're ignoring two incredibly significant points.
1. Eberle, Yakupov, and Hemsky are all RWs and all ahead of him on the depth chart.
2. His offensive success (.75PPG) is also coming in the AHL. There's a slight difference in quality there.
If the goal is to get him producing more offensively, bringing him up to the NHL to play on the 4th line with Belanger and one of Eager/Hordichuk might not be the best way to do it.
I'm not trying to say his offense in the AHL is going to translate to the NHL at the exact same clip, obviously not. Just saying he does better offensively from the right side of the ice.
If we draft Yakupov and one of him, Eberle or Hemsky can't play leftwing someone will get traded (most likely Hemsky). I wouldn't mind Paajarvi on the third line as a right wing playing in a more defensive role but we'll see what happens - he has to earn it.
Hopefully we can see a Hartikainen-Lander-Paajarvi line sometime in the future.
This idea has been floated around before, but maybe the Oilers should seriously consider it going forward, especially if Gagner is shipped out for defensive help.
I think it could work -- MPS doesn't do much on the wing but shoot that floater shot that doesn't work anyway.
This way he'd have to go into the middle of the ice, which is where it seems like he scores most of his goals and he's defensively responsible, can keep up with any one of our wingers.
I don't know about the face off thing but I do remember him being forced to take a draw and winning it cleanly.
And he's more of a pass first player.
A Hall-MPS-Yakupov/Eberle line could work well IMO. MPS could get a lot of tap in goals with the D collapsing on their last legs trying to contain our wingers.
This would be similar to how Horcoff started off with the Oilers as LW and then was converted to C, I see a lot of similarities in their games actually, except MPS is more talented naturally.
i was thinking the same thing which is how I got here. oilers want a big body for a 2nd line center why not try out MPS there he's a fast playmaker that can play the 2 way game I much rather see him there than Hall. with a top 6 like
harti-nuge-ebs
hall-Mps-yak
and then you can move gagner and hemsky for a D-man while resigning smyth for a 3rd line role and also maybe jagr as rumored.
i know its alot of "if's" but they could do some serious damage this year.
Not enough lower body strength, not enough upper body strength, not enough awareness on the ice. This is just setting him up to be absolutely destroyed by a few huge open ice hits in the first 30 games or so. At that point, you can forget about development; it's probably all over.
No, bad idea at this time. Needs 20lbs of muscle, and learn to keep his head up and on a swivel.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Forever
Paajarvi will be a good defensive 3rd liner some day because he's smart and he can skate. He's pretty useless in the Oilers' top 6 plans right now because he's as soft as baby ****. If he can grow a dick maybe one day he'll be a good player, if not, **** it he'll be a solid PK guy who can step in adequately if/when Hall gets injured.
I agree. I've said it before and I'll say it again, PRV will be Radek Dvorak part 2 (minus the 30 goal season). A ton of similarities between the both of them. Certainly not a bad player, but not what he was sold to the public as being his realistic ceiling.
Last edited by KarmaPolice: 06-30-2012 at 12:14 AM.
Not enough lower body strength, not enough upper body strength, not enough awareness on the ice. This is just setting him up to be absolutely destroyed by a few huge open ice hits in the first 30 games or so. At that point, you can forget about development; it's probably all over.
No, bad idea at this time. Needs 20lbs of muscle, and learn to keep his head up and on a swivel.
I agree. I've said it before and I'll say it again, PRV will be Radek Dvorak part 2 (minus the 30 goal season). A ton of similarities between the both of them. Certainly not a bad player, but not what he was sold to the public as being his realistic ceiling.
Exactly...MPV`s strength to this point has been his defensive IQ. Exploit it in the lineup and stop the dream of him being in the top six.
Hall, Yakupov, Eberle and Paajarvi are going to be legit top 6 wingers in my mind. I'm sure one of Eberle, Yakupov or Paajarvi wouldn't mind trying left wing?
Never give up on Paajarvi, Detroit would have developed him properly, I'm still a believer!
Hall, Yakupov, Eberle and Paajarvi are going to be legit top 6 wingers in my mind. I'm sure one of Eberle, Yakupov or Paajarvi wouldn't mind trying left wing?
Never give up on Paajarvi, Detroit would have developed him properly, I'm still a believer!
What makes you believe he's a top 6 forward, exactly? And this goes for other PRV believers, too, so I'm not just singling you out. Is it his laughably weak and inaccurate wrist shots, that he can't get into the top parts of the net? His total lack of moves in close on a goalie when having a virtual breakaway? His Charmin tissue softness? If this guy ever becomes a top 6 player who regularly scores 25+ goals I would be...beyond shocked--the words escape me. And, once again, that's not to say he's a bad player and couldn't play an important role on the team; but I really think that's on the 3rd line. His lack of finish and vision scream 3rd liner. But he is atleast great defensively and (I think) could score some goals on the 3rd line while being a plus player and not a liablility, and that's a player who's an asset. Sometimes you just have to take what you got and be happy with it. He has a long future, but not as a top 6 scorer, IMO.
Hall, Yakupov, Eberle and Paajarvi are going to be legit top 6 wingers in my mind. I'm sure one of Eberle, Yakupov or Paajarvi wouldn't mind trying left wing?
Never give up on Paajarvi, Detroit would have developed him properly, I'm still a believer!
Ralph said in the presser that he believes Yakupov can easily handle both wings.
I wouldn't' be against MPS taking a shot at center in the AHL... but I don't think moving him to center is going to help him much. His shot is generally OK, he just needs to learn to be more patient. He needs the coaches to help him change his tendencies.
Paajarvi needs to prove he can play on the wing before he can play center. One of the main things a player needs to be successful at center is a high hockey IQ, which Magnus has yet to prove.
Personally, I would like to see the Oilers start Yak on the 3rd line to get his feet wet, keep Hall on the left, sign a free agent checking LW and let Paajarvi and Hartikainen fight it out for one LW spot, with the loser going to the AHL.
What makes you believe he's a top 6 forward, exactly? And this goes for other PRV believers, too, so I'm not just singling you out. Is it his laughably weak and inaccurate wrist shots, that he can't get into the top parts of the net? His total lack of moves in close on a goalie when having a virtual breakaway? His Charmin tissue softness? If this guy ever becomes a top 6 player who regularly scores 25+ goals I would be...beyond shocked--the words escape me. And, once again, that's not to say he's a bad player and couldn't play an important role on the team; but I really think that's on the 3rd line. His lack of finish and vision scream 3rd liner. But he is atleast great defensively and (I think) could score some goals on the 3rd line while being a plus player and not a liablility, and that's a player who's an asset. Sometimes you just have to take what you got and be happy with it. He has a long future, but not as a top 6 scorer, IMO.
late development? the kid is not done filling out and one of the fastest on the Oilers today, he wasn't meant for the third line, I don't believe he should have ever started out on the third line, Paajarvi is one of a kind.
Now you have pieces like Gagner/Hemsky that you can afford to trade, or just take your time with Yakapov.
