Speculation: Oilers Rebuild

[Up the Irons]

Most of these guys aren't going to get you what you want. Especially Yak and Gagner.

People seem to think GMs can just spin **** into gold. Guess what, bad players on bad teams aren't worth a hell of a lot.

Well, I suppose. But that points to bad management. What would Yak and Gags have garnered a year ago? They hold on to their ace until the pot is gone. And why? Because they were "their" draft picks and were part of "their" plan. We have seen this pattern for some time now. They r married to their plan and course.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Well, I suppose. But that points to bad management. What would Yak and Gags have garnered a year ago? They hold on to their ace until the pot is gone. And why? Because they were "their" draft picks and were part of "their" plan. We have seen this pattern for some time now. They r married to their plan and course.

Gagner I could see, although nobody predicted this bad of a season...

...But do you really trade Yakupov after ONE season? Do you give up on him that quickly? We have no idea how high his ceiling could be. Trading him potentially to a rival would be idiotic.

Trading is a very, very fine science. There's a reason why apart from the TDL they rarely happen, and are rarely of significance. Bird in the hand and all that. The biggest trade of the season that wasn't at the TDL was Vanek to the Isles and that backfired HUGELY for them.

Apart from Hall or maybe Eberle most of the players on the team aren't going to get you needed pieces. That's just the grim reality of it. Selling low now is pointless. As painful as it might be you have to ride it out with Gagner unless a decent offer comes along. Best case scenario he bounces back and either you get something decent for him or you don't need to trade him.

If we can draft a 2C (which admittedly I don't want but might happen) then we can shove Gagner down a bit and shelter him and help him get his confidence back.

Also we really, REALLY shouldn't be trading defensemen. Not only are you not going to get what you want back, you'll be opening up even more holes than there already are.

 

[Up the Irons]

Gagner I could see, although nobody predicted this bad of a season...

...But do you really trade Yakupov after ONE season? Do you give up on him that quickly? We have no idea how high his ceiling could be. Trading him potentially to a rival would be idiotic.

Trading is a very, very fine science. There's a reason why apart from the TDL they rarely happen, and are rarely of significance. Bird in the hand and all that. The biggest trade of the season that wasn't at the TDL was Vanek to the Isles and that backfired HUGELY for them.

Apart from Hall or maybe Eberle most of the players on the team aren't going to get you needed pieces. That's just the grim reality of it. Selling low now is pointless. As painful as it might be you have to ride it out with Gagner unless a decent offer comes along. Best case scenario he bounces back and either you get something decent for him or you don't need to trade him.

If we can draft a 2C (which admittedly I don't want but might happen) then we can shove Gagner down a bit and shelter him and help him get his confidence back.


Also we really, REALLY shouldn't be trading defensemen. Not only are you not going to get what you want back, you'll be opening up even more holes than there already are.

When do you start 'building'? It's seems this organization waits to see if a player is junk to move him. Yes, I move yak after one year if I can get what I need. It should have been obvious before they chose him that they didn't need his skillset. Sure, take him cause he was the BPA (so, everyone said), but move him for what u need. It has been literally been half a decade of tanking and they still refuse to trade for need. This is perhaps the biggest reason why they still suck. Drafting and waiting (and hoping) is not working.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

When do you start 'building'? It's seems this organization waits to see if a player is junk to move him. Yes, I move yak after one year if I can get what I need. It should have been obvious before they chose him that they didn't need his skillset. Sure, take him cause he was the BPA (so, everyone said), but move him for what u need. It has been literally been half a decade of tanking and they still refuse to trade for need. This is perhaps the biggest reason why they still suck. Drafting and waiting (and hoping) is not working.

The biggest need they need is defensemen, and top pairing ones at that. Yakupov scoring 20-some goals while still being a defensive liability isn't going to get you that. If they develop him and he improves, THEN you flip him for something. Yak with 3-4 years of experience is worth a lot more than Yak with 1-2 years of experience. Can you think of any No. 1 pick in the last 20 years that was traded immediately after their rookie year? It just doesn't happen. In fact the only No. 1 pick in the last decade not still with their team is Erik Johnson. The Oilers might not need Yak's skillset but under-developed players don't have that much value.

Unfortunately for the Oilers, every trade they make is from a position of weakness and they can't sign the UFAs that the bigger markets can. Drafting is the only choice they have. If Yak has a good year next year then sell high. Selling after a rookie campaign is something no NHL GM does. In fact when's the last time a rookie who had a good campaign was traded in the summer?

 

[Up the Irons]

The biggest need they need is defensemen, and top pairing ones at that. Yakupov scoring 20-some goals while still being a defensive liability isn't going to get you that. If they develop him and he improves, THEN you flip him for something. Yak with 3-4 years of experience is worth a lot more than Yak with 1-2 years of experience. Can you think of any No. 1 pick in the last 20 years that was traded immediately after their rookie year? It just doesn't happen. In fact the only No. 1 pick in the last decade not still with their team is Erik Johnson. The Oilers might not need Yak's skillset but under-developed players don't have that much value.

Unfortunately for the Oilers, every trade they make is from a position of weakness and they can't sign the UFAs that the bigger markets can. Drafting is the only choice they have. If Yak has a good year next year then sell high. Selling after a rookie campaign is something no NHL GM does. In fact when's the last time a rookie who had a good campaign was traded in the summer?

I don't know. But i do know that the Oilers' way of doing things is an abject failure and almost every other organization manages to make deals to address needs. I refuse to believe we can have our assets, yet be completely paralyzed and forced towards one, and only one, course of action; namely, wait for Nurse and Bennett to make us SC champs. The Oilers way is wrong, yet they want to continue doing it.

 

[Tyrolean]

Clarkson is exactly the kind of player this team needs desperately. I don't blame him at all for going hard for him.

RW with size, grit, goal scoring that can play up and down the line up aka top 9. Sure the price was wrong but he is exactly what we are lacking.

Tambellini's job was to fail and stock up draft picks and prospects... He actually did that very well from what we've seen so far. We wont know if he failed for another couple years.

That's one way of looking at it, but I think Clarkson failed overall with the leafs to provide that toughness and with his salary he's overpaid.