Fatass
Registered User
- Apr 17, 2017
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If the oilers lose to the Kings in round one I see Draisatl getting traded this summer. He would return a haul.
The Oilers are getting to the point where only winning the Cup will satisfy both the team and fan base. If they can't win the Cup with this roster it might be time to consider some bigger changes.Wouldn’t making the SCF this year be considered an over achievement?
I would hope the West is better than that. Edmonton in the SCF would be less than thrilling and a ratings disaster in the US.Just making the Cup final won't make anyone in Edmonton happy. If this team can't win the Cup at this point they probably should start considering some bigger changes at some point.
Completely disagree….The only way they depart Oilers is through free agency (if they don't want to stay in Edmonton)
impossible to trade, Oilers would be asking too much and nobody could pay the value
McDavid is signed until 2026
Draisaitl until 2025.
Of course not. I expect them to throw a lot of money at both of them when the hit FA, and as Wyshynski likes to say "NHL players don't like to move their stuff".
The only trade I could foresee is Draisatl at next year's trade deadline if the Oilers are out of the playoff race, which is unlikely.
Inevitable is too strong a word. Most hockey players have a long career with the teams that drafted them.How many more years can they withstand futility without a drastic change?
p.s. Oilers fans, don't get mad at this thread. Consider it an anti-jinx in your team's favor.
NopeIf the oilers lose to the Kings in round one I see Draisatl getting traded this summer. He would return a haul.
It's better marketing for the Oilers if they do let him walk.I sincerely doubt Edmonton ever lets Draisatl or McDavid get anywhere near FA. If they do, they're absolutely morons. Draisatl contract talks should begin in July and if he's at all hesitate, you have to explore trading him. They absolutely cannot risk him deciding to pull a Taveras or Gaudreau.
Completely disagree….
There is ZERO chance they leave as UFA. Edmonton would be crazy to keep either of them in a contract year without having worked out an extension.
And take Draisaitl for example… he’s far easier to fit in this summer with only $8.5 due next year… any team would send a couple solid NHLers + open the prospect vault. And they’d still have a full season to prep for his contract, including the advantage of spreading the economics over 8 years.
If Oilers don’t resign him this summer, they will trade him and find plenty of buyers.
It sounds really fun cheering for TV ratings. I enjoy watching hockey and cheering for my favorite team instead.Edmonton in the SCF would be less than thrilling and a ratings disaster in the US.
Interesting....the last time the Oilers made the finals the game 7 rating on NBC took in 5.29 million viewers in the states....seems pretty respectable to me.I would hope the West is better than that. Edmonton in the SCF would be less than thrilling and a ratings disaster in the US.
Nope
It's better marketing for the Oilers if they do let him walk.
"We offered him the max for 8 years, and he still left" is easier to spin as a PR/Marketing department than "we traded him for magic beans, and scratch off lotto tickets".
Absolutely 100% they have to let them walk for nothing. One makes the GM and the organization the bad guy, the other makes the player the bad guy.
Does Calgary really want Johnny Hockey back? Are they happy with the return they got for the Tkachuk trade?
It would depend on who they played, I suppose. I have missed one SCF and Cup presentation in last 50years (storm knocked out power in the 2nd period of Sid’s first Cup) but I'm not certain I’d be watching this year if any of the western Canadian teams made the final.Interesting....the last time the Oilers made the finals the game 7 rating on NBC took in 5.29 million viewers in the states....seems pretty respectable to me.
And considering the opponent was Carolina, no offense to Carolina, but not what you would call a traditional hockey region in the US. those are pretty decent numbers.
Fast forward to now and the Oilers have the best player in the world who is arguably the most exciting player to watch as well, and I think the ratings will be fine.
Speaking of choke jobs… I look forward to watching the Leafs play the Bruins once again in round 1.I think if Edmonton doesn't win the Pacific bracket it might be the biggest chokejob of the McDavid era. Worse than them getting swept by Winnipeg and Colorado.
Their bracket is Vancouver, LA and Nashville. Two of those three teams missed the playoffs last year, the other the Oilers beat 2x in a row.
I don't know if Drai leaves though because I imagine Edmonton will pay him more than anyone else would.
Wouldn’t making the SCF this year be considered an over achievement?
Yes.Really... you honestly believe that in Edmonton of all places, the fans are going to side with "management spin" on losing one or two of the best players to live without getting anything in return?
Do you not remember that the first decade of despair started with empty seats throughout the mid-nineties.
I don’t watch Edmonton very often, but from what I’ve seen they’re not TTOE from the 70s.No. Anything less than an appearance in the SCF is a failure.
You realize the Canucks beat them all 4 games this year by a combined score of 21-9, right? It wouldn't be that surprising if they can't get past the Canucks.I can't see how they don't make it out of the Pacific. By far the weakest quarter of the bracket.