Pre-Game Talk: Oilers v. Ducks: The Return of J. Schultz

[Starbuds]

Thanks Edmonton+Lowe. Appreciate it.

We don't hate Edmonton, it's management (though if I was an Oiler fan I would hate everyone in charge), or its fans. You guys are passionate and patient. It's Schultz we don't like. And we're probably not gonna stop letting him hear it for a while.

Not hear to start a flame war. Just letting you know, waiting for Ducks fans to let it go is a waste of time. He worse than LeBroned us. At least LeBron made it public he was going to leave the team. You can debate that and justify it if you want, but that's just how we see it.

If anything it makes games between the two teams at Honda a little more lively.

Almost everybody here hates management. There was also an Oilers 1st round draft pick (Riley Nash) that simply didn't want to play for the team. He was traded for a second rounder at least.

 

[stoff]

Pronger wasn't "given." He was traded. And this really isn't an issue with the Oilers. Schultz could have gone to a team that has never done business with Anaheim, and it would be just as bad.



What do you mean? Who's going to do this to Edmonton in the near future?

Happened to Riley Nash but we traded him before, and will probably happen to Kyle Bigos this summer.

 

[KelVarnsen]

I don't get the anger. It was the league's and the PA's fault, not the Oilers and not Schultz, that be became a UFA. After that what else would he do but sign with a team on the upswing? Lots of other players will have the same thing happen, as far as I know they still didn't change the hole with the latest CBA.

He lied to the coach and GM. That's pretty weak.

I like watching the kids on the oil. You guys are fun to watch but I won't shed a tear when he gets steamrolled. Nothing dirty but good hard checks.

Good luck tonight.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Pronger wasn't "given." He was traded. And this really isn't an issue with the Oilers. Schultz could have gone to a team that has never done business with Anaheim, and it would be just as bad.

No, Stolen is a better word, but I didn't want to use it. Gifted a Stanley Cup because a superstar player chose where he wanted to play and it's cost that Ducks team next to nothing off it's roster.

 

[Psychoil]

He lied to the coach and GM. That's pretty weak.

I like watching the kids on the oil. You guys are fun to watch but I won't shed a tear when he gets steamrolled. Nothing dirty but good hard checks.

Good luck tonight.

lol as long as its cogliano laying the hits on schultz, im okay with that....actually u can injury schultz if u let us win the 3 games we have left against u guys.


I'm willing to sacrifice schultz for 3 wins right guys????? (preparing to hide under my covers as i'm about to get ripped)

 

[HanSolo]

lol as long as its cogliano laying the hits on schultz, im okay with that....actually u can injury schultz if u let u win the 3 games we have left against u guys.


I'm willing to sacrifice schultz for 3 wins right guys????? (preparing to hide under my covers as i'm about to get ripped)

Naw. We need those points. We're trying to win the last ever Pacific division title (I'll feel really stupid if they name our newly re-aligned "conference" the Pacific).

We'll save the trucks aimed at Justin for when Getzlaf is healthy. He was verbally upset about the situation, and he's been loving the physical game this year

I, for one, don't blame you for being choked Schultz, that sucked, alot. MV's point is really to provide perspective. Like, sure you lost Schultz in a crappy way, but this team Gave you Pronger and you won a Cup because it.

I understand that. But in the same breath, there are still Edmonton fans who curse the name of Chris Pronger every chance they get. You don't burn a team without leaving a negative connotation in that fanbase's mind. Ducks fans still boo Alfredsson for shooting the puck at Niedermayer. Ducks fans still hate Kariya for promising Anaheim a cup and then jumping ship to Colorado for nickels. And they're gonna hate Schultz and they'll keep on hating him because he's very obviously a great talent. A great talent that this team could've had, or at least could have traded for other assets if he agreed to a short contract. He told our team one thing, and ended up doing the opposite.

 

[CupofOil]

The Ducks really aren't that good. Their record masks some deficiencies that the team has which are starting to show out in the last 10 games or so.
They are a good team but not elite by any means and are beatable.

With that being said, and maybe i'm a bad fan, but i'm kind of hoping that the Oilers take a bit of a tumble down the stretch now that the playoff fantasy is all but done with. The Oilers need to get Monahan, i doubt they'll have a chance at Barkov and in order to get into Monahan territory, they'll have to lose some games down the stretch.
Ideally, the Oilers barely miss out on the playoffs, troll HF and win the draft lottery and select Jones but in a realistic world, that ain't happening so if they can play well in some losses and draft Monahan, that would be ideal IMO.

 

[ales83fan]

Pronger wasn't "given." He was traded. And this really isn't an issue with the Oilers. Schultz could have gone to a team that has never done business with Anaheim, and it would be just as bad.



What do you mean? Who's going to do this to Edmonton in the near future?

We say given because of the poor return for him.

You got a top D-man in his prime, who helped you win a SC, who you then traded for a better return than what we got. Now in retrospect, Smid and Eberle turned out well, but that is more the luck of the draw than it is anything else.

You could have traded us JS for a 4th... at which point you would tell us you gave him to us. It's the same scenario with CP. Trust me, even with JS, you guys ended up with the better deal.

If you give me Chris Pronger in his prime, I easily move JS and a late first round pick. But that deal is not available.

 

[HanSolo]

We say given because of the poor return for him.

You got a top D-man in his prime, who helped you win a SC, who you then traded for a better return than what we got. Now in retrospect, Smid and Eberle turned out well, but that is more the luck of the draw than it is anything else.

You could have traded us JS for a 4th... at which point you would tell us you gave him to us. It's the same scenario with CP. Trust me, even with JS, you guys ended up with the better deal.

If you give me Chris Pronger in his prime, I easily move JS and a late first round pick. But that deal is not available.

A pick that led to Eberle as well as Smid doesn't seem like THAT bad of a return. It's still something.

Something is more and then some compared to what Anaheim got. Again. We don't blame Edmonton or its fans. We don't even really blame the system. Just what Schultz said to our management and what he ended up doing.

 

[40oz]

Getzlaf takes the morning skate, guess that means he'll be back in the lineup.

 

[ales83fan]

A pick that led to Eberle as well as Smid doesn't seem like THAT bad of a return. It's still something.

The pick was a late first. 22nd I believe.

What became of that pick is luck of the draw no?

It would be like us trading a late pick and Marincin for Shea Weber.

Now sure, the pick could end up being eberle and the D prospect could develop into a top 4 D-men, but I think the team getting a Norris caliber D-men wins that deal.

Keep in mind Lupul, the key piece to this deal was fairly terrible with us.

If I can go back and reverse that trade, I would. It set our entire franchise back by 10 years if not more. Haven't been in the playoffs since, who knows if we will ever be during my lifetime (I'm 23).

 

[DuckTech]

Again, you'll find that most Anaheim fans don't hate the oilers, but to think we won't boo him is like thinking you guys wouldn't and didn't boo Pronger. It's just the way it is.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

At least the oilers/ducks rivalry has another chapter

 

[McShogun99]

No, Stolen is a better word, but I didn't want to use it. Gifted a Stanley Cup because a superstar player chose where he wanted to play and it's cost that Ducks team next to nothing off it's roster.

I'm not to pissed about losing Pronger. All he cost us was Brewer, Lynch and Woywitka and he got us a trip to the SCF, Eberle and Smid.

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

Why isn't the GDT up yet?

 

[Joey Moss]

The Ducks GDT is pretty ridiculous. What a bunch of babies. Do they not remember we gave them Pronger?

 

[Joey Moss]

Getzlaf takes the morning skate, guess that means he'll be back in the lineup.

Ducks beatwriter was saying he won't be.

 

[missinthejets]

I'm not to pissed about losing Pronger. All he cost us was Brewer, Lynch and Woywitka and he got us a trip to the SCF, Eberle and Smid.

but it cost much more than Brewer, Lynch and Woywitka in the long run because Pronger basically turned the oilers into a contender, solidified their defence bigtime and allowed the management to send picks and prospects out for rental players... all of a sudden you lose Pronger after one season and your defence is a mess, you've lost some assets that could have helped you in the future and you still think you can make a run so you try and find more short term solutions at the expense of long term ones.

Pronger wanting out after one season is the primary reason that the oilers really bottomed out like they did. Having a guy like that anchoring your blue line changes the entire outlook of a team in the short term.

 

[McJadeddog]

i don't think we have a snowballs chance in you know where of winning tonight, but we NEED to win in order to stay in the playoff race... it is very, very unlikely we make the playoffs, even if we do win, but if we lose we won't even be in the race anymore

this is the first true "must win" game of the year

 

[joestevens29]

Happened to Riley Nash but we traded him before, and will probably happen to Kyle Bigos this summer.

Why do people keep saying this?

 

[AUAIOMRN]

Even if the guy just really didn't want to play for Anaheim, fine, at least let management know. He flat out lied and said he wanted to sign. Very shady.

Maybe he meant it when he said it. Maybe he changed his mind.

 

[HanSolo]

The pick was a late first. 22nd I believe.

What became of that pick is luck of the draw no?

It would be like us trading a late pick and Marincin for Shea Weber.

Now sure, the pick could end up being eberle and the D prospect could develop into a top 4 D-men, but I think the team getting a Norris caliber D-men wins that deal.

Keep in mind Lupul, the key piece to this deal was fairly terrible with us.

If I can go back and reverse that trade, I would. It set our entire franchise back by 10 years if not more. Haven't been in the playoffs since, who knows if we will ever be during my lifetime (I'm 23).

Pronger wanted out. At least you got SOMETHING. His request to be traded set your team back. Not the return. Also it's one guy. We lost both Pronger and Niedermayer. We used our pieces effectively to be a playoff threat again. Tambellini isn't smart enough to do something like that. Our Pronger trade managed to be Beauchemin, Sbisa, Palmieri, and Etem when all was said and done. Asset management has as much to blame for what happened as Pronger opting out.

There's also the issue of picking who is in charge. Columbus managed to right the ship with two simple moves. Head coach change, trading for Bobrovsky. They may miss the playoffs but they're a threat again. The system, and the confidence the team has with Bob in the pipes make all the other pieces, which on paper aren't even as impressive as Edmonton's, work well. They're fired up to play every night, they battle to the final horn, and they don't quit. That's what Edmonton needs more than anything. I don't buy into the sentiment that they've been set back for a decade's worth of hockey.

 

[HanSolo]

Ducks beatwriter was saying he won't be.

I think he said he wasn't favoring he leg as well as he should, but that could be precautionary. My bet is, you guys don't have to deal with Getzlaf tonight.

Boudreau saying the desicion is game time. Same beat writer.

 

[stoff]

Why do people keep saying this?

Because he has the opportunity to go to free agency and pick any team in the league. Would be hard to pass up for a player that doesn't really have any ties to the team that drafted him.

I don't think there's been any info on whether or not he would leave but it's safe bet that he'll at least test free agency. Especially since he isn't signing before end of season(wants to get degree) so there is no advantage of him signing here.

 

[joestevens29]

Because he has the opportunity to go to free agency and pick any team in the league. Would be hard to pass up for a player that doesn't really have any ties to the team that drafted him.

I don't think there's been any info on whether or not he would leave but it's safe bet that he'll at least test free agency. Especially since he isn't signing before end of season(wants to get degree) so there is no advantage of him signing here.

Ah so you just assume all College players that are in school are going to test the waters?