#FIRECHIA

[Soundwave]

I don't care if it's specifically Taylor Hall our GM needed to protect this franchise and get a (much) better player in return than Adam Larsson (another Sekera/Petry tier defender with less offence).

What that trade has done is effectively turn us from team that could've been like the Toronto Maple Leafs (good offensive fire power from 2 lines upfront) into the Calgary Flames ... a one line team that's prone to collapses.

And now really we probably have to wait for Puljujarvi or Yamamoto or the EDM 1st 2018 to pan out before we can evolve as a team and that could take years. For now it's basically just the McDavid show and three other lines that take up space and maybe occasionally chip in.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Please fire this goof and bring in someone who can con another GM into taking our useless wingers.

 

[PatrikOverAuston]

A new GM has a ton of work to do. Caggiula needs to be a regular fourth liner, so that means at least one more top six winger has to be brought in. A right-handed D is also a necessity. Last but not least, a better backup than Montoya is needed to push Talbot.

Oh, and this person has to hire a new coaching staff too.

Amazing to think of all the time and assets Chiarelli has had to work with, only to leave the Oilers with such glaring holes.

 

[McGoMcD]

I don't care if it's specifically Taylor Hall our GM needed to protect this franchise and get a (much) better player in return than Adam Larsson (another Sekera/Petry tier defender with less offence).

What that trade has done is effectively turn us from team that could've been like the Toronto Maple Leafs (good offensive fire power from 2 lines upfront) into the Calgary Flames ... a one line team that's prone to collapses.

And now really we probably have to wait for Puljujarvi or Yamamoto or the EDM 1st 2018 to pan out before we can evolve as a team and that could take years. For now it's basically just the McDavid show and three other lines that take up space and maybe occasionally chip in.

yup, this sums it up. Chia trading Hall for beans and picks for Reinhart put us back big time. Larsson really is just a 4th line D man. He is just that bad. We traded a Hart candidate for a 4th D. Just Brutal.

 

[BigFuzzyDice]

yup, this sums it up. Chia trading Hall for beans and picks for Reinhart put us back big time. Larsson really is just a 4th line D man. He is just that bad. We traded a Hart candidate for a 4th D. Just Brutal.

It was a much better offer than the sack of cheeseburgers anybody else was willing to give, Good job chia...

 

[Walter Sobchak]

I am not trying to defend the trade but do people really think Adam Larsson is a # 4 defenseman?

 

[McBaevid]

I am not trying to defend the trade but do people really think Adam Larsson is a # 4 defenseman?

#4 is a reach, he's a guy that can anchor a second pair as a high end #3 or play on the top pair with someone that's an actual top pair guy. True top pair dmen aren't one dimensional, and that's exactly what Larsson is.

 

[Walter Sobchak]

#4 is a reach, he's a guy that can anchor a second pair as a high end #3 or play on the top pair with someone that's an actual top pair guy. True top pair dmen aren't one dimensional, and that's exactly what Larsson is.

I think when paired with a more dynamic two-way defender, like Darnell Nurse for example, Larsson can be a solid part of a top pairing unit..... or best case an unbelievable second pairing. Hall is gone, and there are no take backs in regards to trades in the NHL. I like Larsson and I think he could be an upper level shut down defensemen over the next few season in Edmonton. If Edmonton is able to move their lottery pick + for an elite # 1 defensemen and Nurse/Larsson are the # 2 pairing the Oilers will have a excellent top 4.

It's been a tough season, no doubt, but the future in more bright than bleak. If the Oilers can get top 6 minutes from Puljujärvi and Yamamoto next year, move their lottery pick for value, and solidify the backup goalie situation they will be right back in the playoff picture.

 

[Aceboogie]

I am not trying to defend the trade but do people really think Adam Larsson is a # 4 defenseman?

Good #3 D. Would be a #4 D on most of the playoff teams.

 

[Soundwave]

Larsson is a 3 who can be a 2 if you have like a stud no.1.

The thing is he moves the needle nowhere for this team. Nurse basically does all the same things arguably better.

We paid like a 10x premium cause he shoots right which means jack all since his shot isn't remotely dangerous and his outlet pass is lacking.

If you were trading Hall it had to be like a Barrie or Hamilton coming back at minimum, that would've actually addressed a real team need.

Larsson is just another tweeter D who's not bad at a lot of stuff but not great either and we already have Sekera, Nurse, etc. in that mold.

 

[shoop]

I am not trying to defend the trade but do people really think Adam Larsson is a # 4 defenseman?

He's an excellent #3/OK #2.

Sekera was the only defenceman on the Oilers roster close to as good as Larsson at the time of the trade.

 

[nabob]

#4 is a reach, he's a guy that can anchor a second pair as a high end #3 or play on the top pair with someone that's an actual top pair guy. True top pair dmen aren't one dimensional, and that's exactly what Larsson is.

He anchored a legit top pairing last year...

If you think that there are 62, two dimension star defensemen in the league then you're wrong. What you're describing is a #1Dman.

 

[ConnorMcNugesaitl]

He anchored a legit top pairing last year...

If you think that there are 62, two dimension star defensemen in the league then you're wrong. What you're describing is a #1Dman.

If you think that was a "legit top pairing" then we have very different definitions of what a legit top pairing is.

The Oilers best pair? probably. Legit top pairing? Not quite.

If Larsson and Klefbom are both Oilers next year (no guarantee with Chia at the helm) and they both bounce back and improve on where they were then they might get there someday.

 

[ConnorMcNugesaitl]

He's an excellent #3/OK #2.

Sekera was the only defenceman on the Oilers roster close to as good as Larsson at the time of the trade.

He was last year, this year he was more of a #4 but I believe he'll bounce back and he still may become a legit #2.

 

[StevenF1919]

No one who puts up 15 points a season is a top pairing D. The modern NHL requires dmen to be able to skate and pass the puck. Larsson isn't good at either of these things.

 

[Soundwave]

No one who puts up 15 points a season is a top pairing D. The modern NHL requires dmen to be able to skate and pass the puck. Larsson isn't good at either of these things.

He's a good guy, but I agree. That's simply not good enough production for someone who's supposed to be on our top pairing and gets to play with three good centers.

Steve Staois had 28 points in both of 03-04 and 05-06.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

No one who puts up 15 points a season is a top pairing D. The modern NHL requires dmen to be able to skate and pass the puck. Larsson isn't good at either of these things.

yet Larsson has the toughest zone starts among Oilers D and is +12 on a team thats -22, also leads the team in ES minutes
he's a excellent defensive defenseman and a good #2 IMO

 

[Little Fury]

yet Larsson has the toughest zone starts among Oilers D and is +12 on a team thats -22, also leads the team in ES minutes
he's a excellent defensive defenseman and a good #2 IMO

If Adam Larsson is your team's second best D and you don't have a clear cut #1, your team isn't very good.

Physical D-men are often overrated and he's a good example of that.

 

[StevenF1919]

yet Larsson has the toughest zone starts among Oilers D and is +12 on a team thats -22, also leads the team in ES minutes
he's a excellent defensive defenseman and a good #2 IMO

Good #2 dmen put up more than 20 points a season. He's not even defensively like Vlasic or Slavin (who both put up double the amount of points Larsson does).

If Adam Larsson is your team's second best D and you don't have a clear cut #1, your team isn't very good.

Physical D-men are often overrated and he's a good example of that.

Larsson is #4 on a cup contender imo. His biggest attribute is that he's right-handed.

 

[Canovin]

If Adam Larsson is your team's second best D and you don't have a clear cut #1, your team isn't very good.

Physical D-men are often overrated and he's a good example of that.

Pitts won the cup with Schultz as their best D and let's not pretend what Schultz is. He's not better Larsson

 

[McGoMcD]

Pitts won the cup with Schultz as their best D and let's not pretend what Schultz is. He's not better Larsson

True, but on a team with a great goalie and 3 stars (well Kessell is border line). So sure, there are exeptions to every rule. In General Larsson is closer to a #4 than a #2. He just puts up way to little points. He isn't even quick enough to be an elite shutdown guy. He is solid, but not elite, and his offence is just brutal.

 

[Mr Positive]

imo when discussing someone like Larsson, labels like #2 or #4, or "top pairing" don't really apply.

The question is, how many minutes are you comfortable with giving him? Imo, top pairing minutes are not out of the question, for just about any team in this league. It just depends on what you want to happen while your D are out there. Larsson has top end ability at certain things. He may seem one dimensional as a shutdown guy, but he has some deceptive and important complementary skills that make him a high end version of that.

I really believe that we need more of an offensive identity for our D, and that's not Larsson, but that doesn't mean that I'm against Larsson being on our top pairing. Like others have said, it depends on who is with him. Karlsson benefited from Methot, and possibly suffered a bit this season without him. I believe that Nurse was greatly improved because he played next to Larsson a lot, and Klefbom was benefiting a lot from Larsson last season. If we get OEL, then it will be a Larsson-Larsson pairing, and they will carve up the NHL. In that situation Adam Larsson is a top pairing NHL D

 

[Little Fury]

Pitts won the cup with Schultz as their best D and let's not pretend what Schultz is. He's not better Larsson

Ok, we'll put in a caveat for teams that have two generational talents and one other elite forward driving the bus up front. But I think the rule holds true otherwise.

 

[Soundwave]

Pittsburgh basically has two McDavid tier players, they can do things other teams can't quite get away with, that said, had we hired any other GM ...

McDavid, Draisaitl, Hall, RNH is not far off from Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Bonino and without the Chia cock block we could have gotten Dougie Hamilton and had a D group roughly equivalent to what the Penguins had for their last Cup.

It's a real shame we hired Chia because he hasn't brought us anyone that great and hiring him basically stoned us from getting the exact player type we needed (right shot offensive D-Man in his 20s). And we gave up a 2nd round pick to get this guy too, lol.

Terrible luck on our part.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

If Adam Larsson is your team's second best D and you don't have a clear cut #1, your team isn't very good.

Physical D-men are often overrated and he's a good example of that.

like the Oilers last year?