Rumor: Rumours and Proposals V: Russell In, Yak Out, Is Chia Done For Now?

[oilersrule14]

Must have found a taker for Fayne then. Chia has managed to turn our crap into slightly more useful crap, so curious to see what move materializes.

It's a 2-way deal, could just mean that Gryba didn't find any takers anywhere else, and he's being signed here for AHL/depth. Unless there was something about him playing up here for sure?

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

With Gryba and Versteeg signings, where are we at with number of contracts?

EDIT: yes I know Versteeg's isn't official... yet

When/if those two do sign we will be at 49 contracts, making the Mark Fraser signing all the more idiotic.

 

[JarvisFunk]

Yeah why take on cheap depth when you can throw a few rookies into spots they haven't proven to be ready for.

Why anyone would give this org's decisions the benefit of the doubt is simply baffling.

The only thing Pulkkinen has proved, is that he doesnt belong in the NHL, read the Red Wings board, he is basicallly their version of Yakupov. What makes him more proven that Caggiula or Jesse at this point. Jesse will get his 9 games, and we'll have a longer assessment period, he he doesn't show up send him down.

On left wing we have Lucic, Pouliot, Maroon, Hendricks. On the right we have Eberle, Draisaitl, Versteeg, Kassian, and Puljujarvi. Where does P.A fit considering he can't hold an NHL job with any team for more than a year at a time? Is he going to be your bottom line grinder?

 

[Young Lions*]

You do realize he's only here because of the Versteeg injury, right? Why take on a $1M+ contract for a year or more when you can give nine games to your top prospect?

Because he's not ready?

Using this logic, claiming a player could also have been viewed negatively as the team hasn't earned the benefit of the doubt. Why is this one non-move drawing your ire? What about the rest?

Except the Oilers have a pattern of doing exactly what it looks like they are doing here: putting young players in positions to fail instead of insulating them with smart, low-risk bets. Nor is it just about PJ. As someone just put it on Twitter: the Oilers are going to use their C at RW and play a rookie at C who isnt a C when two NHL RW's could have been had for nothing.

 

[KlefDown]

reading Lander still skating with Oilers. what.

 

[SK13]

reading Lander still skating with Oilers. what.

Can't really send him down till they clear Cagguila, I'd bet.

 

[Frank the Tank]

Yeah why take on cheap depth when you can throw a few rookies into spots they haven't proven to be ready for.

Why anyone would give this org's decisions the benefit of the doubt is simply baffling.

Because the "org" seems to be a moving target that is adapted to fit any negative jab one wants to make. Significant changes have been and are continuing to be made in the Oilers organization and it will take time to recover from the depths of the Lowe/MacT/Eakins era, yet we have people still jumping on every move like the OBC still is calling the shots. Anyone who thinks that Nicholson/Chiarelli/McLellan was going to solve all the problems in a year and/or be flawless in cleaning up the huge mess is being naive.

 

[Jet Walters]

Must have found a taker for Fayne then. Chia has managed to turn our crap into slightly more useful crap, so curious to see what move materializes.

Extremely doubtful anyone would take Fayne. Most likely he'll be the #7 or waived and end up in Bakersfield.

 

[the pen is mightier]

Because he's not ready?

Read what you quoted. He is up for his 9 games because of Versteeg's injury. Once Versteeg is healthy he will most likely be sent down. There is nothing wrong with this.

 

[SK13]

Read what you quoted. He is up for his 9 games because of Versteeg's injury. Once Versteeg is healthy he will most likely be sent down. There is nothing wrong with this.

In fact, this is the absolute correct usage of a player like Puljujarvi. Sheltered behind Eberle and Draisaitl, used as injury coverage.

I wouldn't have been flat opposed to a waiver wire pick-up for depth, but there are issues Young Lions is not acknowledging. It pushes us much closer to 50 contracts, which could seriously hinder our ability to make a more important move - say, further addressing the defense - mid-season. It nudges us closer to an unsafe cap number. Parenteau is maybe not the best fit for an Oilers group that wants to be more competitive shift-to-shift, etc, etc.

 

[Young Lions*]

The only thing Pulkkinen has proved, is that he doesnt belong in the NHL, read the Red Wings board, he is basicallly their version of Yakupov. What makes him more proven that Caggiula or Jesse at this point. Jesse will get his 9 games, and we'll have a longer assessment period, he he doesn't show up send him down

Ok what about PAP. Proven goal scorer and veteran. Another layer of insurance/depth if PJ struggles.

On left wing we have Lucic, Pouliot, Maroon, Hendricks. On the right we have Eberle, Draisaitl, Versteeg, Kassian, and Puljujarvi. Where does P.A fit considering he can't hold an NHL job with any team fro more than a year at a time? Is he going to be your bottom line grinder?

That RW depth includes a guy who should be playing C in Drai and a guy who is a fringe NHler in Kassian. So it's actually Eberle, Versteeg and PJ. If PJ or Drake struggle, then what? the point is to give yourself some options and the Oilers consistently fail to do that which leads to situations like burning a year of Drai's ELC for nothing or throwing Nurse into the deep end.

 

[Mr Positive]

reading Lander still skating with Oilers. what.

it's not that weird. Klefbom skated with the team in practices even though he wasn't allowed to play in the NHL yet. He was still signed to his Euro team at that time.

Lander is going to the AHL but he's still a call up option, so another day or so of playing with the NHL team might have some value.

 

[Young Lions*]

Because the "org" seems to be a moving target that is adapted to fit any negative jab one wants to make. Significant changes have been and are continuing to be made in the Oilers organization and it will take time to recover from the depths of the Lowe/MacT/Eakins era, yet we have people still jumping on every move like the OBC still is calling the shots.

The faces change, but they keep making the same mistakes (along with some new and exciting mistakes just to keep things fresh).

Anyone who thinks that Nicholson/Chiarelli/McLellan was going to solve all the problems in a year and/or be flawless in cleaning up the huge mess is being naive.

They've had a year to get their **** together and made enough big changes in that timeframe that there shouldn't be any excuses for these guys. It's Chia's team and if they don't make a push for the playoffs this year after he completely overhauled the roster, he hasn't done his job.

 

[SK13]

That RW depth includes a guy who should be playing C in Drai and a guy who is a fringe NHler in Kassian. So it's actually Eberle, Versteeg and PJ. If PJ or Drake struggle, then what? the point is to give yourself some options and the Oilers consistently fail to do that which leads to situations like burning a year of Drai's ELC for nothing or throwing Nurse into the deep end.

Every 4th line RW is a "fringe NHLer" by necessity. You don't play real talents 10 minutes a game.

 

[Jet Walters]

Curtis Lazar sent to the AHL.

Old Boy's Club assemble!!!!!!

 

[joestevens29]

Must have found a taker for Fayne then. Chia has managed to turn our crap into slightly more useful crap, so curious to see what move materializes.

Could see him just signing Gryba for depth and waiving him. Wouldn't be a bad idea to have a guy like Gryba as a first callup.

Curious with all the waiver action if we see some deals between teams who have guys that cleared.

 

[Young Lions*]

Every 4th line RW is a "fringe NHLer" by necessity. You don't play real talents 10 minutes a game.

Which is why it's disingenuous to count him as "depth." He's a warm body but if you're in a position where you're playing him in the top 9 for more than 10 minutes, you've ***** up somewhere.

 

[joestevens29]

reading Lander still skating with Oilers. what.

Guys do get waived and not sent down. Does allow us to send him down anytime in the next 30 days I believe.

 

[KlefDown]

it's not that weird. Klefbom skated with the team in practices even though he wasn't allowed to play in the NHL yet. He was still signed to his Euro team at that time.

Lander is going to the AHL but he's still a call up option, so another day or so of playing with the NHL team might have some value.

just seems unethical af. sending someone "down" but still keeping them up. bet he gets paid AHL salary for the week/month too. idk how players payroll works

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Curtis Lazar sent to the AHL.

Old Boy's Club assemble!!!!!!

Wow! Bob Green and MacT to the rescue!


As far as Gryba goes, I was hoping that he'd take a 2 way deal. If he can improve his mobility to last season's levels he'd be a solid 6/7 for us.

 

[CupofOil]

2 way deal for Gryba per Bobby Mac

I like that it's a 2 way. He shouldn't be a fixture in the top 6 but he's good insurance to have in case of injury/poor play, nothing more than that.

 

[Blitzago*]

just seems unethical af. sending someone "down" but still keeping them up. bet he gets paid AHL salary for the week/month too. idk how players payroll works

Lander is on a 1 way contract? he get's paid the same either way.

 

[hallhopkinseberle]

Curtis Lazar sent to the AHL.

Old Boy's Club assemble!!!!!!

Lazar had mono been off for the entire TC, only sent him down to warm up/remove the rust.

 

[oilers89]

Vertseeg signing in Calg...Ive got it under good authority

 

[PatrikOverAuston]

Because he's not ready?

We can't really know until he faces top competition. His game progressed as pre-season wore on. If he looks lost at regular season speed, send him down. The only error would be keeping him up after that point, but again, neither coaching nor management in the McDavid era has made that mistake. You're harping for the sake of harping; the anti-kool aid, as it were.

Hell, all we heard the entire summer was how Chiarelli knew he wasn't doing his job if a player like Nurse had to be on the NHL roster. He brought in ample competition at all positions, and his plan worked. The only wrinkle was an injury to the veteran winger meant to push Puljujarvi and Yakupov. That will be resolved once Versteeg returns, and you can once more sleep soundly that a position as important as third line RW will no longer be an issue- if it even was to begin with.

Except the Oilers have a pattern of doing exactly what it looks like they are doing here: putting young players in positions to fail instead of insulating them with smart, low-risk bets.

No one is being put in a position to fail. You're assuming things that haven't happened yet. If Puljujarvi demonstrates he's not ready, no harm no foul; he goes down, Versteeg comes in. Pakarinen, when healthy, will also be an option. In the interim, Puljujarvi is getting a look; there's no reason to make this out to be more than it is, save for reveling in creating drama.

Nor is it just about PJ. As someone just put it on Twitter: the Oilers are going to use their C at RW and play a rookie at C who isnt a C when two NHL RW's could have been had for nothing.

Except it's not nothing. This is not NHL 2017 on your Playstation; the number, length and cap hit of contracts all play into roster flexibility, and it makes no sense to tie up money for a short-term fix when the team has numerous options available in-house.

And, really, we all know what would have happened had those players been claimed: you'd be complaining we were enduring the Cam Barker days of retread experiments again, wasting time on another team's garbage. You're a contrarian for the sake of being a contrarian, and get a kick out of second-guessing anything and everything the team does.