funny watching the latest episode of oil change last night...everything mact and eakins says about work ethic, high compete level, top fitness condition... all talk.
- deks1

Trade Hall. He will have the best return and won't bring as much to the table as nuge and eberle in the future. Yak not sure about him yet.

funny watching the latest episode of oil change last night...everything mact and eakins says about work ethic, high compete level, top fitness condition... all talk.
- deks1

I didn't see it... but (frank) the talk, it is time to walk

Watch the leafs play. Watch the canucks play. They go hard to the net, get gritty on the boards and EARN their space.

They need a couple of "untouchables" to go so they can make a statement.

Trade Hall. He will have the best return and won't bring as much to the table as nuge and eberle in the future. Yak not sure about him yet.
- Pikey Fan

I think the only player I wouldn't move is Nuge, just because the lack of center depth.

They need to look at a team that is struggling and make a move that could help both teams.

I can see the Flyers and Sabres as trade partners.

For now i'm watching the leafs. Even bought the NHLCI to watch the leafs, and Blues play

Trade Hall. He will have the best return and won't bring as much to the table as nuge and eberle in the future. Yak not sure about him yet.
- Pikey Fan

I didn't see it... but (frank) the talk, it is time to walk

Watch the leafs play. Watch the canucks play. They go hard to the net, get gritty on the boards and EARN their space.

They need a couple of "untouchables" to go so they can make a statement.
- Killbot460

They need someone to beat the poop out of the untouchables

Trade Hall. He will have the best return and won't bring as much to the table as nuge and eberle in the future. Yak not sure about him yet.
- Pikey Fan

yeah no.

"alright guys we are struggling hugely. we have a lot of young pieces and redundant skill.
but lets deal our best player by a mile at present, a guy who carrys the play, is willing to engage physically and possess a unique skill set".


bottom line is we have make a big move involving one of the kids, it's one of eberle or yakupov.

Trade Hall. He will have the best return and won't bring as much to the table as nuge and eberle in the future. Yak not sure about him yet.
- Pikey Fan

i'd keep nuge and hall. everybody is up for play.

Perfect blog, 100% correct.

The only exceptions I would make would maybe be Taylor Hall, who really does go pretty kamikaze at times. He would go through the net and through the boards if he had to I think. Smid seems to really care also, whether he is skilled or defensively sound might be another story, but I see his passion.

Yaks
J.Schultz
Eberle

Ship them out and let them dangle somewhere else please. Eberle has some serious skills, but they would be better utilized on a team that can protect him, this team can`t.

I`m also thuroughly annoyed with Ference and his celery and broccoli attitude. I want a captain that eats meat and when he hasn`t been fed enough...he`ll eat YOU too. THAT`S the captain these kids need.

for example, I was at a restaurant in Quebec City years ago when the world championships were there. I had a superb steak that I would say was probably 16, maybe even 18oz. it was big. The waiter said to me, "so, how'd you like it? Was it big enough?" (I'm 6'4" 240) "yeah, it was great I said, I think I'm actually full".

"Well" he said "Ovechkin was here last night and had 4 of them!" THAT is what I want on my team. Ference is such a little f....g and Eakins surely picked him because of his dedication to fitness. How about some dedication and hugner for winning. Remember Dale Hunter after Turgeon scored on them? After the goal Hunter was so upset that he nearly took Turgeon's head off after the goal celebration...he took a suspension for it too. It wasn't the smartest thing to do but it showed his passion. He HATED that he got scored on.

I want guys like that on my team.

1st and 2nd lines were decent before the past week, while the 3rd and 4th lines are filled with AHL types. The losing is a combined product of our best players not stepping up, and the rest just not being good enough to pick up the slack. This team had no where near the defensive conscience they need among their forwards going into the season, and unless they were able to fix that or add some solid veterans instead of hoping on some maybes they were never going to achieve the success we assumed they could.

Gordon's the only type of player like that on the team. Perron sort of, RNH is getting there, Hall's effort is generally there but he's not always the smartest player. Hemsky and Eberle are on and off, Yakupov never has been good defensively but he's young enough to learn, and Gagner has been relatively weak without the puck for years now.

The rest are too old (smyth), too injured/unproven (Joensuu/Pitlick), too high in the lineup (Jones, even Arco), or too limited (pretty much the whole 4th line + MacIntyre).

The defense isn't great, but they could use a lot more help than they're currently getting, or have been getting for the past couple seasons.

- nagasadow

Point wise Nuge will be better.

Leadership and clutch Eberle is the man! I didn't say Hall sucked just that he would bring in the best return to what you give up long term.

Explaining why you disagree would be more constructive than little emoticons. But intellect does take effort. If you want one english sentence would be a start.

i'd keep nuge and hall. everybody is up for play.
- deks1

Yeah those two are the closest to untouchable for me. Perron might not be as good as Yak or Eberle, but we don't have anyone else like him so he should stay too.

Perfect blog, 100% correct.

The only exceptions I would make would maybe be Taylor Hall, who really does go pretty kamikaze at times. He would go through the net and through the boards if he had to I think. Smid seems to really care also, whether he is skilled or defensively sound might be another story, but I see his passion.

Yaks
J.Schultz
Eberle

Ship them out and let them dangle somewhere else please. Eberle has some serious skills, but they would be better utilized on a team that can protect him, this team can`t.

I`m also thuroughly annoyed with Ference and his celery and broccoli attitude. I want a captain that eats meat and when he hasn`t been fed enough...he`ll eat YOU too. THAT`S the captain these kids need.

for example, I was at a restaurant in Quebec City years ago when the world championships were there. I had a superb steak that I would say was probably 16, maybe even 18oz. it was big. The waiter said to me, "so, how'd you like it? Was it big enough?" (I'm 6'4" 240) "yeah, it was great I said, I think I'm actually full".

"Well" he said "Ovechkin was here last night and had 4 of them!" THAT is what I want on my team. Ference is such a little f....g and Eakins surely picked him because of his dedication to fitness. How about some dedication and hugner for winning. Remember Dale Hunter after Turgeon scored on them? After the goal Hunter was so upset that he nearly took Turgeon's head off after the goal celebration...he took a suspension for it too. It wasn't the smartest thing to do but it showed his passion. He HATED that he got scored on.

I want guys like that on my team.
- JLO961

To me Jason Smith (Gator) was one of the best D Captains the Oil had.

yeah no.

"alright guys we are struggling hugely. we have a lot of young pieces and redundant skill.
but lets deal our best player by a mile at present, a guy who carrys the play, is willing to engage physically and possess a unique skill set".


bottom line is we have make a big move involving one of the kids, it's one of eberle or yakupov.
- hugefemale dog77

Fair enough. You guys watch them play a hell of lot more than me.

Yeah those two are the closest to untouchable for me. Perron might not be as good as Yak or Eberle, but we don't have anyone else like him so he should stay too.
- Jack-artist

i like perron. he is signed at a good number.

They need someone to beat the poop out of the untouchables
- nagasadow

Brian McGrattan

Brian McGrattan


- Killbot460

I'm sure MacIntyre could do the job if they wanted to.

Point wise Nuge will be better.

Leadership and clutch Eberle is the man! I didn't say Hall sucked just that he would bring in the best return to what you give up long term.

Explaining why you disagree would be more constructive than little emoticons. But intellect does take effort. If you want one english sentence would be a start.
- Pikey Fan

If the Oil send a memo to all other teams GM about Eberle or Yak available for a trade,the Oil will received lots back but more for Eberle,Hall and Nuge won't go no where.

i like perron. he is signed at a good number.
- deks1

So Hall/Nuge/Perron

Everyone else can GTFO

except for Nurse

So Hall/Nuge/Perron

Everyone else can GTFO

except for Nurse
- Killbot460

yeah...i don't want to trade nurse either. i'd trade klefbom though.

I'm sure MacIntyre could do the job if they wanted to.
- Jack-artist

He's hurt that why I suggested McGratten. Either way just get emery to beat the poop out of everyone

I don't see that with Edmonton. They don't show their emotion, when Philly plays bad they go out and have a bar brawl. That kind of stuff can bring the team closer together.

Anyway it would be nice if someone else showed emotion when it was going bad other than Gazdic and Acton.

yeah...i don't want to trade nurse either. i'd trade klefbom though.
- deks1

I got time for Klefbom. But it depends what the return is I'd trade anyone.

I'm sure MacIntyre could do the job if they wanted to.
- Jack-artist

Done

Imagine a practice where they have to last 2mins in a ring with Mac :D That'd bring out some toughness in these kids otherwise they'd be looking to become a Pronger

1st and 2nd lines were decent before the past week, while the 3rd and 4th lines are filled with AHL types. The losing is a combined product of our best players not stepping up, and the rest just not being good enough to pick up the slack. This team had no where near the defensive conscience they need among their forwards going into the season, and unless they were able to fix that or add some solid veterans instead of hoping on some maybes they were never going to achieve the success we assumed they could.

Gordon's the only type of player like that on the team. Perron sort of, RNH is getting there, Hall's effort is generally there but he's not always the smartest player. Hemsky and Eberle are on and off, Yakupov never has been good defensively but he's young enough to learn, and Gagner has been relatively weak without the puck for years now.

The rest are too old (smyth), too injured/unproven (Joensuu/Pitlick), too high in the lineup (Jones, even Arco), or too limited (pretty much the whole 4th line + MacIntyre).

The defense isn't great, but they could use a lot more help than they're currently getting, or have been getting for the past couple seasons.
- Jack-artist

Third and Fourth line were playing good before injury's started happening in the first and second line,that changed everything and screw up the chemistry for those two bottom lines,is a big mistake to have both Gagner ann Arco playing together in the second like or even playing in the third line with Gordon,Arco needs to take Acton position,the Oil don't need more small players playing on either line second or third.

Done

Imagine a practice where they have to last 2mins in a ring with Mac :D That'd bring out some toughness in these kids otherwise they'd be looking to become a Pronger
- nagasadow

I dont actually think its a good idea haha.

Third and Fourth line were playing good before injury's started happening in the first and second line,that changed everything and screw up the chemistry for those two bottom lines,is a big mistake to have both Gagner ann Arco playing together in the second like or even playing in the third line with Gordon,Arco needs to take Acton position,the Oil don't need more small players playing on either line second or third.
- AlEx_OiL

I think MacT could have better set this team up to deal with injuries by signing some proven NHLers rather than hoping on some 4th liners and unproven AHL types to be your go-to fill-ins.