If they had done a proper video review they would have seen there was a crease violation on the Brett Hull goal and Buffalo rather than Dallas might have been engraved on the Stanley Cup.
- spatso

Yup...woulda, coulda, shoulda....didn't. I know...but don't poop on Clouts for speaking his mind on who he thinks is really the better rookie.

For You Laughs:

http://t.co/H1Ezc9N3

Seguin, 2 full seasons, lowest goal scorer, 30 more games than Hall and only +3 on assists

Skinner...outstanding rookie year...hit buy injury and did the least amount of points out of the 3 forwards...but injuries only work against the Oilers I guess...

So I think Hall has acquitted himself, so far, very well. And feel there is no reason to have any switch in draft order...
- OilHorse

The most important number for Hall is 126. Don't get me started. I have no desire to tempt fate. Some players, who are great juniors, just get punished by the NHL game. Could be that Hall goes five years without missing a game. But, it has not been a good start.

The most important number for Hall is 126. Don't get me started. I have no desire to tempt fate. Some players, who are great juniors, just get punished by the NHL game. Could be that Hall goes five years without missing a game. But, it has not been a good start.
- spatso

He just repaired a shoulder (main reason he missed time this year)...but again...how come Hall gets points docked for having an injury but Skinner doesn't? Skinner played 3 more game this past year than Hall, yet scored 10 points less.

He just repaired a shoulder (main reason he missed time this year)...but again...how come Hall gets points docked for having an injury but Skinner doesn't? Skinner played 3 more game this past year than Hall, yet scored 10 points less.
- OilHorse

Skinner won the Calder. But I still dropped him two places because of the foggy noggin.

I'm kinda coming into the middle of this but it's late in the work day here and I miss hockey, so humor me mmmk.

Why can't Skinner, Hall and Seguin all be highly skilled great young players who each bring a unique skill set to the table. Why does one have to be greater than the other at this point? IMO they're the top three players from the draft but to sit here and say one is definitely better than the other is yet to be determined.

I'm kinda coming into the middle of this but it's late in the work day here and I miss hockey, so humor me mmmk.

Why can't Skinner, Hall and Seguin all be highly skilled great young players who each bring a unique skill set to the table. Why does one have to be greater than the other at this point? IMO they're the top three players from the draft but to sit here and say one is definitely better than the other is yet to be determined.
- LeftCoaster

It's a little silly. People like to debate though.

I'm quite content with the Oilers picks the last couple years, as I'm sure most Oiler fans are.

It's a little silly. People like to debate though.

I'm quite content with the Oilers picks the last couple years, as I'm sure most Oiler fans are.
- robin_steele264

I'd like a mulligan on the PRV pick.... I was hoping for Kulikov or Ellis.

I'd like a mulligan on the PRV pick.... I was hoping for Kulikov or Ellis.
- Reveen

Oh well that's not really the end of the world.

So, why do you think Landeskog had such strong Calder support?
- spatso

Two reasons he played an 82 game season.
His team finished higher in the standings.
Now this season if Edmonton finishes higher than Coloado,
and the two teams hav rookes in the Calder race the team in the play-offs or just outside will win aka Yaks.

I'd like a mulligan on the PRV pick.... I was hoping for Kulikov or Ellis.
- Reveen

But Prv is soooo good. Am I right!?

id take both on my team, different players, depends on my teams needs, if i already have a leader them the nuge, if offense isnt an issue and im lacking that warrior - Landy

Richard Cloutier: So I'm the Barons Blogger Now?
- Maxbone

I will read your blogs burger baron

He just repaired a shoulder (main reason he missed time this year)...but again...how come Hall gets points docked for having an injury but Skinner doesn't? Skinner played 3 more game this past year than Hall, yet scored 10 points less.
- OilHorse

Hall can sit on his couch and get fat all year, who cares drink it up and enjoy all the 12 yearold girls..

I am a huge fan of Nu.Hop. Nevertheless it is wrong to elevate him above Landeskog without more direct evidence. Landeskog had a monster year. He has been named captain of the Avalanche, youngest in NHL history.

Statements that suggest Nu.Hop was a better rookie than Landeskog is nothing more than an awkward attempt to rewrite history. Do you think it is safe to now suggest that Hall was a better rookie than Skinner. Not fair to either Nu.Hop or Hall to hang responsibility on them for not having better years.

Richard, overall your blogs have been really strong over most of the last year. Be careful not to slip into the outrageous.

You could make amends by doing a reflective and objective piece on last year's rookies and give your readers a chance to reflect the growth of young talent. I think you might want to revisit the Hall draft again and rank the overall growth of the top prospects from that year. Right now I would place Hall at #4 from his draft class.
- spatso

Rightttttt.....and Morgan Reilly would have been the Leafs first overall....

Hall and Nuge both should have won the Calder. Freak injuries just gave the hockey world a reason to justify not to give it to either. Hall dominates a game in a way that no one in his draft does. Nuge thinks the game better than anyone in his class. Haters can and do come up with anything to talk down the first overall...

Yes those are the four that need be debated. If the draft were redone today I would suggest the Oilers revised order would be:

Seguin
Fowler
Skinner
Hall
I understand it is highly subjective but a winning team needs a #1 Dman and the Oilers may have remedied the problem. Dmen come along far more slowly. Fowler has the potential to break out. He may not be as good as Karlsson in Ottawa. But, he will likely be better than Carlsson of the Caps. He is shooting for a pretty high standard.
- spatso

Holy crap are some people ever dumb!

You probably can't wipe the smile of okc coaches face with a shovel
Also maybe the barons will be the first team to lock up a playoff spot before Christmas

I'm hoping if the 2012/2013 season is a write-off, Katz will pay off the guy running the lottery ball machine again, so the Oilers can make the 4th consecutive 1st overall pick.
- Maxbone

MacKinnon or Jones?

For You Laughs:

http://t.co/H1Ezc9N3
- OilHorse

id take both on my team, different players, depends on my teams needs, if i already have a leader them the nuge, if offense isnt an issue and im lacking that warrior - Landy
- TheFondler

Did you get that BJ after?

With this Seguin, Hall, Fowler, Skinner debate. Each guy brings a different element to the game. Very different players and difficult to compare whose better.

Hall - High Energy goal scoring forward, potential powerforward
Skinner - Sniper
Fowler - point producing PP Quaterback
Seguin - talented all around forward

But let's look at Hall and Seguin, since I've seen little of the other two play.

However, if I'm picking one player to put a team on their shoulders and win a playoff game, it's Hall. Hands down. The main difference between Hall and Seguin that I've noticed s that you ALWAYS notice when Hall is on the ice. Seguin will disappear at times. If the Oilers make the playoffs in the next year or two, you will see him shine.

Also, you can say Seguin is more valuable because he is a centre but how often did he play centre? From what I say it was usually right wing.

At the end of the day each of the teams picked great players and franchise cornerstones. Be thankful they didn't blow their first rounders on duds.

As far as Hall goes, it's odd to call him on his injuries at this point in his career. The shoulder thing was from juniors, and had to be fixed sometime... He put it off for 2-3 years. The ankle thing was a freak incident... The skate to the head? Another freak incident. At this point, I'd cut him some slack... He's just had some terrible luck.

RNH vs Landeskog? Both are pretty awesome. I think RNH would have won the Calder if he wasn't injured, but he was, so whatever... Both are great, but I'm happy we took RNH first overall...

The revised Seguin, Fowler, Skinner, Hall order is silly. Hall tops this list... Seguin comes in as a close second, and then pick your choice between Skinner and Fowler. Hall 4th in his draft class? Come on, Spatso! Your posts are usually very good, but this one is way off.

As far as Hall goes, it's odd to call him on his injuries at this point in his career. The shoulder thing was from juniors, and had to be fixed sometime... He put it off for 2-3 years. The ankle thing was a freak incident... The skate to the head? Another freak incident. At this point, I'd cut him some slack... He's just had some terrible luck.

RNH vs Landeskog? Both are pretty awesome. I think RNH would have won the Calder if he wasn't injured, but he was, so whatever... Both are great, but I'm happy we took RNH first overall...

The revised Seguin, Fowler, Skinner, Hall order is silly. Hall tops this list... Seguin comes in as a close second, and then pick your choice between Skinner and Fowler. Hall 4th in his draft class? Come on, Spatso! Your posts are usually very good, but this one is way off.
- laughs2907

Agreed

However the Sarich hit on Hall better have woken him up.

Agreed

However the Sarich hit on Hall better have woken him up.
- ystoil

Yeah, he mentioned he still wants to play the same game, but just play it a little smarter. Beware of your surroundings, kid! Wooooooooo

Hmmm...Nathan McKinnon, Seth Jones and Sean Monahan.

If Oilers draft at #4 they can take Curtis Lazar. I can live with it.
- Maxbone

Lazar is nowhere near #4 right now, sorry to say. There's Barkov and Nichushkin that are ahead of him for Centers, Shinkaruk as a Winger and Ristolainen and Pulock as defenders. Others are debatable. Lazar is only on the edge of being top 10 right now.

But, things change fast when it comes to prospects and predicting the draft.