Please don't say more of this, because in future it'll be said that Leafs fans believe Bozak is as good as RNH
- walshyleafsfan

ok....

The key is the blueline.....if we get a real puck mover then thats going to make our forwards that much better because they wont always have to transport the puck themselfs which will make a difference...not gonna waste my time and compare the talent between the Leafs and Oilers because the reality is both teams suck...its like comparing human poop to dog poop....its still poop
- RatedR80

Aww but my poop don't stink lol. Seriously though. To improve your D last year or this coming summer you don't have to try and hit a home run and get that stud D man everyone wants. You could have brought in some Vets who know how to play the game and also be a good influence on the kids. One thing the Leafs are doing is letting the kids get seasoned in the minors before joining the Nhl team. In past years a guy like Nylander would have started the year with us. We made trades and got free agents to fill in the gap. then traded them away for draft choices. Edmonton should have done the same.

Some of your kids may have been better had they not been rushed so quickly. Our team sucks now but we finally see daylight that we haven't had in years. Edmonton could be the same with some shrewd moves. Lots of pressure this summer on Peter, lets hope he has the gonads to do it.

I don't see what's so outrageous about that. Guys been a consistent near-50 point producer (like Nuge), played with horrible defenses behind him, and is a capable faceoff man. Nuge has a touch more offense and far more potential, but that's all it is currently. In the present, they're fairly close as players.
- MaximumBone

Even with taking my homer glasses off I would still take Nuge over Bozak anyday of the week...im not saying Bozak is terrible but I wouldnt say he is as good as Nuge either....I suppose we will just have to agree to disagree on that topic anyways

Because I was comparing the Oilers top six to Toronto's with McDavid out of the lineup for half the year.

And yes I said they're better, more offensively talented, the Oilers, but not by a huge margin when McDavid is out.

Sorry I just don't see it and the numbers, team point totals, suggest I'm right. Just like Babcock said of Nylander, "he can have all the talent in the world, but if he's not willing to compete, his talent doesn't matter".

Being offensively gifted doesn't make the Oilers young player greater, their compete levels, their inability to play a structured defensive game, is what detracts them from being better.

Maybe if you and the Oilers brass saw that you wouldn't be drafting top three six years running. That said I think Chiarelli gets it!
- LeftCoaster

Man you are all over the place right now. If you're talking about team point totals its more indicative of the fact that Edmonton doesn't have an NHL calibre defense rather than their top 6 not being very good. Anyone who even follows hockey knows that Edmonton's biggest problem by a country mile is their defense, you don't even need to watch their games to know that.

I just don't see what point you're trying to make. Yeah we struggled more because our best player was out, as most teams tend to. What does that prove?

I wanted this done a couple days ago, but the week unfolded in ways I didnt plan for. Sorry about the delay.
- Matt_Henderson

tranny?

Aww but my poop don't stink lol. Seriously though. To improve your D last year or this coming summer you don't have to try and hit a home run and get that stud D man everyone wants. You could have brought in some Vets who know how to play the game and also be a good influence on the kids. One thing the Leafs are doing is letting the kids get seasoned in the minors before joining the Nhl team. In past years a guy like Nylander would have started the year with us. We made trades and got free agents to fill in the gap. then traded them away for draft choices. Edmonton should have done the same.

Some of your kids may have been better had they not been rushed so quickly. Our team sucks now but we finally see daylight that we haven't had in years. Edmonton could be the same with some shrewd moves. Lots of pressure this summer on Peter, lets hope he has the gonads to do it.
- sparky

People seem to forget that there was a plan this year for a few guys this year anyways...Drai and Nurse were supposed to be in the AHL but due to injuries they were called up sooner then expected...im not saying you are wrong because you arent but there was a plan in place to let some develop this year but it just wasnt able to happen

But is it really? Maybe the fans should accept the fact the supposed great top six they drafted isn't that great, that they have a lot of flaws in their game. Just maybe?

Is RNH really better than Kadri, is Eberle really that much better than JVR, do the Oilers have a young 22 yr old dman like Rielly who put up 36 points....the answer is no to all of them.

Draisaitl was 19 this year, McDavid 18, Nurse 20....forget about Eberle, RNH, Yakupov and such, the first three are the true rebuild starting players for the Oilers.
- LeftCoaster

That is why I wondered a while back if the Oilers should be sort of starting over and dumping ALL of Hall, Eberle, RNH and Yak and get some good pieces in return. Then add this year's pick to the Nurse/Klef/McDavid/Draisatl core.

Man you are all over the place right now. If you're talking about team point totals its more indicative of the fact that Edmonton doesn't have an NHL calibre defense rather than their top 6 not being very good. Anyone who even follows hockey knows that Edmonton's biggest problem by a country mile is their defense, you don't even need to watch their games to know that.

I just don't see what point you're trying to make. Yeah we struggled more because our best player was out, as most teams tend to. What does that prove?
- 6ringslowe

can't agree

No I'm not kidding, he can actually win a faceoff, he's better defensively, the game isn't played at one end of the ice.

Why do you think Toews and Kopitar only have on average 60 some points a year, because they commit to playing at both ends of the ice. RNH is gifted offensively, if you call 56 points gifted, but he couldn't save his life in his first few years if it meant he had to win a faceoff or play defensively.
- LeftCoaster

You lost all credibility with a comment like that. Nugent-Hopkins is our best 2 way forward by a mile and rarely makes defensive mistakes. Shows you don't know anything about the team and the players at all.

Even with taking my homer glasses off I would still take Nuge over Bozak anyday of the week...im not saying Bozak is terrible but I wouldnt say he is as good as Nuge either....I suppose we will just have to agree to disagree on that topic anyways
- RatedR80

I guess we can agree to disagree. I think it's a very close when you factor out potential which I believe LeftCoaster was suggesting.

renney had coached parts of 7 seasons in the nhl..... far from a rookie coach just getting started

You lost all credibility with a comment like that. Nugent-Hopkins is our best 2 way forward by a mile. Shows you don't know anything about the team and the players at all.
- 6ringslowe

Or maybe it's an indictment to the two-way ability of our forwards

That is why I wondered a while back if the Oilers should be sort of starting over and dumping ALL of Hall, Eberle, RNH and Yak and get some good pieces in return. Then add this year's pick to the Nurse/Klef/McDavid/Draisatl core.
- Aetherial

At this point im not really against any move as long as the parts coming back fills a need....I dont see everyone being back as is and thats ok too

People seem to forget that there was a plan this year for a few guys this year anyways...Drai and Nurse were supposed to be in the AHL but due to injuries they were called up sooner then expected...im not saying you are wrong because you arent but there was a plan in place to let some develop this year but it just wasnt able to happen
- RatedR80

Doesn't matter to me. Remember how everyone including Matt ripped Mact for not getting another option for 2C last year? He tried to sign UFAs and trade for one but no one was willing. So why isn't PC getting ripped for not having better option than calling up Nurse?

Cuz Oiler fans aren't ready to turn on PC just yet.

That is why I wondered a while back if the Oilers should be sort of starting over and dumping ALL of Hall, Eberle, RNH and Yak and get some good pieces in return. Then add this year's pick to the Nurse/Klef/McDavid/Draisatl core.
- Aetherial

Man I hate when people come into OUR forum and try to tell us what THEY think is best for our team.

That being said, Hall isn't going anywhere, Nuge can be had for the right price, and as for Eberle and Yakupov I will personally drive them to the airport in my Civic when the time comes.

Or maybe it's an indictment to the two-way ability of our forwards
- MaximumBone

Are you suggesting some of our forwards cant play defensively? Madness I tell you

Or maybe it's an indictment to the two-way ability of our forwards
- MaximumBone

Not gonna comment on who is and isn't good defensively but to say Nuge is bad in the defensive zone is just plain wrong and doesn't sit well with me.

Doesn't matter to me. Remember how everyone including Matt ripped Mact for not getting another option for 2C last year? He tried to sign UFAs and trade for one but no one was willing. So why isn't PC getting ripped for not having better option than calling up Nurse?

Cuz Oiler fans aren't ready to turn on PC just yet.
- Iggysbff

I will be as patient with PC as I was with MacT...no scratch that I will be less patient...im going as far as giving him the summer then we shall see

As a Bruins fan I can say Chiarelli was masterful early in his tenure at improving the team via the trade market.

Primeau and Stuart for Ference and Kobasew
Kessel for two 1sts and a second.
Bitz and a pick for Seidenberg
Hendricks for Boychuk
late pick for McQuaid

He knows how to improve the defence this way so I suspect he will be able to turn the corner with the Oilers in the next season or two if he can repeat his early success in Boston.

I think where things took a bad turn in Boston is when he established a bit of an attitude that he could do no wrong and started hanging onto replaceable depth guys like Kelly and Campbell instead of irreplaceable players like say Seguin. Knowing that the Oilers roster is mostly made up of younger, offensive players i'd be mildly concerned about Chiarelli being the right man to garner a fair return for these guys or perhaps he learned his lesson in regards to the mistakes he made late in his tenure with the Bruins?

I suppose we will all find out soon.

As a Bruins fan I can say Chiarelli was masterful early in his tenure at improving the team via the trade market.

Primeau and Stuart for Ference and Kobasew
Kessel for two 1sts and a second.
Bitz and a pick for Seidenberg
Hendricks for Boychuk
late pick for McQuaid

He knows how to improve the defence this way so I suspect he will be able to turn the corner with the Oilers in the next season or two if he can repeat his early success in Boston.

I think where things took a bad turn in Boston is when he established a bit of an attitude that he could do no wrong and started hanging onto replaceable depth guys like Kelly and Campbell instead of irreplaceable players like say Seguin. Knowing that the Oilers roster is mostly made up of younger, offensive players i'd be mildly concerned about Chiarelli being the right man to garner a fair return for these guys or perhaps he learned his lesson in regards to the mistakes he made late in his tenure with the Bruins?

I suppose we will all find out soon.
- Cape Breton Bruins

The Seguin move concerns me a little bit, but remember he traded Kessel for Seguin and Hamilton in the first place. How quickly people forget

That is why I wondered a while back if the Oilers should be sort of starting over and dumping ALL of Hall, Eberle, RNH and Yak and get some good pieces in return. Then add this year's pick to the Nurse/Klef/McDavid/Draisatl core.
- Aetherial

I mean, that would at least put us closer to even ground to the assets Calgary and Buffalo had to start their rebuilds. Just imagine the Oilers rebuild if Whitney hadn't (frank)ed his leg up, Souray hadn't been run out of town, and/or maybe even if Hemsky wasn't such a bandaid. This rebuild would've likely been over by now.

Not gonna comment on who is and isn't good defensively but to say Nuge is bad in the defensive zone is just plain wrong and doesn't sit well with me.
- 6ringslowe

I think he said that early in his career he couldn't play defense which is correct. Until the end of his sophomore year, he was pretty deficient in that regard, but he was further along than most and learned very quickly.

I mean, that would at least put us closer to even ground to the assets Calgary and Buffalo had to start their rebuilds. Just imagine the Oilers rebuild if Whitney hadn't (frank)ed his leg up, Souray hadn't been run out of town, and/or maybe even if Hemsky wasn't such a bandaid. This rebuild would've likely been over by now.
- MaximumBone

Dwelling on all of that hurts. Imagine if we took our time with Gagner, imagine if Smyth wasn't traded, imagine if Pronger wasn't traded in the first place.

Hell, imagine if we never hired Eakins and imagine if Yakupov was given proper development.

i don't beleive the oiler finished with the most man games lost