I really cant see the Oilers not taking a D-man at 7. What's the talk out there?
- ImThatGuy

I'm assuming they take on of Monahan, Lindholm, or Nichushkin, whichever one falls to them. I wouldn't be mad if they took Ristolainen.

MacT says nothing has come remotely close to being good enough for him to deal the pick, so they're likely keeping it

this actually bothered me right from the start. retarded media choosing them cause they were the sexy pick.
imo, if you knew much about the oilers, anything more than battling or a longshot for 8th, shoulda been pretty obvious.

that one bonehead from cnnsi had them in the top 3 for preseason power rankings!!?

and of course this then spills over to oiler fans being called out for saying our team was gonna be so great. which for the most part is a total fallacy
- hugefemale dog77

yea. EDM fans get the bad rep for saying they're gonna make the playoffs or win the cup, but that's just the media and RC spewing out trash.

If you think you're getting TJ Oshie and a first-rounder, or Tarasenko, for Miller, you are going to be sorely disappointed when he's traded. STL wouldn't trade any of those three assets alone for a 33-year old goalie with a .915 save percentage and one expensive year left on his contract. Garth, your Miller blogs are getting more ludicrous by the day. There frankly are more goalies still available than there are teams who needs goalies. BUF will be lucky to get a decent prospect and second-rounder for him.

try being an oiler fan your entire life. This last year was the worst.
Media pre season "EDM's young talent will explode this year, I bet they make the playoffs."
Media post season "EDM really needs to bolster that defence if they ever want to make the playoffs"
- TheNugeIsHuge

As a Buffalo fan, the phrase "miraculous push to 9th" has become a common thing.

I really cant see the Oilers not taking a D-man at 7. What's the talk out there?
- ImThatGuy

Nurse

Nurse
- robin_steele264

Hopefully

If we don't move up from 8th, that'd leave the Sabres with Lindholm, and I'd be one happy camper

if spreading the wealth makes the wealth have negative value, it shouldn't be spread.

Hall-Nuge-Eberle belong together. EDM needs to deal for a guy like Kulemin, who can play tough comp, to play along side gags and yak
- TheNugeIsHuge

it doesn't make it negative. it strengthens your overall attack by making a lesser line equally as tough to defend and tougher to match up against.

I think the team would be way better served with kulemin alongside the nuge and ebs...

which great teams do you know have only 1 great line? or even the second line as far inferior to the first?

idk. If Minnesota cleans up their depth a little. They've got, IMO, the best D man in the league this year. Top 3 prospect system.

I think they've got the best shot. Then a tie between COL and EDM.

But at some point COL and EDM are going to have to deal one of their studs (I don't consider stastny a stud) for that franchise D man
- TheNugeIsHuge

I don't buy Minny. Backstrom is still their guy, and he is just too broken down. It starts with a goalie...which no team in the division now has. If COL got Miller or if Varly plays to expectations, they are the shoo-in.
For order of whom would do it first for the div that will soon be not:
Colorado
Edmonton
Minnesota
Calgary
Vancouver

The Nucks are worse off than any other team. Since they haven't started the rebuild.

??

it doesn't make it negative. it strengthens your overall attack by making a lesser line equally as tough to defend and tougher to match up against.

I think the team would be way better served with kulemin alongside the nuge and ebs...

which great teams do you know have only 1 great line? or even the second line as far inferior to the first?
- hugefemale dog77

Hall and Eberle's possession numbers both go to 43% when separated. Meaning when they're on, but aren't playing together, the oppostion has the puck 57% of the time.

I could do that. Just tough because Col gave up a boat load to get him.
- ImThatGuy

Hence admitting defeat. But IF they are trading partners, they get a proven commodity in return. Though, Miller would have to throw Sekera under the bus on two teams

I don't buy Minny. Backstrom is still their guy, and he is just too broken down. It starts with a goalie...which no team in the division now has. If COL got Miller or if Varly plays to expectations, they are the shoo-in.
For order of whom would do it first for the div that will soon be not:
Colorado
Edmonton
Minnesota
Calgary
Vancouver

The Nucks are worse off than any other team. Since they haven't started the rebuild.
- FLflames34

? Schneider?

Also they've got Backstrom, Harding, and Kuemper. One of them will turn out to be that guy IMO

it doesn't make it negative. it strengthens your overall attack by making a lesser line equally as tough to defend and tougher to match up against.

I think the team would be way better served with kulemin alongside the nuge and ebs...

which great teams do you know have only 1 great line? or even the second line as far inferior to the first?
- hugefemale dog77

Kulemin-Gags-Yak is still a really good line too

find me 5 teams with a 2nd line centre that puts up 65P.

Also Gags was on pace for 65 this year.
- TheNugeIsHuge

Thats not the point. Its because Gags is deficient in so many other area's that for me he would have to seriously overcompensate to make up for it. He also plays with world class wingers.

He is extremely 1 dimensional and you need more than that if you want to win a Cup.

Hockey is so much more than just scoring points and I think both EDM and Ganger are perfect examples of that.

Thats not the point. Its because Gags is deficient in so many other area's that for me he would have to seriously overcompensate to make up for it. He also plays with world class wingers.

He is extremely 1 dimensional and you need more than that if you want to win a Cup.

Hockey is so much more than just scoring points and I think both EDM and Ganger are perfect examples of that.
- Meeqsb

I'd love to centre a trade around Berglund and Gagner.

Hall and Eberle's possession numbers both go to 43% when separated. Meaning when they're on, but aren't playing together, the oppostion has the puck 57% of the time.
- TheNugeIsHuge

you're changing the facts again to suit your argument. this isn't true at all times. it depends on which linemates they have and what the sitation is.

in fact yakupov had better possession control numbers than eberle, as well as less losses of the puck while gaining the zone than ebs.

by your reasoning yakupov should be alongside hall and the nuge as they all have the stronger possession numbers. (hemsky was better than both yaks and ebs)

anyways, it doesn't always need to be about cold hard statistics. especially the ones that don't tell the whole story. some things are evident. and imo, a more balanced attack is the way to go.
but ill certainly never say hall, nuge and ebs isn't a great line.

you're changing the facts again to suit your argument. this isn't true at all times. it depends on which linemates they have and what the sitation is.

in fact yakupov had better possession control numbers than eberle, as well as less losses of the puck while gaining the zone than ebs did.

by your reasoning yakupov should be alongside hall as they both have strong possession numbers.

it doesn't always need to be about cold hard statistics. some things are evident. and imo, a more balanced attack is the way to go
- hugefemale dog77

I'd also like to add how dynamic Hall and Yak were together. Sure as hell better than Yak and Belanger

you're changing the facts again to suit your argument. this isn't true at all times. it depends on which linemates they have and what the sitation is.

in fact yakupov had better possession control numbers than eberle, as well as less losses of the puck while gaining the zone than ebs did.

by your reasoning yakupov should be alongside hall as they both have strong possession numbers.

it doesn't always need to be about cold hard statistics. some things are evident. and imo, a more balanced attack is the way to go
- hugefemale dog77

no this is measured when Eberle and Hall were on the same line, they're possession was around 55%.

When hall was without eberle, and when eberle was without hall, their line's possession was 43%. Not twisting anything. It's chemistry

I'd love to centre a trade around Berglund and Gagner.
- ystoil

Nah. Berglund's just bigger. Gagner out produced him n berglund had a high SH%

yea. EDM fans get the bad rep for saying they're gonna make the playoffs or win the cup, but that's just the media and RC spewing out trash.
- TheNugeIsHuge

We get hosed for what our owner and PR guy spread to the media. This whole Hockey Heaven media creation thing went overboard. The media used it for months and now Buffalo is stuck with it.

Ask any Buffalo fan and they will tell you that being a hot spot or a destination is a long ways away.

? Schneider?

Also they've got Backstrom, Harding, and Kuemper. One of them will turn out to be that guy IMO
- TheNugeIsHuge

Schneider doesn't count. He is not a starter. Dude gets in his own head too much...he even admitted such.

Don't know Kuemper, but Backstrom was just re-signed, to be starter. Harding has a terrible disease and will not improve.

I'd love to centre a trade around Giordano and Gagner.
- ystoil

Fixed

Schneider doesn't count. He is not a starter. Dude gets in his own head too much...he even admitted such.

Don't know Kuemper, but Backstrom was just re-signed, to be starter. Harding has a terrible disease and will not improve.
- FLflames34

schneider could win the vezina as early as next season. He needs to work on the mental side of the game a bit, but he's a top 5 goalie in the league, there's no scenario where Varlamov will be that

I'd also like to add how dynamic Hall and Yak were together. Sure as hell better than Yak and Belanger

- ystoil

Yak was completely misused last year. Was a shame, I love his play. Which is why Flames fans spilling sour grapes about Nich (if he falls to 6) should not be picked because he is a ....gasp....Russian

I still rank your prized peeps as follows:
Eberle
RNH
Schultz
Yak
Hall

I would trade Hall when the bell tolls and one has to go.

Schneider doesn't count. He is not a starter. Dude gets in his own head too much...he even admitted such.

Don't know Kuemper, but Backstrom was just re-signed, to be starter. Harding has a terrible disease and will not improve.
- FLflames34

His playoff history is way too small of a sample size. Throughout his regular season career so far he's been stellar. As Nuge mentioned, save percentage is the best measurement of a goalie's ability and his has been right up there for years now.



I agree with the EDM fans here that goaltending isn't their biggest concern at all.

Thats not the point. Its because Gags is deficient in so many other area's that for me he would have to seriously overcompensate to make up for it. He also plays with world class wingers.

He is extremely 1 dimensional and you need more than that if you want to win a Cup.

Hockey is so much more than just scoring points and I think both EDM and Ganger are perfect examples of that.
- Meeqsb

tell that to patty kane. his OZS was 70.9% in the playoffs, he doesn't hit, he's not good in his own end, he doesn't play PK (gags does). His job is just to produce, and his team just won the cup n he just won conn smythe