Damn just when I have to cut grass this evening something like this happens!! It's an awesome surprise- I am very impressed with MacT...

Now go sign us some players tomorrow!!

Cullen and Scuderi would be great value. Would love Ference too.
- TheTaoOfSemenko

I hope, for the Oilers sake, that by the deadline this year they'll know enough of what they have and who will be what to make a move to try and trade for some beef like Clifford. With Brown needing a new deal next season I don't know if they can really retain him for any significant dollar value and he has the potential to become that Ryan Clowe/Ryan Malone/Drew Stafford with balls/Bickell kind of guy.

Also, I can't wait for Chicago to be playing 3 scrubs at center next year after an injury hits and Bickell is making 4mil on their 4th line.

I like both Clowe and Clarkson as 2nd liners. Problem is they are going to get paid like 1st liners.

MacAurthur is 3rd liner at best.
- Iggysbff

he scores at similar or better rates than those two "2nd liners" but he's at best a 3rd liner? I dont buy that.

I hope, for the Oilers sake, that by the deadline this year they'll know enough of what they have and who will be what to make a move to try and trade for some beef like Clifford. With Brown needing a new deal next season I don't know if they can really retain him for any significant dollar value and he has the potential to become that Ryan Clowe/Ryan Malone/Drew Stafford with balls/Bickell kind of guy.

Also, I can't wait for Chicago to be playing 3 scrubs at center next year after an injury hits and Bickell is making 4mil on their 4th line.
- DTF69

Huge Fan of Clifford, Ive been saying PRV for Clifford

Clowe on the 2nd line. MacArthur on the 3rd with Gordon and PRV, Then Lapierre on the 4th with Jonesy and Brown?
- Killbot460

Jones sucks. Lapierre sucks. Brown sucks.

Jones is a goal-suck and while he forechecks pretty well he's still not very good at hockey.

Lapierre could never take advantage of Vancouver's depth issues at center and outside of like the odd 7 game stretch was a pretty unremarkable 4th line centre.

Brown handles the puck like Jason Smith, has the hockey sense of Eric Belanger in 3 years but punches faces so I guess he's super valuable.

I'd love to have Clowe or Clarkson if you buy low on either but that's not going to happen so I'm pretty skeptical of dishing out pretty big contracts to them. Might as well just sign penner on the cheap and get eakins to take him on bike-a-thons all summer.

I'm hoping he is the Oilers #1 target
- robin_steele264

Me too. (frank) Cockburn when we can have Ference for free

Richard Cloutier: Horcoff to Dallas - Oilers Didn't Eat Salary
- Maxbone

Haven't signed Gags yet hmmm... Give Hall the C and consider moving him to Center to play with Yaks and find two bigger LWs.

New Beast 1/ Nuge/ Ebs
New Beast 2/ Hall/ Yaks

Pretty attractive for UFAs to come when the opportunity is to play on those line combos.

Haven't signed Gags yet hmmm... Give Hall the C and consider moving him to Center to play with Yaks and find two bigger LWs.

New Beast 1/ Nuge/ Ebs
New Beast 2/ Hall/ Yaks

Pretty attractive for UFAs to come when the opportunity is to play on those line combos.
- redwolf

Everything Hall does well would be negated by a move to centre. He's great because he backs off the opposing defence with fast breaks and FINALLY last year he learned to mix up his zone entries so he wasn't so damn predictable. Moving him to centre could negate that quite easily as he is starting deeper in his own zone.

Plus, there aren't very many lines in the NHL that have shooting centre's that aren't blackholes for linemates.

Yes, that's why I've been begging the Oilers all week to buy him out. Because I knew they would.

Use your head.
- Maxbone

Just stop with the "I have a source" tripe Clouts.

Sorry I had to be that direct, you seemed to miss what teh (frank) I was getting at.

Your cousin Tim is no more informed than you are. He is not a source.

Clowe on the 2nd line. MacArthur on the 3rd with Gordon and PRV, Then Lapierre on the 4th with Jonesy and Brown?
- Killbot460

Why Gordon of all people? Much rather have Cleary, Antropov, Cervenka, Grabovski... to name a few.

Why Gordon of all people? Much rather have Cleary, Antropov, Cervenka, Grabovski... to name a few.
- Hall Fan

guy got grit.

Why Gordon of all people? Much rather have Cleary, Antropov, Cervenka, Grabovski... to name a few.
- Hall Fan

Don't think many others would come, and Gordon is a solid defensive player that i have a hard on for

Dubinsky has a terrible contract and he had a terrible year last season. He is their third/fourth line center. He only played good minutes because Columbus had a bunch of centers injured all at once. I had him in my hockey pool and I followed him closely. The guy is NOT a favorite for Columbus management. I am sure they would love to shed his 4.2 mil. He might find his game again in Edmonton but there are numerous UFA's that can fit our third line. Why trade for Hemsky for him.

I hope Edmonton comes out tomorrow with an offer sheet on Pietralgelo or Rask. Offer Piet 6 mill and he costs us our first 3 picks next year. Then we can trade Hemsky for a pick or two. Plus that might make another of our dmen disposable. However St. Louis would have to match. Then we can do the same thing to Stewart on a 5 year deal. Take a WC team right out of the UFA market. Or we can go after Tanev from VAN. He played really well last year. They need him. We sign him to a 3 mil a year contract and that leaves them with 4 mil to sign 5 players. Or 3.5 mil to Muzzin Leaves LA with 2.5 mil to sign players with. Or 4 mil to Marcus Johansson would make Washington have to meet and put them under the gun. Or 5 mil for Stepan.

I am all for an offer sheet. You know they are going to do it to us.
- Hall Fan

How come you don't use your Steinley account anymore?

Everything Hall does well would be negated by a move to centre. He's great because he backs off the opposing defence with fast breaks and FINALLY last year he learned to mix up his zone entries so he wasn't so damn predictable. Moving him to centre could negate that quite easily as he is starting deeper in his own zone.

Plus, there aren't very many lines in the NHL that have shooting centre's that aren't blackholes for linemates.
- DTF69

Moving him to center could help his health. I like his rush but he is so recluse. he is always on the ice, getting hit or falling in an awkward way. only a matter of time till a serious injury. Center could turn him into a better more durable player

Why Gordon of all people? Much rather have Cleary, Antropov, Cervenka, Grabovski... to name a few.
- Hall Fan

Cheap, solid defensively, he would preferably anchor the 4th line.

Richard Cloutier: Horcoff to Dallas - Oilers Didn't Eat Salary
- Maxbone

wouldn;t it be at worst he's a 6dman and at best he plays in the ahl?

Cheap, solid defensively, he would preferably anchor the 4th line.
- Jack-artist

I like Zack Smith as well, I know he's not the best defence first center out there. But we could use his grit and speed.

How come you don't use your Steinley account anymore?
- Ihatebrianburke

Same account. I just didn't want to use my last name anymore. Easier professionally if I am on the web for only business related things.

wouldn;t it be at worst he's a 6dman and at best he plays in the ahl?
- derm10

Pretty much. He is Taylor Chorney. It seems like he was more of an add in because MacT let half the farms defence (frank) off because they (frank)ing sucked

Moving him to center could help his health. I like his rush but he is so recluse. he is always on the ice, getting hit or falling in an awkward way. only a matter of time till a serious injury. Center could turn him into a better more durable player
- theireland

He drastically improved that this past year.

I like Zack Smith as well, I know he's not the best defence first center out there. But we could use his grit and speed.
- Killbot460

He can play in his own end, so i wouldnt mind him.

Cheap, solid defensively, he would preferably anchor the 4th line.
- Jack-artist

I can see the fourth line but not the third. We need someone that can keep up with Paajarvi.

NEW Guy/ J Schultz
Ference/Petry
Belov/ Smid or Schultz
Potter or Klef
- Iggysbff

Just don't see them putting a $3.5MM Dman on the 3rd pairing, or Klefbom
at Benchwarmer.

Smid/ J.Schultz
Ference/ Petry
Belov / Klefbom or N.Schultz
Potter

Or some combo of this group. Young, fast Defense that will take time to work.

wouldn;t it be at worst he's a 6dman and at best he plays in the ahl?
- derm10

The real value is the cap savings for the next two years