What grade do you give the Oilers after two days of free agent signings?

What grade do you give the Oilers after two days of free agent signings?


  • Total voters
    256

Tobias Kahun

Registered User
Oct 3, 2017
41,649
50,493
B-. All the signings prior to Smith were good, but that guy absolutely shouldn't be in an Oilers jersey next year. I get familiarity and all that but he really wasn't great as the season went on, punctuated by a horrific playoff game that put the Oilers into a hole they couldn't recover from.

What's frustrating to me is that other teams were able to clear salary with relative ease but we can't find anyone to take on our anchors? Kris Russell has no reason to still be here.
What? His strongest 2 months of the season were Jan and Feb.
 

MikeGrier99

Registered User
May 20, 2017
850
880
Our Achilles heel is more or less the same. Not improving the goal tending is a major issue, everything else was well done. The lineup still seems 1 or 2 players short of a being a contender, but that's the case for most teams in a cap world.
 
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TheNumber4

Registered User
Nov 11, 2011
35,793
39,940
Considering how absolutely impossible it seems for the Oilers to find an Offensive D-man and how badly we've been needing one, the Barrie addition is a huge get. He'll make us better in so many areas, getting pucks out, sending McDavid on even more break-aways, being a constant option as the trailer for McDrai to hit in stride, a dangerous and smart shot from the point. Super excited about this signing, been wanting to see this type of player with the Oilers forever. I think McDrai can hit even higher highs now with the option to feed Barrie.

Should come in the with expectation that Barrie will have his defensive warts though... it's his M.O. anywhere he's been. But I don't care, if he had the total package there's no way he would have been available to us anyways and those types of players can only be acquired in the draft (let's hope Broberg or Bouch turns into one for us).

Turris signing also a huge addition. Will be the most offensively skilled player we've had in the bottom 6 in a very very long time too. Looks to have a great shot, good creativity, and will come with a chip on his shoulder to prove he still has game.

Pulju being back is also another huge win. Just added a super high potential prospect back into the mix... if he hits like everyone who scouted thought he would... its a potential superstar add. If he doens't hit, he'll still be a super effective 3rd liner that would be better than most bottom 6ers we rotate in and out yearly after finding them in the bargain bins.

Smith signing is meh.... but if he and Kosko bring pretty much the same as they did last year we should be good. I still think Smith has the potential to be elite if he's on one of his hot streaks. We just need to ride him while he's hot and get Kosko in when he's not (and also get Kosko in alot more than last year).

A-Grade from me. Holland had me worried after that AA scouting and acquisition and lacklustre Euro league pick ups of last off-seaon... but he's showing some veteran smarts and negotiation skills this time around.
 
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Nostradumbass

Divinity
Jan 1, 2007
4,965
4,548
Our Achilles heel is more or less the same. Not improving the goal tending is a major issue, everything else was well done. The lineup still seems 1 or 2 players short of a being a contender, but that's the case for most teams in a cap world.
If we had a healthy Klefbom, our team would be night and day better. Klef Barrie, Nurse Bear, Jones Larsson, trade Russell for a top 9 F.
Adding Turris and a confident Puljujarvi helps out the 3rd kind a ton as well. We have 2 top lines that can play power vs power, so a soft minutes 3rd line that can score is huge.
 

Zaddy

Registered User
Feb 8, 2013
13,058
5,850
The Turris and Barrie signings are nice, but if Klef is out long-term we will be undone by our D and goaltending. This will have to be a high-scoring team by necessity.

Definitely hope we can add a veteran LHD before the season starts.
 

nabob

Big Daddy Kane
Aug 3, 2005
34,291
20,671
HF boards
B. Would have been an A if I included Puljujarvi signing. All in all I think Holland has had the best week an Oilers GM has had since Lowe traded for Pronger.
 
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Porkleaker

Registered User
Mar 19, 2017
9,708
8,304
Onterrible
A - I mean got some interesting players coming in. Honestly, Koskinen will likely get more starts so Smith is still a back-up who can steal you a game.
 

Bangers

Registered User
May 31, 2006
3,919
868
B. Barrie deal is an A and Turris is a B+, but I’m not a huge fan of re-signing Mike Smith. It would have been nice to see Russell offloaded to a team willing to take on his cap space in return for financial flexibility and then using that cap space on a goalie.
 

syz

[1, 5, 6, 14]
Jul 13, 2007
28,849
12,239
C or a D. Seems like lots of fingers being crossed for Turris, Barrie, and Pulju but the fact is that they're all guys who will need to rebound to move the needle at all for this team.

That combined with the hope that some prospects will actually take the next step and the even bigger hope that the goaltending doesn't just go out and die every night and it feels like every other Oilers off-season.
 
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Oilhawks

Oden's Ride Over Nordland
Nov 24, 2011
25,974
44,415
C or a D. Seems like lots of fingers being crossed for Turris, Barrie, and Pulju but the fact is that they're all guys who will need to rebound to move the needle at all for this team.

That combined with the hope that some prospects will actually take the next step and the even bigger hope that the goaltending doesn't just go out and die every night and it feels like every other Oilers off-season.

That’s pretty much what any ‘value’ FA signing is.
 

Soundwave

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
72,141
27,826
C or a D. Seems like lots of fingers being crossed for Turris, Barrie, and Pulju but the fact is that they're all guys who will need to rebound to move the needle at all for this team.

That combined with the hope that some prospects will actually take the next step and the even bigger hope that the goaltending doesn't just go out and die every night and it feels like every other Oilers off-season.

To be honest most of this is secondary. The season is not riding on Turris or even Barrie.

They found a new identity last year with Yamamoto and Draisaitl elevating to a Hart trophy caliber. If they play like that, the dynamics of the Oilers is simply much different from the past. They are becoming more like the Penguins in that set up.
 
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CanmoreMike

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
2,815
614
#YEG
B-. All the signings prior to Smith were good, but that guy absolutely shouldn't be in an Oilers jersey next year. I get familiarity and all that but he really wasn't great as the season went on, punctuated by a horrific playoff game that put the Oilers into a hole they couldn't recover from.

What's frustrating to me is that other teams were able to clear salary with relative ease but we can't find anyone to take on our anchors? Kris Russell has no reason to still be here.

I’m coming to the conclusion that with the Klefbom injury they are content to hang onto Russell for his final season here.

Looking at it though I’d be disappointed if they weren’t doing their best to find the ideal LHD for Barrie to play with. Ideally I think someone like Hjalmarsson might be great out of AZ but I don’t think he’s waiving his NMC and I don’t think they’d want to move him on account of already having paid his signing bonus.

Alex Goligoski? They save more money and there’s no signing bonus already paid. Would that be an upgrade for Barrie?
 

snipes

How cold? I’m ice cold.
Dec 28, 2015
54,873
61,392
A/A-.

I'm a tough critique as a lawyer, but Holland gets an "A" range grade from me. Deserving in rarity.

Tyson Barrie, the sins of your father in the business world are forgiven lad. Come to Western Canada and show who you are as a hockey player.

You'll only be judged on your play, rooting for the best. Love the Barrie signing.
 

Sweetpotato

Registered User
Jan 10, 2014
6,771
3,970
Edmonton
Summary: we signed players that have flaws because we didn't move salary to get the players that would've had a great impact.

Brodie over Barrie

Crawford/Kuemper/Greiss/etc over Smith

Was hoping he'd go after Grabner.

After seeing cap moves from other teams made early on I can't help but feel disappointed Russell, Neal, Chiasson, Koskinen or Khaira weren't moved to make room. Especially this off season where 4th line talent can be had for less in FA than what we currently employ so why not shed that cap to attempt a run at Hall or Hoffman.
 

snipes

How cold? I’m ice cold.
Dec 28, 2015
54,873
61,392
Summary: we signed players that have flaws because we didn't move salary to get the players that would've had a great impact.

Brodie over Barrie

Crawford/Kuemper/Greiss/etc over Smith

Was hoping he'd go after Grabner.

After seeing cap moves from other teams made early on I can't help but feel disappointed Russell, Neal, Chiasson, Koskinen or Khaira weren't moved to make room. Especially this off season where 4th line talent can be had for less in FA than what we currently employ so why not shed that cap to attempt a run at Hall or Hoffman.

Brodie is from Ontario.

Guys should be coming home where necessary. Covid and a bubbling civil war in the USA needs to be a long pause to think about for NHLers. Like ****ing families come first, tax considerations, **** man like coporations can be created to filter money through. Come home.

Good Western Canadian boys should be coming home.

Come back to Canada boys. At least for the next 2-3 years.
 

SwedishFire

Registered User
Mar 3, 2011
5,332
1,863
I’ll say a B. Would like to have upgraded goaltending. The Barrie deal is great. Turris deal looks very good. They didn’t do anything stupid, so that’s a win. At the same time, would have liked to see Russell shipped out to gain some cap room. We also need to get Bear signed, and don’t have much room to do so.

Russell still fills a need. Keep him.
Ship Chiasson for anything that doesnt cost money. Should bringba 5th - 6th seen tonthe market
 

MessierII

Registered User
Aug 10, 2011
27,644
16,188
Summary: we signed players that have flaws because we didn't move salary to get the players that would've had a great impact.

Brodie over Barrie

Crawford/Kuemper/Greiss/etc over Smith

Was hoping he'd go after Grabner.

After seeing cap moves from other teams made early on I can't help but feel disappointed Russell, Neal, Chiasson, Koskinen or Khaira weren't moved to make room. Especially this off season where 4th line talent can be had for less in FA than what we currently employ so why not shed that cap to attempt a run at Hall or Hoffman.
Personally I take Barrie over Brodie every time. Brodie is useless without Gio.
 
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shoop

Registered User
Jul 6, 2008
8,333
1,911
Edmonton
All of Khaira, Russell, and Chiasson should be gone with the way teams are willingly trading for those types right now. It will be a huge letdown if two out of three return IMO.

I don't see many teams willing to take on Chiasson at $2.15 million. Agreed Khaira should go. Russell is a different situation. I think Holland will hold onto him until things are a little clearer with other internal resources. Is Klefbom definitely out for the season? When get an actual date for training camp how are Bouchard, Brober and Lagesson looking?

If the Oilers pay Russell's signing bonus he could be a real attractive trade piece with a bit of salary retention. Say they retain $1 million on Russell in a trade. The new team would only owe him $500K in real cash with a $3 million cap hit. That is a heckuva sweetener in trying to trade out salary like Chiasson's.
 

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