You're not getting it.

1st, I don't hate the guy. Saying he's perhaps not a long-term answer and saying I hate the guy are two completely separate things.

2nd, my point was, the Oilers need to play Smid in a 1/2 role because they don't have better options. On a team with good D, he'd be, at best, a 3/4 guy. In saying this, I'm not insulting him at all. I'm being realistic.

3rd, why do you think the guys has to block so many shots? Because he can't keep up. He's an absolute warrior, like a Jason Smith. Every team benefits from having a guy who will do anything, especially when it comes to sacrificing himself to make a play. But quit being so emotionally attached to the player and look at him objectively. His offense has never been there, he's not brilliant at moving the puck out of his zone, and blocks often indicate a defense's inability to skate. In a 5/6 role, at a reasonable contract amount, I'd love him. But as a 1/2? He's not that good. And the fact the Oilers need to use him that way indicates roster issues, not issues with Smid himself.
- Maxbone

What?

an offer sheet to Pietrangelo at this point seems like a no brainer too. As you said, teams dont normally trade #1 or #2 dmen, so give up a bunch of future picks and offer Piets a 7 yr 49M deal... StL will undoubtedly match, but at least MacT can say he tried for that missing #1 top dog.
- dunnder

yes and get to keep all your former 1st round picks...could be ideal...I'd rather see the Oil give the Leafs 1 of their #1 picks in a trade!!!

I've been saying Raymond for a long time. At least he could play with Hemsky on the third line since we're keeping him around. But nobody seems to agree.
- mbxiphos1527

Hey MacT, did you hear there's a guy who's been broken in 2 who's available for the third line?

Sounds great! Let's get him...

yes and get to keep all your former 1st round picks...could be ideal...I'd rather see the Oil give the Leafs 1 of their #1 picks in a trade!!!
- Garnie

It would take forever to get the smell out... no thanks

an offer sheet to Pietrangelo at this point seems like a no brainer too. As you said, teams dont normally trade #1 or #2 dmen, so give up a bunch of future picks and offer Piets a 7 yr 49M deal... StL will undoubtedly match, but at least MacT can say he tried for that missing #1 top dog.
- dunnder

Nobody gets Pietrangelo through an offer sheet, St Louis simply matches. Only way Oilers get Pietrangelo is through a good and fair hockey trade. So, it would cost at least one of the top four guns.

Do you try to do a deal? Which one of the guns are you prepared to put in a package?

It would take forever to get the smell out... no thanks
- BigDre

Be nice...Edmonton doesn't smell that bad in the winter

2nd, my point was, the Oilers need to play Smid in a 1/2 role because they don't have better options. On a team with good D, he'd be, at best, a 3/4 guy. In saying this, I'm not insulting him at all. I'm being realistic.

3rd, why do you think the guys has to block so many shots? Because he can't keep up. He's an absolute warrior, like a Jason Smith. Every team benefits from having a guy who will do anything, especially when it comes to sacrificing himself to make a play. But quit being so emotionally attached to the player and look at him objectively. His offense has never been there, he's not brilliant at moving the puck out of his zone, and blocks often indicate a defense's inability to skate. In a 5/6 role, at a reasonable contract amount, I'd love him. But as a 1/2? He's not that good. And the fact the Oilers need to use him that way indicates roster issues, not issues with Smid himself.
- Maxbone

How do you in the span of a paragraph go from saying he's a 3/4 guy on a good defensive team to saying he should be a 5/6 guy on the Oilers?

hthis lineup won't happen until november sense nugent-hopkins is out til then but

hall nugent-hopkins yakupov
perron ganger eberle
smyth gordon hemsky
jones lander jeonsou

ference j shultz
smid petry
belov n shultz gerbeskov

Ryan smyth is NOT retiring until the end of the year clouts so shut up about him. Deal with it instead of being a baby.
Hemsky will also be gone at the end of the year if not sooner but until then there isn't anything wrong with running three scroing lines.
now lastly if our D down the road looks like this

nurse j shultz
klefbom petry
smid ference
i'm completly comfortable with that back end.

You preach patience in one sentence and then you turn around and female dog about the waiting in the next. This is likely the last year in the rebuild. We might even make the playoffs in it but one more year and then we will have all the roster holes solved.

When the Kings were rebuilding, we had a stockpile of young talent, like your team. Players we dealt to help improve our team we had to give to get some talent back. For example, We traded Schenn, SImmonds and Johnson and in return we received Carter and Richards.

Now some of you may think that the talent you have is not worthy of a Carter or a Richards type player...If you feel or think that way, your a million miles away from building a championship team.

Perhaps our teams needs were different than yours is now. At the time, our bottom 6 was pretty good and our top 6 needed some help. Still, it's easier to acquire bottom 6 players than top 6. I just don't understand why its so difficult for your team to make a move.

Also, keep in mind you draft a player in the first round, does not mean they are going to be a sure thing either...Sell high when you have the chance.

hthis lineup won't happen until november sense nugent-hopkins is out til then but

hall nugent-hopkins yakupov
perron ganger eberle
smyth gordon hemsky
jones lander jeonsou

ference j shultz
smid petry
belov n shultz gerbeskov

Ryan smyth is NOT retiring until the end of the year clouts so shut up about him. Deal with it instead of being a baby.
Hemsky will also be gone at the end of the year if not sooner but until then there isn't anything wrong with running three scroing lines.
now lastly if our D down the road looks like this

nurse j shultz
klefbom petry
smid ference
i'm completly comfortable with that back end.

You preach patience in one sentence and then you turn around and female dog about the waiting in the next. This is likely the last year in the rebuild. We might even make the playoffs in it but one more year and then we will have all the roster holes solved.
- deadsector

wouldn't peg Ference-Schultz as the top pairing. Petry as of now>J Schultz Smid>Ference

Problem is Klefbom and Nurse won't be top 4 let alone top 2 guys for another 2-3-4 years.

When the Kings were rebuilding, we had a stockpile of young talent, like your team. Players we dealt to help improve our team we had to give to get some talent back. For example, We traded Schenn, SImmonds and Johnson and in return we received Carter and Richards.

Now some of you may think that the talent you have is not worthy of a Carter or a Richards type player...If you feel or think that way, your a million miles away from building a championship team.

Perhaps our teams needs were different than yours is now. At the time, our bottom 6 was pretty good and our top 6 needed some help. Still, it's easier to acquire bottom 6 players than top 6. I just don't understand why its so difficult for your team to make a move.

Also, keep in mind you draft a player in the first round, does not mean they are going to be a sure thing either...Sell high when you have the chance.
- blk4x499

not worthy of a carter or richards type? other way around I'm thinking.

Richards is an interesting case because he's good defensively but produces like a 2C, and hasn't been a great possession player. Don't see how Carter is an upgrade on Hall-Eberle-Yak. Will adding a 2LW better than the one they just added move them to cup contention? Don't think so

We all suspected MacT was gonna clean up the bottom 6. All he's done is replaced Horcoff and brought in some no name that hasn't stuck on an NHL roster. I'd like them to dump N Schultz somewhere and sign Cleary

Be nice...Edmonton doesn't smell that bad in the winter
- Garnie

I can tell you've never been here... "frozen solid" doesn't really have a smell

I can tell you've never been here... "frozen solid" doesn't really have a smell
- BigDre

That's what I said!!! (frank) never mind little fella I guess you're only a wee chap and don't get it!!!!!,

not worthy of a carter or richards type? other way around I'm thinking.

Richards is an interesting case because he's good defensively but produces like a 2C, and hasn't been a great possession player. Don't see how Carter is an upgrade on Hall-Eberle-Yak. Will adding a 2LW better than the one they just added move them to cup contention? Don't think so

We all suspected MacT was gonna clean up the bottom 6. All he's done is replaced Horcoff and brought in some no name that hasn't stuck on an NHL roster. I'd like them to dump N Schultz somewhere and sign Cleary
- TheNugeIsHuge

I remember reading a story on how LA designed their team using help from advanced stats. They took Corsi very seriously on the grounds that possession wins championships. If you own the puck the whole time, they can't score, and you score more often. I think they acquired Richards because he is a strong possession player who posts good corsi numbers, at least that was part of the logic I believe went into it. Same with Gagne and Carter.

Oops, duplicate message.

That's what I said!!! (frank) never mind little fella I guess you're only a wee chap and don't get it!!!!!,
- Garnie

Wow... someone please get the 1800trollolol for RC stat. It's getting dense in here.

Kulemin, Cleary, Greening, Boyle.

Move Hemsky, Schultz, and picks/prospects to make these deals happen.

Hall-Gagner-Yakupov
Greening-Nuge-Eberle
Perron-Gordon-Kulemin
Cleary-Boyle-Jones

Cloutier, there's no way in hell the Oilers are going to land a big-time goalie on the UFA market!!

Let's get that straight right now!!

wouldn't peg Ference-Schultz as the top pairing. Petry as of now>J Schultz Smid>Ference

Problem is Klefbom and Nurse won't be top 4 let alone top 2 guys for another 2-3-4 years.
- TheNugeIsHuge

Klefbomb gonna be in our top 4 this year, u heard it here first.

Kulemin, Cleary, Greening, Boyle.

Move Hemsky, Schultz, and picks/prospects to make these deals happen.

Hall-Gagner-Yakupov
Greening-Nuge-Eberle
Perron-Gordon-Kulemin
Cleary-Boyle-Jones


- Morris

I don't understand why people keep sticking perron on the 3rd like. We brought him in to round out the 2nd did we not

Kulemin, Cleary, Greening, Boyle.

Move Hemsky, Schultz, and picks/prospects to make these deals happen.

Hall-Gagner-Yakupov
Greening-Nuge-Eberle
Perron-Gordon-Kulemin
Cleary-Boyle-Jones


- Morris

Cleary is free. Boyle wouldn't cost much. I think OTT wouldn't let Greening go for scraps, played top comp and did okay, he'd be a perfect shut down winger for Gordon. Kulemin makes sense with TO needing cap room, also a perfect shut down winger for Gordon

Klefbomb gonna be in our top 4 this year, u heard it here first.
- Snagglepuss

he'd be lucky to crack the bottom pairing. Give him 16 games like Oleksiak

Wow... someone please get the 1800trollolol for RC stat. It's getting dense in here.
- BigDre

wow..need some English lessons?

wow..need some English lessons?
- Garnie

I understood it. Read the previous comments

at this point, i think the Oil's best option is to not have a traditional 3rd line. pick up someone like Brad Boyes and play him with Gagner and Yak. the 3rd would be more like a 2nd with Gordon centering Hemsky and Perron. Gordon would be the faceoff/puck retriever, Hemsky the transporter/distributer.

this way, they would be a 3 line team with 3 zippy lines that skate the opposition into the ground and the 4th line is just for defensive zone faceoffs and PK. Yes, the top 9 would be bagged if they were to make the playoffs and probably get swept, but who cares?

since they don't have the personnel to ice a traditional 'top 6 - bottom 6' team, why try? do something different. just my opinion