Confirmed with Link: Oilers sign Mikko Koskinen

[Raab]

That's the most depressing thought I've had yet on a bad Monday morning..

If this guy ends up being our #1 at anytime I'm just changing the channel.

We'll see what happens, I wouldn't count the guy out. 6'7" and has very good reflexes.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Funny thinking that a 2.5 million is the biggest mistake in your team when Lucic has the contract he has..

Except many of us never wanted Lucic in the first place.

The funnier thing is the same dolt GM that made that move is making this overpay longshot.

I'm not sure if people still think KHL and quality league in the same thought. Its largely not the case now. Any league in which Linus Omark, (lmfao) is 4th in scoring and wherein previous Oilers luminaries like Hartikainen Brule, Larsen, Lander, are also among league scoring leaders speaks pretty highly to the league being fairly devoid of obvious scoring talent outside of an old Datsyuk or Kovalchuk. The KHL seems well past its best date. This isn't even AHL level of talent on the whole.

 

[Gord]

Hey gang... it's only a two year contract. If the scouts think he can play 25-30 games and push Talbot this is a win for the Oilers. Yeah $2.5 Million is a lot but hey, we didn't give up any assets for him.

That is one of the items off of chias list.

1. RDH PMD
2. #1 RW
3. Middle 6 winger
4. Back up goalie who can play 25-30 games (check!)

uummmm, no. that's not an item to be checked off the list.

a) I don't see anything that says this guy is a back up that can play 25-30 games. instead of a "check" this gets multiple question marks, maybe a couple of prayers and a "hope for the best" comment.

b) a) he's not signed yet, either.

 

[FlameChampion]

Not sure what to think. $2.5 per seems a bit much for a goaltender whos never played in the NHL.

I dont know much about Koskinen so I will reserve judgement until I watch him play. I hope he plays great.

I think this is a risky move by the Oilers though. I think Talbot needs help and bringing in someone who doesnt know the league or shooters is a bit risky. I think generally speaking I would of liked to see a move that had more certainty.

That being said I dont really know how strong the goalie market is regardless. Theres probably some risk no matter what.

Other problem I have is that TM hasnt shown any ability to use the goaltending properly. Is that because he didnt trust Montoya or Brossoit? Even when the season was over he still ran Talbot into the ground. He just seems to love to play the starting goalie to me and cant manage the goalies. So why pay someone 2.5 million when the coach has shown no ability to use a backup? Maybe TM still gets fired but its looking less and less likely. Unless Koskinen looks like an all-star I dont trust TM to use him properly.

These days it just seems like you question every move because it doesnt seem like the GM and the coach are on the same page.

 

[JustaFinnishGuy]

1. Except many of us never wanted Lucic in the first place.

2. The funnier thing is the same dolt GM that made that move is making this overpay longshot.

I'm not sure if people still think KHL and quality league in the same thought. Its largely not the case now. Any league in which Linus Omark, (lmfao) is 4th in scoring and wherein previous Oilers luminaries like Hartikainen Brule, Larsen, Lander, are also among league scoring leaders speaks pretty highly to the league being fairly devoid of obvious scoring talent outside of an old Datsyuk or Kovalchuk. The KHL seems well past its best date. This isn't even AHL level of talent on the whole.

1. Doesn't change the argument.
2. Hasn't Chiarelli been good in small trades and adds?

 

[Drivesaitl]

We'll see what happens, I wouldn't count the guy out. 6'7" and has very good reflexes.

He looks incredibly slow to me. Just giraffe like. His goaltending style consists of stretching his appendages out as far as they can go without moving. If goaltending was simply a flexibility sport he would win. heh. Cross mobility is really bad with this guy. He kind of Tim Thomas tumbles around the ice to try to disguise the issue. Not one hilite I've seen is a cross ice pure one timer. Wonder how he fares on those.

 

[Drivesaitl]

1. Doesn't change the argument.
2. Hasn't Chiarelli been good in small trades and adds?

The one of note that I liked was Patrick Maroon, now gone. I would have had the prescience to make that signing.

Talbot was gifted us by Glen Sather. Who would turn that one down?


This Koskinen signing sounds like Nilsson part 2 for a lot more salary cap and we don't have it to spare.

 

[CupofOil]

Is that 2.5 per? If so, wtf? So that's 3.5M invested into backups?
I'm not one to usually complain about minor stuff but this is a risky deal for a 29 year old goalie that has never done anything at the NHL level. Doesn't really leave much wiggle room to improve bigger areas of need.

I get that the backup situation needs fixing but you'd think that something more sensible would suffice. Teams sign competent backups every year for less, backups who have proven something in the NHL.

 

[belair]

If they were consistent, they wouldn't be backups.

None of those guys are currently making more than $1.5M. Most are older and would probably be happy with a job and a paycheque at this point. I don't see many long term, high cap deals going to backups in this league. There's too many goalies and not enough jobs.

How are any of these guys any different than guys like Scott Darling, Cam Talbot, Ben Bishop? They're journeymen goaltenders who eventually get pulled into organizations not comfortable with their situation in net. Guys like Hutton and Koskinen probably look pretty enticing to teams without a reliable starter at this very moment. I would not be shocked to see them get deals in that territory this summer.

I actually think they are gambling on him not only pushing Talbot, but possibly supplanting him as starter allowing them to move on from Cam hen his contract is up.

Depending on how he performs out of the gate, it's not an impossibility. It's also a possibility if Koskinen does push him next season, he may help keep Talbot's cap number down next summer should he respond with a good season.[/quote][/QUOTE]

 

[VainGretzky]

Best goalie outside NHL looks like he chooses Oilers like Schultz did and the tears of anguish role down the fan bases cheeks , no rational thinking just tantrums . This cost Oilers a extra 1.5 million on cap because the backup already is taking up a million . 2nd point what great starters are out there ready to sign for under 5 million , 3rd point Talbot is a upcoming ufa who shit the bed last season and even if he rebounds would demand 5-6 million for a up and down starter. At least they are looking outside the box ,and just reading the reaction in here on a extra 1.5 million cap hit is facepalm worthy

 

[Jet Walters]

Makes me wonder about Talbot. He's a UFA after next year and probably looking for a long term deal at a higher cap hit. His game really fell of the tracks this year. Would it make sense to sign another UFA goalie this summer like Kubodin or Lehtonen and cash in on an asset that isn't in the long term plans instead of letting him walk next year? It's risky, but there will be a few teams looking for a starter this summer and Talbot's NMC turns into a modified NTC where he has to submit a list of 10 teams.

 

[VainGretzky]

Is that 2.5 per? If so, wtf? So that's 3.5M invested into backups?
I'm not one to usually complain about minor stuff but this is a risky deal for a 29 year old goalie that has never done anything at the NHL level. Doesn't really leave much wiggle room to improve bigger areas of need.

I get that the backup situation needs fixing but you'd think that something more sensible would suffice. Teams sign competent backups every year for less, backups who have proven something in the NHL.

You think the 3.5 million goes up against cap wow. Montoya is no starter very average backup . Who cares about Montoys burried million .

 

[Raab]

He looks incredibly slow to me. Just giraffe like. His goaltending style consists of stretching his appendages out as far as they can go without moving. If goaltending was simply a flexibility sport he would win. heh. Cross mobility is really bad with this guy. He kind of Tim Thomas tumbles around the ice to try to disguise the issue. Not one hilite I've seen is a cross ice pure one timer. Wonder how he fares on those.

As I said, I think this could mean Talbot wants to go back south. To me it looks like the Oiler's are looking for a #1 goaltender again making this move. JMO

 

[North]

Is that 2.5 per? If so, wtf? So that's 3.5M invested into backups?
I'm not one to usually complain but this is a risky deal for a 29 year old goalie that has never done anything at the NHL level.

It's a rumour at this point.

If it becomes a reality than some of the freak outs in this thread would make sense but at this point nothing is official.

Having said that, it seems he was highly sought after so we are going to have to outbid for his services. Also, he only costs money not assets.

 

[soothsayer]

As I said, I think this could mean Talbot wants to go back south. To me it looks like the Oiler's are looking for a #1 goaltender again making this move. JMO

If that's true then the Oilers are in a terrible situation, especially if they're hoping that this guy will end up being a starter. Holy god if they are signing this guy with the idea that he might be the starter the year after next . . . let's not go there.

Anyways, if they Oilers are concerned about Talbot going forward, well, Friedman was wondering about John Gibson's availability. I would love for the Oilers to move Talbot and a pick to Anaheim for Gibson.

 

[CycloneSweep]

I hope that's 2.5 overall and not per year. That much for 2 years for a guy who hasn't proven anything at the NHL level as a goalie is ridiculous. I guess that throws away the notion that we can just bury him in the AHL or that after this Chia isn't done on the goalie front because with that much money, he absolutely is.

 

[MoneyGuy]

...and for that he'd be playing elsewhere.

That's better than overpaying. There are other options.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Seems a bit much, he better be a NHL tender or that is a bad deal.

 

[McFlyingV]

Is that 2.5 per? If so, wtf? So that's 3.5M invested into backups?
I'm not one to usually complain about minor stuff but this is a risky deal for a 29 year old goalie that has never done anything at the NHL level. Doesn't really leave much wiggle room to improve bigger areas of need.

I get that the backup situation needs fixing but you'd think that something more sensible would suffice. Teams sign competent backups every year for less, backups who have proven something in the NHL.

Well its not 3.5M on the cap for backups. You can bury all but like 90k of Montoya's cap hit.

 

[MoneyGuy]

What is it that our pro teams (Oilers and Esks) won't play their backups? Maybe something in the water?

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Can we call him micky kosk?

 

[ThePhoenixx]

That's better than overpaying. There are other options.

We don't even know if that's the real number.

As for better options, I guess we will see if you are right next year.

The worse this can cost the Oilers is 1.5 mil cap space for two years. Even then, I'm sure he would at the very least tear up the AHL and help the young defense down there.

The best case scenario is if he puts up numbers like he did last year...

 

[Raab]

If that's true then the Oilers are in a terrible situation, especially if they're hoping that this guy will end up being a starter. Holy god if they are signing this guy with the idea that he might be the starter the year after next . . . let's not go there.

Anyways, if they Oilers are concerned about Talbot going forward, well, Friedman was wondering about John Gibson's availability. I would love for the Oilers to move Talbot and a pick to Anaheim for Gibson.

No guarantee they see him as a starter, but why pick up a high risk/highreward backup? When honestly we could have kept going with Montoya next year or tried to sign Mrazek or Grubauer for similar cash this summer?

 

[PulYou]

One reason Oilers were strugling this year was definitely goaltending. If the rumours are true and Mikko joines Oilers, here's something to look for...

 

[TheBrew]

Maybe Koskinen is a late bloomer like Roloson. I think Roli had some awful numbers until he turned 28 or so.