After watching a couple of these games in the playoffs, it seems to me if Edmonton had made it, they would have been run out of any of the teams building.
For everryone that "drools" over the line up of
Hall-Nuge-Eberle
Yakupov-Gagner-Hemsky
Paajarvi and so on....
Look at those names above. Tell me how they would fair in the playoffs this year. They would get absolutley destroyed.
People pick on guys like Eager, Hordichuk and such, the fact of the matter is we cannot roll 4 scoring lines. We need bottom six guys. Tough mean big dudes who hit at every oppurtunity.
I'm all in favour of trading the pick for some size/toughness plus more.
Face it, our top 6 is basically set unless we find a guy like Clowe, Lucic, ect.
Oilers management needs to do some research in the stats department and look at bottom six guys who lead in hits, 5x5 scoring chances and such.
Would you trade the 1st overall to San Jose for Ryan Clowe and Douglas Murray?
Or trade Linus Omark and a second for Matt Martin in Long Island?
The Oilers if they do make the playoffs next year by some massive, surprise improvement will likely make it because of offence though, much like Ottawa this year.
Would you trade Hall, RNH, or Eberle for Clowe/D.Murray? Of course not, so why would you trade the first?
The oilers have other assets and avenues to aquire those types of mid-range players, they don't need to be throwing away their shot at another star level player.
As many have said, we need more skill and more bite, luckily Yakupov brings both of those. Trading elite talent for toughness is a bad plan. We can trade other people for that.
Parros probably doesn't add that much more than Hordi. Tootoo won't be available. Allen though I'd love to get.
Funny thing about this thread, 5 years ago it was we need a bit more skill and less bite.
Tootoo is a UFA. IMO Nashville is not trading Weber and will break the bank to keep Suter (especially if they do beat Detroit this year) we can offer him more money.
Would you trade the 1st overall to San Jose for Ryan Clowe and Douglas Murray?
Or trade Linus Omark and a second for Matt Martin in Long Island?
I bet you would have to think twice about it....
I wouldn't touch the San Jose trade and NYI won't do the Omark trade.
If Tambo can't acquire some 'bite' without trading the 1st overall, same with acquiring top-4 D-man, then he's really in the wrong profession.
Douglas Murray is a #4-5 D-man and Ryan Clowe is a powerforward who's effectiveness is going down (as is his footspeed), and we want to trade the best goal scoring prospect since Stamkos to get him?
I also don't get how our top-6 is completely 'soft'?! Hall is definitely gritty, maybe not Lucic like but he can take and dish hits. Eberle nor RNH don't shy away from contact, Gagner can also take a hit and Yakupov has hit someone so hard he's shattered glass.
This whole notion of trade the pick for short term solutions doesn't make sense.
__________________ <-- Credit goes to The Nemesis.
Tootoo is a UFA. IMO Nashville is not trading Weber and will break the bank to keep Suter (especially if they do beat Detroit this year) we can offer him more money.
I just don't see Tootoo making that much that ends up hand cuffing the Preds.
I just don't see Tootoo making that much that ends up hand cuffing the Preds.
Which is where we call his agent and say "we'll give your client 20% more than whatever Nashville is offering".
We have the cap room, do something with it. We're years away from having to worry about RNH/Yakupov extensions.
Now is actually the time to load up with short term veteran contracts. Hell if Penner is willing to bite on a 2-year $3.5 mill per deal, I'd consider bringing him back too.
Which is where we call his agent and say "we'll give your client 20% more than whatever Nashville is offering".
We have the cap room, do something with it. We're years away from having to worry about RNH/Yakupov extensions.
You think he leaves over 20%? I'd love to get him, but I just don't know he jumps ship. I also don't know that you want to end up paying a 4th liner 2.5mil.
"Bite" is so overrated. You don't need to goon it up or destroy players with big hits every game to win. Our guys just need to stick up for each other and be able to take and finish checks, which they do for the most part. Detroit and Pittsburgh aren't exactly the most physical or intimidating teams yet they are still successful.
I really hope people aren't thinking we are the next Vancouver. This team will have a lot more toughness when the kids mature.
You think he leaves over 20%? I'd love to get him, but I just don't know he jumps ship. I also don't know that you want to end up paying a 4th liner 2.5mil.
A couple of hundred grand per year can mean a lot to a guy like that who's not exactly a huge money earner in the first place.
The honest problem with our top six is Gagner. He's the only one who's legitimately "soft".
Morrow went after Nugent Hopkins, and Morrow was the one who ended up on his ass. RNH is impressively strong for a kid his size, I've been actually surprised at how many physical battles he ends up winning given his frame. He should gain another 5-10 pounds of muscle this summer and is only going to be stronger next year.
Eberle ... good luck hitting him. Too elusive.
Hall is not soft. Just reckless sometimes.
Yakupov is a tank.
Gagner and Paajarvi are legitimately soft, but MPS could be in the AHL for most of next year and Gagner could very well be gone period.
The Oilers if they do make the playoffs next year by some massive, surprise improvement will likely make it because of offence though, much like Ottawa this year.
why are you so ****ing high on the skeleton that is Jason Arnott? You're really all about giving him ~20 minutes a game but god forbid Smyth or Horcoff get that? Just ridiculous.
<-- Credit goes to The Nemesis.
