fuk them. this is the oilers blog. we make the rules here
- HB77

But we didn't get a blog today

But we didn't get a blog today
- Squilliam-

oh youre more than welcome. just as long as you follow the rules of accepting wildly skewed trades in our favour

The last time I went to an Oilers game, Kesler made McDavid look like a JV player. It will be interesting to see how much McDavid has improved tonight. Kesler is still a defensive beast, especially with Silfverberg and Cogliano buzzing around him. BTW, thanks again for Cogs. He's really good without scoring. And he's tied for the team lead in goals.

Pouliot gets a goal tonight.

The last time I went to an Oilers game, Kesler made McDavid look like a JV player. It will be interesting to see how much McDavid has improved tonight. Kesler is still a defensive beast, especially with Silfverberg and Cogliano buzzing around him. BTW, thanks again for Cogs. He's really good without scoring. And he's tied for the team lead in goals.
- yzermaneely

Pretty sure McDavid hasn't looked like a JV player since he was about 12. If you meant Kesler was diving and flopping all over the ice and caused McDavid to sit in the box then sure. Kesler honed those skills in Vancouver over many years.

The last time I went to an Oilers game, Kesler made McDavid look like a JV player. It will be interesting to see how much McDavid has improved tonight. Kesler is still a defensive beast, especially with Silfverberg and Cogliano buzzing around him. BTW, thanks again for Cogs. He's really good without scoring. And he's tied for the team lead in goals.
- yzermaneely

k

connor isnt gonna dominate every night, (but hes not far off) either way this comment is laughable.

hes been shut down and will be again from time to time.
but hes 19 and 2nd in league scoring.
you clearly dont have any grasp of how good he truly is

The last time I went to an Oilers game, Kesler made McDavid look like a JV player. It will be interesting to see how much McDavid has improved tonight. Kesler is still a defensive beast, especially with Silfverberg and Cogliano buzzing around him. BTW, thanks again for Cogs. He's really good without scoring. And he's tied for the team lead in goals.
- yzermaneely

Did Kesler's glass jaw heal ?

Pretty sure McDavid hasn't looked like a JV player since he was about 12. If you meant Kesler was diving and flopping all over the ice and caused McDavid to sit in the box then sure. Kesler honed those skills in Vancouver over many years.
- leonkennedy

this

Hmmm. How to respond.

Everyone here knows how negative you have been because of the Hall trade.

You are most certainly overjoyed with the recent lack of success by the Oilers and are using it to trumpet your negativity.

However.

You blog does outline current concerns and does not appear to be so bias as to be unreadable.

Line change up: I like it. I've wanted to see Lucic with RNH from day one.

Playoffs or bust: Melodramatic. I still believe the Oilers will make the playoffs this year. The changes that have been made are clear cut obvious improvements to the team composition. Waiver wire pick-ups were in hindsight only because Versteeg stabbed us in the back. I think if we had Versteeg (and he was actually playing) we would be in fantastic shape for our wingers.

Leon has been solid 2 way but is in a slump. He has not been lost without Hall until the teams recent slump. By the way Hall and Leon had a significant slump to end the year. Your personal bias really shows through on this statement.

JP should be in the minors. See Versteeg statement above. I like him and McDavid together for a bit.

Secondary scoring in general has not been as big an issue as it typically has but like you mention Poo is swirling down the toilet currently. His production is sorely missed.

Talbot has been good if not great even in his losses. This slump IMO is more about the quality of the competition we have been facing than anything else.

I think the Oilers will have a good west coast trip and for once the West is significantly weaker than the East and obviously the NYR.

Holy poop, the Oilers 2012 draft was worse than I imagined.

http://www.hockeydb.com/i...aft/teams/dr00005632.html

2013 and 2014 are nothing special either. Hopefully something useful comes from the lower rounds in 2015 and 2016.
- RonPielep

As Lowetide has pointed out, we've gotten more value from players we've brought in. Benning, Caggiula, and Reinhart (*fart noise*) along with Khaira can still fill the gap left by an otherwise abysmal draft year. That's what happens when your team commits to drafting Mitch (frank)ing Moroz 32nd overall (and Dave Musil at 31st the year prior). We could've had Severson

As Lowetide has pointed out, we've gotten more value from players we've brought in. Benning, Caggiula, and Reinhart (*fart noise*) along with Khaira can still fill the gap left by an otherwise abysmal draft year. That's what happens when your team commits to drafting Mitch (frank)ing Moroz 32nd overall (and Dave Musil at 31st the year prior). We could've had Severson
- MaximumBone

He was actually ranked better than Musil

He was actually ranked better than Musil
- LittleRickyV2

Except he was in 2012 and Musil was in 2011 We could've had Saad, though.

As Lowetide has pointed out, we've gotten more value from players we've brought in. Benning, Caggiula, and Reinhart (*fart noise*) along with Khaira can still fill the gap left by an otherwise abysmal draft year. That's what happens when your team commits to drafting Mitch (frank)ing Moroz 32nd overall (and Dave Musil at 31st the year prior). We could've had Severson
- MaximumBone

Lucic/backes mania was in full affect in those days.
Desperation to find that beastor power forward was rampant.

mact was super down to reach and try and hit the jackpot.
moroz isnt that behemoth-but 6'3 220 is pretty darn big.
trading for kessy
etc

pretty sure mact mentioned milans name ("lucic type players") on numerous occasions actually

Except he was in 2012 and Musil was in 2011 We could've had Saad, though.
- MaximumBone

My bad I was thinking Moroz that year and Boone Jenner during the Musil draft.

Lucic/backes mania was in full affect in those days.
Desperation to find that beastor power forward was rampant.

mact was super down to reach and try and hit the jackpot.
moroz isnt that behemoth-but 6'3 220 is pretty darn big.
trading for kessy
etc

pretty sure mact mentioned milans name ("lucic type players") on numerous occasions actually
- HB77

But Tamby was the GM for those drafts. It's fine to reach, but not in the goddam second round on a guy who was barely scoring in a junior league despite already having man-strength. Khaira could've been all the reach they needed because at least he was a good scorer in his league, but nooooooo. Nothing infuriates me more than horrible drafting habits and the Oilers have been rife with them for years.

2015 could've been an amazing draft grabbing the two guys that were most talked about (Svechnikov and Carlo) rather than trading for Reinhart. Imagine those two alongside McDavid, Jones, Bear and Paigin coming out of one draft.

2016 was full of good bets in Benson, Niemelainen (though he's having some real struggles offensively), Berglund and Rasanen, too.

My bad I was thinking Moroz that year and Boone Jenner during the Musil draft.
- LittleRickyV2

Boone would've been solid, too. I'd have preferred Saad, but Boone would've fit their drafting criteria way better being the aggressive, physical beast he is.

Boone would've been solid, too. I'd have preferred Saad, but Boone would've fit their drafting criteria way better being the aggressive, physical beast he is.
- MaximumBone

Our drafting has been poop since the 1990's

But Tamby was the GM for those drafts. It's fine to reach, but not in the goddam second round on a guy who was barely scoring in a junior league despite already having man-strength. Khaira could've been all the reach they needed because at least he was a good scorer in his league, but nooooooo. Nothing infuriates me more than horrible drafting habits and the Oilers have been rife with them for years.

2015 could've been an amazing draft grabbing the two guys that were most talked about (Svechnikov and Carlo) rather than trading for Reinhart. Imagine those two alongside McDavid, Jones, Bear and Paigin coming out of one draft.

2016 was full of good bets in Benson, Niemelainen (though he's having some real struggles offensively), Berglund and Rasanen, too.
- MaximumBone

macts first pick was the nurse year-my bad. crazy how short his tenure was.
he dealt rieder for kessy though, no?

end of the day- same sh1t.
one has to assume the same thought process went into that moroz reach. milan was the toast of the nhl. outside montreal and vancouver of course...
i think even the nucks put in an offersheet to backes a few years prior to that.

lucic didnt put up gawdy numbers either before he was drafted. plus, we know the oilers love their oil kings. not really defending the pick, but its not really a mystery.

as far as reinhart, thats total hindsight.
a mistake yes, but you know that pc clearly felt reinhart was much closer than he turned out to be. and certainly closer than the picks he wouldve made. he tried to make a significant move to help the backend immediately. just didnt pan out.
also, would svechnikov really have the prudent pick at 16 over barzal?

macts first pick was the nurse year-my bad. crazy how short his tenure was.
he dealt rieder for kessy though, no?

end of the day- same sh1t.
one has to assume the same thought process went into that moroz reach. milan was the toast of the nhl. outside montreal and vancouver of course...
i think even the nucks put in an offersheet to backes a few years prior to that.

as far as reinhart, thats total hindsight.
a mistake yes, but you know that pc clearly felt reinhart was much closer than he turned out to be. and certainly closer than the picks he wouldve made. he tried to make a significant move to help the backend immediately. didnt pan out.
also, would svechnikov really have the prudent pick at 16 over barzal?
- HB77

Yup, but that was because Rieder didn't want to sign in a place behind Eberle and Yakupov. Thus, his value was far from easy to get a return on.

I'm fully aware as to why they did what they did, I'm merely stating it's stupid regardless of reasoning.

I'd say Reinhart was avoidable- at least at the price that was paid. He was none of the things the team needed out of a Dman (RH shot, offensively talented) and instead seemed like a panic move after losing out on Hamilton. I won't debate the methodology behind the deal, simply questioning the premium he paid for an unproven product that didn't really fill any hole as we still had Klefbom, Nurse and Marincin at the time.

As far as Svechnikov, I'm merely trying to maintain history. As much as Barzal or Connor would've be the better pick, Bob Stauffer and Jack Michaels was VERY high on Svechnikov and had been projecting him there for a while. It seems to be a logical assumption to say that they might've had some Oilers-related impetus for that. Same applies to Carlo. That having been said, it's unlikely anyone projected Barzal falling that far.

Nakladal just had his contract terminated by the Canes.

Would you?

Yup, but that was because Rieder didn't want to sign in a place behind Eberle and Yakupov. Thus, his value was far from easy to get a return on.

I'm fully aware as to why they did what they did, I'm merely stating it's stupid regardless of reasoning.

I'd say Reinhart was avoidable- at least at the price that was paid. He was none of the things the team needed out of a Dman (RH shot, offensively talented) and instead seemed like a panic move after losing out on Hamilton. I won't debate the methodology behind the deal, simply questioning the premium he paid for an unproven product that didn't really fill any hole as we still had Klefbom, Nurse and Marincin at the time.

As far as Svechnikov, I'm merely trying to maintain history. As much as Barzal or Connor would've be the better pick, Bob Stauffer and Jack Michaels was VERY high on Svechnikov and had been projecting him there for a while. It seems to be a logical assumption to say that they might've had some Oilers-related impetus for that. Same applies to Carlo. That having been said, it's unlikely anyone projected Barzal falling that far.
- MaximumBone

This is so true!! I was so pissed when they made that trade.

This is so true!! I was so pissed when they made that trade.
- NEONDOUBLEDION

I'll be honest. I spent the first two months defending the deal. However, after the acquisition of Sekera and continued progress of Klefbom, I really started to hate the deal. That all came to a head this training camp when he fell completely out of the competition for a spot. I still appreciate the deal's basis (moving 1sts to seek improvement and even moving picks for further along picks), but it was entirely the wrong target and it was only exacerbated by the fact that the two picks were in the top end of one of the strongest drafts in a decade.

Nakladal just had his contract terminated by the Canes.

Would you?
- Wildschwein

I would consider it, but I don't see how or where he fits anymore. All of Sekera, Larsson, Klefbom, Nurse, and Davidson are locks while Gryba has looked solid in most games. Benning has started out well, but would be well-served in the AHL for a year so I think there's a spot for him though I wonder how much of an upgrade he'd be on Fayne or Gryba.

However, I would like to see a reshuffling of the pairings. Something like:

Sekera- Larsson
Klefbom- Davidson
Nurse- Gryba

Or

Davidson- Larsson
Klefbom- Sekera
Nurse- Gryba

I'll be honest. I spent the first two months defending the deal. However, after the acquisition of Sekera and continued progress of Klefbom, I really started to hate the deal. That all came to a head this training camp when he fell completely out of the competition for a spot. I still appreciate the deal's basis (moving 1sts to seek improvement and even moving picks for further along picks), but it was entirely the wrong target and it was only exacerbated by the fact that the two picks were in the top end of one of the strongest drafts in a decade.
- MaximumBone

Barzal and Beauvillier are looking to be solid picks. Makes the trade hurt all the more.

I would consider it, but I don't see how or where he fits anymore. All of Sekera, Larsson, Klefbom, Nurse, and Davidson are locks while Gryba has looked solid in most games. Benning has started out well, but would be well-served in the AHL for a year so I think there's a spot for him though I wonder how much of an upgrade he'd be on Fayne or Gryba.

However, I would like to see a reshuffling of the pairings. Something like:

Sekera- Larsson
Klefbom- Davidson
Nurse- Gryba

Or

Davidson- Larsson
Klefbom- Sekera
Nurse- Gryba
- MaximumBone

I'd like to see the Sekera-Larsson tried at some point. I dare not even think about Davidson. Pretty sure Pearson killed him and everything is just been hushed up by Bettamn.