Why are so many of you jumping off the bandwagon and breaking your knees?

[LaGu]

Picks are picks. And it's dangerous to sign players coming off good years (and indeed most of the roster had good years). I don't really think Russell, even coming off the year he had, was that hot of a commodity and I believe a better contract could've been negotiated with some time.

I think Russell earned the contract he got, with us or another team.

I agree with you that it is not great to sign players coming off career years, but it is a bit different with Russell since he was/is still a known commodity due to his age a d experience. I think the career year signings are much more risky with younger players.

Picks are picks, but we will need them in the next years. I'd gladly pay with picks in 4-5 years when we move into the latter parts of McD and Drai's contracts. Not now though.

 

[shoop]

None of those Oiler teams had the Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner on them. No excuses for this, this isn't the same team as year's past.

Russell is a better D than some of the no.1 D those older teams trotted out and he's firmly the no.3/4 guy on this squad.

Russell is probably the 5D if Sekera comes back close to last season's form. Larsson/Klefa/Sekera/Nurse are all better than Russell.

Nurse has been the most pleasant surprise of this season.

 

[Soundwave]

I think Russell earned the contract he got, with us or another team.

I agree with you that it is not great to sign players coming off career years, but it is a bit different with Russell since he was/is still a known commodity due to his age a d experience. I think the career year signings are much more risky with younger players.

Picks are picks, but we will need them in the next years. I'd gladly pay with picks in 4-5 years when we move into the latter parts of McD and Drai's contracts. Not now though.

The other truth was Russell was one of the better Oiler D in the playoffs too.

 

[shoop]

According to cap friendly it's actually for the latter half of his contract. 10 team list in 2019 and 15 team list in 2020.

Insane stuff.

I remember hearing the NMC was the last two years of the contract. Thanks for the confirmation.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

I remember hearing the NMC was the last two years of the contract. Thanks for the confirmation.

It'd be one thing if the NMC was in the first two years. I could live with that, albeit somewhat begrudgingly. But putting it in the latter half? Why?

 

[Soundwave]

Russell is probably the 5D if Sekera comes back close to last season's form. Larsson/Klefa/Sekera/Nurse are all better than Russell.

Nurse has been the most pleasant surprise of this season.

If Nurse can maintain that play yes, but not Klefbom right now. Sekera will probably need a while to get up to game speed too.

Russell was one of the better Oiler D in the playoffs too. This player is not the problem. The extra year on his deal kinda sucks, but it's movable, especially if we reatain a bit. If you retain 500k on the final year of his deal you get $3.5 million in cap savings, and the team acquiring him gets a $4 mill cap hit for only $2 mill in actual salary.

As the cap keeps rising, a lot of these cap floor teams are going to want cheaper ways to "cheat" to get to the floor.

 

[LaGu]

The other truth was Russell was one of the better Oiler D in the playoffs too.

That is true, but that is probably a mute point. This season is what matters right now. I still think Chia would have been trashed (correctly) as a fool if he'd done a deal for Hamonic and dropped Russell in the off season.

Hamonic would not have done very much better than Russell this year. I didn't see the last game but based on post-CGY games imo Klefbom, Talbot and McD are more "quiet" than any other players right now. I do think this is a bump in the road though, all three are excellent players and will get around in time.

 

[Soundwave]

That is true, but that is probably a mute point. This season is what matters right now. I still think Chia would have been trashed (correctly) as a fool if he'd done a deal for Hamonic and dropped Russell in the off season.

Hamonic would not have done very much better than Russell this year. I didn't see the last two games but imo Klefbom, Talbot and McD are more "quiet" than any other players right now. I do think this is a bump in the road though, all three are excellent players and will get around in time.

Russell is playing fine even now. He and Nurse are the only two Oiler D I'd give a passing grade to right now.

 

[Jumptheshark]

I am not worried

 

[LaGu]

Russell is playing fine even now. He and Nurse are the only two Oiler D I'd give a passing grade to right now.

I would add Larsson without a second thought, who despite being average is/has been a good presence and still faces hard comp with a very struggling partner.

 

[Heavy Dee]

Anyone else hear Leon's black eye may not be hockey related?

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Anyone else hear Leon's black eye may not be hockey related?

There has been a rumour circulating involving a certain defenseman but we'll likely never get any real confirmation on it.

If it is really the case though, hooooo boy.

 

[Heavy Dee]

There has been a rumour circulating involving a certain defenseman but we'll likely never get any real confirmation on it.

If it is really the case though, hooooo boy.

Def not a teammate.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Def not a teammate.

Well the name that's been used around here IS a teammate. I don't know what's true and what isn't.

 

[Spawn]

I heard it was Col. Mustard in the conservatory with a candlestick.

But you didn't hear it from me.

Well the name that's been used around here IS a teammate. I don't know what's true and what isn't.

It's safe to assume that what you've heard is about as true as what I just posted.

 

[Canovin]

Words on the street it's related to Ben Affleck

 

[SK13]

Oh brother with the rumors.

Let me guess: Draisaitl messed with someones wife? That one comes back ALL the time. It's never true.

The other truth was Russell was one of the better Oiler D in the playoffs too.

The Oilers were trailing the play more often than not in both series. Those are games where Russell excels. He will slow the bleeding when wounded, but won't heal the wound if you know what I'm saying.

 

[oilers'72]

Anyone else hear Leon's black eye may not be hockey related?

Domestic battery. He "accidentally" bumped into a door frame.

Actually, there are guys that wanted to do it, but they didn't want to have the fingers pointed at them, so they hired Trouba to do the dirty work.

 

[Chet Manley]

The one difference between this year and the decade of darkness is I have a little more trust in this teams ability to bounce back instead of being out by November. McDavid will eventually return to being the best in the world. Upon Draisaitl's return, Maroon has a chance to bounce back to helping with offencive zone possession, right spot goals, and garbage play. Someone will eventually fit with on the 2RW with RNH, Strome looked good there. Fingers crossed for Sekara.

The bad is Chia pulled a Tambo this summer. It was for different reasons but eerie similar:

1) Entering the season with obvious holes and wishing for the best. LB isn't an NHL goaltender. Sekara out without action meant depending on the best case scenario by young defencemen with little track record, young defencemen don't linerally develop. Even Klefbom hasn't had a complete season at his top of his game yet.(was great nearing the end of the season and playoffs, but before that had so serious brain farts)

2) Addition by subtraction. While some of the forwards that left were either overpaid or old or underperformed last season, their replacements are cheaper and worse. Same as the old days. Scapegoats out.. hooray!

3) Had a three but has slipped my mind. Will edit. Perhaps others have thoughts on a #3?

 

[Soundwave]

He very clearly gets an elbow to the face here and skates to the bench shaken up:



He took a high stick to the face later in the game too. Mystery solved. Some people in this city desperately need to get a life.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Imho

A good wagon need not be more thena fww feet off the groynd

 

[Spawn]

Imho

A good wagon need not be more thena fww feet off the groynd

Little red wagon, little red bike, I ain't no monkey but I know what I like.

 

[bobbythebrain]

Doesn't explain the black eye. That his was nowhere near his face. It's even debatable if it hit his head

 

[Heavy Dee]

Doesn't explain the black eye. That his was nowhere near his face. It's even debatable if it hit his head

Lots of theories been removed from here it seems

 

[shoop]

It'd be one thing if the NMC was in the first two years. I could live with that, albeit somewhat begrudgingly. But putting it in the latter half? Why?

I know I'm going out of my way to give Chia the benefit of the doubt, but maybe it's a release valve if last year was an illusion? Which it appears that it was.

Maybe find a team with a GM as clueless as MacT and desperate for some sort of defence?