Post-Game Talk: Oilers 4, Sabres 3

[The Panther]

Some here have given ‘Cock a rough ride, but given the recent success, maybe they should soften their stance a little?

Too hard on... Cock...?

 

[dssource]

Great win. Keep building on what we've got going on right now. Even though many of the fans had given up, it's nice to see that the players haven't.

Why did I feel like Hitch told the players in the 3rd that "we're going to learn and win this by one goal" just to teach them how to close out a game in the third when you have the lead?

 

[Mr Positive]

Great win. Keep building on what we've got going on right now. Even though many of the fans had given up, it's nice to see that the players haven't.

Why did I feel like Hitch told the players in the 3rd that "we're going to learn and win this by one goal" just to teach them how to close out a game in the third when you have the lead?

well mcdavid sure stuck to that mantra with his empty net attempt

 

[ThePhoenixx]

So like.... pretty alive? At least for another week lol.

Then they die of thirst. Poor fellas.

 

[McSuper]

All the rest anyway.

And they likely fall short anyway and get a worse pick . MMM maybe I shouldn't watch

 

[Little Fury]

I think many of us (me, at least) don't particularly want to trade him. We're just looking at the situation realistically: With the "good thing" you refer to -- McDavid, Drai, and Nuge -- the team has missed the playoffs three times in four years. The team is unbelievably thin at right and left wing, which is why nobody but McDavid and Drai can score. Nuge is a good player who has never taken the step to be a great player. And since center is the only position the Oilers are currently strong in, it does make some sense to try to move Nuge to bolster the wings, if possible.

Swap out "Nuge" for "Hall" and "centre" for "wings" and this could be a post from 2015.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Why trade Nuge for a winger when you can just...play Nuge at wing. It weakens our center depth and messes with the team with injuries. Having 3 centers like that gives us options and helps with injuries

 

[ujju2]

Why trade Nuge for a winger when you can just...play Nuge at wing. It weakens our center depth and messes with the team with injuries. Having 3 centers like that gives us options and helps with injuries

This. Exactly this.

 

[The Panther]

Swap out "Nuge" for "Hall" and "centre" for "wings" and this could be a post from 2015.

Which is fine. Trading Hall wasn't a bad idea. It was the return value that was ridiculous.

 

[Messrules11]

Why trade Nuge for a winger when you can just...play Nuge at wing. It weakens our center depth and messes with the team with injuries. Having 3 centers like that gives us options and helps with injuries

Because he’s soft, won’t hit, doesn’t block shots and gets knocked off the puck way too easily. If we get injuries to McD or Draisaitl we’re done anyway, Nuge can’t drive a line, never could.

 

[3IR]

Because he’s soft, won’t hit, doesn’t block shots and gets knocked off the puck way too easily. If we get injuries to McD or Draisaitl we’re done anyway, Nuge can’t drive a line, never could.

So if one of McDavid or drai gets hurt we need to have a third "line driver" on the team? Lol

Come on, nuge is a perfectly fine complimentary player who meshes well with the team and can play anywhere and have success.

You don't trade nuge unless the return is well beyond his value. You aren't going to get anyone nearly as good for 6m a year.

 

[Messrules11]

So if one of McDavid or drai gets hurt we need to have a third "line driver" on the team? Lol

Come on, nuge is a perfectly fine complimentary player who meshes well with the team and can play anywhere and have success.

You don't trade nuge unless the return is well beyond his value. You aren't going to get anyone nearly as good for 6m a year.

You need to look around the league, Kreider in NY would be dynamite.

 

[RegDunlop]

Horcoff was dynamic? When was that? I agree that he was a better skater than RNH, but as far as I know RNH doesn't use PEDs. Better defensively? Probably, but only on nights he felt like it. A threat to score? Good ol' Whifcoff? You must be kidding me. I dont think I've seen more misses on gaping nets than Horcoff treated the fans to.

The main similarity I can see between the two is that they were/have been spoonfed the best minutes on the club for most of their careers.

To be clear, I am not in the Horcoff is better than RNH camp. Not even close. I am also not in the group who believe Gagner is better than RNH, and I think that conversation is a disservice to both players and creates unnecessary trouble on the board. My frustration with RNH is singular. He lacks creativity in spite of showing early in his career that he can be a creative player. Like @nabob is fond of saying about other players, he looks like a guy who is more than content to coast along with his big payday. Based on that I would shop him around prior to the draft and see if anyone offers up something nice.

This is an excellent post.
I agree!

 

[Little Fury]

Which is fine. Trading Hall wasn't a bad idea. It was the return value that was ridiculous.

It was a bad idea because they were never going to get fair value. Just as they won't get fair value for RNH. If you want to know what a RNH trade would look like, look at the ROR trade and then dial the expectations down even more.

I also have to laugh at trading away from an "area of strength" instead of, you know, building around it. That's how you end up playing whack-a-mole with roster needs and turning strengths into weaknesses. Finally I wouldn't even say that C is an area of strength for the Oilers. They have 3 NHL calibre Cs which strikes me more as the bare minimum than some overflowing cornucopia of talent.

 

[Little Fury]

Why trade Nuge for a winger when you can just...play Nuge at wing. It weakens our center depth and messes with the team with injuries. Having 3 centers like that gives us options and helps with injuries

Play to the strengths of the roster? What sorcery is this?