Rumor: Rumors and Trade Proposals | Are the playoffs done yet?

[Oilers Apologist]

Pretty much this. It was my worry after the dust settled.

I don't even know that Mcllelan or PC really have the plan for playoffs either. Really sounds like they just want to get this team stable and building a solid core to go forward with.

Exactly, this next year isn't really about making playoffs, though anything is possible, it's about getting a solid foundation and moving forward with that.

 

[Quinteoilers]

Pretty much this. It was my worry after the dust settled.

I don't even know that Mcllelan or PC really have the plan for playoffs either. Really sounds like they just want to get this team stable and building a solid core to go forward with.

It's the difference between having a GM and coach that we're all sizzle no steak. Chia and McLlelan have a plan to make the playoffs. Just not wax poetically about it.

 

[joestevens29]

It's the difference between having a GM and coach that we're all sizzle no steak. Chia and McLlelan have a plan to make the playoffs. Just not wax poetically about it.

Have you listened to what they have actually said in interviews?

If it happens it happens, but making the playoffs isn't the key to the year.

 

[ivanthebad*]

I see it as the other way around. Priority #1 needs to be a top 4D, Priority #2 is a starting goalie and priority #3 is another top 4 D

My opinion is, #1 priority getting a veteran 2way big winger to play with McD/Hall(to teach and protect), #2/#3-Defense(if they got a top pairing guy great), #4 a goalie.

 

[backhandsauce]

Bakersfield Condors ‏@Condors 2m2 minutes ago
The Condors first-ever AHL player signings: G Ty Rimmer, F Braden Christoffer, and F Connor Rankin. #Condorstown

I guess this means Bachman is either a back up in the NHL or they will move on from him....

Brossoit and Rimmer will split duties I guess?

If we could grab a sure thing #1 starter I have no issues with Bachman playing back up. He has been a good soldier for the Oilers.

 

[joestevens29]

Bakersfield Condors ‏@Condors 2m2 minutes ago
The Condors first-ever AHL player signings: G Ty Rimmer, F Braden Christoffer, and F Connor Rankin. #Condorstown

I guess this means Bachman is either a back up in the NHL or they will move on from him....

Brossoit and Rimmer will split duties I guess?

If we could grab a sure thing #1 starter I have no issues with Bachman playing back up. He has been a good soldier for the Oilers.

Rimmer was signed by OKC last year as well and ended up in the ECHL, so who knows.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Bakersfield Condors ‏@Condors 2m2 minutes ago
The Condors first-ever AHL player signings: G Ty Rimmer, F Braden Christoffer, and F Connor Rankin. #Condorstown

I guess this means Bachman is either a back up in the NHL or they will move on from him....

Brossoit and Rimmer will split duties I guess?

If we could grab a sure thing #1 starter I have no issues with Bachman playing back up. He has been a good soldier for the Oilers.

I think Laurikainen is more likely to spell the end of Bachman then Rimmer. I think the Condors sign Rimmer so they can have him as a call up from the ECHL.

 

[Riptide]

Wasn't the Seguin trade something that was more forced by Neely and the veteran Bruins players?

[mod] Add in a cap crunch, his disappearance in their playoff run and his high value trade wise, and it's an easy trade to make. They received some very nice pieces from Dallas, while potentially (if the rumors had any truth to them) removing an issue from the room.

 

[Riptide]

Based on what? Because he traded Party Boy Seguin once upon a time?

Trading RNH just because Draisaitl is big and skilled would be completely foolish.

I do agree that a player of Draisaitl's skillet and size would be valuable to have in the west but RNH is on his way to being one of the better centers in the league and he's by far the Oilers most developed top 9 center. Trading him will create a huge void.

There's no need to trade any of the perceived core players right now. The Oilers aren't competing for a cup next season. Making a shortsighted move could really hurt them long term.

As McLellan said, they need to build a foundation first before they are ready to contend.
This team is still in evaluation mode and as bad as we all want the quick fix and a playoff contender next season, it's just not realistic.

Trade the draft picks and use free agency to get good complimentary players. There's no reason why they shouldn't be able to get 2 top 4 Dmen, a top 9 forward and a good goalie with those resources.
It's not the right time to make the homerun deal.

No one has said do this now (at least not anyone thinking rationally). It was speculated that depending on how McDavid and Draisaitl develop and how their contracts play out, that in time (aka a few years down the road) RNH could easily end up being Edmonton's best trade piece.

 

[Riptide]

Not getting a starting goalie would be a catastrophe on Chiarelli's part. Not getting at least one top 4 D, would be pretty bad too.

That wasn't what was written. It was stated that unless Chiarelli has acquired a #1G, and two top 4D that it's an abject failure on his part. That couldn't be more wrong.

I see it as the other way around. Priority #1 needs to be a top 4D, Priority #2 is a starting goalie and priority #3 is another top 4 D

Agreed. I don't think anyone is really saying we don't need two good D and a better goalie. Just that not getting all 3 isn't the utter failure SK13 suggested it would be.

 

[Riptide]

My opinion is, #1 priority getting a veteran 2way big winger to play with McD/Hall(to teach and protect), #2/#3-Defense(if they got a top pairing guy great), #4 a goalie.

I think that falls behind finding a top 3/4D (or two).

 

[CanadianSuperPromise]

That wasn't what was written. It was stated that unless Chiarelli has acquired a #1G, and two top 4D that it's an abject failure on his part. That couldn't be more wrong.



Agreed. I don't think anyone is really saying we don't need two good D and a better goalie. Just that not getting all 3 isn't the utter failure SK13 suggested it would be.

Sure. But I say not getting a starting goalie and at least 1 top 4D is a utter failure on Chiarelli part. People talk about this offseason being about developing team structure rather than trying to make the playoffs, well to me, acquiring a starting goalie and a couple top 4D's is developing team structure.

In all honesty, IMO, Chiarelli's offseason should end up so that this team will least attempt to make playoffs next year.

 

[ivanthebad*]

I think that falls behind finding a top 3/4D (or two).

Purcell-Roy-Yak were terrible all year defensively. Just cuz they showed signs of scoring and chemistry doesn't change the fact they were terrible in the neutral zone and in their own end and also were unable to generate any type of consistency as a possession game. Yak in particular.
Everyone has Hall-McD-Yak as a line. I'm not sure what changes all that? Just cuz McD is here it's naive to think he will spend his time circling and dangling in the NHL on the 2nd line with these 2 around him. Put Purcell in beside him and not much better as he was terrible also and soft as butter. Not sure what it will do for McD's confidence and transition getting scored on a ton or chasing the puck. Somebody needs to help out in that department and up until right now, no current Oiler has shown that they are capable

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Purcell-Roy-Yak were terrible all year defensively. Just cuz they showed signs of scoring and chemistry doesn't change the fact they were terrible in the neutral zone and in their own end and also were unable to generate any type of consistency as a possession game. Yak in particular.

Yeah Gregor has really been railing on him all offseason so far.

The defense and goaltending is far more important then the wingers. You'd be "shocked" how much better "defensively" the forwards get with competent goaltending and defensemen.

 

[backhandsauce]

UFA's I hope Edm signs.

Mike Green
Antti Niemi
Scottie Upshall
Michal Neuvirth
Zbynek Michalek

Pouliot-Nuge-Eberle
Hall-McDavid-Yakupov
Upshall-Lander-Purcell
Klinkhammer-Gordon-Hendricks

Green-Klefbom
Fayne-Michalek
Ference-Schultz

Niemi
Neuvirth


Move Scrivens, Nikitin for whatever you can.

Drai and Nurse can start in the AHL. I would like Nurse to eventually take Schultz spot.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

Yeah Gregor has really been railing on him all offseason so far.

The defense and goaltending is far more important then the wingers. You'd be "shocked" how much better "defensively" the forwards get with competent goaltending and defensemen.

I agree with this.
I still think ideally we put Yak on the third line and find a good winger in free agency that may be older and won't cost the moon. Frolik, Ward, Williams or even a low pick for a guy like Shaw.

 

[ivanthebad*]

Yeah Gregor has really been railing on him all offseason so far.

The defense and goaltending is far more important then the wingers. You'd be "shocked" how much better "defensively" the forwards get with competent goaltending and defensemen.

Gregor has been ousting Yak?

Yes d is important but we had 3 very good dmen last year, the team game is what really failed them. I don't think anybody can dispute that Klef,Fayne and Petry are all very good, so why were they so bad?
EG:They gave up 60 shots to SJ, that's not all the d's fault. I was at an L.A game where it was embarrassing, they got schooled on every level, even Ebs said"they made us look like a Junior team"
I went to 20 games last year and I can easily without a doubt tell you that the forwards commitment to playing defense was not there, and alot of that also comes from the fact that they are unable to sustain any type of cycle consistently in the other teams end so they are always chasing the puck. Nuge was the best at playing a 2way game, but again, his line is not very effective at the cycle. 1 out of every 5 games doesn't cut it.

 

[ivanthebad*]

I agree with this.
I still think ideally we put Yak on the third line and find a good winger in free agency that may be older and won't cost the moon. Frolik, Ward, Williams or even a low pick for a guy like Shaw.

Exactly

 

[jsho]

UFA's I hope Edm signs.

Mike Green
Antti Niemi
Scottie Upshall
Michal Neuvirth
Zbynek Michalek

Pouliot-Nuge-Eberle
Hall-McDavid-Yakupov
Upshall-Lander-Purcell
Klinkhammer-Gordon-Hendricks

Green-Klefbom
Fayne-Michalek
Ference-Schultz

Niemi
Neuvirth


Move Scrivens, Nikitin for whatever you can.

Drai and Nurse can start in the AHL. I would like Nurse to eventually take Schultz spot.

The problem with Green is that he is not a top pairing dman at all. He is a PP guy and really a bottom pairing dman. He was 5th in ice time and shifts per game for Washington's dman group last year behind Carlson, Niskanen, Orpik, now Alzner. Now having said that, just seeing those 4 names its quite obvious that group is far superior to ours. But still for the dollars and dman Green has become I don't think he will be worth it.

I'd personally be very happy if we could land Sekera and Michalek.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Gregor has been ousting Yak?

Yup, a lot. Yakupov isn't a Selke candidate, but he likely isn't as terrible as the situation he's been in makes him look, and there's still plenty of room to develop.

Again, some veteran wingers will be important, but they aren't as important as goaltending and defensemen.

It's not even a debatable point, honestly. If you believe the Oilers' largest problem not enough veteran wingers, you just don't really understand what's held the team back for, atleast, the last 3 years.

The Oilers need Defenseman, atleast 2 top-4 guys, and two goalies, atleast one relatively competent starter.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

Okay, so you have a choice. Two goaltenders you can get for free or close because they make too much money and teams would be fine walking away from that. Goalie 1 is 33 and makes 5.7M for four years, Goalie 2 is 30 and makes 6M for five years. Here are their last three years.

Goalie 1:
.904
.915
.910

Goalie 2:
.917
.924
.917

Why on earth would anyone take Goalie 1?

Goalie 2 plays behind one of the best D's in the league thus lowering the chance of high quality chances?

 

[ivanthebad*]

Yup, a lot. Yakupov isn't a Selke candidate, but he likely isn't as terrible as the situation he's been in makes him look, and there's still plenty of room to develop.

Again, some veteran wingers will be important, but they aren't as important as goaltending and defensemen.

It's not even a debatable point, honestly. If you believe the Oilers' largest problem not enough veteran wingers, you just don't really understand what's held the team back for, atleast, the last 3 years.

The Oilers need Defenseman, atleast 2 top-4 guys, and two goalies, atleast one relatively competent starter.

I fully understand. There are many factors of course but barring the Eakins fiasco, the biggest thing to hurt the Oilers was to run a first line of all kids and run one of the youngest/smallest teams in the league. That kind of mishandling of our young core has cost us and now you suggest we do the same to McDavid? I can name alot of defensive cores in the league with only 3 good players and they are not as bad as we have been. Just look at ANA, half of them are babies, but they have a forwards core that not only helps in the back, but plays keep away in the front. Good teams are built with players that all play a role. Every successful team has role players. The Oilers core are being the same. That's the problem

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

The team could use a vet winger to pair with McDavid, however our biggest priority needs to be defence cause we have no one that's capable for too pairing minutes, which is a problem.

 

[Riptide]

Purcell-Roy-Yak were terrible all year defensively. Just cuz they showed signs of scoring and chemistry doesn't change the fact they were terrible in the neutral zone and in their own end and also were unable to generate any type of consistency as a possession game. Yak in particular.
Everyone has Hall-McD-Yak as a line. I'm not sure what changes all that? Just cuz McD is here it's naive to think he will spend his time circling and dangling in the NHL on the 2nd line with these 2 around him. Put Purcell in beside him and not much better as he was terrible also and soft as butter. Not sure what it will do for McD's confidence and transition getting scored on a ton or chasing the puck. Somebody needs to help out in that department and up until right now, no current Oiler has shown that they are capable

Have I ever said they weren't? Or that I wanted Roy back?

 

[Soundwave]

One thing I do like about Chia is that he's good at just finding good players.

He found guys like Boychuk, Seidenberg, Krug, etc. to fill out Boston's D when they were kinda under the radar and you need moves like to fill out your team.

That's one thing that's been sorely lacking from our management ... we just get duped into signing too many players that we should have passed on. It's been a revolving door of O'Sullivans and Nikitins and Grebeshkovs and injury prone Whitneys (good player but still with that injury history it was very predictable how it would go) and so. Our pro scouting really has been horrid.