Rumor: Rumors and Proposals Thread: Any More Moves Before Preseason?

[Del Preston]

 

[Louis Cypher]

Would love to have Maroon back and I'm sure he'd love to be back too. Chia screwed us getting rid of him and keeping Lucic.

I wouldn't. Unless he plays with MCD his pretty useless. Also takes dumb penalties and is slow.

 

[joestevens29]

I don't disagree. I'm just saying that those two are better suited for a bottom 6 center role than Brassard would have been.

Brassard kinda struck me as a utility guy. Maybe you try him as 3C. Maybe you try him in the top 6 on wing.

With Boyle I think you are looking at a guy who can really on play on the third line at best, but probably is better suited as a 4C with PK

 

[joestevens29]

I thought he was going to ARI?

Either way I'm not overly surprised, they need somebody so they might as well bring some competition in.

 

[Aerchon]

Bottom pair is easier to shelter than a 3rd line IMO. #3C is a pretty important position still. You cannot run your top 2 forward lines into the ground all year long. You can shelter a 3rd D pair and a 4th line, but asking your coach to shelter your 3rd and 4th line and 3rd D pair, you're gonna get caught, a lot.

I think I'm just straight up saying we don't have a player on this team capable of being a reliable #3C. It's a hole in the lineup that's gonna cost us wins, plain and simple. We can try guys for sure, but I don't think it's gonna work out. And if it's not, it's gonna force Tippett to go to McDavid/Drai/Nuge down the middle, and then we damage our ability to score goals because we are trying to not have a disaster bottom 6. We just watched Hitch go half a year scared to play his bottom 6. It was ugly, and we ran McDAvid and Drai into the ground.

Obviously we can't fit these guys and we have a lot of bodies. But this would mitigate the scoring issues of playing the big three all at center.

Nygard McDavid Neal
Chaisson Draisaitl Kassian
Maroon RNH Jurco
Granlund Kharia Gagner
Brodziach/Archibald

Have Vanek on a PTO and if shows well knock Jurco out of the 3 RW.

Then a slew full of AHL call ups.

At least then we have two legit forwards on each line of the top 9.

 

[ujju2]

I wouldn't. Unless he plays with MCD his pretty useless. Also takes dumb penalties and is slow.

Then play him with McDavid. Kassian is still useful lower down the lineup if he gets bumped off the top line.

 

[Aerchon]

Gagner
Granlund
Khaira
Brodziak
Marody
Gambardella
Cave
Haas
Currie
Malone
McLeod
Hebig

That's pretty much every possible option for #3C and #4C that the team has currently in the org.

Not a great list of options in terms of proven quality... but certainly enough in terms of quantity.

If we are to take Holland at his word... he said in his short interview at the Summer Showcase that he was done with the roster other than the Puljujarvi situation which he was going to work the phones on... which I assume he is doing but he also said if that doesn't work out then Europe is the likely option for JP... so basically I don't expect a lot more until shortly before camp and maybe a couple PTO players come into the mix at that point.


I get the feeling they want to see what they have as well with the logjam of bodies they have in the bottom 6... and who may look good/decent/bad there in camp.

There are still a pile of RFA players to sign across the league and that may have follow-on roster effects across the league and Holland may want to leave a little open cap space to take advantage of that. I'm thinking there may be a decent body or two moving on from a team with zero cap space once they sign their RFA talent and the Oilers could pick up a useful body in a minor trade or even on waivers since they have a fairly high priority status currently (7th in priority).

Big no to:

Gagner
Granlund
Brodziach
Cave
Currie
Malone

The rest are just crap shoots but the above have extremely long chances of being able to keep their above water in a 3 center role.

 

[The Nuge]

I don't buy this family number 1 crap everyone eats up about him.

He turned down a deal from us as was said. Thought he would get his good power forward pay day after the Mcdavid bump. It never came and other players signed. He waited. He then fires his agent. Waits more and signs a cheap 1 year deal with his hometown.

I think he took what options he had and if July 1st ended up like he thought he would be on a different team with a multi year deal and would never have fired his agent.

Having said all this I like Maroon. But the argument he is the ultimate family man vs someone who bungled last year's UFA period seems fishy to me given the facts.

It’s both. He turned down a big payday expecting to get a bigger one. Then it didn’t come. It was reported last summer that once it was looking like he’d have to take a one year deal that he was only considering us (success, and has friends in the room), or St Louis (be with his son). He chose to go be near his son for a year.

I guess the real hope is that you find some guys that can string together some stretches together and when they start to fail you have a plan B.

And then at some point someone takes the spots for good.

Yep. If one guy can stay hot, great. But there’s lots of guys who can slide into that role if it doesn’t happen. I’d imagine our bottom 6 in general is going to switch up quite a bit as we have lots of 20-30 point guys. You ride whoever’s hot.

I don't disagree. I'm just saying that those two are better suited for a bottom 6 center role than Brassard would have been. None of these are ideal options but they are the best of the available options. Either that or plug Granlund, Khaira or Gagner into a role they aren't suited for.

I disagree. Your 3rd line is still a scoring line. I’d rather Brassard there, who could put up 40 points, over a 4th liner. Sheahan is the only one of the 3 that can really be an ideal fit, but that’s only if he has a good season.

I wouldn't. Unless he plays with MCD his pretty useless. Also takes dumb penalties and is slow.

That’s just not true. He also played well with Nuge, and in NJ. He knows his limitations, and plays within them, so he’s been successful with other players. You’re just not getting a 25 goal scorer unless he’s with Connor. He could still put up 15-20-35 from the second line though.

 

[joestevens29]

Yep. If one guy can stay hot, great. But there’s lots of guys who can slide into that role if it doesn’t happen. I’d imagine our bottom 6 in general is going to switch up quite a bit as we have lots of 20-30 point guys. You ride whoever’s hot.

I'm not sure how Tippett is as a coach with centers, but I also wonder if we are having issues if we see Connor/Leon getting double shifted on one of the bottom 6 lines at times.

 

[TheNumber4]

According to Eklund we are after Kreider should we discuss that as well?

Some insiders just shouldn't be listened to.

Sure. Go to the trade boards and convince everyone to stop talking about it if that’s the discussion you feel needs to happen here.

 

[CupofOil]

disagree. Your 3rd line is still a scoring line. I’d rather Brassard there, who could put up 40 points, over a 4th liner. Sheahan is the only one of the 3 that can really be an ideal fit, but that’s only if he has a good season.

You must have a different impression of Brassard than I do if you think he's going to score 40 points on a 3rd line with little to no skill. Not to mention that he would likely get caved in defensively. He's a top 6 or bust player, still wouldn't have solved the 3rd line center issue.

Oh and the Oilers also need a 4th line center as well so either of the aforementioned names would help.

 

[guymez]

I really like Maroon...would be great to see him in Oilers colors again.
That said I would rather Holland acquire a centre.

 

[TheNumber4]

Not that I care to have this irrelevant discussion but Stauffer just confirmed the Oilers were in on Brassard. So can we stop trying to deny he obvious in that we tried for Brassard and failed to acquire him?

Now for the Holland score card. Chock up a negative. Still he’s like +3ish in the offseason in my books. But we’ll need some more pluses before this lineup is rounded out to be a competitor.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Not that I care to have this irrelevant discussion but Stauffer just confirmed the Oilers were in on Brassard. So can we stop trying to deny he obvious in that we tried for Brassard and failed to acquire him?

Now for the Holland score card. Chock up a negative. Still he’s like +3ish in the offseason in my books. But we’ll need some more pluses before this lineup is rounded out to be a competitor.

So he didn't sign a depth forward, he still make Lucic a Flame, so he's still won his offseason, Full Stop.

 

[TheNumber4]

So he didn't sign a depth forward, he still make Lucic a Flame, so he's still won his offseason, Full Stop.

I agree he’s winning. But it’d be nice if he was winning even more.

I don’t view Brassard as just another depth player. I’d say his stock is higher than “just a depth player” like the previously acquired likes of Reider, Brodziak, Cammerlieri and all the other Chia turds we’ve seen roll through here.

 

[joestevens29]

I agree he’s winning. But it’d be nice if he was winning even more.

I don’t view Brassard as just another depth player. I’d say his stock is higher than “just a depth player” like the previously acquired likes of Reider, Brodziak, Cammerlieri and all the other Chia turds we’ve seen roll through here.

The guy signed late August, he is just another depth player. Only real guys left that aren't a depth UFA signing is Gardiner and Thornton

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

I agree he’s winning. But it’d be nice if he was winning even more.

I don’t view Brassard as just another depth player. I’d say his stock is higher than “just a depth player” like the previously acquired likes of Reider, Brodziak, Cammerlieri and all the other Chia turds we’ve seen roll through here.

Brassard is another depth player, and Winning More then getting the biggest problem off the team while getting someone who's so much better for so many reasons? Stop writing off what getting Lucic the **** out of this organization means now and going forward.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

The guy signed late August, he is just another depth player. Only real guys left that aren't a depth UFA signing is Gardiner and Thornton

Williams might count too, but like Thornton, he's only going one place.

 

[TheNumber4]

The guy signed late August, he is just another depth player. Only real guys left that aren't a depth UFA signing is Gardiner and Thornton

So there aren’t better depth players and worse depth players? They all just lumped into the same category so therefore they are all interchangeable and Holland could grab anyone and it’d be the exact same as grabbing Brassard?

Fact is, We missed out on one of the better ones available in my opinion. This fan base would have been pretty damn excited grabbing Brassard at 1.25M for 1 year in my opinion. Now who’s left? Boyle who’s probably going to use us as his last stop for a paycheque before retirement. Yay, typical Oilers crap.

 

[TheNumber4]

Brassard is another depth player, and Winning More then getting the biggest problem off the team while getting someone who's so much better for so many reasons? Stop writing off what getting Lucic the **** out of this organization means now and going forward.

I wasn’t writing anything off. I’ve said many times how I feel about that Lucic Neal swap. It was a very good move.

Now, let’s focus on how do we get even better. Cause that’s what Holland did after completing that deal, and his next move was an attempt to fill that gaping hole at 3C.... and he missed. That’s the discussion we’re having here. You know, one about recent events.

 

[guymez]

For the love of God someone PLEASE validate TheNumber4 so we can move on!

 

[CycloneSweep]

For the love of God someone PLEASE validate TheNumber4 so we can move on!

TheNumber4 is a nice even number. You can write it a few different ways so it's pretty versatile. It's so nice that Oilers great Kevin Lowe used it.

What a number.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

So he didn't sign a depth forward, he still make Lucic a Flame, so he's still won his offseason, Full Stop.

Now about the defense...

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Now about the defense...

Sure, there's still some interesting depth defenseman unsigned as well. Again, I'm still in aw that Lucic is a Flame, and the magnitude of this move shouldn't be understated.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Sure, there's still some interesting depth defenseman unsigned as well. Again, I'm still in aw that Lucic is a Flame, and the magnitude of this move shouldn't be understated.

I mean it's a good move but that's really all it is. It doesn't fix the mess that is the rest of the roster. The Sekera buyout still seems a bit questionable.

If there's no depth defensemen brought in, that third pairing is going to get slaughtered. And if anyone in the top 4 gets injured...