s7ark
RIP
- Jul 3, 2003
- 27,579
- 174
Last thread hit 1000. Continue here.
Some posts:
Some posts:
Nothing, "IF possible"
One could probably discern that "IF" it were possible, it would have possibly already happened.
Again, I don't think Ference is as bad as many of you do, but do each their own. Nikitin is my bane, that guy is awful.
Exactly. Ference's cap hit this year and next is better then having dead space for 4 years.
And if he falls off enough we trade him or maybe he retires early?
Draisaitl would actually be a great winger for Nuge. Very smart like RNH and an incredible passer which works for Nuge as he actually has a killer shot.
Draisaitl - RNH - Eberle could be a offensively great line. They would probably have one of the best cycle games in the league.
Drai fits with them too as he uses his size to shield the puck and gets it to his line mates. Eberle is notorious for just sneaking into great scoring places and Drai is notorious for ridiculous passes into those areas.
I have a feeling that if Chiarelli told Ference "Hey, we have a contender that want to add you and take a run at a cup. I'm not asking you to waive your no trade, but if this is something that interests you..." Ference would probably waive in a second.
I think Ference could bring valuable depth and experience to a team going for a cup. He'll bring valuable depth and experience here too, though... But we're not 100% ready to compete for that goal yet.
I don't know. Last year, I thought we grossly underachieved and were incredibly unlucky early, which sent the team down that "here we go again" decline. We may have been in the playoff hunt much longer had we not been sunk by goaltending.
This roster today is better than the one that started last season, even if the defense still isn't great. There's no tangible way of measuring the affect of McClellan vs Eakins, but I think we can all agree that we've improved there as well. But even if the team plays the same as last year and we get even average NHL goaltending, I think people will be surprised at how much better we'll fare in the standings.
It was pretty clear that I was arguing a trade should have happened by now with Ference.
On another thread I saw the perfect analogy of the two.
Nikitin plays 10% of the time like a top pairing guy and 90% of the time like a 7/AHLer.
Ference plays 25% of the time like a 4/5D and 75% of the time like a 6/7D.
Given the extra year on Ference's contract he is the choice to go.
I don't see the fit tbh. RNH and Eberle work best with a guy who can win puck battles and crash the net, clean up the garbage around the net. It's no coincidence that they played the best hockey of their career with Ryan Smyth in RNH's rookie season and now Pouliot.
The last thing they need on their wing is a skilled playmaker IMO especially an inexperienced one.
I think we'll see Drai start at 3rd line RW playing soft minutes then evetually transition to #3C unless injuries hit. Pouliot will likely stay on the RNH-Eberle line and I'm sure Chia will add a vet at some point to flank Hall-McDavid and will be Purcell in the meantime most likely.
I do think this is an important factor into last season. I've always felt one of this team's biggest problems of the last seasons is their 'mood swings'. It seemed like the leadership in the locker room (through coaching, players, etc.) had trouble getting the team motivated when the team got off to a bad start.
I am hopeful that new coaching and new presences in the locker room can help this situation. This is also why I think Kreuger was relatively successful here compared to Eakins. Kreuger knew how to motivate the players, Eakins obviously didn't. McLellan has a reputation of being a good communicator, so that gives me cautious optimism there too.
As long as you assume, for whatever reason, that the player can only be dealt with now, or he is forever locked on the roster, then that makes perfect sense.
Looking at it, let say, "differently" Nikitin is useless, doesn't skate well, and just doesn't have a place on the roster. Ference can be a #6/7 on this team as a well as a veteran, which is fine, it's a good spot for him for this upcoming season.
Re Ference, after this upcoming season there are options, during this upcoming season there are options, just before the start of this upcoming season there are options, the team if free to explore those.
Again I say, if any of the guys we don't want here could be traded with a retention, I would say it likely would have already happened or been hinted at in the slightest.
The Oilers are going to have dead money on their cap this year, Nikitin likely in the PB or (hopefully) in the AHL, Purcell having to beat out Draisaitl, which I don't know that he can do, and Ference spending some nights in the PB too.
This is just **** we're going to have to deal with unless "that" deal comes along, the one that gets the Oilers the big piece they want/need and they don't have to give up the moon for it. Until then, Roman wasn't built in a day, the Oilers won't be fix in just a few short months.
Don't think the conversation would go exactly that way because Chia would be asking him to waive his no movement clause. Probably not a feasible option with the second year of that contract without salary retained.
Much nicer to get rid of Ference now, and there would need to be some salary retained at the TDL, but it could happen.
This
I didnt think so.
I never recalled seeing anybody posting a Yak for Iginla proposal.
That's what Draisaitl does. Except crash the net. He wins board battles, gets in great position and I guarantee once he gets used to nhl size he can crash the net and clean up a mess...but he can also be a skilled player and do more then just clean up messes.
You never know what could happen with injuries.
He looks gassed and heads off for a change half way through a shift.
In his time here? Of course he was getting pulled off the ice, Eakins couldn't run a bench properly.
He's a finesse player. He's not a player who generally goes in the trenches and battles hard for pucks on a consistent basis and in the instances when he does battle hard, he gets winded very easily. He's at his best when he has the puck and can create for his line.
He, like RNH and Eberle, are best when they have the puck and look to distribute to linemates. Similar to Hall, that line won't work because all those guys are puck carriers. The same would likely apply with Draisaitl. Also, he likes to slow down the pace while RNH and Eberle play at a quick pace. It just seems like a bad match to me.
It happened a lot in junior too. He needs to work on his conditioning.
