Good news. If we aren't going to use Klef then no need to have him here.

Well I guess it's good news I'd prefer Klef and marincin be in the lineup over nikitin and Aulie
- CrustyRooster

I don't care. Our collective Defense corpse is total diarhea no matter how we stir it up.

Good news. If we aren't going to use Klef then no need to have him here.

Well I guess it's good news I'd prefer Klef and marincin be in the lineup over nikitin and Aulie
- CrustyRooster

Nikitin definitely but Aulie hasn't done anything to lose his job...YET! Aulie has played much better than I expected but I wouldn't mind him being relegated to the press box if Marincin could play up to his talent level.

Nikitin definitely but Aulie hasn't done anything to lose his job...YET! Aulie has played much better than I expected but I wouldn't mind him being relegated to the press box if Marincin could play up to his talent level.
- Dangles13

II wouldn't mind both those dorks in the AHL playing big minutes.

II wouldn't mind both those dorks in the AHL playing big minutes.
- Jeropotato

You're grumpy today.

You're grumpy today.
- Oilers4Life14

Nah, just tired of the Oilers defense. We don't have 6 D good enough for this league no matter how we put them together. Maybe 2018 when Nurse is good enough.

Edit
I almost forgot......(frank) off!!!

He would look like poop on the Oilers too because we would pair him up with either a poopty DEfensive Defenseman like Ference or another adventure like Schultz.
- Jeropotato

Exactly ...I love how everyone on this site posts poopty trades that really don't make sense for the oilers ...they don't need to trade for a dion or buff ...especially not for an eberle or yak ....they need to add guys like a boychuck (effective and cheap to aquire ) to help insulate guys like nurse and Oscar into the lineup

You're grumpy today.
- Oilers4Life14

And your still a punk b!tch.... What your point...

Exactly ...I love how everyone on this site posts poopty trades that really don't make sense for the oilers ...they don't need to trade for a dion or buff ...especially not for an eberle or yak ....they need to add guys like a boychuck (effective and cheap to aquire ) to help insulate guys like nurse and Oscar into the lineup
- Redmile247

We have tried guys like Boychuk. Ference, Nikitin, Fayne, and to a lesser extent Belov. 2nd pairing defenders aren't going to make us better. Nurse and Klefbom won't be where we need him to be for a few years yet.

I don't see how adding another teams top pairing defenders doesn't make sense for the Oilers. The guys that are available aren't the best and they come with their red flags but that is why they may be available.

We have tried guys like Boychuk. Ference, Nikitin, Fayne, and to a lesser extent Belov. 2nd pairing defenders aren't going to make us better. Nurse and Klefbom won't be where we need him to be for a few years yet.

I don't see how adding another teams top pairing defenders doesn't make sense for the Oilers. The guys that are available aren't the best and they come with their red flags but that is why they may be available.
- Dangles13

Boychuck is not the same as those guys ...not even close
Ference is a good 5/6 guy
The rest are bubble players

Boychuck is not the same as those guys ...not even close
Ference is a good 5/6 guy
The rest are bubble players
- Redmile247

Judging fayne's workload over the last couple years in NJ I'd say he's more than a bubble guy.

His most common matchups were Tavares ovechkin and Crosby iirc

Boychuck is not the same as those guys ...not even close
Ference is a good 5/6 guy
The rest are bubble players
- Redmile247

Boychuk has been a 2nd pairing defender his entire career. Ference, Fayne and Nikitin have been 2nd pairing defenders their entire careers. Ference has definitely slowed down due to age though. Belov is the "best" defender in the KHL.

Boychuk is the best out of all of those guys but he is not a high-end talent.

Judging fayne's workload over the last couple years in NJ I'd say he's more than a bubble guy.

His most common matchups were Tavares ovechkin and Crosby iirc
- CrustyRooster

I'd still rather boychuck than him if I had the choice

My original arguement was more that adding him for some picks is better than trading for a dion or buff ...you give up less and are better for it

We have tried guys like Boychuk. Ference, Nikitin, Fayne, and to a lesser extent Belov. 2nd pairing defenders aren't going to make us better. Nurse and Klefbom won't be where we need him to be for a few years yet.

I don't see how adding another teams top pairing defenders doesn't make sense for the Oilers. The guys that are available aren't the best and they come with their red flags but that is why they may be available.
- Dangles13

boychuk is WAY better than any of ference, nikitin, or even fayne.
hed be our number 1.

but i also don't see why, as uve said, adding another teams top pairing defenders doesn't make sense for the Oilers?

we need help on the backend. and while there's differing amounts of impact different players would have, there isn't any we shouldn't be considering.
and agreed that the ones with the question marks are probably the only ones available, so they have to be the target. ie; yandles, myers etc.
those guys still make us a better team.
and are imo, absolutely worth our first rounder

Boychuk has been a 2nd pairing defender his entire career. Ference, Fayne and Nikitin have been 2nd pairing defenders their entire careers. Ference has definitely slowed down due to age though. Belov is the "best" defender in the KHL.

Boychuk is the best out of all of those guys but he is not a high-end talent.
- Dangles13

Oh I don't think he is high end but he is an upgrade

Oh I don't think he is high end but he is an upgrade
- Redmile247

He's an upgrade and I'd take him over any of our defenders but his career high in points is 23. He is not good enough to play a top pairing role and that is what we need.

Boychuk has been a 2nd pairing defender his entire career. Ference, Fayne and Nikitin have been 2nd pairing defenders their entire careers. Ference has definitely slowed down due to age though. Belov is the "best" defender in the KHL.

Boychuk is the best out of all of those guys but he is not a high-end talent.
- Dangles13

hes no star 1 if that what u mean.
but hes an extremely solid 2.

him and petry could be a very capable pairing. without even getting into what boychuk has done this year, his last 2 seasons in boston have been great.
he was fantastic for them last year when Seidenberg went down for half the season. a true 2 that can play at both ends of the ice. and is physical. and has a cannon.

maybe not an elite talent, but he makes us much better

He's an upgrade and I'd take him over any of our defenders but his career high in points is 23. He is not good enough to play a top pairing role and that is what we need.
- Dangles13

if petry can play a top pairing role adequately at times, then boychuk can as well.
scratch that. he did for the bulk of the season last year when half of bostons defence went down. and they remained one of best teams in the league.


also, now that hes been given plum pp time with more offensive zone starts hes got 12 pts in 16 games.
that high of 23 dosnt look like its gonna be his career high for more than another month

hes no star 1 if that what u mean.
but hes an extremely solid 2.

him and petry could be a very capable pairing. without even getting into what boychuk has done this year, his last 2 seasons in boston have been great.
he was fantastic for them last year when Seidenberg went down for half the season. a true 2 that can play at both ends of the ice. and is physical. and has a cannon.

maybe not an elite talent, but he makes us much better
- hugefemale dog77

This ^^

and the key is improving while giving up less

Obviously getting another teams top pairing guys is a help but at what cost ? Yak eberle ?

if petry can play a top pairing role adequately at times, then boychuk can as well.
scratch that. he did for the bulk of the season last year when half of bostons defence went down. and they remained one of best teams in the league.


also, now that hes been given plum pp time with more offensive zone starts hes got 12 pts in 16 games.
that high of 23 dosnt look like its gonna be his career high for more than another month
- hugefemale dog77

Boychuk is a good defenseman for sure but he was playing on a much better Boston team with arguably the top goalie in the NHL, arguably the best two-way player in the league.

I would take Boychuk in a second but he alone isn't going to fix this team.

This ^^

and the key is improving while giving up less

Obviously getting another teams top pairing guys is a help but at what cost ? Yak eberle ?
- Redmile247

two seconds for boychuk?

eberle for m staal?


if we have the choice, I take the first deal.
but we may not have that choice.

Boychuk is a good defenseman for sure but he was playing on a much better Boston team with arguably the top goalie in the NHL, arguably the best two-way player in the league.

I would take Boychuk in a second but he alone isn't going to fix this team.
- Dangles13

I wouldn't argue with this. but I think hes a step in the right direction.

I really don't think we're that far off from being respectable even if some don't agree cause the improvement is not completely tangible yet.

and I think this (close to respectability) is one of the two biggest reasons mact hasn't made a move yet.
(the second being that he probably gets lowballed so badly as teams see him in desperation mode.)

this team isn't going to turn the corner until we improve the defence. and a guy of his caliber (solid #2) improves it no question.
id love to see stud beside petry, but I don't see it happening.
I think petry and our team as a whole is much improved with just a comparable #2 beside him.
that said; we string just a few wins together and win a few without playing our A game gaining some confidence for these kids, itll start turning around quickly

I wouldn't argue with this. but I think hes a step in the right direction.

I really don't think we're that far off from being respectable even if some don't agree cause the improvement is not completely tangible yet.

and I think this (close to respectability) is one of the two biggest reasons mact hasn't made a move yet.
(the second being that he probably gets lowballed so badly as teams see him in desperation mode.)

this team isn't going to turn the corner until we improve the defence. and a guy of his caliber (solid #2) improves it no question.
id love to see stud beside petry, but I don't see it happening.
I think petry and our team as a whole is much improved with just a comparable #2 beside him.
that said; we string just a few wins together and win a few without playing our A game gaining some confidence for these kids, itll start turning around quickly
- hugefemale dog77

I'm not opposed to trading Eberle or Yak but the return has to be a difference maker on the back end.

Bacon is so good

two seconds for boychuk?

eberle for staal?


if we have the choice, I take the first deal.
but we may not have that choice.
- hugefemale dog77

But if we trade this years second we wont get Tkachev...

So Aulie is on the top pairing. Another great use of personnel by Eakins I see.