You want great 26-27 years old veterans?? ok i see. Then you will need one of your top 6 to get that or your first round choice.
- soad_live

Its not about what I want but whats best for the Oilers. No sense giving up much of anything for guys like Markov and Gionta who are too old to be part of the long term picture. Also, the Oilers are looking to get bigger and tougher and neither guy addresses that.

Its not about what I want but whats best for the Oilers. No sense giving up much of anything for guys like Markov and Gionta who are too old to be part of the long term picture. Also, the Oilers are looking to get bigger and tougher and neither guy addresses that.
- systemtool

I absolutely agree on that. But Eller and Moen might be good fits.

But i think what the Oilers have to realize is that the secret in becoming competitive reside in the trade one 1 of there top 6.

Trading Eberle or Hall and they instantly becoming a contender. The first rounder might be a good idea to trade to.

This and a solid goaltender.

Does to many young stars....which the oilers have ....act as a detrement to each others development.....I ask because in the games I have watched RNH seems to have taken a step back....as his stats clearly show.....no dought this kid will be a very good NHL er for along time, but may not have the same impact in Edmonton as he would have somewhere else where he is "the" guy.....Not a knock , just an observation ....and more of a question for cloutier who obviously watches all the Oiler games.
- landros 2

RNH hasn't put up the points but his overall game is improving.


Stats don't show that.

I still think Smyth can be bought off with a long term office job. He has played on enough international teams that he has to have learned something. I've only actually talked to his wife so I assume Smyth is smart cause she is cool. Then he could break the contract and we can pay him more than the equivalent over time (signing bonus plus larger salary on a 5 year deal with the team and then normal salary for the rest of his life). His family is all over here and Sask if I remember correctly. I have her on facebook but I don't use facebook... ever.

I agree with the forwards. I am not opposed to trading smid or whitney. Seeing Del Zotto and PK's contracts I don't think Smid is worth anything above 3 in today's market. If he wants that I would try to switch problems with NYI. Streit is worth 4. We might have to give them both or throw another asset in but they might relieve us of a prospect we don't have room for or even Belanger. On some teams he is better than their third line centers. NYI is trying to build a new arena and they have a need to improve now. Adding two older but not too old veterans would help their young team now which would help sell the move. Whether that is to the new county or where ever they build.

Does to many young stars....which the oilers have ....act as a detrement to each others development.....I ask because in the games I have watched RNH seems to have taken a step back....as his stats clearly show.....no dought this kid will be a very good NHL er for along time, but may not have the same impact in Edmonton as he would have somewhere else where he is "the" guy.....Not a knock , just an observation ....and more of a question for cloutier who obviously watches all the Oiler games.
- landros 2

I think the opposite. I think when you have just one huge prospect the pressure is all on this 18 or 19 year old guy to lead the team and they either do or the become Pat Falloon or Alexander Daigle and drop from the pressure. Either way if you think when you were that age, it would be tough with all eyes on you and from a psychological perspective you would be more likely to make mistakes by over analyzing your actions. For Nuge the pressure is on Eberle to perform, next Hall and then him. Maybe not even him next with Justin there and everyone trying to see if Hemsky or Gagner should be traded.

This allows the team to develop the players together at the same level of play rather than working individually on different strengths (although some obvious face off work has been done with Nuge). Then he gets to know the guys better and he plays with people who are his friends. My brother and him are good friends and this type of bonding off the ice adds I think is going to be infectious to the rest of the team as they all really want to win every game. The Oilers in the past were too okay with accepting defeat.

Plus Nuge is doing well if you watch his games. He went from not winning a faceoff to 80% after the first yesterday (I didn't see the final stat for him). His shots aren't missing by much and he is playing injured. So he is in constant pain out there. He was injured before the Jrs started from what I hear but my brother doesn't say much about it. Quite frankly, that he is hurt is all I care about and the fact that he signed my Jerseys

Nuge will hit his stride this season and I think we are going to see a kid that plays a lot like we thought Hemsky was going to be in the end. He has an amazing ability with the puck like Ales but with a passion for the game that we don't always see in his older counter part.

Does to many young stars....which the oilers have ....act as a detrement to each others development.....I ask because in the games I have watched RNH seems to have taken a step back....as his stats clearly show.....no dought this kid will be a very good NHL er for along time, but may not have the same impact in Edmonton as he would have somewhere else where he is "the" guy.....Not a knock , just an observation ....and more of a question for cloutier who obviously watches all the Oiler games.
- landros 2

A recent article quote, "On Friday afternoon, a few hundred hockey-inclined types took in an academic presentation on a new system to value NHL players called THoR (Total Hockey Rating). It was interesting food for thought — executives Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish from the Edmonton Oilers were among the attentively assembled." so they are learning, question is...is it for the Oilers or Team Canada?

Good morning assgays.

i cant wrap my head around NOT trying to make a move and acquire a vet player that could help this team get into the playoffs.
how in any way (other than a poorer draft position-which shouldnt be our priority anyway) would this hurt the rebuild? learning to win, confidence for the kids, something tangible for the fans etc etc

year 1 of a rebuild is one thing, year three with 3 first overalls and ur young core in place is something entirely different.
why are we waiting for next year? how does failing this year make us better long term? ebs and hall are signed long term. nuge, yaks and schultz all still have time left on the contracts.

if they have a target this offseason, then i suppose thats one valid reason. but this is edm, what guarantees do they have that said big fish will sign?
- hugefemale dog77

what's nice is that a week befor free agency teams have a chance to court ufa's. will definitly be a bonus for a place like edm. players wont make decisions based on heresay or big money.

also not that you said this, but to the previous poster. smid will get less than subban no question. smid is isnt even close to subban in potential. which is great for edm, leaves a bit on cash avail to sign a ufa.

I can't say I think Smid will get $4 million. If you take a look at the few benchmark deals that have been signed during the latest CBA, you see that he's not worth that amount. Here are some examples:

John Erskine ($1.96 million)
PK Subban ($2.875 million)
Dmitry Kulikov ($2.5 million)
Cody Franson ($1.2 million)
Michael Del Zotto ($2.55 million)
Alex Edler ($5.0 million)
Kimmo Timonen ($6.0 million)

Now, what end of the spectrum would you place him at? Would you pay Smid more than you would Subban? I don't know about you, but I'm looking more towards what MDZ and Kulikov are getting.
- MaximumBone

Kulikov, Franson, MDZ are all bridge contracts. Clout is talking long term.

Markov is available. So are Moen and Gionta. Maybe Eller but at this point, you would have to overpay for him. He's becoming the 3rd/2nd line big center we will need behind Galchenyuk and Plekanec.
- soad_live

Markov is horrid. He can't skate. He's montreal's whitney, but he actually gets points by standing still on the blue line. No thanks. I'd take Eller or Diaz, but judging by the Ryder-Cole trade. EDM would have to get ripped off.

I absolutely agree on that. But Eller and Moen might be good fits.

But i think what the Oilers have to realize is that the secret in becoming competitive reside in the trade one 1 of there top 6.

Trading Eberle or Hall and they instantly becoming a contender. The first rounder might be a good idea to trade to.

This and a solid goaltender.
- soad_live

Eller and or Moen doesn't get you a sniff of Eberle or Hall.

Does to many young stars....which the oilers have ....act as a detrement to each others development.....I ask because in the games I have watched RNH seems to have taken a step back....as his stats clearly show.....no dought this kid will be a very good NHL er for along time, but may not have the same impact in Edmonton as he would have somewhere else where he is "the" guy.....Not a knock , just an observation ....and more of a question for cloutier who obviously watches all the Oiler games.
- landros 2

RNH is injured and I wouldn't be surprised if EDM got a replacement 2nd line centre, move gagner to the 1st line and RNH got shoulder surgery ending his season. He's also been working on his two-way game a lot.

I absolutely agree on that. But Eller and Moen might be good fits.

But i think what the Oilers have to realize is that the secret in becoming competitive reside in the trade one 1 of there top 6.

Trading Eberle or Hall and they instantly becoming a contender. The first rounder might be a good idea to trade to.

This and a solid goaltender.
- soad_live

Saying trade Hall is like saying trade Price. Why we would EDM trade their best player? It would only make them worse.

But if MON wants to win the cup, they have to trade one of Galchenyuk, Subban, or Price.

i cant wrap my head around NOT trying to make a move and acquire a vet player that could help this team get into the playoffs.
how in any way (other than a poorer draft position-which shouldnt be our priority anyway) would this hurt the rebuild? learning to win, confidence for the kids, something tangible for the fans etc etc

year 1 of a rebuild is one thing, year three with 3 first overalls and ur young core in place is something entirely different.
why are we waiting for next year? how does failing this year make us better long term? ebs and hall are signed long term. nuge, yaks and schultz all still have time left on the contracts.

if they have a target this offseason, then i suppose thats one valid reason. but this is edm, what guarantees do they have that said big fish will sign?
- hugefemale dog77

Who are you going to get and at what cost? I'm for a move if it makes sense, but not if its an over pay for something that is a marginal improvement over what they have now.

The top 6 are okay? No Richard.... Wrong my friend.

It's not that there is not a ton of skill on the oilers tops 6. There is absolutely.
It's experience. It's management aggressiveness. Your blog represents the problem with the current structure of the oilers roster.... No clear calculated vision.

Yes... I am calling you out..... In the same way management needs to be called out.
The plan to develop through the draft is a sound one. The Oilers would not get the type of quality players they have acquired through bombing seasons for high picks easily. No teams would.
Hall, Nuge, yakupov, Gagner, help draw in young players like Shultz and will make it easier to continue to draw players to the team like Shultz. The issues isn't in the youth. The issue is in the aggressiveness to build success. Every real contender in the NHL and in sport in general is aggressive in bringing in veteran quality today. Not tomorrow and not next year.
Lets discuss jones and petrel. Cheap quality depth. No problem there..... So why rag on them? Not the issue. Most playoff teams would be pleased to add Quality depth for the third/fourth line befor a potential run. Ask a leaf fan if jones would be welcome before a potential shot at the playoffs.... They would eat him up. Go ahead and trade a guy like jones... Good luck replacing him.... Or petrel.

Lets discuss the weaknesses on the oil.... Center issues. The Nuge is hurt, or overwhelmed, or overplayed, or in a sophomore slump. Address it. Now, not tomorrow. Now. I would put him on the ir.... Give Gagner the top line.... He's earned the opportunity. Then I would aggressively add a second line centre for this year. Paajarvi, a quality young defensive prospect, mid round picks, harti, hemsky, Whitney, and a number of young prospects, can and should be available to improve this team aggressively. Bring in veteran talent.

Sure there is potential for many of the oilers depth to play regularly In The nhl..... Just not on the oil. The best trades and moves are win win win. Both teams and the players benefit.

But hey. It's a season ruining road trip. No worries about improving the team to handle it. No need to shake it up and send the message that this is a now team and organization. No worries about taking a good look at championship sports teams and build on that model.

The oil are coming up. There can't be a problem with more quality draft picks can there. Oh wait.... Yup the problem is Ryan jones. Right Richard?
- itsmeshibby

Oh so many things wrong with this post...

My big concern for the OIlers future lies in these injuries. Does it seem to anyone else a little strange that Hall has a screwed shoulder already and now the Oil are either letting or telling RNH to just tough it out. Just looking at Hall's short career it seems the Oilers are to eager to play these guys through injury, which might be risking career length.

This is assuming RNH's shoulder is actually hurt and Hall has a "lower body" injury.

The thing about him saying we need a puck moving left defenseman means that you give up the one guy who on some nights blocks more shots than the goalies make saves, and is one of the few d-men on the team that plays a gritty tough game, and they are gonna trade him for a puck mover? Yeah great idea, lets give up a guy who actually prevents goals for a guy who will provide more scoring, but give up more goals. Great logic
- ruttager17

Smid has only been so-so this year. Ya he blocks a lot of shots, but he is still on the ice for a lot of goals against. I would give him a C+ so far this year.

Comparing the UFAs with RFA isnt accurate. Smid has all theleverge in this. Look at the deals Wiz, Garriso, komi got. Smid is better then all these guys. I'd be shockd if he didn't get between 4.5 nd 5
- Bieksa#3

If he does, he wont be an Oiler. I get tired of hearing guys say someone deserves X amount because player Y got this amount. Just because the 3 you mentioned got overpaid doesnt mean everyone else should too.

I absolutely agree on that. But Eller and Moen might be good fits.

But i think what the Oilers have to realize is that the secret in becoming competitive reside in the trade one 1 of there top 6.

Trading Eberle or Hall and they instantly becoming a contender. The first rounder might be a good idea to trade to.

This and a solid goaltender.
- soad_live

Please explain? Your arguement makes zero sense. The Oilers problem on forward is not the top 6. Its bottom 6 depth. Our top 6 get keyed on because no one is afraid of the bottom 6.

Eller and or Moen doesn't get you a sniff of Eberle or Hall.
- Reveen

LOL.

I know. Two sentences unrelated.

Saying trade Hall is like saying trade Price. Why we would EDM trade their best player? It would only make them worse.

But if MON wants to win the cup, they have to trade one of Galchenyuk, Subban, or Price.
- TheNugeIsHuge

Trade anyone on your top 6. Your team is not balanced. You need a number one goaltender. You need a true number one defenseman and you need more grit on the top 6.

You need good veterans to teach young guns how to become veterans.

You won't adress your needs with Paajarvi or other prospects.

Get use to it or suck for 5 years. Oilers need to be good now because they will not afford to sign all your top six in 2-3 years.

Saying trade Hall is like saying trade Price. Why we would EDM trade their best player? It would only make them worse.

But if MON wants to win the cup, they have to trade one of Galchenyuk, Subban, or Price.
- TheNugeIsHuge

See, we won't trade those because we got one in front, one in defense and one in net.

That's balanced. Others are good but will be supporting cast. That's balanced.

What i'm telling you is trading one of your top 6 and the first round pick would put you as strong contender. What do you prefer. Continue to watch impressive talent and win nothing or watch a little bit less impressive talent and possibly win a cup.

Richard, you continually write in your blogs that the Oilers need to acquire a power forward who can immediately step into the Top 6. The need for a winger who has size and physicality but can also bring goal scoring, these guys are hard to come by and they rarely come cheap. You always start by saying player X,Y,Z are untouchable and proceed to throw out mediocre deals trying to acquire top talent. I understand improving your team without giving up talent, but in certain cases it is necessary.

As for the lack of depth on the bottom 6, I think a lot of it has to do with a coaches system. Loading up with bottom 6 wingers is going to do a team no good unless they have a system in place for those players to thrive in. I do not see that system in place in Edm. In the case of the Bruins, Claude Julien has a defensive minded system that allows for his top 6 to play a more offensive role because the emphasis is put on the bottom 6 to play a more shut down role. Not only do the Top 6 forwards play an offensive role but they are also held accountable for their defensive responsibilities, and I think that breeds success within a team. I could be wrong but it seems like in Edm the top 2 lines are just put out their to score which then puts the pressure on the bottom 6 to pick up the slack defensively. Again I could be wrong and correct me if I am.

Trade anyone on your top 6. Your team is not balanced. You need a number one goaltender. You need a true number one defenseman and you need more grit on the top 6.

You need good veterans to teach young guns how to become veterans.

You won't adress your needs with Paajarvi or other prospects.

Get use to it or suck for 5 years. Oilers need to be good now because they will not afford to sign all your top six in 2-3 years.
- soad_live

Amazing how MON's had a good start and now their fans are the experts on constructing dynasties.

Also Dubnyk's SV% is 13th in the league for goalies that have played over 10 games. Don't know what constitutes a #1 goalie I guess.

Trade anyone on your top 6. Your team is not balanced. You need a number one goaltender. You need a true number one defenseman and you need more grit on the top 6.

You need good veterans to teach young guns how to become veterans.

You won't adress your needs with Paajarvi or other prospects.

Get use to it or suck for 5 years. Oilers need to be good now because they will not afford to sign all your top six in 2-3 years.
- soad_live

And as for a #1 D man. Markov plays the most minutes in MON, and he's brutal.