OT: What if this was an Oiler?

[bone]

The player Wilson most reminds me of who was an Oiler is Raffi Torres. Actually a real skilled player if he wanted to be, but just an absolute piece of trash on the ice who cared more about causing serious injuries to opponents than he did scoring goals. You can add him to the list of undistinguished Oilers from the past.

It's a relevent comparison. I just always got the feeling with Torres the bigger issue was that he learned the wrong way to hit, and couldn't relearn. I don't recall him celebrating injuries or even running away from guys who sought retribution if his hits were borderline or reckless. I always felt he just couldn't figure out how to relearn physicality within the changing rules and without physicality he wasn't as effective with everything else.

 

[DingDongCharlie]

Times change. Back then everyone was praising Scott Stevens for murdering people. Nowadays as we learn more and more about the dangers of head injuries, the sport needs to change and protect its players. Hopefully fans also change what they perceive as acceptable violent behaviour.

Honestly for me personally, I'd like to see fighting get a harsher penalty (like automatic match penalty) because seeing Khaira get downed like that out of a nothing play was really unsettling. Yeah 10 years ago I loved seeing MacIntyre KO Ivanas, but nowadays I can do without that in this game. If I wanted to watch violence I'd watch MMA.

Instead, I want to watch skill and speed, I want to watch players play hockey, I'm no longer here to watch them beat the brains out of each other.

Well said. I couldn’t agree more.

 

[DingDongCharlie]

You can make an argument about Marchment (low hits) and possibly Torres (head hits were legal when he started playing and he didn’t change as the rules changed) but Messier, McSorley and Tikkanen (who was a pest but never injured anybody) played in an era where it was largely “get them before they get you.” Pronger played on the edge and went over it at times but was nothing extreme. And I don’t remember any Of them picking on someone outside their weight class. As someone said earlier, Wilson hurting Panarin is like Kassian snapping and body slamming Gaudrau. I don’t recall any Oiler being in a similar situation.

Messier was vicious with his elbows on unsuspecting opponents. I was also a huge fan of him so I admit my bias. It was a different era and I’m glad we are moving away from this though. I like fast and hard hits but not the intentional dirty hits

 

[Messrules11]

Comparing Mess and Stevens to what Wilson did is ridiculous. These guys were stars and played hard between whistles, Wilson went after 2 little Russians after the whistle knowing full well there was no retribution coming his way.

 

[ujju2]

Idk about anything else but I'd love Wilson in an Oilers jersey. Actually, considering the Caps are my 2nd team, I quite like him as it is, despite how often he crosses the line. He did still deserve a lengthy suspension on that play though, the fine is a joke.

On the other side, Crosby did almost the exact same thing last night...

 

[Mr Positive]

I never like those plays even when it is my team at fault.

I like physical players though. So it's a fine line. Someone like Kassian has crossed that line before. That doesnt mean I like those incidents. Kassian is at his best when hes getting offense and throwing clean hits

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

It wasn't that long ago that Kassian kicked someone. I'd be interested to read what people said then.

 

[CupofOil]

Most of the posters on this board would love it in the heat of moment, if we're being honest. Maybe not so much with time to reflect post game.

Oiler fans just like a lot of Canadian fanbases are heavily biased especially during the game, "every call against us is wrong, every call for us is right" etc. It happens every GDT here.

Here's a good example of fan bias, the McDavid on Kotkaniemi hit. If Matthews hit Puljujarvi like that, this board would be screaming bloody murder but when McDavid did it, it's no big deal.

I think this would apply to Wilson somewhat, he'd be beloved here for those antics to an extent. This fanbase would love Tkachuk too no matter what he does, he'd be the most popular Oiler I bet. If Tkachuk was an Oiler and Kassian was a flame and Kassian was flinging Tkachuk around, this board would be like f*** that loser Kassian, I hope they suspend him for the rest of the year. It's just the way it goes with passionate fanbases that see things through rose colored glasses.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

I'd think it was crap. Two incidents that come to mind that disgusted me. Nurse's beatdown on a Sharks player although he thought that player injured Matt Hendricks and Andrew Ference's mugging of Matt Stajan. Like Nurse's toughness but that was just bad and never liked Ference to begin with. Kassian's rag dolling of Tkachuk doesn't bother me because the pos deserved it. Tom Wilson's was way worse than any of those and I'd lose respect for him completely.

 

[Stoneman89]

With all the Wilson hate ongoing, I am genuinely curious how the Oiler fan base would react to an Oiler acting this way specifically after an incident like what happened in New York last night.

View attachment 429708

Trying to be as objective as possible, would you embrace this if Wilson were an Oiler, or would you cringe and call it out?

He beat up a couple passive Russians, and acts like he just won the WWF belt. Embarrassing.

 

[BlackDogg]

Do it NYR

 

[bone]

Idk about anything else but I'd love Wilson in an Oilers jersey. Actually, considering the Caps are my 2nd team, I quite like him as it is, despite how often he crosses the line. He did still deserve a lengthy suspension on that play though, the fine is a joke.

On the other side, Crosby did almost the exact same thing last night...

The difference in Crosby's is that it really was both of them wrestling each other and neither player has a significant size advantage. First it was the Flyer then Crosby so moreso dual combatants and they were both penalized as a result.

The first Ranger was making a hockey play that happens pretty much every game and got a stick on pad. Wilson then pulled him down face first into the ground and while he was down Wilson delivered another forceful punch to the back of the head. I can see the argument that Panarin came into the fray and it now becomes a scrum, but he wasn't going in there to scrap but rather help get him off his teammates. Wilson then rips off his helmet, grabs his hair, sticks his leg behind his leg and slams him into the ice from a standing up position just narrowly missing making the first point of contact with the ice be his skull. Wilson outweighs the player he did this to by 50 pounds if not more. Both things Wilson did were more risk to injure than anything in Crosby's exchange.

 

[bone]

It wasn't that long ago that Kassian kicked someone. I'd be interested to read what people said then.

I don't remember many people backing him up. Some thought the suspension was longer than they'd have expected but I don't remember any of the level headed posters here or even on twitter saying what he did was okay.

 

[jukon]

If everyone's bucket stayed on I wouldn't have too much to say about this. But when Panarin's bucket comes off and Wilson still decides to slam him to the ice, that's where I draw the line.

Dumb play by a dumb player with clear intent to injure. I would be very embarrassed if Kassian did that,even to a player I hate.

 

[Aerchon]

I love physical play.
I love pests.
I think fighting and enforcers help police the game.
When I was young and stupid I loved Messier despite/in part to his vicious elbows...

But I was a fully grown adult when we had Torres and while I appreciated the impact his hits had on the game they were cheap as f*** and I did not want him on the team.

Any player that has an intent to injure/play style that will likely cause injuries to other players needs to be booted from the game asap.

Since the nhl will not let players police and the officiating and department of player safety will not protect the players Wilson type players need to go.

I hope they never get rid of hitting/contact/rough stuff but it has little room in today's game.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

If Tom Wilson had Puljujarvi's tongue no one would be saying a thing.

 

[RattsSSV]

If Tom Wilson had Puljujarvi's tongue no one would be saying a thing.

Wtf

 

[soothsayer]

I honestly can't stand any player who takes advantage of the instigator penalty to harm other players. Wilson's role would be entirely different if he didn't have the league's protection. Tkatchuk falls in the same category. I'm not even against fighting and aggresive hockey; I just hate that type of player, who probably has done more damage than the traditional puglist has.

 

[Oilhawks]

Not sure if it’s been said as I haven’t read the whole thread but, we still sure about wanting to trade Kassian after this Wilson incident?

 

[Spawn]

Not sure if it’s been said as I haven’t read the whole thread but, we still sure about wanting to trade Kassian after this Wilson incident?

Why... cause you're worried then there would be two nuts on other teams who snap randomly?

 

[Oilhawks]

Why... cause you're worried then there would be two nuts on other teams who snap randomly?

Not sure who would be deterrent for a Wilson incident. Nurse?

Regardless of the fights in the game tonight, the Rags regular roster is soft as babyshit. Wilson was able to do what he wanted without impunity

 

[Spawn]

Not sure who would be deterrent for a Wilson incident. Nurse?

Regardless of the fights in the game tonight, the Rags regular roster is soft as babyshit. Wilson was able to do what he wanted without impunity

Kassian isn't a deterrent to clowns like Wilson pulling this kind of shit. Just like he's never been a deterrent to Tkachuk taking borderline runs against us. Maybe after the fact he'd go out there and try and exact a pound of flesh as retribution (or hurt himself in the process). But he wouldn't prevent it from happening in the first place.

 

[Oilhawks]

Kassian isn't a deterrent to clowns like Wilson pulling this kind of shit. Just like he's never been a deterrent to Tkachuk taking borderline runs against us. Maybe after the fact he'd go out there and try and exact a pound of flesh as retribution (or hurt himself in the process). But he wouldn't prevent it from happening in the first place.

If that’s true then I guess they need to go and get someone who actually is a deterrent. Wilson is a lunatic but he doesn’t do this to every damn team they play. The Rags are one of the softest teams in the league, and he took advantage of it. The Oilers get knocked around here and there like any team but the amount of bullshit that happens against them is still a lot less than the “waiting for the bus” days

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

I’m not proud of it but I would take Wilson in a heart beat.

 

[Spawn]

If that’s true then I guess they need to go and get someone who actually is a deterrent. Wilson is a lunatic but he doesn’t do this to every damn team they play. The Rags are one of the softest teams in the league, and he took advantage of it. The Oilers get knocked around here and there like any team but the amount of bullshit that happens against them is still a lot less than the “waiting for the bus” days

Deterrents are a myth.