Do you think Taylor Hall has asked for a trade?

[Jeff Lebowski]

There was an article in today's journal where Hall talked about the rumours and said that he hears stuff, but loves the city and loves the franchise.

He also said that he liked his coach and was sad to see him go. Don't believe anything that these guys tell the media. They're coached to say the right thing.

 

[gordonhught]

I honestly think that Hall has asked for a trade and was told by MacT that they will try to accommodate him but will not trade him for low value. hence the media reports of Hall giving eakins a vote of confidence and hall saying he is in for the long term etc etc. This reeks of charade to me. I do think Dreger is an idiot but i do think that Taylor hall has discretely asked for a trade.

This exactly.

 

[Arpeggio]

I think Hall's knee is wrecked. I was watching him a bit more closely last night. He is pushing off with one leg whenever he can. And he can't break away from basically anyone right now. He actually looks slow.

My read from the interviews over the last two days was that Hall actually did like the coach, and Eberle and Ference didn't. I don't think Hall asked for a trade.

 

[subnet]

I remember reading/hearing a few things over the past couple of weeks. Thought they said Hall's knee won't be back to normal any time soon, as in months until it's completely stabil/healed/solid. I hope that's the only issue here and he just isn't waiting for his trade to come...

Also on another note, I know there was a quote by him about questions on the makeup of the team, and he replied by saying something to the affect that 'you don't usually trade members of the core' when referring to himself being traded. It struck me as a pretty entitled thing to say when talking about yourself. Now, I know MacT has stated several times that certain players belong to 'the core', but to hear it first hand it was pretty damning evidence that he thinks he's above many of the other players...

 

[aspin]

I think Hall's knee is wrecked. I was watching him a bit more closely last night. He is pushing off with one leg whenever he can. And he can't break away from basically anyone right now. He actually looks slow.

My read from the interviews over the last two days was that Hall actually did like the coach, and Eberle and Ference didn't. I don't think Hall asked for a trade.

I said this right after the knee injury. He does not have the same explosion since the injury......is it a case of the same thing with the shoulder where he is going to play the season and have surgery in the summer? Did you notice prior to the game they were showing Hall stretching and he was wearing a knee brace....not just a soft brace but a framed hard brace....would not be as easy to skate with. I wonder why the media is not talking about Hall not playing completely healthy. They would surely know.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

I think having a 'Core' is opening up for a divide in the locker room.

Core is ridiculous.


Who was the core of the 1997 Oilers team?

Weight Guerin Smith?
Moreau-Marchant-Grier?
Murray-McAmmond?
Ninimaa-Mironov?
Hamrlik?
Cujo?


We had a TEAM. PERIOD.

We didnt slice up and divide them up by annointing any of them more untouchably important than another.

Do you think Grier would have gladly popped his shoulder back into its socket after taking a hit, if he wasn't considered a part of the core?


Ninimaa and Smyth were both crying when traded. Doug Weight wanted to take millions less to stay an Oiler.


Having a "core" is ridiculous. I certainly wouldn't block a Nick Lidstrom shot with my face in the dying seconds of a game if I was considered expendable.



Would any of you at any of your careers, perform at 100% when you knew there were a bunch of younger kids who were given preferential treatment over you?

 

[Arpeggio]

He should've just said, "good teams don't usually trade their best player". That would also have been true.

 

[oobga]

I think having a 'Core' is opening up for a divide in the locker room.

Core is ridiculous.


Who was the core of the 1997 Oilers team?

Weight Guerin Smith?
Moreau-Marchant-Grier?
Murray-McAmmond?
Ninimaa-Mironov?
Hamrlik?
Cujo?


We had a TEAM. PERIOD.

We didnt slice up and divide them up by annointing any of them more untouchably important than another.

Do you think Grier would have gladly popped his shoulder back into its socket after taking a hit, if he wasn't considered a part of the core?


Ninimaa and Smyth were both crying when traded. Doug Weight wanted to take millions less to stay an Oiler.


Having a "core" is ridiculous. I certainly wouldn't block a Nick Lidstrom shot with my face in the dying seconds of a game if I was considered expendable.



Would any of you at any of your careers, perform at 100% when you knew there were a bunch of younger kids who were given preferential treatment over you?

Yeah, the concept of a "core" is something that is supposed to be created by hockey analysts on TV when they try to define what drives each team. It's just an idea used to simplify what's different about each team.

Lowe and MacT however seem to love the concept of a "core" on their own team they manage and they have played a huge part in creating the divide in the room. Sure managers can know the group of players that are driving the bus, and it's obvious sometimes when you look at the caphits, but you don't constantly talk about it in the media. It's something that every coach is going to have to struggle to remove from the players thought process as they try to create team unity. MacT just can't help himself from talking about "the core" every single time he's in front of a mic, it's infuriating.

 

[Larry Fisher]

I agree shiva and don't think anybody will be getting Hall at a discount, no 50 cents on the dollar deal for him.

Boston fans have since pointed out that deal doesn't work because of their salary cap situation. They would be way over. They suggested taking out Soderberg and throwing in Chris Kelly and Loui Eriksson to offset the salaries. Not a horrible idea. Imagine that, Eriksson traded for Seguin one year and Hall the next.

Others seem to feel Detroit would be getting a steal of a deal despite giving up a few top prospects and a serviceable top-nine centre from their roster. That deal might actually be worth it for the Red Wings, considering their prospect depth and the fact Hall is still very young and locked up long-term, plus it would be a homecoming for Petry and he'd likely sign an extension too.

I also saw several proposals involving the New York Islanders that could make McTavish think long and hard, such as a package of Ryan Strome, Calvin de Haan/Travis Hamonic and Griffen Reinhart for Hall. That would be pretty tempting, but the Oilers probably still better off staying the course with Hall if there is no truth to the off-ice issues.

 

[Replacement*]

I think Hall's knee is wrecked. I was watching him a bit more closely last night. He is pushing off with one leg whenever he can. And he can't break away from basically anyone right now. He actually looks slow.

My read from the interviews over the last two days was that Hall actually did like the coach, and Eberle and Ference didn't. I don't think Hall asked for a trade.

I'd like to think there must be some explanation but I dunno.

On one hand you have a player you say is playing injured on one leg. Does such a player go after Ryan Getzlaf 2 nights ago basically challenging him? I really don't think so. Hall seems just lost. No anticipation, no drive, effort. The most noticeable he's been in recent games is when he's got angry. That speaks to motivational trouble rather than injury being the main thing.

I don't doubt two knee injuries are going to impact but then why is he on the ice? Does it really get much better with both knees shot through injury?

This could be the new baseline if you are correct. That's an even more disturbing proposition.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Some of the proposals look reasonable-ish, some look horrendous, not a lot of balance there in terms of value.

 

[Halibut]

We have no idea what our offensive talents are capable of any more. Last time they all looked great was the 12-13 season. Unfortunately the rest of the team was trash, but those kids, 2 years less experienced and 2 years less physically mature were able to match up against top players in the west and hold their own consistently in all 3 zones. Plus Nuge played with 1 arm that whole year before he was pulled.

That's what we got out of those kids when the coach had something worth selling and the kids were buying in. That is what we didn't get at all from Eakins, not only did he have no clue about x's and o's and he had no game plan worthy of the NHL, but he was not good at motivating either.

Trading Hall now would be a big mistake IMO, he has shown he can get on board with a coach like he did under Krueger and Renney too.

Fix the coaching and then see what you have with your high end guys. It was a terrible mistake to let Eakins coach beyond the first month or so of 13-14 when it was obvious to the entire hockey world he was totally out of his element, but now you have to wait and see what your players are capable of again under good direction.

I think a lot of it is they are all wound up trying to do things that are not part of their game. They are trying to be everything to everyone and it's killing their mojo, they're no longer doing those things that made them good. They try to play solid defensively, and the sad fact is that at best these guys are going to be marginal defensively, by doing that they lose track of the offensive game that made them valuable. I think it's crushed them and they're lost and they dont know what to try, they dont want to look bad so they dont try to do anything and we lose 1-0.

 

[TheGuyInTheChair]

I think he's already been traded, they're just waiting till the new year to announce it.

 

[Board Gordon]

I think he's already been traded, they're just waiting till the new year to announce it.

What makes you think that?

 

[Faelko]

I think he's already been traded, they're just waiting till the new year to announce it.

Yup, most teams are ok with trading for a 6 million dollar player and let him keep playing for his current team for a couple weeks.

 

[Halibut]

Yup, most teams are ok with trading for a 6 million dollar player and let him keep playing for his current team for a couple weeks.

They must be playing us in the next couple days.

 

[Kestrel]

I'd like to think there must be some explanation but I dunno.

On one hand you have a player you say is playing injured on one leg. Does such a player go after Ryan Getzlaf 2 nights ago basically challenging him? I really don't think so.

Take this with a grain of salt, because I haven't been watching at all this season - but as someone who has dealt with significant injuries, I disagree. When I've been at my "functional worst" with injuries, I could go from timid to a homicidal bear in nothing flat. I think an injury can leave you feeling vulnerable, further slowing you down on top of what the injury already does - but when anger starts to seep in, suddenly any pain you feel from the injury can make you that much meaner and nastier, with no gradual progression.

 

[Jeff Lebowski]

I think having a 'Core' is opening up for a divide in the locker room.

Core is ridiculous.


Who was the core of the 1997 Oilers team?

Weight Guerin Smith?
Moreau-Marchant-Grier?
Murray-McAmmond?
Ninimaa-Mironov?
Hamrlik?
Cujo?


We had a TEAM. PERIOD.

We didnt slice up and divide them up by annointing any of them more untouchably important than another.

Do you think Grier would have gladly popped his shoulder back into its socket after taking a hit, if he wasn't considered a part of the core?


Ninimaa and Smyth were both crying when traded. Doug Weight wanted to take millions less to stay an Oiler.


Having a "core" is ridiculous. I certainly wouldn't block a Nick Lidstrom shot with my face in the dying seconds of a game if I was considered expendable.



Would any of you at any of your careers, perform at 100% when you knew there were a bunch of younger kids who were given preferential treatment over you?

Great post. It is very un-team like to take a small "core" group and put them on a pedestal. Hopefully Nelson can put an end to that, but that really needs to start from the top.

 

[Cawz]

I said this right after the knee injury. He does not have the same explosion since the injury......is it a case of the same thing with the shoulder where he is going to play the season and have surgery in the summer? Did you notice prior to the game they were showing Hall stretching and he was wearing a knee brace....not just a soft brace but a framed hard brace....would not be as easy to skate with. I wonder why the media is not talking about Hall not playing completely healthy. They would surely know.

Yeah, I noticed that as well. Saw the hard brace prior to the game, and noticed that the explosion is just not there as it was before. You dont play hockey with a big brace like that if youre not hurt. Hell, you dont do stretches with a big brace like that if youre not hurt

 

[Dorian2]

I think having a 'Core' is opening up for a divide in the locker room.

Core is ridiculous.


Who was the core of the 1997 Oilers team?

Weight Guerin Smith?
Moreau-Marchant-Grier?
Murray-McAmmond?
Ninimaa-Mironov?
Hamrlik?
Cujo?


We had a TEAM. PERIOD.

We didnt slice up and divide them up by annointing any of them more untouchably important than another.

Do you think Grier would have gladly popped his shoulder back into its socket after taking a hit, if he wasn't considered a part of the core?


Ninimaa and Smyth were both crying when traded. Doug Weight wanted to take millions less to stay an Oiler.


Having a "core" is ridiculous. I certainly wouldn't block a Nick Lidstrom shot with my face in the dying seconds of a game if I was considered expendable.



Would any of you at any of your careers, perform at 100% when you knew there were a bunch of younger kids who were given preferential treatment over you?

I think you are right in a way. But teams in the NHL have always had at least 1 core player. It just wasn't touted as it is today. Maybe they should just shut up about who the core is.

The fans all know who it is.....usually.

As to the 97 team, I'd like to suggest that Weight and Guerin were. But it was pretty much left unsaid. As it should be.

 

[DJsquared]

Wasn't Dreger at one time the regular sports guy on A-Channel in Edmonton back in the day or am I misremembering? I swear I remember him there before he blew up and became this huge "Hockey Insider"...What a transition if thats the case.

i don't know about Dreger but Darren Dutchyshen was.

 

[Replacement*]

Take this with a grain of salt, because I haven't been watching at all this season - but as someone who has dealt with significant injuries, I disagree. When I've been at my "functional worst" with injuries, I could go from timid to a homicidal bear in nothing flat. I think an injury can leave you feeling vulnerable, further slowing you down on top of what the injury already does - but when anger starts to seep in, suddenly any pain you feel from the injury can make you that much meaner and nastier, with no gradual progression.

Appreciate the feedback. I had knee injuries but avoided situations where somebody would injure me. I wasn't out there on ski hills or ice rinks or anything so what you stated could be the case.

Interesting view and again thanks.

 

[Replacement*]

Great post. It is very un-team like to take a small "core" group and put them on a pedestal. Hopefully Nelson can put an end to that, but that really needs to start from the top.

Its interesting how that post illustrates the difference between how that legendary team thought of core and how other teams might.

FFW to today and who would be on the core of the LA KINGS?

Nah, its a team sport and everybody rowing. They wouldn't even think of it that way. Anybody that started to would be slapped upside the head with a Doughty slapshot.

 

[Kestrel]

Appreciate the feedback. I had knee injuries but avoided situations where somebody would injure me. I wasn't out there on ski hills or ice rinks or anything so what you stated could be the case.

Interesting view and again thanks.

I'm sure it all depends on the personality of the player, and I can't say I know Hall. He has struck me as one that has the kind of temper that could lead to that response - but I think you've watched him far more than I have too.

 

[Summary]

I think you are right in a way. But teams in the NHL have always had at least 1 core player. It just wasn't touted as it is today. Maybe they should just shut up about who the core is.

The fans all know who it is.....usually.

As to the 97 team, I'd like to suggest that Weight and Guerin were. But it was pretty much left unsaid. As it should be.

Sure teams have always had players they'd build around but they were usually called "stars" instead. The term core specifically is one that I think is newer but in any case we've taken it too an unhealthy level. One where it's like the rest of the non-core players are expendable or just a rental to support the anointed ones.

We've had too much roster turnover as well but as was stated before, why should someone deemed not an integral part of the team go all in for said team.