Matt Henderson: How Much Blame Falls On Gagner?

89%

89%
- gzatron

/Thread

Canes would probably take Gagner off your hands for Tim Gleason and maybe Justin Peters.

Canes would probably take Gagner off your hands for Tim Gleason and maybe Justin Peters.
- Barbecued Hockey

done deal.

89%
- gzatron

Yes.

done deal.
- ChetManly

Drives me crazy how the media chooses one guy after one game and another after another game and they all jump on the one player. These games come down to a group effort everytime and they should be looked at that way and not single out individuals. Drives me crazy.

Blame head office. Not the players. One of the worse run franchises in the league.

Matt Henderson: How Much Blame Falls On Gagner?
- Matt_Henderson

I think Gagner is having a rough go of it, but I wish we'd see some of his mental fortitude starting to correct some of the mistakes he's prone to making.

In an odd way, I think on the 2nd goal that making sure he didn't ice the puck and making sure he wasn't caught on a long shift was his idea of "improving" on the mistakes made during the first goal. Obviously that's the kind of play that comes out when you're lacking confidence.

That being said, though I've always been a Gagner fan, I can see that perhaps he along with Hemsky and Jones are simply no longer what the team needs. he's a great guy and a great oiler in terms of his dedication to the club, but it could be time to move on not from malice but purely for a change of direction.

However, I don't really feel like a lot of Oilers fans have that attitude. I feel like a lot are being spiteful right now because he didn't turn out to be our #1 centre and he's a reminder that draft pedigree isn't infallible and that our rebuild is taking a while. That's the "malice" I was talking about. For after all, the fans who insist that Gagner simply doesn't fit the mold while praising Arcobello for simply winning the position battle with him are being perfectly obtuse: if Gags doesn't fit, chances are Arco won't fit in the go-ahead.

Also, I wouldn't consider moving Gagner without a bit of sober forethought, especially before the cage comes off. This is a team that's suffered through bad goaltending and defense that hasn't often bailed out its young forwards for their mistakes. Yakupov has struggled mightily too, as has Eberle struggled defensively, although he's had Eakins full confidence, and plenty of offensive opportunities to make up for it. Indeed, sometimes I wonder where it stops with the blood lust of some of these fans. Ever wonder why so many good supporting players from the Oilers do well elsewhere? Because elsewhere they're insulated, able to play their role while the top end guys do the top end jobs.

Don't let this indicate though that I would consider him untouchable to any degree. For the right move, pretty much no player is untouchable. The question fans needs to ask is "are we getting rid of Sam Gagner, or trading Sam Gagner?". If fans want to simply dump him, at its most callous it's poor asset management.

As you can see my thoughts about #89 are quite conflicted

Blame head office. Not the players. One of the worse run franchises in the league.
- vancity787

No, players can be held accountable as well. We've been bringing up our frustration with the senior management as well. I believe it's pretty much fully agreeable throughout the Oiler fanbase that Kevin Lowe needs to be relieved of his duties.

I believe with MacT at the helm as GM, and the majority of his moves to date, show we are heading in the right directly.

I think Gagner is having a rough go of it, but I wish we'd see some of his mental fortitude starting to correct some of the mistakes he's prone to making.

In an odd way, I think on the 2nd goal that making sure he didn't ice the puck and making sure he wasn't caught on a long shift was his idea of "improving" on the mistakes made during the first goal. Obviously that's the kind of play that comes out when you're lacking confidence.

That being said, though I've always been a Gagner fan, I can see that perhaps he along with Hemsky and Jones are simply no longer what the team needs. he's a great guy and a great oiler in terms of his dedication to the club, but it could be time to move on not from malice but purely for a change of direction.

However, I don't really feel like a lot of Oilers fans have that attitude. I feel like a lot are being spiteful right now because he didn't turn out to be our #1 centre and he's a reminder that draft pedigree isn't infallible and that our rebuild is taking a while. That's the "malice" I was talking about. For after all, the fans who insist that Gagner simply doesn't fit the mold while praising Arcobello for simply winning the position battle with him are being perfectly obtuse: if Gags doesn't fit, chances are Arco won't fit in the go-ahead.

Also, I wouldn't consider moving Gagner without a bit of sober forethought, especially before the cage comes off. This is a team that's suffered through bad goaltending and defense that hasn't often bailed out its young forwards for their mistakes. Yakupov has struggled mightily too, as has Eberle struggled defensively, although he's had Eakins full confidence, and plenty of offensive opportunities to make up for it. Indeed, sometimes I wonder where it stops with the blood lust of some of these fans. Ever wonder why so many good supporting players from the Oilers do well elsewhere? Because elsewhere they're insulated, able to play their role while the top end guys do the top end jobs.

Don't let this indicate though that I would consider him untouchable to any degree. For the right move, pretty much no player is untouchable. The question fans needs to ask is "are we getting rid of Sam Gagner, or trading Sam Gagner?". If fans want to simply dump him, at its most callous it's poor asset management.

As you can see my thoughts about #89 are quite conflicted
- Morris

I'll agree with you on Jones. I haven't seen him do much of anything this year. He never really stands out, good or bad. Which is both a good thing and a bad thing when you reflect on it.

I'll agree with you on Jones. I haven't seen him do much of anything this year. He never really stands out, good or bad. Which is both a good thing and a bad thing when you reflect on it.
- ChetManly

It's precisely what MacT was trying to get away from.

No, players can be held accountable as well. We've been bringing up our frustration with the senior management as well. I believe it's pretty much fully agreeable throughout the Oiler fanbase that Kevin Lowe needs to be relieved of his duties.

I believe with MacT at the helm as GM, and the majority of his moves to date, show we are heading in the right directly.
- ChetManly

What does that change though, practically speaking? We fired the guy who just hired the GM, who in turn hired the coach?

I don't know what Kevin Lowe does on a day-to-day basis. If you're not dissatisfied with coaching or the GM, what ought Lowe to change?

What does that change though, practically speaking? We fired the guy who just hired the GM, who in turn hired the coach?

I don't know what Kevin Lowe does on a day-to-day basis. If you're not dissatisfied with coaching or the GM, what ought Lowe to change?
- Morris

Perhaps the removal of KLowe is a sign that Katz is unhappy, and having that happen would perhaps make the public and the fans happy? Perhaps that KLowe is the only thing that remains since 2006, which we have never been back to form in?


I personally believe that we are suffering from the #1 d-man curse, aka, Pronger. His departure left us with a deep wound which has had nothing but salt thrown on it. Yup, Pronger is my scapegoat for our lackluster seasons

On the bright side, at least you guys lost out on Clarkson. Oilers could use a player like him, but you dodged a bullet with that contract.

No, players can be held accountable as well. We've been bringing up our frustration with the senior management as well. I believe it's pretty much fully agreeable throughout the Oiler fanbase that Kevin Lowe needs to be relieved of his duties.

I believe with MacT at the helm as GM, and the majority of his moves to date, show we are heading in the right directly.
- ChetManly

I know he did the Perron/PVR deal. What else has he done?

On the bright side, at least you guys lost out on Clarkson. Oilers could use a player like him, but you dodged a bullet with that contract.
- Nucker101

Exactly and when they sign Phaneuf to the 7/49M deal wow!

I know he did the Perron/PVR deal. What else has he done?
- whipper334

Well if you want to count his "almost" moves:

1. He offered a trade for Schneider(apparently more than the Devils, which is why he was pissed).
2. Offered Clarkson a lot of money(I believe just as much as the Leafs, if not more).
3. Offered multiple picks for Coburn(I believe multiple 2nd rounders).

Was he on for all 42 shots?

On the bright side, at least you guys lost out on Clarkson. Oilers could use a player like him, but you dodged a bullet with that contract.
- Nucker101

It'd be bittersweet.

If he had landed his "planned" moves of Schneider, Clarkson and Braydon Coburn, we'd be a better team today.

Drives me crazy how the media chooses one guy after one game and another after another game and they all jump on the one player. These games come down to a group effort everytime and they should be looked at that way and not single out individuals. Drives me crazy.
- oilermeister

This really is the key. Only a handful of guys I gave a pass to last night

I know he did the Perron/PVR deal. What else has he done?
- whipper334

Some of the UFA signings have been good! Excluding the goalie he just traded away lol. How about working magic to get rid of Horcoff?. He did claim Gazdic off waivers, he has been an enforcement beast.

It'd be bittersweet.

If he had landed his "planned" moves of Schneider, Clarkson and Braydon Coburn, we'd be a better team today.
- Morris

sploosh city.

It'd be bittersweet.

If he had landed his "planned" moves of Schneider, Clarkson and Braydon Coburn, we'd be a better team today.
- Morris

No arguing that.