We added Fistric, Brown and Smithson. Not big moves, but moves that addressed some issues. Outside of overpaying there is very little you can do during the year.

I'm waiting til the summer is done to make judgement.
- Lahey

sorry, i wasnt' just addressing this trade deadline (or the weeks leading up to it)....it was more of an overall statement, since tambellini has been GM.

it's certainly possible that they make the right moves this summer, there will certainly be players available, but up to this point, the moves that tamb's has made have had little to no impact on the team

Like it or not, the Oilers window is closing. ELC's are running out and you won't be able to afford all of this talent soon. First round draft picks at some point are going to demand the money (they think) they are worth.

For what? A draft pick? There was no point in trading roster players for picks unless someone was going to drastically overpay. Can't just pull the plug on a team that is in a playoff hunt for the first time in years.
- Lahey

i agree with this. would be dumb to trade roster players to bring in picks.....the oilers don't need more young players.

if anything, take a roster player, package him with a pick, and upgrade.....or something like that.

What opportunities have they capitalized on? Making bank with top 10 picks? Has there been anything but first rounders get onto the big team and be good? Demoting terrible signings to the minors where they belong? Carrying 8 dmen instead of a spare center so you're not dressing 2 wingers at center for prolonged periods because its not like wins are important?

The first real progressive move they've made in a few years was to sign Schultz and then to extend Smid. And that took 3 years.
- DTF69

Yeah, the oilers should sign aging players to inflated contracts at unreadable terms for a chance to lose to the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round...

sorry, i wasnt' just addressing this trade deadline (or the weeks leading up to it)....it was more of an overall statement, since tambellini has been GM.

it's certainly possible that they make the right moves this summer, there will certainly be players available, but up to this point, the moves that tamb's has made have had little to no impact on the team
- sensarmy_11

But when you have to get rid of almost everyone and start from scratch what good is adding all the pieces you need? Isn't it better to draft higher for a few years?

We took chances on guys over the pass bunch of years. Some worked for us, some went horribly wrong and some didn't fit here but fit in well with other teams.

Tambo was (frank)ed from day one. Before he was hired Lowe signed everyone long-term, was the biggest mistake IMO. Handcuffing a new GM

Like it or not, the Oilers window is closing. ELC's are running out and you won't be able to afford all of this talent soon. First round draft picks at some point are going to demand the money (they think) they are worth.
- docmorgan

i never understood this logic....

the pens are able to ice a competitive team despite having a lot of big contracts (crosby, malkin, fleury, neal, letang, martin, etc).

same with the hawks, bruins, kings, etc

do people think that these young oiler players are gonna demand more money then a crosby, malkin, toews, or chara

unless hall, ebs, yak, rnh, and schultz all demand 8-10 mil a year (which obviously wont' happen), there won't be a cap problem in edmonton.

Like it or not, the Oilers window is closing. ELC's are running out and you won't be able to afford all of this talent soon. First round draft picks at some point are going to demand the money (they think) they are worth.
- docmorgan

Yet somehow the Pens can keep two of the best players in the world who make close to 3mil more then our best players. Plus they have Neal, Kunitz, Martin, Orpik etc.. making big money.

i never understood this logic....

the pens are able to ice a competitive team despite having a lot of big contracts (crosby, malkin, fleury, neal, letang, martin, etc).

same with the hawks, bruins, kings, etc

do people think that these young oiler players are gonna demand more money then a crosby, malkin, toews, or chara

unless hall, ebs, yak, rnh, and schultz all demand 8-10 mil a year (which obviously wont' happen), there won't be a cap problem in edmonton.
- sensarmy_11

Isn't this a good thing if it happens? Doesn't that tell us we have elite players?

Something tells me you can trade one of those elite players.

But when you have to get rid of almost everyone and start from scratch what good is adding all the pieces you need? Isn't it better to draft higher for a few years?

We took chances on guys over the pass bunch of years. Some worked for us, some went horribly wrong and some didn't fit here but fit in well with other teams.

Tambo was (frank)ed from day one. Before he was hired Lowe signed everyone long-term, was the biggest mistake IMO. Handcuffing a new GM
- Lahey

fair enough. i also don't really know where, in terms of season, lowe ends and tambellini begins......especially since people say that lowe is still calling the shots.

if lowe is still calling the shots, and not letting tambellini do his job, then i think it's pretty clear where the problem lies.

Like 3 blogs ago you guys were talking about making the playoffs, and I was excited for your team, because I thought this was the first year of the "turnaround"... the hell is going on?
- theblueandgold

Does Garth not have a blog about the Bruins winning the division right now?

Isn't this a good thing if it happens? Doesn't that tell us we have elite players?

Something tells me you can trade one of those elite players.
- Lahey

i guess that's a double-edged sword........it would mean they're great players, it would also mean that 85% of your cap would be tied up with 5 players.

my point was that it's VERY unlikely that any of them will get that kind of money, especially when you consider that hall and ebs (the 2 best players on teh team, imo) are already locked into new deals, making siginificantly less than that. i can't see RNH, yak, or schultz making more than those other 2, so there won't be a cap problem in edmonton........atleast not as it pertains to re-signing the young guys.

fair enough. i also don't really know where, in terms of season, lowe ends and tambellini begins......especially since people say that lowe is still calling the shots.

if lowe is still calling the shots, and not letting tambellini do his job, then i think it's pretty clear where the problem lies.
- sensarmy_11

Lowe apparently was the reason Bulin is here and worked on the Hemsky deal, why he was in on both would be my question. I guess it's not too far fetched for him to do the Hemmer deal.

I have a suggestion to all oilers fans. We need some pay back after the way the ducks fans treated the shultz's tonight. So aside from salenne lets boo the (frank) out of them, lets boo perry, lets boo getslaf, lets boo EVERYONE. idiot duck fans need to relize they are having a fluke season. Radik dvorak with 40 points the broadcaster said tonight. I hope i miss heard him. Dvorak with 40 points now thats a fluke. We need to teach them ugly ducklings proper respect for the best up and coming team. They'll be cryin in their stews when we start whoopin their asses. We gotta stick up for our players and they will raily behind us. Maybe we'll even win some games. Can't hurt to try.
- deadsector

Gee kinda like Oiler fans booing Pronger , Comrie and many other ex Oilers everytime they come back to Rexall

i never understood this logic....

the pens are able to ice a competitive team despite having a lot of big contracts (crosby, malkin, fleury, neal, letang, martin, etc).

same with the hawks, bruins, kings, etc

do people think that these young oiler players are gonna demand more money then a crosby, malkin, toews, or chara

unless hall, ebs, yak, rnh, and schultz all demand 8-10 mil a year (which obviously wont' happen), there won't be a cap problem in edmonton.
- sensarmy_11

The problem with your logic is assuming anybody on Edmonton's roster is the equivalent of Crosby and Malkin, both now and in the future. Those kind of players can make top line players out of anybody, and they have with the likes of Kunitz and Dupuis. They also won the cup without Neal and Martin.

The problem with your logic is assuming anybody on Edmonton's roster is the equivalent of Crosby and Malkin, both now and in the future. Those kind of players can make top line players out of anybody, and they have with the likes of Kunitz and Dupuis. They also won the cup without Neal and Martin.
- p_zub

the problem with your logic is that my point flew COMPLETELY over your head.

i NEVER said they were as good as crosby or malkin.....my point was that if pitt can afford their team (which has better and more expensive players) then edmonton should have no problem keeping their roster intact.

Well, it was a fun thought while it lasted. I'll still hope but pretty unlikely now.

the problem with your logic is that my point flew COMPLETELY over your head.

i NEVER said they were as good as crosby or malkin.....my point was that if pitt can afford their team (which has better and more expensive players) then edmonton should have no problem keeping their roster intact.
- sensarmy_11

They wont. People are just stupid. Once its clear that no one is a bust, they need a new angle. Cap space is the new bust.

They wont. People are just stupid. Once its clear that no one is a bust, they need a new angle. Cap space is the new bust.
- sanfordnson

i still think eberle is gonna be a bust.....you guys should trade him now while his value is still high.......

i hear ottawa might be interested.

and you live in stony plain, sorry to hear that!!
- newmy

You should be banned. All you care to do is offend others... You're a franking loser.

The Kings and Ducks are two of the best teams in the NHL and the OIL played alright against them.

Reach down between your legs, grab your hair, and pull your head out of your assss.
- JLO961

You guys played about 20 minutes of alright hockey against the ducks last night. The rest of the time the oil were getting worked in their own zone. There was a stretch of about 15 minutes carried from the first period into the second, where we had 20 unanswered shots...all without our best player

Like it or not, the Oilers window is closing. ELC's are running out and you won't be able to afford all of this talent soon. First round draft picks at some point are going to demand the money (they think) they are worth.
- docmorgan

I know it's gonna suck when Hall and Eberle want long term deals.

Oilers window is closed now.



Time to blow it up and start from scratch.

Excellent combination of being both Classless and Clueless.

No one will argue that Edmonton has a Dynasty unheard of before... but there is no provisions in dusty trophies to say they have any bearing on today's teams.

Congrats on all your previous glory. And all in the same jersey while Canucks changed over and over and over and over....

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Canucks have limped along like a dog in 5 uniforms too. What an utter embarrassment.
- Beatle_john

Jersey #3 is just hideous.

I know it's gonna suck when Hall and Eberle want long term deals.
- robin_steele264

Those two you can pay whatever they want.

The two issues with the Oil is they don't draft well outside of the easy picks, and they don't want to pay the premium that is necessary for solid defencemen, and that's what has to be done. It's only 2-3 defencemen a generation who can step into the NHL and be effective within 1-2 seasons (Doughty, Karlsson, etc) - the rest take time to develop. You can't hope to draft one to devleop with your forward core, it's too late for that already.

Forwards, like the plethora the oilers have, enter their prime very early on and you have to complement them with skilled veteran D who know the game if you want results.

If I'm Tambellini, I'm paying a premium this summer for Yandle. You've got plenty of picks, plenty of prospects. Problem is Oil fans go into fuill on uproars every time a quality for quality trade is made or suggested because team management has been hyping every prospect so badly so the fans don't pick up pitchforks and march.

An example would be Hartikainen and a 1st for Yandle. That would give you a #1 D going forward, and improve your entire D core by trickle-down. Pair him with smid on line one, and shelter Schultz by allowing him to run the offense on L2 with easier minutes.

But ST doesn't have the balls to do that, so I imagine it will be limbo-land again this offseason, and if the young guns can't carry the team into the top 8 next year, he'll finally be out on his ass.

Oilers window is closed now.



Time to blow it up and start from scratch.
- robin_steele264

Agreed...

In all seriousness.. do you not think its time to at least consider moving one of the big 4 for a legitimate top pairing defenseman?