Wait the flames have drafted well... they just dont like to keep them... Brandon prust? Everyteam in the league would want him!! Just stirring the pot.

No chance they take a goalie first round.
- sanfordnson

I hate taking goalies. Waivers doesn't help them either.

As for your draft choices, they are insane. You want a gritty center and yet you are looking down the list and going to draft Oil Kings Lazar 5'11 no pounds who has 41 points in 54 games and is the third center on his team over fellow Canadian Frédérik Gauthier who is 6'5 210lbs and has 52 points in 45 games (TSN Feb rankings). He is ranked higher by almost every scouting agency. I believe that a center can be gritty at 5'11 but you always seem caught up in size. How do you not want a giant that has better offensive ability ranked high enough that he should still be around when Edmonton picks but low enough to be better than Lazar? Did I mention he is a Giant? Neither are from Alberta so no home town deals happening either way.

Plus a goalie is a tough thing to judge. Edmonton has Bunz, why add another prospect. Unless that goalie Zachary Fucale (from Quebec where most all star goalies come from), I say pick one late and gamble. The first round is WAY to deep with forwards and defense to grab a goalie. They are almost never predictable. Let Roy be our example. Team Canada Juniors and now not even starting for the farm team.

For example, ranked 31 in one of them is Nicolas Petan. Petan has 93 points in 53 games and is +55. He is small but that is more points than anyone else in the top 30 and he is only 31 because of his size. This is one example of MANY forwards and dmen that fill the last 15 of the top 30 and really the whole second round. Picking a goalie that hasn't faced NHL players is just throwing away a first round pick.
- bsteinley

On Lazar, Cloutier can be as big an Oil Kings homer as he is with the Oilers. Sort of like a certain poster around here who goes by bonglottom. Lazar himself does have 30 goals, and he's looked decent when I've seen him live, but I wouldn't take him til the late first round.

Odds aren't changing this year. It won't take effect till next year. TSN has the article this morning. Only thing changing is the winning team gets first. The weighing will stay the same for 1 more year.
- bsteinley

Where did I say they are changing?

Richard Cloutier: Oil Price Rising; Flames Subsiding
- Maxbone

Poor Calgary. Some might think they are being trolled by this blog, and even by this comment! I kinda think they're being told how it is. I totally understand if they don't like hearing it, but frankly, take your damn medicine!

The only good thing to come out of this for Calgary is that they can hope that by the time they are finished their rebuild, Edmonton will be on the decline. If they had started their rebuild 2 years ago like I think they should have, they would run the risk of always being almost as good as the Oilers! And again, I'm not looking to bait anyone, but that is the only thing I can see the Flames have gained by their owners intransigence.

Calgary's owners could totally sit down with the season ticket holders and try to sell them a rebuild, just like happened in Edmonton. Oilers fans paid the third highest ticket prices in the league for three years of last-place hockey that was like passing a kidney stone through our collective eyeballs! Surely Calgary cares enough about hockey that their owners would still be able to keep the saddledome stuffed with suckers. I mean, Flames fans.

OK, that one was over the line. Couldn't help myself.

I don't know why all these people keep apologizing for trolling Flames fans. There is only 4 or 5 of them left and 4 of those are flames players Mom's. I live in Calgary and it is funny to see everyone pile off the bandwagon. I was at the Outdoor rink on the weekend and there wasn't one Flames jersey. If they were in playoff contention you can bet your ass there would have been 80% flames jeresey's.

So where do you come off saying Marincin has an attitude problem. I've neither seen nor heard of this anywhere.

So where do you come off saying Marincin has an attitude problem. I've neither seen nor heard of this anywhere.
- Ihatebrianburke

Not the Marincin that was suppose to be in the NHL this year?

The Oilers players that mention - Hall, Eberle, Nuge, Yakupov, Schultz - are not elite. You have to put up elite numbers in order to be elite. They haven't. They might be one day but calling them elite now is just plain wrong.
- docmorgan

You're totally right - numbers tell us everything there is to know about a player and there is no point in considering context at all!

http://www.nhl.com/ice/pl...mary#?navid=nav-sts-indiv

http://www.nhl.com/ice/pl...mary#?navid=nav-sts-indiv

Oh my! It appears that Sam Gagner and Taylor Hall are significantly elite-r than either of the Sedins. Clearly I have totally proven that both Gagner and Hall are, right this moment, better hockey players than the Sedins. QED. If anyone needs me, I'll be over here, disbelieving in gravity.

So where do you come off saying Marincin has an attitude problem. I've neither seen nor heard of this anywhere.
- Ihatebrianburke

Its been in quite a few articles from stauffer and on the oilers app nelson and the rest of the coaching staff have been saying he needs to stay in NA in the summers and train with his teammates to learn english and be part of the team more... I think the attitude problem might be caused more by missunderstandings between him and the team due to the language barrier. And to the guy saying none of the oilers players are elite that is wrong if you watch how hall is playing you would consider him elite even though the points don't show it yet. Also eberle had 70+ points last season! Don't forget there all still young also.

You're totally right - numbers tell us everything there is to know about a player and there is no point in considering context at all!

http://www.nhl.com/ice/pl...mary#?navid=nav-sts-indiv

http://www.nhl.com/ice/pl...mary#?navid=nav-sts-indiv

Oh my! It appears that Sam Gagner and Taylor Hall are significantly elite-r than either of the Sedins. Clearly I have totally proven that both Gagner and Hall are, right this moment, better hockey players than the Sedins. QED. If anyone needs me, I'll be over here, disbelieving in gravity.
- thefullnelson

But elite players are elite because they contribute to team success. Until you guys do have TEAM success, the jury is still out. The thing that pisses me off is that I really like the team you guys have. A like pretty much every damn one of the kids... but until you win with the talent you've drafted because of how bad you've been, you're just a team with a whole bunch of 'next year'... enviable but still next year...

And Edmonton blows... blah, blah... Its an Alberta curse...the fact you guys even take what Cloutier says even remotley serious is comical.
You've got a GM who's too afraid to part with any real assets to make your team competitive... The Flames organization actually needs to make decisions (albeit rather odd ones) as opposed to the Oilers where they wait for central scouting to list the #1 pick...
- geta02it

Yea, i couldn't even keep reading after that stupid comment

Eberle pick was a great pick there for sure. My point was after the first round, oilers drafting has been no better than the flames.
- cmpdave

After the first round it takes five years to evaluate a draft! Stu's first draft was 2008, where he got Eberle at 22 (leaving 21 teams looking like rubes in the process) and then got Teemu Hartikainen at 163. If he gets me 2 NHLers per year I am totally happy!
2009 Got us Paajarvi at 10 and Lander at 40 plus Roy at 133, all of whom are still developing but two of whom will likely either fit into our roster, or command trade value. It really is too soon to evaluate the 2009 draft, except to note that Kassian was still on the board when Paajarvi was taken so it will be interesting to see how those players develop!
Also, it's hard to look like a draft genius when you pick at #1 overall because you effectively don't get any credit for your first round pick, and if your 2nd rounder pans out naysayers go "pssh that's pretty much a 1st rounder anyway"

After the first round it takes five years to evaluate a draft! Stu's first draft was 2008, where he got Eberle at 22 (leaving 21 teams looking like rubes in the process) and then got Teemu Hartikainen at 163. If he gets me 2 NHLers per year I am totally happy!
2009 Got us Paajarvi at 10 and Lander at 40 plus Roy at 133, all of whom are still developing but two of whom will likely either fit into our roster, or command trade value. It really is too soon to evaluate the 2009 draft, except to note that Kassian was still on the board when Paajarvi was taken so it will be interesting to see how those players develop!
Also, it's hard to look like a draft genius when you pick at #1 overall because you effectively don't get any credit for your first round pick, and if your 2nd rounder pans out naysayers go "pssh that's pretty much a 1st rounder anyway"
- thefullnelson

funny how all this crazy o'rielly drama, he was drafted 2009 second round same yr as prv and every team could have drafted him before 2nd round came along.

But elite players are elite because they contribute to team success. Until you guys do have TEAM success, the jury is still out. The thing that pisses me off is that I really like the team you guys have. A like pretty much every damn one of the kids... but until you win with the talent you've drafted because of how bad you've been, you're just a team with a whole bunch of 'next year'... enviable but still next year...
- geta02it

For sure! Our fanbase has the patience to wait for the fruits of The Plan, and that's why our team can expect to spend a decade as one of the best 6 teams in the league.

When will said dominance begin? I'm really, really, hoping next year but am actually willing to wait one more after that, cause, y'know, The Plan and The Bigger Picture and all that. I don't think the fanbase is quite as patient as I am though - if we aren't seen to be Going Places and Doing Things next year then I expect Tambi will be sacked, and likely Kreuger as well (not that it would even necessarily be his fault).

For sure! Our fanbase has the patience to wait for the fruits of The Plan, and that's why our team can expect to spend a decade as one of the best 6 teams in the league.

When will said dominance begin? I'm really, really, hoping next year but am actually willing to wait one more after that, cause, y'know, The Plan and The Bigger Picture and all that. I don't think the fanbase is quite as patient as I am though - if we aren't seen to be Going Places and Doing Things next year then I expect Tambi will be sacked, and likely Kreuger as well (not that it would even necessarily be his fault).
- thefullnelson

So question, what are the Oilers defining as success this year? is it in the playoffs?

So question, what are the Oilers defining as success this year? is it in the playoffs?
- geta02it

Want to be in the playoff race for most the year this year. Don't know if I'd define it as success or the next stage of the rebuild.

So question, what are the Oilers defining as success this year? is it in the playoffs?
- geta02it

Think the goal is to be relevant in the standings right up to the last game.

Baby steps

Want to be in the playoff race for most the year this year. Don't know if I'd define it as success or the next stage of the rebuild.
- Lahey

We don't...
Close only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades... in the race vs. in are huge differences. The only tease that counts is at the strip club...

I guess Cloutier is a little bitter about being fired by the Hockey Writers after only one Blog as the new Flames Blogger.

Lesson learned D!ck, not all websites hire Trolls as their bloggers, just Ek and his desperate quest for hits.

Hollingdrake obviously has a lot more integrity, honestly surprised he would even hire you to begin with.

http://thehockeywriters.c...m/what-me-flames-blogger/

I guess Cloutier is a little bitter about being fired by the Hockey Writers after only one Blog as the new Flames Blogger.

Lesson learned D!ck, not all websites hire Trolls as their bloggers, just Ek and his desperate quest for hits.

Hollingdrake obviously has a lot more integrity, honestly surprised he would even hire you to begin with.

http://thehockeywriters.c...m/what-me-flames-blogger/
- scoot174

I guess Cloutier is a little bitter about being fired by the Hockey Writers after only one Blog as the new Flames Blogger.

Lesson learned D!ck, not all websites hire Trolls as their bloggers, just Ek and his desperate quest for hits.

Hollingdrake obviously has a lot more integrity, honestly surprised he would even hire you to begin with.

http://thehockeywriters.c...m/what-me-flames-blogger/
- scoot174

Haha awesome

funny how all this crazy o'rielly drama, he was drafted 2009 second round same yr as prv and every team could have drafted him before 2nd round came along.
- deks1

lol I totally don't claim Stu is perfect or infallible but I also don't think anyone else is. All I ask from my head scout is that he gets me 2 NHL'ers per draft, one of them with serious upside. That is still a pretty tall order. Is Stu actually a legit, for real draft wizard? We'll know in about 3 years. Until then, we know he's better than Pendergast so we love him!

I guess Cloutier is a little bitter about being fired by the Hockey Writers after only one Blog as the new Flames Blogger.

Lesson learned D!ck, not all websites hire Trolls as their bloggers, just Ek and his desperate quest for hits.

Hollingdrake obviously has a lot more integrity, honestly surprised he would even hire you to begin with.

http://thehockeywriters.c...m/what-me-flames-blogger/
- scoot174

Why did they hire him in the first place? It's like hiring a 110lb boy to be a furniture mover and hope that when he shows up he has super power strength.

lol I totally don't claim Stu is perfect or infallible but I also don't think anyone else is. All I ask from my head scout is that he gets me 2 NHL'ers per draft, one of them with serious upside. That is still a pretty tall order. Is Stu actually a legit, for real draft wizard? We'll know in about 3 years. Until then, we know he's better than Pendergast so we love him!
- thefullnelson

But he hasn't gotten 2 yet. Hartsi was Pendergrast's last contribution to this team.

Eberle sure was a solid pick, but Pendergrast sure had a knack for picking smaller players as well, so I don't know that we wouldn't have gotten Eberle anyway.

Hall, RNH, Yak. Not sure I can give credit for any of those picks.

Only thing Stu has done outside of the easy picks is draft guys that do well in Junior after being drafted. Not surprising that bigger players like Pitlick, Martindale, Hamilton etc.. can dominant in Junior though. They matured a lot earlier than most and had that edge.

Like you said few years from really knowing anything about how good our scouting is.