Richard Cloutier: The Oilers, Post-Lockoutalypse
- Maxbone

Does anyone really get on your case for being too mean to Horcoff, or not liking Horcoff?

Don't get it twisted: People get on your case because you make specious claims about Horcoff's attitude or his relationship with management and/or the kids, and then don't provide a spec of evidence to back up those claims.

Im not sure why the trade involving oel and yandle and a first to edmonton for yakopov ( first overall pick) that could be a boost for the team plus ryan jones a 20 goal giy on a weak team last few years. Phoenix is a playoff team and oulers havent been so the first for second round picks is probly 12 spots. Mabye both teams include a salary dump to give someone a change of scenery mabye horcoff and someone they got

Im not sure why the trade involving oel and yandle and a first to edmonton for yakopov ( first overall pick) that could be a boost for the team plus ryan jones a 20 goal giy on a weak team last few years. Phoenix is a playoff team and oulers havent been so the first for second round picks is probly 12 spots. Mabye both teams include a salary dump to give someone a change of scenery mabye horcoff and someone they got
- hockeylegend488

What do you think cloutier

Yeah the odds of the oilers doing any buisness with the leafs until burke is gone or fired wont happen
- hockeylegend488

i agree it might be tougher cause of the history.

but if either gm refused to attempt to make his team better cause of some personal dispute, they wouldnt be doing their job, and would deserved to be fired.

besides it's not lowe, it's tambs. and i suspect nonis does most of the calling etc.

Edmontons gonna create a culture where ufa s wanna come here tO win and be part of something special were gonna find our dman and keep all the super kids

So, to put it in writing this is what you want:

Hall-Hopkins-Eberle
Hemsky-Gagner-Yakupov
Smyth-Petrell-Jones
Paajarvi-Lander-Hartikainen
Hordichuk

Whitney-NSchultz
Smid-Petry
Marincin-JSchultz
Potter

Dubnyk
Danis

Well, the bright side of that is we'll pick Barkov or Monahan. Hello 12-14 in the West.
- BarDownBobo

I disagree.

If that is the line up and they stay healthy, that is a playoff roster.

The Oil got a bad rap last year because of their D, but look at the numbers and they were not that bad. Middle of the pack defense and goalie. Their problem last year beleive it or not was GOAL SCORING. Or to be more specific consistency. Hall, Ebs, Hemsky, Nuge all lost time to injury. When Hall went down, the offense went down with it. Their biggest problem on D was injuries. They would get bottled up in their own end and not clear the puck. Petry came a long way in puck movement last year. J Schultz looks like a puck moving machine and Whitney is healthy again by most accounts.

I think this bunch surprises a lot of people this year. Heard it here first.

The Oilers will be an interesting team to watch. Their top two lines are, at least on paper, pretty scary. Their defense and goaltending as a combo is maybe the worst in the league. There's just too many kids and no toughness.

I predict we will see Edmonton breakdown and trade one of their 4 core forwards for a defenceman, maybe not right away, but eventually. You can only be terrible for so long. To me, Luongo would be a solid option for the Oilers and I wonder if there is a deal where the Oilers would get Corrado and Shroeder, Luongo and Alberts for a package built around Yakopov.
- Jimmy_Tea

This is ridiculous and anyone suggesting any of the big 4 go anywhere are delusional. They mean a lot more to the Oilers than any of you realize. Do you understand the marketing around the big 4? They bring in FAR more in revenue and merchandise than any aging goalie would. They sell thousands of Yakupov jerseys and merchandise and Yak took the city by storm this summer. Can you really see anyone buyig a Luongo Jersey? Doubt it.

The big 4 are here to stay.

I disagree.

If that is the line up and they stay healthy, that is a playoff roster.

The Oil got a bad rap last year because of their D, but look at the numbers and they were not that bad. Middle of the pack defense and goalie. Their problem last year beleive it or not was GOAL SCORING. Or to be more specific consistency. Hall, Ebs, Hemsky, Nuge all lost time to injury. When Hall went down, the offense went down with it. Their biggest problem on D was injuries. They would get bottled up in their own end and not clear the puck. Petry came a long way in puck movement last year. J Schultz looks like a puck moving machine and Whitney is healthy again by most accounts.

I think this bunch surprises a lot of people this year. Heard it here first.
- Iggysbff

I'd still rather swap out Lander and Pajaarvi for Horcoff and Belanger, at least for one more season.

I disagree.

If that is the line up and they stay healthy, that is a playoff roster.

The Oil got a bad rap last year because of their D, but look at the numbers and they were not that bad. Middle of the pack defense and goalie. Their problem last year beleive it or not was GOAL SCORING. Or to be more specific consistency. Hall, Ebs, Hemsky, Nuge all lost time to injury. When Hall went down, the offense went down with it. Their biggest problem on D was injuries. They would get bottled up in their own end and not clear the puck. Petry came a long way in puck movement last year. J Schultz looks like a puck moving machine and Whitney is healthy again by most accounts.

I think this bunch surprises a lot of people this year. Heard it here first.
- Iggysbff

i dont at all agree saying a 29th team is all of a sudden a playoff team with only rookies as the major changes

way too much needs to go perfect.

no vet presence
wheres the faceoffs?
penalty killing?
lander and prv have struggled in the A!
dubnyk needs to prove himself as a starter (which he has yet to do)
whitney needs to be healthy (which he hasnt been in years)
petry needs to continue developing (development isnt always linear)
jschultz is a rookie thats never played a game in the show (and has some defensive deficiencies)
yakupov is a rookie
hemsky needs to stay healthy
the kids need to keep ascending. (no sophmore slump for nuge)
our best players are still in fact, just kids. sophmores, 3rd years, rookies

etc etc etc

id say we'll most def be a better team. but to say that lineup goes from 30,30,29 to top 16 and is for sure a playoff team is way overly optimistic imo

i heard it from leaf fan spatso first. he thinks the oil had a chance a 100 pts!! (full season)

Im not sure why the trade involving oel and yandle and a first to edmonton for yakopov ( first overall pick) that could be a boost for the team plus ryan jones a 20 goal giy on a weak team last few years. Phoenix is a playoff team and oulers havent been so the first for second round picks is probly 12 spots. Mabye both teams include a salary dump to give someone a change of scenery mabye horcoff and someone they got
- hockeylegend488

How the heck will they be a playoff team if they trade their 21 year old number one defenseman and their 26 year old number two defenseman? Then give up a first as well.

Yakupov is great but the team has consistently flunked on scoring forwards and the team mentality is defense first something Nail is the complete opposite. Jones is a handy player (Yet to score 20 btw) but Phoenix has so many players like him why do they need another one?

Doesn't make sense, Yakupov is less help this season in getting to the playoffs than OEL and Yandle.

How the heck will they be a playoff team if they trade their 21 year old number one defenseman and their 26 year old number two defenseman? Then give up a first as well.

Yakupov is great but the team has consistently flunked on scoring forwards and the team mentality is defense first something Nail is the complete opposite. Jones is a handy player (Yet to score 20 btw) but Phoenix has so many players like him why do they need another one?

Doesn't make sense, Yakupov is less help this season in getting to the playoffs than OEL and Yandle.
- AdamFrench

this trade does not help the coyotes.

im not sure they even covet yakupov alone more than OEK..let alone adding in YANDLE! and a first! for jones and a 2nd??!

this trade does not help the coyotes.

im not sure they even covet yakupov alone more than OEK..let alone adding in YANDLE! and a first! for jones and a 2nd??!
- hugefemale dog77

I'd easily give Yandle and Gormley for Yakupov

How the heck will they be a playoff team if they trade their 21 year old number one defenseman and their 26 year old number two defenseman? Then give up a first as well.

Yakupov is great but the team has consistently flunked on scoring forwards and the team mentality is defense first something Nail is the complete opposite. Jones is a handy player (Yet to score 20 btw) but Phoenix has so many players like him why do they need another one?

Doesn't make sense, Yakupov is less help this season in getting to the playoffs than OEL and Yandle.
- AdamFrench

Well said.

If anyone was giving up the first, it would be Edmonton. Yakupov, Jones, First for OEL and Hanzal (+2nd??). Now you're having a conversation.

Not a conversation I'm that interested in having if I'm tambs, mind you. Among other issues, trading the 1st overall pick before he's played a game for your team makes your franchise and the NHL look like a joke coming out of a lockout.

I'd easily give Yandle and Gormley for Yakupov
- AdamFrench

not a terrible deal at all. i like both of those guys.
but yaks is just too good a prospect. have to say no.
has to be for a guy that blows our socks off/

a few months ago i was all over the get yandle train.
then j schultz came to town.

not to say that schultz is a lock by any means, but his play outta the gates as a rookie has really given us some options.
another offence first guy isnt paramount any longer. a two way minute eater like OEK on the other hand....
although yandle would help immensely short term, not sure selling the farm for him is neccassary anymore.

marincins been pretty damn good too.
all of a sudden it seems our d woes arent as bad we thought.
we could still use some stop gaps in the short term, but long term we might be alright

Well said.

If anyone was giving up the first, it would be Edmonton. Yakupov, Jones, First for OEL and Hanzal (+2nd??). Now you're having a conversation.
- Morris

take jones out. they dont need him and we can still use him

OEL and hanzal

yaks and gagner plus a 2nd

Not a conversation I'm that interested in having if I'm tambs, mind you. Among other issues, trading the 1st overall pick before he's played a game for your team makes your franchise and the NHL look like a joke coming out of a lockout.
- Morris

this is true.

couldnt help but entertain the thought of OEK though. had to bite. eff hes good. and gonna be great

take jones out. they dont need him and we can still use him

OEL and hanzal

yaks and gagner plus a 2nd
- hugefemale dog77

Notwithstanding what I wrote above about how far-fetched it is to flip a 1st overall player:

Hall-Nuge-Hemsky
PRV-Hanzal-Eberle
Smyth-Horcoff-Jones
Petrell-Belanger-Hartikainen

OEL-Whitney
Petry- N. Schultz
Smid- J. Schultz

looks sick and has an average age of 26.

How about an autographed picture of Yakupov for OEL and Hanzal?

I'd still rather swap out Lander and Pajaarvi for Horcoff and Belanger, at least for one more season.
- Morris

Lander and Prv are struggling in the AHL, so I'd say it's safe to assume they aren't making the team just yet

Lander and Prv are struggling in the AHL, so I'd say it's safe to assume they aren't making the team just yet
- Lahey

nah. just fill the team with unproven kids. even ones that are struggling in a lower tier. get rid of any vets we have cause we just dont need em

I'd easily give Yandle and Gormley for Yakupov
- AdamFrench

Try OEL and Gormley

nah. just fill the team with unproven kids. even ones that are struggling in a lower tier. get rid of any vets we have cause we just dont need em
- hugefemale dog77

It's the Oiler way

nah. just fill the team with unproven kids. even ones that are struggling in a lower tier. get rid of any vets we have cause we just dont need em
- hugefemale dog77

Are you an alt for Zombie?

Are you an alt for Zombie?
- Lahey

maybe.......