Rumor: Rumors and Proposals Thread | Goaltending Upgrade(s) In Season or Off Season?

Will Holland Add a #1 Goalie...


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Shathar

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Jul 23, 2009
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Nuge is a good, smart player. I remember us not having any of those before he arrived (emphasis on smart). What happens over the course of the year will be interesting. I think the longer this drags on, the more favorable the contract will be (for the team) if he signs. Many teams (esp. those down south) are taking a financial beating with covid. That said, I would like to see Nuge retire here. Impossible to say (outside of speculation) that he wants the same.
 

Asiaoil

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There is no evidence that salaries on long term deals will drop all that much. Debrusk at his current level could get $4.5-5M on a long term deal. Look at a guy like Mantha. He just got $5.7M on a 4 year deal with similar numbers to Debrusk. Players and agents aren't stupid. They know that unless the pandemic continues long term revenues are going to go up a lot and very soon. The major unknown is how long it takes for the current revenue hit to work its way through the system. (It may be the hit on revenue ends up being less than first thought if the US starts to open up venues for some fans. NY has already announced they will permit limited attendance. One would think that teams would target high margin customers in such circumstances). They also know that teams will pay for any player capable of scoring 20 plus goals on a consistent basis. The reality is that you won't come close to replacing Nuge's contributions and have money left over for a significant upgraade anywhere else unless you get extremely lucky.


As far as trading Nuge, I don't see this happenning unless he makes it clear he is walking. This team cannot afford to take a significant step back this year if it looks like a playoff spot is in reach. The team would have to really fall off for that to not be the case.

Sure you can construct a bunch of assumption that support a v-shaped recovery. I can easily make the opposite case, and being in the states, it doesn't look like a full recovery is coming any time soon. The world has taken a significant step down and there is lots of macro evidence to suggest this is permanent and worsening. Not the place and time to get into that.

I get Debrusk and then only offer him a cheap 3rd deal that takes him to UFA and we use the extra for a 3C and goalie during those years. When Debrusk reaches UFA then it's rinse repeat unless he signs for a hometown discount. We have our core vets McDavid, Drai, Nurse who have or will get paid. We need to add a 3C, another dman, and a goalie to that group and we don't have the money to do that if we pay our wingers too much to feast off the elite centers. We will get some of those guys internally through the draft (Bouch, Sammy, Broburg, Holloway etc) but if a non-core guy wants to make bank feeding off McDrai, then you cash him and get a replacement.

World has changed. Stand still and you fall behind, and as good a player as RNH is, resigning him for $7 million plus just makes us even more top heavy. He's not already signed for a reason.
 

GOilers88

Fer Da
Dec 24, 2016
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My apologies then.

I agree that Barrie has been a good compliment to Nurse lately, and I hope it continues. I don't particularly think he's a sustainable top pairing defenseman whereas I think Nurse has always had that potential. Whether he realizes it or not is another story altogether, but the last few seasons he's done a damn fine job getting there.

Klefbom going down has so far been the best thing to happen to Nurse.
 

Broberg Speed

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Oct 23, 2020
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My apologies then.

I agree that Barrie has been a good compliment to Nurse lately, and I hope it continues. I don't particularly think he's a sustainable top pairing defenseman whereas I think Nurse has always had that potential. Whether he realizes it or not is another story altogether, but the last few seasons he's done a damn fine job getting there.

Klefbom going down has so far been the best thing to happen to Nurse.
No need to apologize, people need to stop apologizing. If Barrie plays some good hockey and changes your stance on the need to keep him in the organization, don't apologize. Once everyone starts apologizing ceaselessly it not only gets disconcerting it also diminishes the true meaning behind thoughtful heartfelt apologies and that cannot be forgiven if you catch my drift.
 

McTonyBrar

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Apr 2, 2018
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How much of the "Nurse emerging as homegrown leader creating stability in Edmonton" is due or at least partially due to his defense partner. You know, Tyson Barrie.

Tyson Barrie on the other side with Darnell Nurse. It's like we have an actual first pairing to play along with our superstar centers, McDavid and Draisaitl.

I implore you and others to think it over.

I usually agree with your opinions but not this one. Bear got very good playing with Nurse and, if you remember, so did Barrie. Nurse had brain farts early in his career but they have been much lessened and this 2 way game has gotten very good. I feel like Nurse is the core of that first pairing that runs it usually. Although, both could have been better last game
 
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Samus44

Enjoy the ride.
Aug 5, 2010
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I really like Holloway and think he’s going to be a fan favourite with how he plays the game.

However, I do worry about expectations being too high for him right now. Like he’s still a young developing player and the oft quoted phrase “progress isn’t linear” applies here.

I just don’t want people to have such high expectations and then get frustrated if he doesn’t meet them immediately.

Based on his career thus far it's possible he actually struggles offensively a bit in his first year pro and then explodes in the second. Some guys need time to adapt first before the offense comes. It's possible that this happens in the NHL and not the AHL too. He looks like a guy that can play in the NHL right away, I'm just not sure that's the best route for his career. His handling by the team is going to be very interesting.
 

Gregsky99

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Dec 16, 2012
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That would be awful, a really really bad idea, especially after Holland spent so many picks for what amounted to nothing last year. They need to use the 1st as a trade asset to upgrade the roster, not to offload a contract.

It's a bad idea for a few reasons. They will have cap flexibility even with Neal's contract so why the urgency to attach a valuable asset just to rid of him with only 2 years left on the contract, and they could just buy him out if they want to rid of him that bad. I'd rather have $1.9M of dead money on the cap for the next 4 years than dump a 1st to rid of the contract entirely.
1000000x agree to this. Nice to see another advocate of NOT just giving away firsts.
 

McTonyBrar

Registered User
Apr 2, 2018
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I really like Holloway and think he’s going to be a fan favourite with how he plays the game.

However, I do worry about expectations being too high for him right now. Like he’s still a young developing player and the oft quoted phrase “progress isn’t linear” applies here.

I just don’t want people to have such high expectations and then get frustrated if he doesn’t meet them immediately.

Exactly why he should be in the AHL to start. Please DO NOT ruin Holloway. He has such a high ceiling. Just like Broberg. With Broberg, we are doing it the right way. If we push Holloway straight into the NHL, it could turn out bad for him and the team
 
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McTonyBrar

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Apr 2, 2018
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I've watched Nurse steadily improve every year since he was drafted.

I can't say the same for Barrie. Granted I obviously haven't watched him as much over his career. This isn't me discrediting him at all, he's been a very pleasant surprise now that he's looking settled. But let's not pretend Nurse owes it to Barrie. The guy went up against top competition last year with a rookie as a partner. And this year, as Barrie struggled to find his groove, Nurse was a f***in rock.

This team absolutely burns this year without Nurse. I don't feel as strongly about Barrie. But that's just me. That's two partners almost everyone has universally agreed on that aren't top pairing defensemen that he has worked with and shown good success with.

I'm one of the biggest Nurse supporters on this board and even I'll say he is playing beyond my expectations. I had him as a legit #3 Dman with potential to be a #2. He's proven me wrong in an amazing way so far
 
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McTonyBrar

Registered User
Apr 2, 2018
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It's no coincidence that an offensive guy does better with a guy who some offense to his game too? Who knew
No? I'm saying it's no coincidence that Barrie is doing good with a player with stability to his game. What the heck is with the snarky attitude? Or did I just understand that incorrectly lol?
 

Samus44

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Aug 5, 2010
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Id like us to resign both Barrie and Larsson of the price is right. Bouchard could move to the left side and the right side could be Barrie, Bear and Larsson.

Honestly depth on defense is no waste of money. Having 4 quality right handed D with the discount that Bouchard brings I think is a wise investment. Injuries happen, as we've seen with Bear, and both Barrie and Larsson bring an ability to be impact players on opposite ends of the ice. If Bouchard picks up how to play in his defensive zone like Larsson, and he has the skillset and arguably some similar foot speed limitations, he could be the true #1 the team needs when his ELC is up. If we stick with Barrie over Bouchard then it's possible Bouchard ends up over his head defensively. Larsson's toughness is a great example for the young guys. If we stick with Larsson over Barrie we lose an impact offensive defender the team has clearly benefited from having and possibly put to much weight on Bouchard's shoulders too soon. I say keep them all, for once in a f***ing blue moon the RD hasn't been a problem this year so I say stick with it. All are young or in their prime. If Bouchard plays at LD from time to time but can be properly utilized so be it. Ideally at the end of his ELC I'd hope he could replace both in a sense of being that actual all purpose dman and so the Oilers could then move one (and they'd all still be prime aged, so valuable). I'd rather a spare top 4 dman than a 3rd line winger given how much young players we have to go with the inevitable bargain bin players the Oilers could likely get due to McDrai. Barrie scares me a little but not if he has two true defensively capable RD's behind him to play those critical situations that he's not suited to, and given Bear's size having a bigger defensive option in Larsson becomes all that more valuable. f*** it, sign em both if they both keep it up and will take decent deals. 6x5y and 3x3y I'd hope gets it done.
 
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Samus44

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Aug 5, 2010
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I do wonder about Columbus with Merzlikins and Korpisalo as an example of this. Maybe one of them could be had, if we think that they're a potential answer. Both are 26 years old too, so seems safe to assume they could have many, many years left.

I have never been sold on Korpisalo myself but I think Elvis would be a good bet. I suspect Columbus looks to keep both for a bit or moves Korpisalo.
 
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Oilhawks

Oden's Ride Over Nordland
Nov 24, 2011
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Bear can actually play 2 way hockey, hes a top 3 Dman on the team and costs next to nothing for now. It would be very Chiarelli of you to move him now.

Unfortunately it’s looking more and more like Bear might have linger concussion issues. I wonder if it will be a problem in the future. Hopefully not.
 

Broberg Speed

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Oct 23, 2020
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I usually agree with your opinions but not this one. Bear got very good playing with Nurse and, if you remember, so did Barrie. Nurse had brain farts early in his career but they have been much lessened and this 2 way game has gotten very good. I feel like Nurse is the core of that first pairing that runs it usually. Although, both could have been better last game
Nurse is proving a lot of naysayers wrong. I never had anything against Nurse. I was unhappy with his contract for awhile and I still don't like how he becomes UFA as soon as he does. Nurse is clearly a top 20 defenceman in the league and and I find it hard to believe even his harshest critique could deny this.

Also, Barrie, has a very respectable history in the NHL. How many defencemen on the Oilers are better than Barrie? According to "alphahelix" every defenceman on the Oilers roster is better than Barrie or has the endowments to eventually become better than Barrie, even players who have yet to play a single NHL game:
We already have it in Bear and Bouchard, theres a salary cap and a need for a PK & ES focused D with net front presence. Just because we needed a puck moving RD 5 years ago doesnt mean its our biggest need going forward. Its not. We cant afford to carry defensively porous veterans. We have Broberg and Samorukov coming in and Klefbom hanging on the outside. Barrie is the worst overall D-man on this team going forward. Unfortunately he also has dirt poor trade value because every GM in the NHL also knows this. If you have piss for puckmovers/PP RD, he might have value to you-- anyone who isnt living in the RD poorhouse wont have interest.
I'll give him credit for saying "going forward"... well not really, it sounds like he doesn't like Tyson Barrie one bit at all. Yet I believe Tyson Barrie is easily a top 30 defenceman in the NHL and it would be a monumental error for the Oilers to not explore all possible means with respect to what it would take to keep Tyson Barrie in Edmonton.
 

Oilhawks

Oden's Ride Over Nordland
Nov 24, 2011
25,981
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Nuge is a good, smart player. I remember us not having any of those before he arrived (emphasis on smart). What happens over the course of the year will be interesting. I think the longer this drags on, the more favorable the contract will be (for the team) if he signs. Many teams (esp. those down south) are taking a financial beating with covid. That said, I would like to see Nuge retire here. Impossible to say (outside of speculation) that he wants the same.

Rob Brown was on the NHL radio network this morning and was saying he thinks the silence from both parties right now is a good thing for a deal getting done. Guess we’ll find out.
 

Smartguy

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May 3, 2010
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The Predators are struggling bad and likely start selling this season. The Oilers should try and grab Haula, he’s off to a bad start there and is on a cheap 1 year deal. Would need to send a contract back to try to even out some of the dollars, too bad they won’t take Turris with the extra year, or I also think they can’t because of CBA issues.


I wanted Haula before Turris anyways and Turris is not working out here already.

I wouldn’t hate a third line of

Turris-Haula-Kassian
 
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