Richard Cloutier: Wade Redden Fetish?
- Maxbone

There's a middle ground between a top 5 dman in hockey (and the price we'd have to pay for him) and a 2nd pairing dman (and the price we'd pay for them). It's a false dichotomy to act like if we're not getting Shea Weber, we're adding mediocrity/junk.

I don't think we can get Shea Weber for the price you've suggested. I think It would cost one or two of the kids. However, if we were committing to trading picks and prospects and sending no salary (I.E. PRV, Klefbom, Marincin, multiple 1sts) we could easily keep the kids and acquire the right top pairing defenseman, or a young 2nd pairing defenseman that's getting ready to make the leap.

All I'm saying is there's a version of go big or go home that doesn't entail paying the biggest price for the very best player at a position.

IMO, the Oilers should be worried about getting defense and goalie help, then more offenseive fire power.

They seem to have a good solid young forward group that should be scary when they start to come into their own.


Edit: I'm being too nice. You suck, go to hell, jerk faces.
- ImThatGuy

One of our biggest problems is we have a bit of wait and see with the d/g and the team isn't ready to start upgrading on particular players.

Smid - Plays the way he did last year he'll be considered a top 5 shutdown in the league. So no need to replace him.

Petry - Continues to grow he'll be someone that can't be relied on to carry the 2nd pairing and fill in on the first pairing at times. Potentially if he doesn't take a step forward he could be a guy they replace.

Whitney - If he's healthy and in game shape he's a top pairing d-man. most likely guy to be replaced, but if he plays well they'll retain him.

J.Schultz - Who knows where this kid fits, but you aren't replacing him anytime soon.

N.Schultz - New leader on the back end, plays a solid underrated shutdown game. Not going anywhere.

Fistric - Should fit as a physical defender on 3rd pairing. Only way he's gone is if they find a bruiser to play in the top 4.

Potter/Peckham - Can upgrade if you want, but won't have much of an impact.

Dubnyk - Committed to giving him the starter role. Outside of us getting Lou he's going no where.

Bulin - More than likely retires, but if Dubnyk becomes a solid goalie he probably could be a viable backup/place holder.

In my mind, one of our big forward problems stems from the fact that Gagner and Horcoff are each one half of a good 2nd line centre. Looks like Horcoff has stagnated offensively, so if we want to solve this in-house, Gags will have to pick up the slack defensively. He's smart enough to do so, he just needs to make it happen.

People are clamouring to add secondary scoring because they see a drop off after Hall, Eberle and RNH, and esp. when any of them are injured.

I think secondary scoring will come from better control of the puck, better control of the flow of the game, and ability to move the puck out of our end. That is, though it seems counter-intuitive, I think we'll add more balanced scoring not by adding more scorers, but by adding better defensive forwards who can gain control of the puck and feed the secondary scorers we already have.

your argument on nashville remains flawed. 20 teams wouldn't be out of the running, at least half the league would be interested. I know he has a big cap hit, but teams would find room for him. teams in - philly, buff, NYI, NYR, Pens (maybe, would be tough with malkin/Crosby) jersey maybe, mon, wash, tampa (would have to drop vincent) bos, and the list keeps going. the other flaw is the idea of rebuild. Nashville find ways to win and has a good stock of d-prospects who are about nhl ready. the return they get for weber could include 2 decent nhl players as well as future pieces. sure the oilers could be in the running, but weber isn't Nash or Luongo, Philly proved that when they tried to offer sheet him. He could be the piece to win a team a cup.

Pittsburgh snatched Neal out of their hands for Goligoski, maybe Tambi can pull of a similar robbery. Gagner, Klefbom, and a 1st for Benn anyone?
- Tony Montana

Too much.

In my mind, one of our big forward problems stems from the fact that Gagner and Horcoff are each one half of a good 2nd line centre. Looks like Horcoff has stagnated offensively, so if we want to solve this in-house, Gags will have to pick up the slack defensively. He's smart enough to do so, he just needs to make it happen.

People are clamouring to add secondary scoring because they see a drop off after Hall, Eberle and RNH, and esp. when any of them are injured.

I think secondary scoring will come from better control of the puck, better control of the flow of the game, and ability to move the puck out of our end. That is, though it seems counter-intuitive, I think we'll add more balanced scoring not by adding more scorers, but by adding better defensive forwards who can gain control of the puck and feed the secondary scorers we already have.
- Morris

My problem up front is young inexperienced players that haven't matured physical and lack defensive smarts right now.

I don't know what the (frank) secondary scoring even means. We have Hemsky, Smyth, Yak, and Gagner behind that first line. All of whom have 40 point potential min and that's on the low side.

(frank) even 3rd liners Horc and Jones are 30-35 point guys.

You call that a short blog?

your argument on nashville remains flawed. .
- ChrisMS

shocking

IMO, the Oilers should be worried about getting defense and goalie help, then more offenseive fire power.

They seem to have a good solid young forward group that should be scary when they start to come into their own.


Edit: I'm being too nice. You suck, go to hell, jerk faces.
- ImThatGuy

Most outsiders keep spouting about Edmonton needing D and Goaltending. Oil fans know that what we have is great. The Oilers problem hasnt necessarily been Defense. Its been Puck Moving. We had Whitney out and no one else that could move the puck. We'd get bottled up in our own zone and take a penalty or give up additional chances. Petry has improved immensely in that category, J Schultz looks like a great puck mover and Whitney is now healthy. We have Smid, N Schultz and Fistric shut down guys. I think this group is looking great right now and will surprise many this year.

shocking
- Lahey

Richard, your argument on Nashville is a dead ringer! Better?

Richard, your argument on Nashville is a dead ringer! Better?
- ChrisMS

I meant shocking that his argument was flawed.

My problem up front is young inexperienced players that haven't matured physical and lack defensive smarts right now.

I don't know what the (frank) secondary scoring even means. We have Hemsky, Smyth, Yak, and Gagner behind that first line. All of whom have 40 point potential min and that's on the low side.

(frank) even 3rd liners Horc and Jones are 30-35 point guys.
- Lahey

"secondary scoring" seems to be one of those qualitative assertions, and often people are talking about it in relation to the playing style of the team. Hell, we've got 2nd liners on a 2nd last place team that would have been near the top of St. Louis' scoring, but they play a more defensively-sound game so they don't need a lot of high scoring.

I think when people look at a team like LA in the playoffs, firing on all cylinders who could seemingly count on any line for a big goal, and are gunning for that. Those kind of team performances probably have more to do with momentum and motivation than anything, but my feeling on the matter is that we're really compartmentalized in terms of our team, with few players taking the tough defensive assignments and another group taking a lot of the offensive assignments and it creates a bit of a disparity. As the kids can be leaned on defensively, and with healthy Hemmer and worked-in Yaks, I don't think it'll be a persistent problem.

And it certainly isn't the kind of thing where we should be going out and adding Alex Semin. If anything, we ought to add a Cal Clutterbuck-style guy.

Most outsiders keep spouting about Edmonton needing D and Goaltending. Oil fans know that what we have is great.
- Iggysbff

I don't know if I'd call it great. Dubnyk has looked good at times, but has some flaws. And some of the defense has quite a few "ifs"; health for one, and the fact that, as good as he's looked, Schultz has yet to play one NHL game. It's far from the worst in the league, but I don't know if it's a great group. Time will tell I guess.

"I'm guessing the Rangers had him in the minors for a reason."

Yeah, because he had a $6.5M per year cap hit. It had nothing to do with his talent.

shocking
- Lahey

my bad... i've been burned by sarcasm taken wrong on this sight as well. not the best venue for it I guess

Too much.
- Iggysbff

What?? Ahahahahahhahaha.

Yeah right.

Would Adam Pardy be a good pick up on waivers

Would Adam Pardy be a good pick up on waivers
- andymaury

I don't think so. No real spot and he isn't really any better than what we have.

Would Adam Pardy be a good pick up on waivers
- andymaury

It would be a redundant move.

Quick...who would everyone rather have Kadri or BSchenn?
I know people are quick to point out that Kadri is already labelled a bust...but, thought I would ask.
- BoBBeR56

BSchenn - the thing is, I have no idea if Kadri is, in fact, a bust, or if he was built up by the TO media into something he never was, then torn apart by angry fans for not being the fiction that the press made him into.

On an aside note, you guys really gotta stop doing that to your prospects...

Kadri was drafted the same year, and 2 spots behind BSchenn...it just makes me laugh that most people are quick to call Kadri a bust and say he is useless and carries no trade value, but in the next sentence would say BSchenn would be a centrepiece in a Flyers deal for Weber.
- BoBBeR56

Kadri had much higher trade value before the Leafs media and fans spent a year telling everyone who will listen what a failure he is.

Buyout Horcoff keep Belanger Find a 3rd line center hows that sound?
- Jon_Parisian

Easier said than done. Faceoff specialists who can play the tough minutes against the toughest opposition in the league and NOT get burned left, right and center don't exactly grow on trees.

Quick...who would everyone rather have Kadri or BSchenn?
I know people are quick to point out that Kadri is already labelled a bust...but, thought I would ask.
- BoBBeR56

For a quick comparison, let's have a look at their AHL stats this season:
Schenn, on a horrible Adirondack team, has 13/20/33 in 33 games.
Kadri, on a 2nd-place Toronto team, has 8/18/26 in 27 games.

Offensively, pretty equal (in this small sample size). I think Schenn's physical and defensive games are better, so I'd take Schenn.

Richard Cloutier: Wade Redden Fetish?
- Maxbone

This should be interesting...

In my mind, one of our big forward problems stems from the fact that Gagner and Horcoff are each one half of a good 2nd line centre. Looks like Horcoff has stagnated offensively, so if we want to solve this in-house, Gags will have to pick up the slack defensively. He's smart enough to do so, he just needs to make it happen.

People are clamouring to add secondary scoring because they see a drop off after Hall, Eberle and RNH, and esp. when any of them are injured.

I think secondary scoring will come from better control of the puck, better control of the flow of the game, and ability to move the puck out of our end. That is, though it seems counter-intuitive, I think we'll add more balanced scoring not by adding more scorers, but by adding better defensive forwards who can gain control of the puck and feed the secondary scorers we already have.
- Morris

Good post... agree with much of it, particularly the puck control angle. However, I posit to you that puck control teams' playoff success is dependent on officiating - ie the more the refs do their freaking jobs, the more Cups go to Detroit, the more the refs "let them play it out" the more Cups go to the Bruins. If Gagner was 30 lbs heavier, I don't think any of us would want to move him, but size/agression/physicality in the top 6 is a real concern.
people are funny... secondary scoring is way, WAY down on the list of things the Oilers need. The most important thing we need to do is find out if Dubnyk can give us 40 quality starts per year (if so, we keep him and start looking for a quality backup for him, if not, it's tradin time). The second most important thing we can do is assess how all the unknown quantities on our roster fit together.
Will Thor be adding a bit of scoring to the bottom 6, or will he be adding physicality to the top 6? Is Yaks gonna be the new Bure, or the new couldashouldwouldadidn't? How will JSchultz develop? Will Fistric step in and be the man we wanted Peckham to be? Is this Gagner's breakout year? Is Hemsky going to be part of the team going forward? Which of our numerous defensive prospects seem most likely to pan out?

These questions all require time to answer, and IMO we really should answer as many of these as possible before making a blockbuster trade. And that's OK, too - our window opens year after next, and if we play our cards right, we might get as much as a 7 year stretch of dominance.