How is Gagner not a #2-caliber center? This bewilders me. He's got point totals in the 40's for 5 straight years all before turning 23, then had 38 points in 48 games this past season at 23 years of age. I don't know how some Oilers fans see him as so expendable. We'll take him on Long Island if you don't want him.
- isles10289

I've supported him for a while but he kinda rode some luck this year while more or less regressing defensively. I don't wanna throw him away or anything, but he's one the few non-untouchables that has any worth in a trade and at best he's RNH-lite.

Hemsky+ for Vanek. I'm willing to bet Vanek in a constract year will do something productive.
- oj4lif3

Vanek has way more value then hemsky, they're rebuilding so they want our 7th...it would be Vanek buf 2ndn 5th for hemsky n the 7th overall. not sure if I do that

I've supported him for a while but he kinda rode some luck this year while more or less regressing defensively. I don't wanna throw him away or anything, but he's one the few non-untouchables that has any worth in a trade and at best he's RNH-lite.
- Jack-artist

Anybody who can put up 49 points at 18 years old shouldn't be so expendable. He might have value, but when he's scoring 75 points a year in a few years, it's going to look quite bad for EDM.

It's as if having other more talented forwards on the roster somehow makes Gagner less talented. That is not true. He might have value, but that's because he's 23 years old and teams know he's only going to start putting up more points as he gets into his mid-to-late 20's (aka prime years).

Vanek has way more value then hemsky, they're rebuilding so they want our 7th...it would be Vanek buf 2ndn 5th for hemsky n the 7th overall. not sure if I do that
- DrinkOil

I don't think Buffalo would trade Vanek for Hemsky and the 7th pick (if that's even what you were proposing (hard to read)). They can probably get more for a guy who had over a point a game last year and was on pace for over 40 goals.

It fills two holes, actually. Weiss brings a solid two-way game and faceoff prowess to the table that Gagner doesn't and also covers the need for a veteran presence that has some leadership experience. I'd love to have him assuming we could grab a few other upgrades to our team. If I may, I'd like to suggest this as a logical setup for our forwards:

Hall- Weiss- Yakupov
Bickell/MacArthur/Penner/Morrow- Nuge- Eberle
Paajarvi- Zubrus- Larose
Smyth/Hartikainen/Richardson- Hendricks/Gordon/Santorelli- Brown

To summarize my thoughts:

- Weiss would likely be an acquisition that would facilitate the trading of Gagner and would likely carry around a $4 million cap hit for at least 4 years.

- One of Bickell ($3-3.5m for 4), MacArthur ($2-2.5m for 2), Penner ($2.5-3m for 2), or Morrow ($1.5-2.5m for 3) would fill a need for a top-9 winger. Most of them play fairly physical games that are complimented by a fairly solid set of skills. Bickell is likely to be this year's Penner, but on a longer deal. Morrow brings leadership, winning attitude, and a mentor for Hartikainen.

- Adding Zubrus ($2-2.5m for 2) and Larose ($1.5-2m for 4) to the 3rd line facilitates the need for two-way veteran presences with winning attitudes on the 3rd line and will both help mentor Paajarvi on the in-and-outs of the game. There aren't many 3Cs available this FA period else I'd have suggested more. Trades are always an option, though!

- The 4th line explains itself. It's just a gathering of gritty, defensively-capable forwards capable of playing more minutes if needed (save for Brown). Gordon in particular was playing well with 3C minutes in PHX this past season. Hopefully we can push Hartikainen (and Lander) down for one more year until he's more complete defensively.

Thoughts?
- MaximumBone

the team makes sense, but your adding tonne of ufa's; like 6 man, that's completely unprecedented for this team. so a bonafide pipe dream. did you know you can mail drugs rather easily? of course you do , my bad

Horcoff has 2yrs left at 5.5mil cap hit...
And don't go bashing yet...would someone like Komisarek fit in as a 6th or 7th d-man with the Oil? His contract is done at the end of this coming season. So he would only be a 1yr experiment, maybe a change of scenery would help him...his cap hit is $4.5mil, Oil saves $1mil this year towards cap, and $5.5mil next year.
What about Horcoff and a pick/prospect for Komisarek, and Leafs buy out Horcoff?
- BoBBeR56

I don't that Komisarek does fill a need for us. It could be a win/win situation, but with N. Schultz, Smid and Petry already as defensive d types, and no indication that Komi would be better at this point than Mark Fistric, I think the oilers would pass.

Anybody who can put up 49 points at 18 years old shouldn't be so expendable. He might have value, but when he's scoring 75 points a year in a few years, it's going to look quite bad for EDM.

It's as if having other more talented forwards on the roster somehow makes Gagner less talented. That is not true. He might have value, but that's because he's 23 years old and teams know he's only going to start putting up more points as he gets into his mid-to-late 20's (aka prime years).
- isles10289

it's as if having a bunch of small kids already with far greater talent makes him more expendable, (frank) me right?

How is Gagner not a #2-caliber center? This bewilders me. He's got point totals in the 40's for 5 straight years all before turning 23, then had 38 points in 48 games this past season at 23 years of age. I don't know how some Oilers fans see him as so expendable. We'll take him on Long Island if you don't want him.
- isles10289

I agree. There are some things that he needs to do to get better, but I noticed better skating from him this year and he shouldered more defensive responsibility with some success. Not saying they won't trade him, but I think he could be a good #2 centre down the road.

First... What do I win???
- HouseArrest187

A kick square in the nuts or a hummer from laughs sister

I don't think Buffalo would trade Vanek for Hemsky and the 7th pick (if that's even what you were proposing (hard to read)). They can probably get more for a guy who had over a point a game last year and was on pace for over 40 goals.
- isles10289

it's getting there, but who knows, vanek is type cast as a scorer, who's not clutch, at 7mil, he's not an elite player overall. so easy on his value

the team makes sense, but your adding tonne of ufa's; like 6 man, that's completely unprecedented for this team. so a bonafide pipe dream. did you know you can mail drugs rather easily? of course you do , my bad
- DrinkOil

My latest unnecessarily long comment is brought to you by Ritalin and Nyquil

But in all seriousness, that many FA additions is what it's gonna take to fill in our line-up after Hemsky and/or Horcoff see their way out. It would be different and unlikely to get all those guys, but not unprecedented.

A kick square in the nuts or a hummer from laughs sister
- Lahey

How bout both... At the same time.

If McT could pull these deals off, he'd be the new mayor of edmonton.

In all seriousness though, (at the risk of sounding like a homer and potentially beating a dead horse), but the oilers are one of the few teams that could financially and player-wise offer a legit package to Nashville for Weber.

Klefblom (sorry RC!), 2014 first round pick, 2014 second round pick Horcoff and Hemsky.

Hemsky rides shotgun with young Forsberg and Horc can protect Forsberg, Spaling and Smith from some of the tough minutes (like he's done here). Maybe one of the three gets sent back to Milwaukee?

I know we have to wait until July 24 for Webber to be eligible for a trade (risky), but we could do it.
- unkydav

You forgot to put Nuge, Hall, Eberle or yak in the deal.

the team makes sense, but your adding tonne of ufa's; like 6 man, that's completely unprecedented for this team. so a bonafide pipe dream. did you know you can mail drugs rather easily? of course you do , my bad
- DrinkOil

Potter, Hordi, Eager, Belanger, Petrell. No that unprecendented

You forgot to put Nuge, Hall, Eberle or yak in the deal.
- rmdevil313

Well if we are getting Malkin- then that makes Nuge expendable IMO...

In 2011, Toronto traded a 30th and 39th for a 22nd. Ottawa traded a 35th and 48th for a 24th.

In 2010, NYI sent 35th and 58th for a 30th. Montreal used a 27th and a 57th for a 22nd and 113th.

Sufficed to say heck yeah our two 2nds and Hemsky could get us a pick in the late teens. Especially if it was a cap floor team like Columbus (19th)
- Morris

I like it Morris. If this draft is anything close to 2003 (as all the pundits would have us believe), we need as many first round bullets in our gun as possible. Rychel, Compher could fill that nasty 3rd liner role in time.

how do people not realize that Bozak is Horcoff from a few years back. If he gets 5.5M, he's gonna be a buyout candidate 3-4 years from now.

Also Pysyk is a blue chip prospect. No way BUF deals him away

I think if Monohan is still there at 7 (and the Oilers still own that pick) they have to take him. If there's one thing the Oilers are in need of is a true #2 Centre. Dont get me wrong, I like Gagner and like what he brings offensively but he's not a #2. The Oilers dont need to draft another D at 7. We can all name lots of D prospects in the system who can work their way into the line up but can you name one prospect currently owned by the Oilers who fits the #2C, or even the #3C slot? Mark Arcobello?? Come on, seriously.

Do the right thing MacT, take your big skilled C with that pick and start building the middle to go with the plethora of skilled wingers on the roster.
- Axeman33

Gagner was 16th in C scoring this year. 16 is not in the top 60. Not a 2C.

Pretty sure Nashvill would tell us to piss off after they finished laughing hysterically.
- Jeropotato

You're probably right. Too many beers on the patio I guess.

how do people not realize that Bozak is Horcoff from a few years back. If he gets 5.5M, he's gonna be a buyout candidate 3-4 years from now.

Also Pysyk is a blue chip prospect. No way BUF deals him away
- TheNugeIsHuge

Agreed about Bozak. If the Oilers drop Horcoff and use that money on Bozak, I'm going to flip!

Edmonton dont have value unless they trade eberle, hall, rnh, schultz or yakupov, lets be honest even paarjarvi barely has trade value.

Hemsky + Horcoff give me a break, one year left on hemsky's contract and horcoff is pretty much the new scott gomez.

Agreed about Bozak. If the Oilers drop Horcoff and use that money on Bozak, I'm going to flip!
- Morris

when Horc signed his deal, he had a better PPG and better underlying stats than Bozak does right now.

Only positive difference for bozak is Bozak is 27 and Horc was 30

Edmonton dont have value unless they trade eberle, hall, rnh, schultz or yakupov, lets be honest even paarjarvi barely has trade value.

Hemsky + Horcoff give me a break, one year left on hemsky's contract and horcoff is pretty much the new scott gomez.
- walek

Holy poop... Horcoff is 5 times better than Gomez was/is the last 3 years... lets at least be (frank)ing rational here...

Edmonton dont have value unless they trade eberle, hall, rnh, schultz or yakupov, lets be honest even paarjarvi barely has trade value.

Hemsky + Horcoff give me a break, one year left on hemsky's contract and horcoff is pretty much the new scott gomez.
- walek

lol. He said Horcoff has negative value. But yes EDM has value in things like the 7th overall, Klefbom, Marincin, Musil. Wouldn't bring in a #1 Dman, but it could surely bring in impact players.

Holy poop... Horcoff is 5 times better than Gomez was/is... lets at least be (frank)ing rational here...
- saskoil21

lmao fair enough but the oil needs to do something, Gomez example prob not the best one lol, way too many young players currently playing.

The Florida Panthers are slowly developing there prospects and it's probably going to turn out better down there. As well as Minnesota.