Mcnotloilersfan
I'm here, I'm bored
Any news on Foo?
Someone reported recently that he's down to a few teams (Oilers favs) but will wait until after expansion draft.
Any news on Foo?
If we can agree that Jordan Eberle is a bad fit for this Oilers team, then why the hell would we replace him with Jordan Eberle lite? Chia will not be looking to bring in a player with a similar skill set if he deals Eberle. I'm not talking about a big power forward either. Size is not really a factor here anymore, but the Eb's replacement will almost certainly be a competitive SOB who plays with fire and gumption. Ryan Strome would be one of the last players Chia would target.
Because Ryan Strome wouldn't be an Eberle replacement, he'd be a Desharnais replacement. And even then, that replacement would be for about 60 games until we trade for a playoff rental and then Strome would become a depth piece, depending on how he fared during the regular season. He's a player who can provide some offensive depth and can plug in anywhere in your lineup in the event of an injury. He's also a reasonable ask as a part of a return for Eberle and he doesn't weigh down your cap situation whatsoever as he's an RFA at year's end.
My thought is to make the third line more of a scoring threat against other third lines during the regular season. Getting a playoff face-off ace for game one of the regular season doesn't make a lick of sense if he can't provide you any offense.
As for the competitiveness BS...just don't. NYI fans are hoping Vegas takes Brock Nelson over Strome. Reason? Competitiveness.
Maroon - McDavid - Caggiula
Lucic - Draisaitl - Slepyshev
xxxxxx - Nuge - Puljujarvi
Pitlick - Letestu - Kassian
Klefbom - Larsson
Sekera - xxxxx/Russell
Nurse - Benning
Talbot
Brossoit
Based on how the playoffs are going I feel this should be the template in the off-season. This group is establishing themselves.
Eberle and Pouliot somehow need to go.
I agree with this. Could even get a vet RW instead (i'd really like Williams for the right price), and move Caggiula back to LW
Maroon - McDavid - Caggiula
Lucic - Draisaitl - Slepyshev
xxxxxx - Nuge - Puljujarvi
Pitlick - Letestu - Kassian
Klefbom - Larsson
Sekera - xxxxx/Russell
Nurse - Benning
Talbot
Brossoit
Based on how the playoffs are going I feel this should be the template in the off-season. This group is establishing themselves.
Eberle and Pouliot somehow need to go.
Maroon - McDavid - Caggiula
Lucic - Draisaitl - Slepyshev
xxxxxx - Nuge - Puljujarvi
Pitlick - Letestu - Kassian
Klefbom - Larsson
Sekera - xxxxx/Russell
Nurse - Benning
Talbot
Brossoit
Based on how the playoffs are going I feel this should be the template in the off-season. This group is establishing themselves.
Eberle and Pouliot somehow need to go.
I find myself wanting to defend Pouliot.
It is...uncomfortable to say the least.
RNH and a small plus for Tobias Rieder and Anthony DeAngelo.
Eberle for a 3rd line center
Do Rieder and Drai have experience playing together for Germany? I think those two with Lucic could make for a great 2nd line. They could take the hard match ups too. Rieder has a very unheralded two way game.
I find myself wanting to defend Pouliot.
It is...uncomfortable to say the least.
I think some one will give him a chance he had two really good years before this season, he just need a summer to re-set but I think he's probably on his way out despite being a good candidate for a bounce back season.
Those are awful trades, no other way to say it,who in their right mind would trade RNH for a 3LW and a prospect, and as far as Eberle goes I want to trade him too but he's still a 50 point guy and that's worth a lot more than a third line Centre.
Draisaitl took almost as many faceoffs this year playing mostly on wing as Strome has over his entire career. He's basically a RH RNH in terms of faceoff ability. You think he's suited to play C in the Pacific division?
We finally have some semblance of balance in the forward group and instead of wanting to keep pulling in the same direction and embracing Chia's philosophy you want to revert back to the uber-skilled unbalanced model you clung to for so long though the rebuild. That's how I see things at least.
RNH and a small plus for Tobias Rieder and Anthony DeAngelo.
Eberle for a 3rd line center
Do Rieder and Drai have experience playing together for Germany? I think those two with Lucic could make for a great 2nd line. They could take the hard match ups too. Rieder has a very unheralded two way game.
I actually don't mind your trade suggestion, as I have always lamented letting Rieder get away, and DeAngelo has a ton of talent (though he has a pretty hefty stink of 'locker room cancer' floating about him at this point), but these two posts are pretty contradictory and I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Boo Strome! You're stuck in the mindset of focusing too much on skill! We should get Rieder and DeAngelo instead, two players who are almost purely known for their skill! (Esp. DeAngelo)!"
Again, I actually don't mind your trade, as I think gambling on someone like DeAngelo is what we should be doing to fill our need for an offensive RHD, but the contrast was too good to pass up.
Draisaitl took almost as many faceoffs this year playing mostly on wing as Strome has over his entire career. He's basically a RH RNH in terms of faceoff ability. You think he's suited to play C in the Pacific division?
We finally have some semblance of balance in the forward group and instead of wanting to keep pulling in the same direction and embracing Chia's philosophy you want to revert back to the uber-skilled unbalanced model you clung to for so long though the rebuild. That's how I see things at least.
Strome is apparently a lazy floater who is neither good as a C nor as a winger as per NYI fans. I would stay away unless its for Eberle or Pouliot. No way I give them Nuge for him.
Those are awful trades, no other way to say it,who in their right mind would trade RNH for a 3LW and a prospect, and as far as Eberle goes I want to trade him too but he's still a 50 point guy and that's worth a lot more than a third line Centre.
Face-offs improve with experience and also mean very little during the regular season. Statistically the difference between a 43% and a 47% face-off man is very minimal. In the playoffs it becomes an issue, but like I've said, a face-off ace is attainable at the deadline if absolutely necessary.
And really, how does a third line of Caggiula-Strome-Kassian throw off 'the balance' the Oilers' lineup has? The third line had a laundry list of visitors this season--a number of them not even NHL calibre players. And for a forum where near half of it's posters are lining up a green Jesse Puljujarvi next to our 100 point center, it's necessary for me to question the talk of 'balance' in any lineup.
And yet that 3LW as you call him had two less 5 vs 5 points than RNH this year. He can actually bring a lot of what RNH brings to the Oilers with a strong forecheck and elite pk ability, only he makes one third the money. He can even fill RNH's role on the 2nd unit PP and we wouldn't miss much.
Eberle for a good 3C might be a loss in terms of point production, but it makes the Oilers a better team. I had to listen to the same **** all summer about how the Oilers were going to be worse offensively because they lost Hall's point production. Same type of scenario if Eberle goes for a 3C who can take tough minutes.
A 3rd line of Cags/Strome/Kassian isn't the worst thing in the world as the line has a decent mix of skill sets. My issue would be running out McDavid, RNH, and Strome as your top 3 centers. That is where the balance is severely lacking.
I've seen a lot of posts by you lately talking about moves that make us a good regular season team. Well I've got news for you- the cup isn't won in the regular season.
The kings are built for the playoffs, but didnt even make it.
You still have to make the playoffs too.