NCAA Free agents (O'Connor Signs With Ottawa)

[Burnt Biscuits]

It's amazing how excited everyone (including myself) gets over European and College free agents. Seems like just yesterday that Raanta was considering signing with us but chose Chicago. He hasn't amounted to much.

Damien Brunner from Europe was supposed to be so great and came in and had an amazing first NHL game but hasn't been to special since then.

Couple years back Casey Wellman was the must have college free agent forward. Most of you right now are saying who??

Dekeyser and Sustr are pretty good dmen that were top free agents but they aren't anything special. Not saying there aren't good ones because there are and I'm very happy that we pursue these free agents as it shows me that we are at least doing everything to improve our club but let's not get too disappointed and heart broken if O'Connor doesn't pick us

Raanta's numbers are really good this year, I got the chance to watch a couple of his games this year, he doesn't inspire confidence and Chicago looked like they were trying harder then normal for him, but you can't knock a 0.936 save percentage (granted a 14 game sample size is quite small).

Dekeyser I fully disagree with you he's been all that was advertised pretty much right out of the box, he's a really solid d-man and looks like he can be a top 4 for the foreseeable future. Considering all he cost was some money and just the rookie max with some bonuses laid on top that is an incredible deal for any team. That's worth getting excited about.

It is funny how it's become a much bigger deal then it used to be and I think teams have in general been a lot better at not letting someone really good slip through the cracks.

Here's a list of undrafted players who would of been signed as free agents: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NHL_players_who_were_not_drafted

 

[HeavyHitter99]

Raanta's numbers are really good this year, I got the chance to watch a couple of his games this year, he doesn't inspire confidence and Chicago looked like they were trying harder then normal for him, but you can't knock a 0.936 save percentage (granted a 14 game sample size is quite small).

Dekeyser I fully disagree with you he's been all that was advertised pretty much right out of the box, he's a really solid d-man and looks like he can be a top 4 for the foreseeable future. Considering all he cost was some money and just the rookie max with some bonuses laid on top that is an incredible deal for any team. That's worth getting excited about.

It is funny how it's become a much bigger deal then it used to be and I think teams have in general been a lot better at not letting someone really good slip through the cracks.

Here's a list of undrafted players who would of been signed as free agents: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NHL_players_who_were_not_drafted

Yah as soon as mentioned Dekeyser I was thinking I should edit my post because he was very very good this year. Yah Raanta is still unproven and I have nothing against him. Just so many free agents are flops.


Also that link is just to players that have played 500 games (250 for goalies) or have won awards

 

[Spawn]

It's amazing how excited everyone (including myself) gets over European and College free agents. Seems like just yesterday that Raanta was considering signing with us but chose Chicago. He hasn't amounted to much.

Damien Brunner from Europe was supposed to be so great and came in and had an amazing first NHL game but hasn't been to special since then.

Couple years back Casey Wellman was the must have college free agent forward. Most of you right now are saying who??

Dekeyser and Sustr are pretty good dmen that were top free agents but they aren't anything special. Not saying there aren't good ones because there are and I'm very happy that we pursue these free agents as it shows me that we are at least doing everything to improve our club but let's not get too disappointed and heart broken if O'Connor doesn't pick us

Honestly, seems like most of us are fine with whatever decision he goes with. He'd be a valuable prospect to add to the organization, but I don't think anyone would lose sleep over not getting him. He's not some blue chip can't miss prospect. He's a young goalie with some potential who is likely 2+ years away from amounting to anything at the NHL level, if at all.

I hope he picks Edmonton. But if not, oh well. Hopefully Brossoit continues to develop in the AHL next year as the teams primary starter.

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

There are alot of arguments in this thread about goalies save percentage on bad teams. For more of an analysis go to war on ice. In the goalie statistics page you can sort by High Danger, Medium Danger, and Low Danger shots against and the save percentage. You can further refine it to compare your two goalies. I think you guys are arguing about enroth and lindback. For example lindback has a .789 save percentage on high danger shots while enroth has an .811. Both have similar save percentages on other types of shots.

So go look at it and get some concrete numbers to support your assertion.

I really like that site, thank you.

Tells you a lot of interesting information, so Buffalo last year allowed 14% more shots then league average in the low scoring areas, 33% more in medium scoring areas, and 31% more in high scoring areas. So Buffalo netminders really did have it tough relative to the rest of the league.

The Oilers last year allowed 3.1% less shots then league average from the perimeter, 8% more from medium scoring areas, and 14% more in high scoring areas. The crazy thing is shooting percentage of goals scored relative to league average from those different areas, from the low scoring area our goalies were 66% more likely to get scored on a shot from that area then league average would dictate, from the medium scoring area 20% more likely to allow a shot to go in, and from high scoring area just 3% more likely to allow a shot to go in then league average.

It appears that either are goalies were so horrible that they let in goals from the perimeter at an abnormally high pace or we were absolutely horrible at clearing lanes and boxing out screens to give them clean looks at pucks.

For our team our shooting percentage from the medium and high scoring areas was pretty close to league average, but from the perimeter it was horrible with us being 35.1% less likely to score on a perimeter shot then the rest of the league, I'm sure other teams noticed how ineffective we were at this and adjusted their coverage patterns accordingly. While Nikitin has a bomb, we really need to get someone who is a real threat to score from the outside so they don't just collapse around the prime scoring areas.

 

[Yeah15]

Not surprised, apparently he wanted an experienced goalie coach and a team with previous past of successful goaltending.

 

[Faelko]

Not surprised, apparently he wanted an experienced goalie coach and a team with previous past of successful goaltending.

Yeah, and none of that screams Oilers. Ah well, can't win them all.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

Not surprised, apparently he wanted an experienced goalie coach and a team with previous past of successful goaltending.

Honestly not bummed about this at all. All I care about this summer is a goaltender for the big club who will help us win

 

[Smartguy]

Honestly not bummed about this at all. All I care about this summer is a goaltender for the big club who will help us win

Not sure why anyone would be bummed, it will be lucky if he ever becomes an NHL regular, see a similar situation in Eric hartzell, former good college goalie won the hobey baker, plays in the echl doesn't look like he will make it ever

 

[McGlassbangers]

I'm still wondering why Eetu Laurikainen's father is following the Oilers and Condors on Twitter. There must be something to it.

 

[OnTheBrink]

Too bad would have been nice to get a free goalie prospect not bummed at all about it though, do think the Oiler's should use one of their 3rd's and MTL 4th on goalie's now. Get some more G prospects in the system.

 

[SK13]

Honestly not bummed about this at all. All I care about this summer is a goaltender for the big club who will help us win

It'd have been nice, but nothing world changing.

I was always hoping for Ottawa. Shake loose Craig Anderson!

 

[Niet]

It'd have been nice, but nothing world changing.

I was always hoping for Ottawa. Shake loose Craig Anderson!

Seems doubtful Anderson is moving if the news on Lehner is true.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Too bad, it would've been nice to get a free prospect oh well
Hopefully he goes to Ottawa for the Rangers so Anderson or Talbot shake loose

 

[SK13]

Seems doubtful Anderson is moving if the news on Lehner is true.

Well, they've made promises to both the O'Connor and Hammond camps that they would trade an NHL goaltender if those signings were to come to pass. They can't trade a concussed Lehner, Hammond won't go back to the AHL and O'Connor would have to play in the AHL.

1+1 = Craig Anderson.

 

[Niet]

Well, they've made promises to both the O'Connor and Hammond camps that they would trade an NHL goaltender if those signings were to come to pass. They can't trade a concussed Lehner, Hammond won't go back to the AHL and O'Connor would have to play in the AHL.

1+1 = Craig Anderson.

It's more likely that O'Connor is in the AHL to start his career. Hammond is still unproven as we've all seen goalies that play incredible and then crash back down to earth so the risk to signing him as a starter would be insane. Lehner is concussed so it's simply impossible to figure out his future. Anderson is the only proven commodity Ottawa has and it's doubtful they're moving him unless they plan on bottoming out next year.

Sens forums seem to point to either O'Connor taking Hammond's spot, Lehner being traded, but most seem to think Anderson will stay.

 

[Jmask83]

I hope its NYR. Maybe we can get Talbot.

 

[40oz]

I'm still wondering why Eetu Laurikainen's father is following the Oilers and Condors on Twitter. There must be something to it.

Could just be a fan? I know CHL teams rely a lot on NHL scouts for import picks, maybe Matti Virmanen had a hand in Eetu coming over to the WHL? Either way, good catch.

 

[KenLinsemanFanClub]

Not surprised, apparently he wanted an experienced goalie coach and a team with previous past of successful goaltending.

No worries, we're saving the rest of our luck for Babcock.

 

[SK13]

It's more likely that O'Connor is in the AHL to start his career. Hammond is still unproven as we've all seen goalies that play incredible and then crash back down to earth so the risk to signing him as a starter would be insane. Lehner is concussed so it's simply impossible to figure out his future. Anderson is the only proven commodity Ottawa has and it's doubtful they're moving him unless they plan on bottoming out next year.

Sens forums seem to point to either O'Connor taking Hammond's spot, Lehner being traded, but most seem to think Anderson will stay.

O'Connor will definitely be starting his career in the AHL, but the Sens can only carry 2 NHL goaltenders. Lehner literally can not be traded while he is injured and Hammond, while I believe to be fraudulent, was promised in public that if he were re-signed, they would trade an NHL goaltender to accommodate him.

Not really speculating on my part as much as doing the math on what Murray's camp has said.

Does the fact that Robin Lehner isn't getting better change this? Maybe, but he wasn't getting better a week ago either and that's when this stuff got said.

 

[The Nuge]

O'Connor will definitely be starting his career in the AHL, but the Sens can only carry 2 NHL goaltenders. Lehner literally can not be traded while he is injured and Hammond, while I believe to be fraudulent, was promised in public that if he were re-signed, they would trade an NHL goaltender to accommodate him.

Not really speculating on my part as much as doing the math on what Murray's camp has said.

Does the fact that Robin Lehner isn't getting better change this? Maybe, but he wasn't getting better a week ago either and that's when this stuff got said.

You actually can trade injured players. The team getting him just has to be fully aware of it.

 

[SK13]

You actually can trade injured players. The team getting him just has to be fully aware of it.

K.

Nobody is going to take on a 2.5M dollar Goaltender that can't ride the bike two months later.

 

[JoeCool16]

You actually can trade injured players. The team getting him just has to be fully aware of it.

Otherwise, Nathan Horton would most definitely still be a Blue Jacket!

I'm interested to see who we choose to shore up our current goaltending situation (we can't be going in with Scrivens as the starter again, right...?) but Talbot doesn't seem like the answer. He's probably a step up on Scrivens, but a step down on a good starter.

 

[Soli]

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

The tweet you're referencing came from some Quebecois guy who didn't know the difference between Boston University and Boston College.

Are you really going to take that as a credible source? I doubt he even knows Edmonton exists.



Embarrassing journalism from the East coast as usual.

guess he was right all along....

 

[RipsADrive]

Hoping he goes to Ottawa.

Would have been nice but not a huge blow by any means.