Waived: [EDM] Neal on Waivers (clears)

[Ninety7]

Where are all those Edmonton fans that were bragging about paying Lucic to play for Calgary in exchange for Neal?

I mean he scored 19 goals last year.

I think it’s clear that you don’t understand how waivers work this year.

Do better.

 

[Darkwinter]

Be an average (yet goony) 3rd liner?

And like i said what has he done to be proud of him.
Two trade that will never die
1. luch for Neil
2 the Hall trade
50 years from now that poor son of a bitch of a horse will be getting beaten to death still

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

He shoulda taken that very slightly less contract offer from Vegas to stay there... sometimes the grass isn't greener!

But then again, he's still making that money regardless

 

[Rubi]

The Real Deal James Neal won't be a happy camper and an unhappy James Neal can become a cancer in the room. Good thing his contract expires soon in the summer of 2023.

 

[Frank the Tank]

It all comes down to Neal's skating.

He spent the 2019 offseason working on his skating for the season and then had an immediate impact scoring numerous goals, improving the PP, and was a key reason the Oilers won a bunch of games to start the 2019-20 season.

Then he injured his ankle. His skating suffered and had less impact upon returning from IR. He also missed the short training camp at the beginning of the 2021 and once again looks slower and ineffective.

 

[Ninety7]

Be a competent bottom-six player.

james neal scored 19 goals last season.

 

[Darkwinter]

Be a competent bottom-six player.

I think you left the in out when you were spelling competent

 

[Mr Positive]

Not a big deal. Hes overpaid as a bottom sixer, but he is a useful bottom sixer. Most of that group has been on waivers at some point.

He'll be back on the team, probably soon

 

[GeeoffBrown]

I must admit I am experiencing some delicious Schadenfreude

 

[MapleLeafs9]

I will never understand how proven players just fall off so hard in their late 20s/early 30s. Doesn't make sense to me. That isn't an age where your body isn't able to do what you're trying to get it to do. If Neal was in his late 30s I could understand, but shit man.

Same thing happened to Heatley except he was an actual superstar. Puzzling.

 

[Dack]

Be a competent bottom-six player.

He's a pretty good 3rd wheel on lines that play down low and he's having a very good season so far*.

Aside from that streak of To's that resulted in goals in the first few games.

 

[CupInSIX]

And like i said what has he done to be proud of him.
Two trade that will never die
1. luch for Neil
2 the Hall trade
50 years from now that poor son of a bitch of a horse will be getting beaten to death still

Because in a year and a half he's Ottawa bound, most likely. And Edmonton will be paying him + a bought out Neal for a few more years after that.

 

[Rubi]

It doesn't take long for James Neal, these days, to wear out his welcome with teams that he plays for... does it.

Vegas didn't want to re-sign him after 1 year with the team.
Calgary was so desperate to trade him after 1 year with the club that they were willing to take Lucic in exchange.
Edmonton, after 1 year, has placed him of waivers. What an embarrassment for Neal and a zero risk move, unfortunately, by the Oilers.

 

[StreetHawk]

I will never understand how proven players just fall off so hard in their late 20s/early 30s. Doesn't make sense to me. That isn't an age where your body isn't able to do what you're trying to get it to do. If Neal was in his late 30s I could understand, but shit man.

Same thing happened to Heatley except he was an actual superstar. Puzzling.

That 2016 UFA class of Lucic, Backes, Okposo, Ladd, Eriksson, Neilsson, etc. I don't think any had a solid season for their new team since signing their contracts. Been disappointing since day 1.

All were around 30 years of age, give or take a year.

If you look at the UFA system and age of players, you should be wary of giving out term past like age 33. But that is often what teams do.

Because teams and players buy/sell UFA years during their RFA negotiations.

If you finish your ELC at age 23/24, players were giving up 2 years of UFA on 6 year deals taking them to age 29/30. and they were still getting 6/7 year terms at UFA to age 36. Gotta think there will be decline once you hit 33.

That 2003 great draft class turned 35 in 2020 and 36 in 2021. Think the only ones who are still playing at a high level are Bergeron, Weber, Suter, and maybe another guy or two. But, most have fallen well off. And not just last season but a couple of years now. Body can only take so much wear and tear and only a few guys are able to play well that late into their career.

Can't use Bergeron as an example of why a player should be signed to age 36/37 on a big money deal.

Jamie Benn is 31 going on 32 later this year and in year 4 of his 8 year extension. So, he started this contract at age 28, which is not old, just around a year past when most guys are first eligible to hit UFA.
Year 1 he puts up 79 points in 82 games. Year 2, 52 points in 78 games, Year 3, he puts up 39 points in 69 games. S0 far, 6 points in 7 games in year 4. Should have been able to give 70 points pace still, but he declined a lot the past 2 seasons.

 

[BagHead]

I will never understand how proven players just fall off so hard in their late 20s/early 30s. Doesn't make sense to me. That isn't an age where your body isn't able to do what you're trying to get it to do. If Neal was in his late 30s I could understand, but shit man.

Same thing happened to Heatley except he was an actual superstar. Puzzling.

I think it's a bit different for players in contact sports than it is for your average layman, as these guys are taking a ton of physical punishment for months at a time, over the course of a decade at the pro level. And there's such a small skill-gap these days between the scoring players and the tier just below them that it isn't hard for them to fall down to that level after a few nagging injuries. I wouldn't be shocked if the average 33 year old hockey player has more aches and pains than your average 45 year old male.

In the case of someone who watched a lot of Heatley, his skating (already not a strong point) deteriorated to the point that he was slower than Mikko Koivu, and not all that much faster than Derek Boogaard was. His body was clearly not up for the challenge, anymore.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Not a surprise. Guys washed up.

Another poor trade from Edmonton trying to acquire a project player and failing miserably.

They gave up a 3rd round pick and the more effective player for Neal lol

now that is funny. Nice try though

Oilers trading Lucic for a bag of pucks was addition by subtraction.

When Looch is unhappy, he makes the world around him unhappy

 

[Old Boys Club]

It'll be interesting to see what happens with him this summer. People will argue back and forth over the Neal-Lucic deal (as evidenced in this thread), but the obvious best situation would be to have neither on your team.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I'm not sure why people are acting like this is the end of Neal. With the Oil carrying 9 defencemen on the active roster, they need to waive any forward that rotates in and out, as they have no more PB spots.

It's the same as Chiasson last week: Decent player, but no one is touching that contract, and this gives the team more flexibility on who can sit. Neal will be back in the lineup for next game or the one thereeafter.


Turris would/should also be waived, as he deserves a trip to the PB. But as odd as it sounds, his low salary will keep him in the lineup as Holland and Co. will be worried about someone realistically claiming him.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Oilers could make a trade for Seattle to take him off their hands.

And if I'm Seattle, I'd take as many dumb contracts as possible, just as long as teams are willing to pay a high price for it, let alone that improve the scouting by hiring more and draft the best players for the Kraken to build them into a contender come the future.

 

[Jumptheshark]

I'm not sure why people are acting like this is the end of Neal. With the Oil carrying 9 defencemen on the active roster, they need to waive any forward that rotates in and out, as they have no more PB spots.

It's the same as Chiasson last week: Decent player, but no one is touching that contract, and this gives the team more flexibility on who can sit. Neal will be back in the lineup for next game or the one thereeafter.


Turris would/should also be waived, as he deserves a trip to the PB. But as odd as it sounds, his low salary will keep him in the lineup as Holland and Co. will be worried about someone realistically claiming him.

Sorry, you did not get the memo. On the main boards oiler bashing is the main passtime for many posters

 

[Rubi]

It'll be interesting to see what happens with him this summer. People will argue back and forth over the Neal-Lucic deal (as evidenced in this thread), but the obvious best situation would be to have neither on your team.

Can't argue with that. It's a lose-lose situation but more lose for the Oilers than Calgary since the trade has cost them a 3rd round draft pick this summer which they would sorely love to have since they will only pick in the 1st, 4th, 6th, and 7th rounds. They also have to pay Neal $6.5M to play on their taxi squad. The Flames are paying Lucic $5.25M to play on their 3rd line.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

The non morons will understand that this is nothing more then a cap move to scrounge every possible cap dollar during extended days off, it has nothing to do with his play.

He’ll likely be in the lineup come the teams next game on Monday.

 

[madmike77]

This doesn’t mean much given the nature of this season. Lots of guys will be waived to go onto the taxi squads.

It’s safe to say no one would consider picking Neal up. Yeah he’s good on the PP, but he’s a black hole when it comes to puck possession and defensive play. His skating was never great and at this point it’s brutal. He can’t keep up with the game.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

The Real Deal James Neal won't be a happy camper and an unhappy James Neal can become a cancer in the room. Good thing his contract expires soon in the summer of 2023.

James Neal was never a cancer in Calgary and I trust my guy better than whatever you heard.

 

[Rubi]

The non morons will understand that this is nothing more then a cap move to scrounge every possible cap dollar during extended days off, it has nothing to do with his play.

He’ll likely be in the lineup come the teams next game on Monday.

Possibly... and James Neal is certainly the most likely Oilers player to clear waivers in order to move to the taxi squad... for multiple reasons, non of which are good.