Troll orgy still going on I see.

Im assuming Schultz has already scored 5 -7 goals?
- Fakepartofme

i was told by oiler fans hes on pace for 50 goals and 100 points in 48 game season auto noris trophy

Troll orgy still going on I see.
- robin_steele264

It really is. The Leaf fans are jealous that Schultz signed with the Oilers and it is showing today.

Taped the game last night as I was off to my own rec hockey. I guess if I absolutely had to pick a second team to cheer for other than my Leafs, it would be Edmonton. Warm fuzzies I guess from being old enough to remember a bit of Gretz, Messier, Fuhr, Moog, Coffey, Kurri and a streaking Anderson fire balling into every goalie in the league. Just some random notes on the game:

1. Eberle is an absolute stud. His hands and hockey sense are off the chart. He is the most well rounded out of Edmonton's young studs.

2. The Nuge is great on the PP and in space, but loses every puck battle along the baords. Hopefully he will gain a bit of "man" strength to go with his elite hockey sense and passing abilities. Reminds me a bit Adam Oates.

3. Dubnyk is an average goalie, but the Oilers D hung him out to dry. How many times did the puck go deep in the Oilers zone, the sharks gain possession and feed a pass back through the slot to a forward cruising to the net and going roof job. These type of goals happen in minor hockey, not 3-4 times in one period.

4. Taylor Hall looked sleek and fast. That quick release of his I'm pretty sure surprised Niemi. The puck hit the back of the net before he moved. My only knock on Hall is he gets skating so fast with only one thing on his mind drive to the net that he makes it easy for the D to key on him and he loses where his teammates are on the ice.

5. Justin Schultz looked pretty good for a young rookie. He was calm and composed with the puck. You can tell he handles the puck like a centerman. He is good...real good. Wish the Leafs could have won the bidding war on this gem.

6. When are the Oilers going to play a real NHL system instead of run and gun for 60 min. It's ok to open it up one in a while, but not the whole game. I know they got down early and had to open it up, but they have no apparent system. I'm sorry pushing the pace and using their young speed is not a system.

7. Hemsky seems to be back to his former self. Gagner played like a small 2nd line center. He is not a stud, but a decent player, with decent hands and good hockey sense.

8. The Oilers D as a whole are a poor crop of D-men. I hear all the time how Smid is their shut down guy and Petry is coming along. They were not near rugged enough. The Oilers would probably benefit from a couple big tough veteran D men who can be a calming presence and lean on some opposing forwards making them pay the price for being in the Oilers zone.

9. Ryan Whitney looked bad. He was an offensive defenceman in Pittsburgh, but he did pretty much nothing last night.

I know it's early in the season and their is some rust, but last night was tough and entertaining to watch at the same time.

As the TSN guys mentioned; The whole league knows Ben Bishop is for sale. And it is not a fact he is better than Dubnyk. At best all he will do is bring in more competition to push Dubnyk to be better.

If it is a known fact the team wants to move him I am pretty sure he is not going for a 1st round pick.
- OilHorse

there's a difference between HAVING to move a player (luongo), and simply having a lot of talent at one position and being able to AFFORD to move a player. if he doesn't get the right deal, murray is more than happy to hold on to bishop, let him get some games backing up anderson, and allow lehner to spend the season dominating in the AHL.

murray is seeking help on the blueline, that's what is a known fact, and bishop is just the player most teams would likely be interested in (that would be available). murray has all the bargaining power here, not the other way around.

that being said, i don't think edmonton and ottawa would be good trading partners. both teams have the same strenghts (talent and depth up front) and both teams have the same needs (to address a lack of depth on the blueline). so when you have the same assets and same holes to fill, it's unlikely that you'll trade with eachother.

Im assuming Schultz has already scored 5 -7 goals?
- Fakepartofme

Somebody forgot to tell him he's a defenseman, and that hockey left the rover back in the 1910's.

It really is. The Leaf fans are jealous that Schultz signed with the Oilers and it is showing today.
- Ben37

Well, to be fair, when followers of the Oil make him out to be the next Coffey, people will laugh he plays like nothing more than the next Marc-Andre Bergeron.

Richard Cloutier: Shark Bait! + Luongo Trade Watch
- Maxbone

Luongo to Oilers

Well, to be fair, when followers of the Oil make him out to be the next Coffey, people will laugh he plays like nothing more than the next Marc-Andre Bergeron.
- p_zub

not to jump in the middle, but leaf fans do the EXACT SAME THING with gardiner and reilly. pretty sure both of those guys already have their names penciled in on the norris trophy, according to leaf fans.

Well, to be fair, when followers of the Oil make him out to be the next Coffey, people will laugh he plays like nothing more than the next Marc-Andre Bergeron.
- p_zub

True, but there was enough reason to excite after the start he had in the AHL. Like everyone has been saying about everything so far this year, it's only been 2 games. His shot looks solid and he certainly can skate. If he strengthens his D game, he'll be a star.

Luongo to Oilers
- walshyleafsfan1

Don't think so Blaire.

not to jump in the middle, but leaf fans do the EXACT SAME THING with gardiner and reilly. pretty sure both of those guys already have their names penciled in on the norris trophy, according to leaf fans.
- sensarmy_11

And the nuck fans with with their younglings. Everyone does really.

Don't think so Blaire.
- robin_steele264

devon dubnyk guy is an f n allstar and hes like what 16

And the nuck fans with with their younglings. Everyone does really.
- Canuckleafer

ofcourse they do.....that's why i firmly believe that silfverberg will be good for ATLEAST 3 hart trophies, and there's pretty much no chance that anyone will EVER beat lehner for the vezina once he's starting.........hey, it could happen.

Don't think so Blaire.
- robin_steele264

Come now Bob. I was beng nice. Do you think our teams will EVER be good?

This is the most honest blog you've written in a while, well done. Dubnyk is not a future starter for any team at this point so I doubt you could get a return like Dubinsky for him. Columbus is definitely the best option for a Dubnyk deal but there won't be a potential 50+ point guy coming back from the worst team in the league. I doubt you can suck Toronto into a deal when Reimer's career numbers are slightly better than Dubnyks. Ottawa is hurting on D so if Bishop is shipped out it's most likely going to be for something on the blueline, which Edmonton can't give.

Once the offensive kids start dominating for the Oil all this Dubnyk stuff might go away, though, because the kids will be scoring so much. Sort of like Chicago right now, no one is talking about goalie nonsense because the offense is scoring so much, even though their goalies are garbage.

True, but there was enough reason to excite after the start he had in the AHL. Like everyone has been saying about everything so far this year, it's only been 2 games. His shot looks solid and he certainly can skate. If he strengthens his D game, he'll be a star.
- Canuckleafer

That's being generous...watching last night, he lacks defensive awareness, not strength/skill. It would be akin to dressing Nazem Kadri as a defenseman. He'll get a few points now and then, but it doesn't mean much when the opponents have already taken a 6-1 lead and have mailed it in after 20 min of work.

not to jump in the middle, but leaf fans do the EXACT SAME THING with gardiner and reilly. pretty sure both of those guys already have their names penciled in on the norris trophy, according to leaf fans.
- sensarmy_11

But no teams fans hate on their teams young prospects like leaf fans do.

ofcourse they do.....that's why i firmly believe that silfverberg will be good for ATLEAST 3 hart trophies, and there's pretty much no chance that anyone will EVER beat lehner for the vezina once he's starting.........hey, it could happen.
- sensarmy_11

As long as it's after a string of 6 vezina's for Schnieds. Schroeder we have at least 4 Art Ross....Can't even write that with a straight face. His first game tonight....no pressure on the kid.

One player on the Leaf farm that doesn't get enough credit is Frattin. That kid look stellar defensively at the end of last year.

Well, to be fair, when followers of the Oil make him out to be the next Coffey, people will laugh he plays like nothing more than the next Marc-Andre Bergeron.
- p_zub

Substitute Shultz for Kadri and Coffey for Gretzky and you hit the nail on the head.

But no teams fans hate on their teams young prospects like leaf fans do.
- Blindfatkid

i would argue that no teams fans flip flop on their young prospects like leaf fans do. although, to be honest, i blame the toronto media for that more than the fans. if kadri makes one turnover in a game, sportsnet and TSN will spend 45% of their shows talking about it and analyzing it.

kadri has a good game, he's the next gretzky.....he has a bad game and he's the next pat falloon

Bobby Lu is going to look great in an Oiler jersey !

As long as it's after a string of 6 vezina's for Schnieds. Schroeder we have at least 4 Art Ross....Can't even write that with a straight face. His first game tonight....no pressure on the kid.

One player on the Leaf farm that doesn't get enough credit is Frattin. That kid look stellar defensively at the end of last year.
- Canuckleafer

he'll be a solid 3rd liner who can play 2nd line minutes

i would argue that no teams fans flip flop on their young prospects like leaf fans do.

kadri has a good game, he's the next gretzky.....he has a bad game and he's the next pat falloon
- sensarmy_11

yup pretty annoying to be around other leaf fans

not to jump in the middle, but leaf fans do the EXACT SAME THING with gardiner and reilly. pretty sure both of those guys already have their names penciled in on the norris trophy, according to leaf fans.
- sensarmy_11

Where have we said either is the next Paul Coffey? We've called them blue-chip prospects, which they are, but we also have more realistic expectations for them in the future. Hell, Dion (frank)ing Phaneuf put up numbers at 22 that Schultz will be lucky to be even close to, and look how that's turned out for him long-term.