i heard people where shorter back then.
- sperm10

I heard the also had smaller Richards.

this has a big problem with what is going wrong this year... the kids were all in OKC hanging out being buddy buddy... when camp started the kids already had their circle
- derm10

hard to work as a team when things are like this

i was well away of all of that.. but don;t think u trade for the best value if u aren;t in a rebuild... if they were truely trying to make the playoffs they take a lesser deal that helps the current roster more.........if pronger had stayed would u have won a cup with him?
- derm10

Hindsight is 20/20, would have been a hell of a lot better season in 06-07 with him in the lineup and perhaps more ufa's are inclined to sign. Taking the best deal available for your player that asks for a trade, does not mean management is rebuilding. We do not know what was offered at the time for pronger, or who exactly the Oilers were even allowed to talk to. Taking a lesser deal could also be viewed as a rebuild, you take players that will help your roster now, and into the future, maybe they are not draft pics, but if they are good enough to play now and improve the team for years to come, is that not considered a rebuild? See what I did there. I can spin things around too.

hard to work as a team when things are like this
- sperm10

lol.... hard

lol, "it's the same old song and dance" says Aerosmith. Habs fans are a riot. For some reason they are playing for Therrien, and I think that's great. I didn't say the Habs would fold or fail? I said they'd finish 6th to 10th in the East...again...and bow out of the playoffs in the first round...again. Deharnais and Plekanec are almost single(double) handedly going to be responsible for yet another early playoff exit. Do you honestly think they can go up against Boston? NYR? PIT? PHA? in the playoffs? no way. The Leafs manhandle them for god's sake. Who cares about the regular season...oh yeah, Geoff does.
- JLO961

hahah dude I'm saying we are on the right path. forsome one who just told a guy tonstop commenting about the oilers until the watch a game or 2 you should take your own advice. you're silly bro as far who we can or cant compete with weve crushed the ranger twice philly in the only game we crushed them boston we kept them to noshots for 11 mins thru 2 pks in the only game weve played. we lost 1-0 in ag ame that could have gone either way.

what shows that you have little to no hockey iq is that you seem to think that our confidence in our team is built around just a few names. ie price, pleks or desharnais. the team is winning because the play as a team. all 4 lines are rolling and we are in the top 3 for defence in the league. your arrogance/ignorance reeks in all that youve written regarding the habs. I'd suggest you watch more hockey bro befor you try and "call it like it is"

i heard people where shorter back then.
- derm10

If you just quoted a family guy episode. I instantly hate you a little bit less.

yeah, hard to have a proper discussion on the 'net but I agree with you. Souray went about it all the wrong way, I was just saying I had high hopes for him. He has those leadership qualities. I see Belanger as a whiner, not a leader. And the Horcoff thing is a respect thing. You have to have a captain and a few leaders that make the younger guys a bit on-edge. The rookies don't get invited to the vets table right off the bat type of thing. I could see Horcoff being the one to ask the young guns.."can I join you guys". You get my drift.

I LOOOOOOOOOOVED YAKUPOV'S CELEBRATION. just to be clear. But if whiney, snake-in-the weeds Belenger has a problem, address it in the room, not on camera. He's part of the problem not the solution.
- JLO961

I think the big thing is that Horcoff isn't that talented. I can respect a guy who isn't talented but works really friggin hard, and in fact a lot of Oilers teams have had captains like that (Fogolin, MacTavish, Buchberger, Smith, Moreau). This team might just need their best player to be captain. A lot of Oilers teams chose captains like that too (Gretzky, Messier, Lowe, Weight). I don't buy into the hype that there's some kind of old vs. young battle going on, but I'm fine with a leadership change.

I do think we'd be talking less about Coaching and Leadership and Chemistry in the bottom 6 if we were just more talented. It's funny how having a good d core and a high scoring offense "solves" leadership problems.

this has a big problem with what is going wrong this year... the kids were all in OKC hanging out being buddy buddy... when camp started the kids already had their circle
- derm10

i hate to agree with you, but you're possibly on to something I think.

Hindsight is 20/20, would have been a hell of a lot better season in 06-07 with him in the lineup and perhaps more ufa's are inclined to sign. Taking the best deal available for your player that asks for a trade, does not mean management is rebuilding. We do not know what was offered at the time for pronger, or who exactly the Oilers were even allowed to talk to. Taking a lesser deal could also be viewed as a rebuild, you take players that will help your roster now, and into the future, maybe they are not draft pics, but if they are good enough to play now and improve the team for years to come, is that not considered a rebuild? See what I did there. I can spin things around too.
- ruttager17

no i was going on the fact that they traded for younger players and picks.... u have nothin to back ur point.... who did they sign soury? that means ur trying to make the playoffs?

i was well away of all of that.. but don;t think u trade for the best value if u aren;t in a rebuild... if they were truely trying to make the playoffs they take a lesser deal that helps the current roster more.........if pronger had stayed would u have won a cup with him?
- derm10

u mean like getting cole, pitkanen and visnovsky right?
or attempting to acquire heatley and hossa right?
those kinds of moves to help the team IMMEDIATELY right?
the ones where u may give up some youth or depth to improve in the short term right?

giving up picks at the trade deadline for 3 month rentals?

i realize ur just trolling, but im also enjoying rebuffing the feeble hate. so keep em coming if u like

i hate to agree with you, but you're possibly on to something I think.
- JLO961

it's not horchoffs fault... coaching right up to management have given them this right.

u mean like getting cole, pitkanen and visnovsky right?
or attempting to acquire heatley and hossa right?
those kinds of moves to help the team IMMEDIATELY right?
the ones where u may give up some youth or depth to improve in the short term right?

giving up picks at the trade deadline for 3 month rentals?

i realize ur just trolling, but im also enjoying rebuffing the feeble hate. so keep em coming if u like
- hugefemale dog77

gagner cogliano? they got ice time why?

I think the big thing is that Horcoff isn't that talented. I can respect a guy who isn't talented but works really friggin hard, and in fact a lot of Oilers teams have had captains like that (Fogolin, MacTavish, Buchberger, Smith, Moreau). This team might just need their best player to be captain. A lot of Oilers teams chose captains like that too (Gretzky, Messier, Lowe, Weight). I don't buy into the hype that there's some kind of old vs. young battle going on, but I'm fine with a leadership change.

I do think we'd be talking less about Coaching and Leadership and Chemistry in the bottom 6 if we were just more talented. It's funny how having a good d core and a high scoring offense "solves" leadership problems.
- Morris

I fully realize that maybe it's just ME. haha

...but I really do not like Horcoff. The play dies with him so often, and he never gets angry. I see him as a pushover. I see him as the guy always in the middle, breaking up the fight. He's not a leader, he's a diplomat, a scholar, a good speaker...but a pushover.

picture him missing a solid tape to tape blue line to blue line pass that Yakopov easily can handle...and then next shift Horcoff tells Yakupov how to backcheck properly. Horcoff KNOWS how to backcheck, he HAS experience, he DOES work hard...but after he booted that pass....he lost the rookie's respect.

If you just quoted a family guy episode. I instantly hate you a little bit less.
- ruttager17

i no joke don;t even watch family guy that much... let alone remember a quote from it

I fully realize that maybe it's just ME. haha

...but I really do not like Horcoff. The play dies with him so often, and he never gets angry. I see him as a pushover. I see him as the guy always in the middle, breaking up the fight. He's not a leader, he's a diplomat, a scholar, a good speaker...but a pushover.

picture him missing a solid tape to tape blue line to blue line pass that Yakopov easily can handle...and then next shift Horcoff tells Yakupov how to backcheck properly. Horcoff KNOWS how to backcheck, he HAS experience, he DOES work hard...but after he booted that pass....he lost the rookie's respect.
- JLO961

hard to earn respect when the coach doesn;t back up what the leader on ur team is trying teach them

no i was going on the fact that they traded for younger players and picks.... u have nothin to back ur point.... who did they sign soury? that means ur trying to make the playoffs?
- derm10

pronger wanted out. u deal from a position of weakness. what are u gonna do?
and lets not forget who he was dealt too. a team wanting a cup. not willing to move say niedermayer for pronger of course.

and at the time lupul certainly wasnt a project or just some prospect, he absolutely tore it up in the previous playoffs. he was a huge piece for that trade.

no i was going on the fact that they traded for younger players and picks.... u have nothin to back ur point.... who did they sign soury? that means ur trying to make the playoffs?
- derm10

Yes. Souray at the time was an all-star dman and he actually agreed to sign with the oil as a UFA. That is trying to make the team better now. Thank you for proving the point that the Oil were not rebuilding back then. Your one and only example is pronger and it is irrelevant because the teams hand was forced. They in no way wanted to trade him.

no i was going on the fact that they traded for younger players and picks.... u have nothin to back ur point.... who did they sign soury? that means ur trying to make the playoffs?
- sperm10

Your spelling and grammar makes LB look like a scholar.

i saw that fight... but i don;t see it in the same light as what i was talking about... sam gagner is not gunna turn a game around in the playoffs fighting the likes of a shea weber or corry perry
- derm10

Im not sure how much hockey you watch, but fighting is rarely a factor or occurrence in the playoffs.

hard to earn respect when the coach doesn;t back up what the leader on ur team is trying teach them
- derm10

yer dum go away

Remember when Philadelphia went into FULL REBUILD MODE by trading Carter and Richards. What about LA in trading Smyth for Brule. CRAZY rebuild. Philly's rebuild only lasted a year though, because they just traded for some win-now talent in Gagne. LA on the other hand has torn it down a mere 8 months after winning the cup by acquiring that 4th round pick.

gagner cogliano? they got ice time why?
- derm10

cause our team wasnt very good



gags had a great rookie year as well btw

pronger wanted out. u deal from a position of weakness. what are u gonna do?
and lets not forget who he was dealt too. a team wanting a cup. not willing to move say niedermayer for pronger of course.

and at the time lupul certainly wasnt a project or just some prospect, he absolutely tore it up in the previous playoffs. he was a huge piece for that trade.
- hugefemale dog77

yeah the package was centered around lupul... but how old was he?

cause our team wasnt every good



gags had a great rookie year as well btw
- hugefemale dog77

most people would call that rebuilding.... bad team... giving younger players ice time.

Im not sure how much hockey you watch, but fighting is rarely a factor or occurrence in the playoffs.
- Leafs43

but the threat is there.... no one is intimidated but the oilers lineup.