And aside from that, I thought I read Raanta wanted to go to a team that can offer him a chance at becoming the starter? I wouldn't normally stick up for Corey Crawford, but his playoff stats are pretty good.

What I think happened is Raanta wants to win a cup, even if he's sitting on the bench when it happens. Understandable, sorta?

See, you don't understand Antti Raanta. He's competitive as hell, he believes he can play and take the starter position.

I still think Petry+ would have a lot of value around the league because of his contract. Issue would be making sure we actually get someone better than him back.
- Lahey

Keep Petry forever. He's a guy that can play heavy minutes when the top D men are injured or having an off night. Also judging by his contract, he's a pretty reasonable guy and won't likely demand too much next year.

Packaged? With what?
- mochoson

Fudge

I think the simple fact is we have a lot of assets. We also have 2 firsts this year to go along with next year's picks which should be on the table.
- Lahey

Yeah true, I don't need to follow a specific formula.

(frank), at the time of the Kessel trade people were laughing at how low a return two 1sts and a 2nd got them. Gotta figure two 1sts and two 2nds (if MacT was feeling ballsy) would get you a pretty good frigging player

I think the simple fact is we have a lot of assets. We also have 2 firsts this year to go along with next year's picks which should be on the table.
- Lahey

We have 2 firsts this year? What the hell did I miss?

We have 2 firsts this year? What the hell did I miss?
- Jeropotato

Ah (frank) meant 2nds.

We have 2 firsts this year? What the hell did I miss?
- Jeropotato

I think he's saying on account of our two high 2nds that we could get back into the 1st round if we want.

Ah (frank) meant 2nds.
- Lahey

Or did I?

Ah (frank) meant 2nds.
- Lahey

or that.

or that.
- Morris

I don't envy Mac T....what do you think is more important,drafting and developing future players,drafting an immediate impact player (again),or asquiring players to improve the club for the 2013-14 season?

I don't envy Mac T....what do you think is more important,drafting and developing future players,drafting an immediate impact player (again),or asquiring players to improve the club for the 2013-14 season?
- Jeropotato

Is there really an answer for this?

In a perfect world you get lucky and get a homerun like how Couturier or Skinner came in and stepped up early, but we can't get greedy can we.

My 12 bold Predictions:

1) Edmonton can't find a suitor for Ales Hemsky,therefore he remains an Oiler for at least the start of the season.
2)Klefbom is overwhelmed and/or outperformed by Belov and another rookie D, and goes down to OKC at about the 12 game mark.
3)Horcoff is not bought out and remains an Oiler for at least 2013-14.
4)Ryan Smyth gets off to a pretty good start,but is scratched by Chritmas...sometime in February he announces his retirement and finishes the season in another capacity.
5) Oilers use the 7th pick to take the BPA at the draft.Whomever that is, he gets sent down before 9 pro games.
6) Mac T overpays,slightly, for 2 free agents (top 6 fwd,top 4 D).
7) Oilers sign a career back up for a case of beer and 2 packs of smokes.
8)Oilers sign a couple has been bottom 6 forwards...who have huge bounce back seasons.
9) Oilers make the playoff's on the last day of the season.
10)Oilers get swept in the 1st round, and some player from the other team makes a bold prediction that praises the Oilers and where they are headed, using some standard hockeyspeak cliches.
11) Cloutier will say he predicted all of the above at some point or another.
12)Cloutier will threaten to quit hockey buzz....but ofcourse,like herpes, will keep coming back.
- Jeropotato

I throw a flag on the field. 12 is not a prediction. That is like predicting the sun will come up in the future. Doesn't count

I am going to try this with yours
1. Hemsky does get stuck with the team. They find they can't get a top 6 forward and keep hemsky who plays a career year with Eberle and gagner. Oilers resign him for peanuts before the trade deadline.
2. Klefbom is injured before the 7th game and doesn't come back till the end of the season.
3. Horcoff is bought out and signed by Florida for 2.5 mill per season.
4. Ryan Smyth gets alternated into the roster complains so much that they bench him and he rides out the rest of the season in the press box.
5. Oilers trade up in the draft with Carolina and select BPA (Monahan most likely).
6. MacT does over pay for dman Mark Streit and 3 bottom 6 forwards with size. Rajala is given full chance to make the team at the start during exhibition and during injuries.
7. Oilers Sign Nabokov as backup and a career backup to play starter in the AHL
8. Oilers sign 3 players for the bottom 6. Big guys with potential or average career stats. Guys like Stalberg, Zubrus, Bickel, Antropov, Nystrom, Cleary...
9. Oilers make the playoffs in the last couple weeks but not the last day.
10. Oilers upset the team they face first round and go out in 5 games in the second.
11. I agree with 11.

Is there really an answer for this?

In a perfect world you get lucky and get a homerun like how Couturier or Skinner came in and stepped up early, but we can't get greedy can we.
- Lahey

I still have a feeling Mac T is going to pull off something that nobody saw coming,or has been shot down by a million posters who seem to know that "_____team isn't going to trade that guy".Kinda like the Pronger trade.

I don't envy Mac T....what do you think is more important,drafting and developing future players,drafting an immediate impact player (again),or asquiring players to improve the club for the 2013-14 season?
- Jeropotato

I think he has the ability to draft 1 high end player that can compete for a current roster spot. Gamble with a couple okay later picks. Who might make the team after next year if we are lucky (at best). Then acquiring UFA's to improve the club now. We have no assets of value to trade. So trading whitney's rights to Boston and Habby's rights to NYI might work out. NYI needs a starter and a back up and Habby would be a cheap backup for them. Boston wants on offensive dman. They traded for Redden. They learned that was a mistake and his contract is up. They can't afford an amazing dman so whitney would be a good pick. Plus they can't afford to resign horton. This will let us get the jump on 2 good pieces.

Getting Horton signed before the draft allows us to trade Hemsky a piece that might help us move up. Nashville might take a look at him as they have wanted a winger that can play for a while. Hemsky plus might move us 3 spots. Or Phoenix needs to get a whole team signed. Or Gagner can be traded, Hall moved to center if Hemsky doesn't move.

In the end he has to do both and can do both. He will get nothing for pick 7 that is useable for this year. Trading up a few spots shouldn't be too pricy. We have d prospects and Nick we can part with. So an impact player and UFAs. Only way to improve the team.

I throw a flag on the field. 12 is not a prediction. That is like predicting the sun will come up in the future. Doesn't count

I am going to try this with yours
1. Hemsky does get stuck with the team. They find they can't get a top 6 forward and keep hemsky who plays a career year with Eberle and gagner. Oilers resign him for peanuts before the trade deadline.
2. Klefbom is injured before the 7th game and doesn't come back till the end of the season.
3. Horcoff is bought out and signed by Florida for 2.5 mill per season.
4. Ryan Smyth gets alternated into the roster complains so much that they bench him and he rides out the rest of the season in the press box.
5. Oilers trade up in the draft with Carolina and select BPA (Monahan most likely).
6. MacT does over pay for dman Mark Streit and 3 bottom 6 forwards with size. Rajala is given full chance to make the team at the start during exhibition and during injuries.
7. Oilers Sign Nabokov as backup and a career backup to play starter in the AHL
8. Oilers sign 3 players for the bottom 6. Big guys with potential or average career stats. Guys like Stalberg, Zubrus, Bickel, Antropov, Nystrom, Cleary...
9. Oilers make the playoffs in the last couple weeks but not the last day.
10. Oilers upset the team they face first round and go out in 5 games in the second.
11. I agree with 11.
- bsteinley

At the end of the day...none of us really know.

Still pretty sure Tampa, Florida or Colorado would take the trade. MacT just needs to ask. And like I said, if it's not enough and throw in Belanger or whoever. As long as they're nhl ready. All those teams have come out and said that they need NHL ready players. I'm sure they'd take two nhl ready players over a second round pick. Pretty much benifits everyone in the end.
- mbxiphos1527

Nobody wants Belanger, he has absolutely zero value & Hemsky doesn't have much more.

A guy that never stays healthy is worth nothing & again, that's why he's still an Oiler.

I think he has the ability to draft 1 high end player that can compete for a current roster spot. Gamble with a couple okay later picks. Who might make the team after next year if we are lucky (at best). Then acquiring UFA's to improve the club now. We have no assets of value to trade. So trading whitney's rights to Boston and Habby's rights to NYI might work out. NYI needs a starter and a back up and Habby would be a cheap backup for them. Boston wants on offensive dman. They traded for Redden. They learned that was a mistake and his contract is up. They can't afford an amazing dman so whitney would be a good pick. Plus they can't afford to resign horton. This will let us get the jump on 2 good pieces.

Getting Horton signed before the draft allows us to trade Hemsky a piece that might help us move up. Nashville might take a look at him as they have wanted a winger that can play for a while. Hemsky plus might move us 3 spots. Or Phoenix needs to get a whole team signed. Or Gagner can be traded, Hall moved to center if Hemsky doesn't move.

In the end he has to do both and can do both. He will get nothing for pick 7 that is useable for this year. Trading up a few spots shouldn't be too pricy. We have d prospects and Nick we can part with. So an impact player and UFAs. Only way to improve the team.
- bsteinley

I don't see Hall being moved to center.It's possible, but I don't see it as any sort of business plan, unless they try him out while Nuge recovers and goes from there.Either way, he has to prove it before they move Gagner.

Nobody wants Belanger, he has absolutely zero value & Hemsky doesn't have much more.

A guy that never stays healthy is worth nothing & again, that's why he's still an Oiler.
- newmy

Guys like belanger have negative value. We would have to trade Belanger and a 4th for a 7th or something.

Guys like belanger have negative value. We would have to trade Belanger and a 4th for a 7th or something.
- Jeropotato

Guys like belanger have negative value. We would have to trade Belanger and a 4th for a 7th or something.
- Jeropotato

I feel like MacT could use Edmonton's perceived...ahem...dumbness as an organization to his advantage here.

Act like Belanger's still the 35 point player he was, and that we just colossally misused him (as usual). Insinuate that he wasn't happy with the trainers or the media (something that looks like our fault)

They'll think they're getting him for a song by trading a 3rd round pick and we'll be happy to get rid of him.

We would probably have to give Horton 7 mill a year to play here.

Might be worth it if he stays healthy. 7 mill, 2 years? Assuming he's not looking for an 8 year contract.

We would probably have to give Horton 7 mill a year to play here.

Might be worth it if he stays healthy. 7 mill, 2 years? Assuming he's not looking for an 8 year contract.
- ystoil

Uhhh...that is too steep...even if he has been good in the playoffs

Uhhh...that is too steep...even if he has been good in the playoffs
- Jeropotato

I don't disagree but remember hemsky, horcoff, Belanger, and khabbi are or may be coming off te books. We could make it work. Not like we are in cap trouble.

We would probably have to give Horton 7 mill a year to play here.

Might be worth it if he stays healthy. 7 mill, 2 years? Assuming he's not looking for an 8 year contract.
- ystoil

Then what happens when Nuge outscores him and needs his contract re-upped next year?

where are the pens fans to tell me how superb of a goalie MAF is again??

overrated since draft day