Player Discussion Bottom Six. Who do you Keep?

[Burnt Biscuits]

So in the early season it seemed like the consensus was flush 85-90% of our bottom six, now that we have more games and a clearer picture of what they can contribute wondering where people stand. I included any forward who played a minimum of 10 games this season. Also in your selections feel free to click on someone you'd be interested in bringing back as a 13th/14th forward.

Click to read more...

 

[LaGu]

Haas, Nygard, Russell, Sheahan, Archibald, Khaira - I think they've played well enough in the bottom 6 for this team despite the somewhat rough start in October. Add a 3C and possibly a 3rd line winger to that group and I think it can be a very strong bottom 6. To be honest though this depends a lot on what their demands are, five of will need new contracts but if we're taking minor raises for all of them I am good.

 

[Rusoilers]

Unpopular opinion- re sign jurco for cheap one year and give him another chance. I dont know how people can justify keeping Khaira and he is easily replaceable. Granlund and Gagner are useless dont need them. I would be ok to re sign everybody else, Patrick Russell is replaceable too but he will be cheap.

 

[The Safe Play]

Haas, Nygard, Sheahan, Archibald and Chiasson.

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

Last week we had a thread(maybe it was in a post game thread) that a bunch of posters were of the opinion that we should sign all of them(see post above this one). I guess your goalie playing well again & winning a few games makes people forget our bottom six is nothing to write home about & was actually horrible for the first 6-8 weeks of the season.

Great idea. Let's go into next season with basically the same team, that we all knew had a depth problem, next year.

 

[McDNicks17]

Last week we had a thread(maybe it was in a post game thread) that a bunch of posters were of the opinion that we should sign all of them(see post above this one). I guess your goalie playing well again & winning a few games makes people forget our bottom six is nothing to write home about & was actually horrible for the first 6-8 weeks of the season.

Great idea. Let's go into next season with basically the same team, that we all knew had a depth problem, next year.

Doesn't mean you can't sign players to play above them.

Do you think you improve depth by just flushing all your depth players and trying a new set the next year?

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

Doesn't mean you can't sign players to play above them.

Do you think you improve depth by just flushing all your depth players and trying a new set the next year?

No, but you have to make some changes. You can't just sign them all then sign better players to play above them. That's not even remotely feasible.

Rosters are only so big & you can only have 50 contracts total on the books.

 

[McDNicks17]

No, but you have to make some changes. You can't just sign them all then sign better players to play above them. That's not even remotely feasible.

Rosters are only so big & you can only have 50 contracts total on the books.

The poll seems pretty clear in wanting four players back. That could realistically be the fourth line and a 13th forward.

There's plenty of room to improve above them and these are guys that will likely be making close to league minimum, so there really isn't anything stopping you from re-signing them and then signing other players.

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

The poll seems pretty clear in wanting four players back. That could realistically be the fourth line and a 13th forward.

There's plenty of room to improve above them and these are guys that will likely be making close to league minimum, so there really isn't anything stopping you from re-signing them and then signing other players.

Cool, sign them all then.

 

[destro909]

My top two would be Sheahan and Archibald. They are both huge contributors on the PK and have even started to chip in some offense. They are perfect 4th liners.

Next would be Chiasson - he gets a lot of hate around here, but the guy is 6th in forward scoring and is on pace for a 30 point season. He can also do spot duty on the top PP and in the top 6.

Other than that, I wouldn't be sad to see anyone else go. Not sure what all the votes for Haas and Nygard are about. Neither of these guys put up many points, don't contribute on the PK or PP, and haven't exactly been trending up. I suppose Haas is a C so he is a bit more valuable, but he's not even very good at that (41.2% on faceoffs). Unless we start seeing some improvement then I don't really see a place for these guys.

 

[frag2]

Keep for sure IMO - Haas, Sheahan and Archie
Indifferent - Nygard
Keep only because serviceable and has term left - Chiasson

 

[LaGu]

Last week we had a thread(maybe it was in a post game thread) that a bunch of posters were of the opinion that we should sign all of them(see post above this one). I guess your goalie playing well again & winning a few games makes people forget our bottom six is nothing to write home about & was actually horrible for the first 6-8 weeks of the season.

Great idea. Let's go into next season with basically the same team, that we all knew had a depth problem, next year.

3C + 3W + 4 out Haas, Nygard, Sheahan, Archibald and Russell is a damn good bottom 6. Especially if you manage to resign them at more or less the same prices. Russell, Khaira are good enough to be 13/14th fwds.

We're so used to complain about the bottom 6 that we cannot acknowledge when they are actually lifting their weight.

I am 100% against another complets over-haul of the bottom 6. That will put you back in the position taking chances on low-cap depth players as Holland did this year. It was about seeing which low-buy players could cut it, and imo we found a few good ones (mid-season opinion mind you, these guys will not be signed before next summer). Khaira is probably the one I am least convinced about, but he is already signed and I doubt we'll get anything for him in a trade. Might as well keep him as 13/14th fwd and hope he figures it out.

 

[oilynutz]

It's a little unreasonable to expect instantaneous success playing for a new team. It takes time to develop chemistry. Nygard and Haas had never played in North America before and were sought after in the offseason. Why would we get rid of them now?

Nygard, Haas, Archibald, Sheahan have started to show they deserve at least another year. These are the types of players good teams build their bottom six around. Plus they are all either 27 or 28(Sheahan). I would sign any of these guys for multiple years at a low enough price.

Chiasson is signed for next year. Don't know why he is listed.

 

[Fourier]

Chaisson's issue for me is his $2.1M contract. If the Oilers do not add a top six winger then there is no problem keeping him. But if they do the numbers game starts to kick in.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Move Khaira. Haas is now playing the PK taking Khaira's spot there. Dont bother resigning Granlund, Jurco, or Gagner. Mind you, Gagner might be ok at a league minimum as a 13/14 forward. Russell I keep as a 13/14 black ace for sure. You want a guy who is consistent and he is a good checker.

 

[Draiskull]

Keep Sheahan + Archibald. Purge the rest.

 

[DerpMorg]

Keep Archibald, Sheahan, Haas, Nygard.

Yeet everyone else into the sun, particularly Gagner. It’s a feel good story that he’s back here, but dude is miles removed from being an NHL calibre player.

 

[AUAIOMRN]

Nygard, Archiblad, Sheahan, Chiasson.

I'm not nearly as much a fan of Haas as everyone else here. He tries hard but doesn't have many tools or much hockey sense.

 

[McXLNC97]

Sheahan, Archibald, Nygard. Khaira needs to go.

 

[Senor Catface]

Sheahan, Archibald, Haas and Chiasson were my choices with Nygard being a decent option as well.

 

[Nostradumbass]

Last week we had a thread(maybe it was in a post game thread) that a bunch of posters were of the opinion that we should sign all of them(see post above this one). I guess your goalie playing well again & winning a few games makes people forget our bottom six is nothing to write home about & was actually horrible for the first 6-8 weeks of the season.

Great idea. Let's go into next season with basically the same team, that we all knew had a depth problem, next year.

Alternative hot take: we signed a bunch of guys that took 6-8 weeks to adjust to the new teammates, coaches, city, country and continent.

Get a good 3C and the bottom 6 is in decent shape next year.

 

[Nostradumbass]

Sheahan, Archibald, Haas and Chiasson were my choices with Nygard being a decent option as well.

Sheahan, Archibald and Nygard would make one hell of a 4th line next year if we got an adequate 3C to play with Chiasson and Neal (assuming we also acquired a top 6 winger).

 

[AddyTheWrath]

Why do so many people want to keep Chiasson?

I mean 2.1M. Woof.

 

[Oilhawks]

Why do so many people want to keep Chiasson?

I mean 2.1M. Woof.

For me I don’t see them using a pick to deal him or taking a similarly so so player back. If he can get around 14-11-25 this year and next it’s good enough value IMO.

 

[Messrules11]

As long as Khaira is gone, I’m good.