In a season of no insulation, as a rookie, playing too many high end minutes? This struggle is to be expected.

As I said, Nurse improves every year.

Trouba's numbers have slipped year after year, and he is playing 3 deep. Don't get me wrong, Trouba is good, but I see no reason to trade Nurse for him.
- McSavioursPupil

I think EDM needs to invest in it's current young crop and begin trimming the fat as they can.

They've got two years to remove dead weight from the lineup to make room for McDavid's extension.

Unless a too-good-to-be-true situation for a top-pairing dman arises, they should just stay put. I don't know that Nurse for Trouba is that situation. Nurse is going to be a heck of a player and cause less cap issues for time being.

Well edmonton for one.
- James_Tanner

Priceless

Priceless
- Flamin_Irishmin

Needs more HERO charts.

Backlund is better than nuge ??

K
- HB77

You can look it up yourself if you'd like. Backlund had more goals, assists, corsi, plus/minus rating by a fairly wide margin last year. RNH is perpetually injured for part of the season, soft on checks, sucks at defence and is well known for giving a half as$ performance when the chips are down.

So yeah, I'll take Backs over RNH any day, and twice on Sunday's.

Edit: And yes I know RNH played fewer games than Backs, which again speaks to his frailty...

You can look it up yourself if you'd like. Backlund had more goals, assists, corsi, plus/minus rating by a fairly wide margin last year. RNH is perpetually injured for part of the season, soft on checks, sucks at defence and is well known for giving a half as$ performance when the chips are down.

So yeah, I'll take Backs over RNH any day, and twice on Sunday's.

Edit: And yes I know RNH played fewer games than Backs, which again speaks to his frailty...
- Flamin_Irishmin

Before last season, nuge had missed like ten games in 3 seasons.
So yeah, you missed the boat on the perpetually injured comment. But don't let the facts get in the way of a good bs narrative !!

Or Is he frail cause a slapshot in the hand broke his knuckle last year? Should he be drinking more calcium ? Is backlund superior in the knuckle bone strength dept?

Nuge Sucks at defence ?
Half azz performance ?

You got a link to any evidence of this ?

In any year where they've played comparable games , nuges ppg is on another planet from from backlund.

Do you actually watch hockey?

Is it just an act, or do you truly believe the mindless drivel you post?
Be honest...

You can look it up yourself if you'd like. Backlund had more goals, assists, corsi, plus/minus rating by a fairly wide margin last year. RNH is perpetually injured for part of the season, soft on checks, sucks at defence and is well known for giving a half as$ performance when the chips are down.

So yeah, I'll take Backs over RNH any day, and twice on Sunday's.

Edit: And yes I know RNH played fewer games than Backs, which again speaks to his frailty...
- Flamin_Irishmin

RNH top quality is his defensive play lol Jesus christ get your head out of your dumphole

RNH top quality is his defensive play lol Jesus christ get your head out of your dumphole
- benmacw

Nuge has some drawbacks thus far no doubt.

But this poster is a beauty. So many Absolutely clueless opinions

Good for a laugh anyway

Before last season, nuge had missed like ten games in 3 seasons.
So yeah, you missed the boat on the perpetually injured comment. But don't let the facts get in the way of a good bs narrative !!

Or Is he frail cause a slapshot in the hand broke his knuckle last year? Should he be drinking more calcium ? Is backlund superior in the knuckle bone strength dept?

Nuge Sucks at defence ?
Half azz performance ?

You got a link to any evidence of this ?

In any year where they've played comparable games , nuges ppg is on another planet from from backlund.

Do you actually watch hockey?

Is it just an act, or do you truly believe the mindless drivel you post?
Be honest...
- HB77

RNH is awesome. Not sure what Irish is smoking today, but I'll request he pass it to the left hand side.

Backs is a gem, but RNH is a better player. He's been easily the most consistent player on the Oilers despite the slides they go on.

You can look it up yourself if you'd like. Backlund had more goals, assists, corsi, plus/minus rating by a fairly wide margin last year. RNH is perpetually injured for part of the season, soft on checks, sucks at defence and is well known for giving a half as$ performance when the chips are down.

So yeah, I'll take Backs over RNH any day, and twice on Sunday's.

Edit: And yes I know RNH played fewer games than Backs, which again speaks to his frailty...
- Flamin_Irishmin

Sucks at defense? Seriously?

RNH is awesome. Not sure what Irish is smoking today, but I'll request he pass it to the left hand side.

Backs is a gem but RNH is a better player. He's been easily the most consistent player on the Oilers despite the slides they go on.
- fry

This

Maybe he just got caught up in hating me and let it get the better of him


But seriously, I really like backlund. Quality two way nhl'er. A solid piece for any team.

But he's just not on nuges level.
But you've got Monahan and Bennett so you don't need him to be anyway.
Stick to being a potential elite 3 that can slip into the 2 spot when injuries occur

RNH is a 3C on a competent team. To say his injury influenced their yearly failure is laughable once again.
- FLflames34

geez scored over 50P 3 times by the time he was 22, Backlund cracking 40P for the first time at 27 must be a 6th line centre

McLellen said Yakupov will get every opportunity he can to have success... He said Yak was paired with Caggiula today, because Caggiula has been one of the Oilers best players this pre-season, and Yak needs that type of player to be effective... (That face was at Yakupov btw, not Caggiula)

This

Maybe he just got caught up in hating me and let it get the better of him


But seriously, I really like backlund. Quality two way nhl'er. A solid piece for any team.

But he's just not on nuges level.
But you've got Monahan and Bennett so you don't need him to be anyway.
Stick to being a potential elite 3 that can slip into the 2 spot when injuries occur
- HB77

People don't realize that if you play half-way decent defense and put up a 60 point pace, you're a first liner. Anything over 60 points and you can start discussion if the player is elite or not, but by anyone's reasonable definition Ryan Nugent Hopkins is a legit #1 centre in the NHL.

He's not a McDavid or a Crosby, and he's not on the level that includes Tavares and Bergeron, but he is ranked way higher than #30, so he's a #1 C.

He's going to play on the first line on almost any team in the league. The only team he'd play lower than the second line is Pittsburgh, but having Malkin and Crosby is pretty insane.

RNH has played 211 games the past 3 seasons!

Backlund has played 210!

man it takes a google search buddy! compare fragility, and then we'll compare your thought process to that of a 6 year old's.

RNH did outscore Backlund 188 to 93 the 4 seasons prior to this past one... that said I don't have critical thinking skills, the drinking water where I live is tainted with koolaid, and my son hates me

People don't realize that if you play half-way decent defense and put up a 60 point pace, you're a first liner. Anything over 60 points and you can start discussion if the player is elite or not, but by anyone's reasonable definition Ryan Nugent Hopkins is a legit #1 centre in the NHL.

He's not a McDavid or a Crosby, and he's not on the level that includes Tavares and Bergeron, but he is ranked way higher than #30, so he's a #1 C.

He's going to play on the first line on almost any team in the league. The only team he'd play lower than the second line is Pittsburgh, but having Malkin and Crosby is pretty insane.
- James_Tanner

I'd put RNH in the lower #1C to good 2C category... There are a lot of good centers in the league...

These are the teams where he would probably be a #3C imo

Penguins (Crosby, Malkin)
Stars (Seguin, Spezza)
Flyers (Giroux, Couturier) - Debatable
Capitals (Kuznetsov, Backstrom)
Lightning (Stamkos, Johnson)
Kings (Kopitar, Carter)
Sharks (Thornton, Couture)
Bruins (Bergeron, Krejci)
Ducks (Getzlaf, Kesler) - Debatable
Sabres (Eichel, O'Reilly)
Avalanche (MacKinnon, Duchene)

I see him playing as either #1C or #2C on all of the other teams though...

I'd put RNH in the lower #1C to good 2C category... There are a lot of good centers in the league...


Avalanche (MacKinnon, Duchene)

I see him playing as either #1C or #2C on all of the other teams though...
- laughs2907

MacKinnon P/game first 3 seasons:
0.77
0.59
0.72

RNH's P/game first 3 seasons:
0.84
0.60
0.70

If MacKinnon drops a 56P season this year, he is a 3rd line centre. If only RNH had Barrie feeding him the puck instead of Schultz

MacKinnon P/game first 3 seasons:
0.77
0.59
0.72

RNH's P/game first 3 seasons:
0.84
0.60
0.70

If MacKinnon drops a 56P season this year, he is a 3rd line centre. If only RNH had Barrie feeding him the puck instead of Schultz
- TheNugeIsHuge

True, I'd love to see what having a guy like Barrie would do for the Oilers... But I'd still take MacKinnon over RNH... If the Oilers were offered MacKinnon for RNH straight up, I'd have a very very hard time believing they wouldn't do that deal.

Both specialize at taking defensive zone starts. Yet everyone is debating point production. James comes in and ignores player usage/calls a player that literally is not a 1C on on his real life team a 1st line Center.

This is a Tanner thread for the ages.

All that said, we all agree RNH is better except for the guy that effed off already. Let's keep arguing on the same side. Wins for everyone.

McLellen said Yakupov will get every opportunity he can to have success... He said Yak was paired with Caggiula today, because Caggiula has been one of the Oilers best players this post-season, and Yak needs that type of player to be effective... (That face was at Yakupov btw, not Caggiula)
- laughs2907

I think you made a mistake. The Oilers are not currently in the post-season.

MacKinnon P/game first 3 seasons:
0.77
0.59
0.72

RNH's P/game first 3 seasons:
0.84
0.60
0.70

If MacKinnon drops a 56P season this year, he is a 3rd line centre. If only RNH had Barrie feeding him the puck instead of Schultz
- TheNugeIsHuge

I'm going to pistol whip you for posting this and trying to make a narrative of MacK vs Nuge. Nuge is fine but lets not pretend hes something hes not

I think you made a mistake. The Oilers are not currently in the post-season.
- fry

I meant pre-season... Right, the Oilers can't remember what a post-season is.

I meant pre-season... Right, the Oilers can't remember what a post-season is.
- laughs2907

lol

I'm going to pistol whip you for posting this and trying to make a narrative of MacK vs Nuge. Nuge is fine but lets not pretend hes something hes not
- DDM-Coga

Yakupov for Barrie

I think we overrate draft picks. If you traded your picks every year for players who've already made it, you eliminate the bust picks you are bound to make if you keep your picks. Of course in a salary cap world this is a more complicated question because of the value of ECLs, but I don't think a team that has 3-5 of the NHLs best young players is going to be hurt very badly by a couple years of trading all their picks.
- James_Tanner

Ask the leafs how that worked in the 90's.