they didn't choose anything.
you have zero proof to back up that mact wants to fail. and u saying so, doesn't make it true.

hes not wrong that the oilers cant sign big name free agents. hes right.
hes not wrong that the oilers have in fact tried to both trade and sign big names and they've refused. hes right .
hes not wrong that mact has only been able to sign secondary picks and overpay for those. hes right.

petry was a decent 2nd rounder. marincin might be.
and theres a few in the system that could still turn out.
but if u mean the guys prior to the teardown. then yeah, our drafting was horrible.

I don't see how changing the system changes anything
- Ihateallofu

Maybe he didn't want to fail in the beginning.

Right now, looks pretty suspect.

Right, and it's a shame that come June, they will have the luxury of calling out Connor McDavid's name, then falling asleep until October
- sbroads24

Why are people in here female doging at us about it? You think we're happy to see this going on? Everyone of us would happily sacrifice another 1st rounder, even a Mcdavid, for a competetive season.

Wish in one hand, poop in the other. See which fills up first. Our draft record beyond the first round in painful.
- TheTaoOfSemenko

Rushing 18 year olds into the NHL year after year doesn't help either.

Maybe he didn't want to fail in the beginning.

Right now, looks pretty suspect.
- sbroads24

What has he done to make you suspect his motives in the past few months?

Why are people in here female doging at us about it? You think we're happy to see this going on? Everyone of us would happily sacrifice another 1st rounder, even a Mcdavid, for a competetive season.
- TheTaoOfSemenko

Never said you were happy, how could any if you be?

It's a disgrace though, and I'm sorry but I do feel that the Sabres deserve someone like McDavid or Eichel more than the Oilers at this point

Rushing 18 year olds into the NHL year after year doesn't help either.
- grand-magus

We knowwwwwwww. It's hardly special insight. Sadly, since through their ineptitude they haven't been able to fill certain key positions, they've been left with little choice. I honestly don't get why they're keeping Draisatl up here in this turd punch bowl.

Lets not just play the victim "no one will sign here" nonsense.

How about hit on a second round or beyond pick ?

How about making a deal for someone to center a second line?

The Oilers could have improved, chose not to and will be rewarded with yet another top pick. At this point the system should change.
- sbroads24

We tried to sign free agents (Hossa) and offered more money than other teams and still got turned down. We tried to trade for Heatley. He invoked his NTC. The only option management figured they had was to tear it all down and start from scratch. Now it's taken longer than they thought. Drafting has been a huge problem too. So I guess the only logical thing to do is change the lottery rules and make it so bad teams stay bad.

Rushing 18 year olds into the NHL year after year doesn't help either.
- grand-magus

Something like 90% of 1st overall picks make the jump out of junior and apart from them we haven't really rushed any 18 year olds in.

Maybe he didn't want to fail in the beginning.

Right now, looks pretty suspect.
- sbroads24

maybe.

I don't really see it that way. I really don't think there was a ton of options.
like this blog about brad hunt. he didn't even play.
not a lot of options down there. does marincin rescue us if hes the guy that gets called up? I highly doubt it.
musil, simpson?? cmon

Never said you were happy, how could any if you be?

It's a disgrace though, and I'm sorry but I do feel that the Sabres deserve someone like McDavid or Eichel more than the Oilers at this point
- sbroads24

I see. So basically if your team were farther up the standings you wouldn't really care.

Never said you were happy, how could any if you be?

It's a disgrace though, and I'm sorry but I do feel that the Sabres deserve someone like McDavid or Eichel more than the Oilers at this point
- sbroads24

Why?

Something like 90% of 1st overall picks make the jump out of junior and apart from them we haven't really rushed any 18 year olds in.
- TokenBlack

What about Cogliano and Gagner? Thinki Draisatl should still be here?

Never said you were happy, how could any if you be?

It's a disgrace though, and I'm sorry but I do feel that the Sabres deserve someone like McDavid or Eichel more than the Oilers at this point
- sbroads24

youre entitled to that opinion.
I disagree if we're actually worse than you. that's the point of the draft.

on paper, I actually don't think we're this bad, but its just snowballing on these kids right now and they don't know how to turn it around. theyve been losing their entire careers thus far. they don't have an ounce of confidence

What about Cogliano and Gagner? Thinki Draisatl should still be here?
- TheTaoOfSemenko

Cogliano was drafted in 05 and didn't play until 07. Gagner looked like he belonged at the time and in hindsight it looks like he was rushed. Draisaitl doesn't belong here but at the 10 game mark he was improving every game.

I see. So basically if your team were farther up the standings you wouldn't really care.
- TheTaoOfSemenko

this is what I meant. I think bias skews his opinion.

he doesn't have answer. but he just wants it so that his team gets mcdavid.

I don't want fuking mcdavid. I want to be better. the whole organization does. and transferring fuking joensuu or calling up brad hunt doesnt change my opnion on that one fuking iota.

some huge mistakes were made right outta the gate in this rebuild imo. theyre paying for them now

Cogliano was drafted in 05 and didn't play until 07. Gagner looked like he belonged at the time and in hindsight it looks like he was rushed. Draisaitl doesn't belong here but at the 10 game mark he was improving every game.
- TokenBlack

They were rushed. They had a good end of season stretch playing out the string and suddenly they were saviors.
Unless something happens quick, Draisatl's curve could be completely skewed.

Cogliano was drafted in 05 and didn't play until 07. Gagner looked like he belonged at the time and in hindsight it looks like he was rushed. Draisaitl doesn't belong here but at the 10 game mark he was improving every game.
- TokenBlack

I think the point is the Oilers have never really surrounded these kids with quality, stand up vets, or not enough of them, imo.

None of your high picks have had to earn anything in the NHL. It was always a foregone conclusion, right from "with the first pick in the NHL draft, the Edmonton Oilers select...", that they were going to play the very next season. Make them earn it.

What has he done to make you suspect his motives in the past few months?
- TokenBlack

transferring jesse joensuu is suspect?

we're talking like we're replacing taylor hall with ahl plug here.
its a grinder 4th liner getting replaced by another grinder 4th liner.

this is what I meant. I think bias skews his opinion.

he doesn't have answer. but he just wants it so that his team gets mcdavid.

I don't want fuking mcdavid. I want to be better. the whole organization does. and transferring fuking joensuu or calling up brad hunt doesnt change my opnion on that one fuking iota.

some huge mistakes were made right outta the gate in this rebuild imo. theyre paying for them now
- Ihateallofu

Mistakes that will, in all rational likelihood, be close to insurmountable in current circumstance.

transferring jesse joensuu is suspect?

we're talking like we're replacing taylor hall with ahl plug here.
its a grinder 4th liner getting replaced by another grinder 4th liner.
- Ihateallofu

and we also called up the 4th highest scoring defenseman in the AHL instead of Marincin.

I think the point is the Oilers have never really surrounded these kids with quality, stand up vets, or not enough of them, imo.

None of your high picks have had to earn anything in the NHL. It was always a foregone conclusion, right from "with the first pick in the NHL draft, the Edmonton Oilers select...", that they were going to play the very next season. Make them earn it.
- grand-magus

If the Sabres happened to get Macdavid or Eichel, do you suppose they would make either sit in the AHL? What if they had drafted Hall, RNH or Yakupov? Yak possibly needed more time but he flew out of the gate. There was no reason to send him down before 10 games. He didn't really fall off until his sophomore season.

and we also called up the 4th highest scoring defenseman in the AHL instead of Marincin.
- TokenBlack

We once had a guy on our team that scored 90 goals in the AHL one year. I think he may have gotten one or two in his call up. AHL stats are almost meaningless. Hunt is an AHL player. Period. Marincin, looks to be a different story.

I think the point is the Oilers have never really surrounded these kids with quality, stand up vets, or not enough of them, imo.

None of your high picks have had to earn anything in the NHL. It was always a foregone conclusion, right from "with the first pick in the NHL draft, the Edmonton Oilers select...", that they were going to play the very next season. Make them earn it.
- grand-magus

I wont disagree that tambellini had no intention of truly surrounding those kids outta the gate. its was very marginal fillers. that said, we don't actually know who he offered what.

but I think mact has tried to add the depth in the only way he can. by overpaying secondary guys like pouliot. (which I think was actually a solid move even if we did have to overpay for him) or boyd Gordon. hes a beauty. worth every penny of the overpay. the 2c is a bit of head scratcher though.

as far as the 1 picks, which 1 picks haven't played in the last however many years?its the insulation of those players that was lacking. not the kids playing.
nuge woulda won the calder had he not missed the last 20.
yaks led rooks in goals and points.
etc etc

I dunno. I don't think was them, but as I said, the lack of insulation. which again, as an oiler fan, isn't a slam dunk in terms of quality we can attract.

If the Sabres happened to get Macdavid or Eichel, do you suppose they would make either sit in the AHL? What if they had drafted Hall, RNH or Yakupov? Yak possibly needed more time but he flew out of the gate. There was no reason to send him down before 10 games. He didn't really fall off until his sophomore season.
- TheTaoOfSemenko

I think you and I both know that McDavid is different.

I like Hall. But let's face it, he's not a franchise player. RNH I could take or leave, and he's no franchise player either.

Yak makes me want to yak. Not insulting your player, just not a fan.

All three should have gone back for at least a year.

Hindsight, blah blah blah, I know.

I'm not touting Reinhart as anything right now, so don't think I am, but the Sabres were smart enough to see the kid, for all his skill and vision, and high draft status, wasn't ready. The sexy choice would have been to keep him here. Murray made the very difficult, but correct, choice to send him back.

and we also called up the 4th highest scoring defenseman in the AHL instead of Marincin.
- TokenBlack

and he didn't even play.

imo, this was a pure frustration blog from matt. and fair enough. but not very logical.
pakarinen "greatly impressed"?? he was decent, but I guess I missed the hugely impressive part....