Also fair. A guy like Yannick Weber would've been someone I'd have pursued if Oesterle hadn't shown so well in the last portion of the season. If they can grab a guy like Colin Miller out of Boston along with one of their forwards or maybe Postma from Winnpeg, I think we get the depth I'd be wanting.
- MaximumBone

At least when (and notice I said when) Klefbom goes down next year then we arent totally screwed.....well not as much as this past year if we have someone that can just come in and play a responsible game without making it worse

He's in on Drake Caguilla who's apparently a real quality scorer, he signed a college goalie who ran a .936 sv% (Nick Ellis), and signed a scrappy Finnish LWer in Jere Salinen. He was also interested in Dryden Hunt before he signed in Florida.
- MaximumBone

all creates competition for jobs....gotta make these guys earn it.

At least when (and notice I said when) Klefbom goes down next year then we arent totally screwed.....well not as much as this past year if we have someone that can just come in and play a responsible game without making it worse
- RatedR80

not sure how you guys feel on this... but alot is to be said for a player who can stay healthy........ cogliano would have been a great fit on the oilers 3rd line.....goes to show u what a player can develop into.

not sure how you guys feel on this... but alot is to be said for a player who can stay healthy........ cogliano would have been a great fit on the oilers 3rd line.....goes to show u what a player can develop into.
- derm10

Well when we had him we expected him to be a part of the future in a meaningful way
ahhh hindsight....so he left us and got better

Well when we had him we expected him to be a part of the future in a meaningful way
ahhh hindsight....so he left us and got better
- RatedR80

got better... but developed into something totally different then was expected.
was hard for fans to see him as anything other then what he was proclaimed to be.
maybe see simlilar development from nuge..... could see nuge settling into a lesser role on another team

got better... but developed into something totally different then was expected.
was hard for fans to see him as anything other then what he was proclaimed to be.
maybe see simlilar development from nuge..... could see nuge settling into a lesser role on another team
- derm10

I think with the right team he lives up to his #1 billing...just my opinion but im also pretty high on Nuge

I think with the right team he lives up to his #1 billing...just my opinion but im also pretty high on Nuge
- RatedR80

i dont see him leading a team to the playoffs.

I think with the right team he lives up to his #1 billing...just my opinion but im also pretty high on Nuge
- RatedR80

can't think of a playoff team from this year that he would be an obvious upgrade on.... now or going forward.

can't think of a playoff team from this year that he would be an obvious upgrade on.... now or going forward.
- derm10

I think he becomes a top of the line 2C. Akin to Brad Richards.

can't think of a playoff team from this year that he would be an obvious upgrade on.... now or going forward.
- derm10

I will have to disagree...I think a few of those teams would jump at the chance for Nuge....Blues fans always mention Nuge as far as a trade for Shattenkirk goes...the Wild would have probably loved to have had him...the Wings as well

Yes. Minnesota does have that depth, but Hamonic didn't request a trade to western USA. Winnipeg is most likely his top request. They aren't giving up a lot for a guy requesting a trade to them. That's a pipe dream.

Unless Okposo gets signed I see a need for a winger on the Island next year. Plus, I think it's the most they get for Hamonic, who I think is great btw.
- Matt_Henderson

okay, that is different if you are saying edmonton can pay more than other teams

Are we really at that point? We are talking about young guys going into a whole new situation next year. A back to back season with stable management. We have Nuge, Eberle and Hall on great contracts and they are doing amazing considering everything that has happened in Edmonton since they started there. Finally a stable goalie and hopefully the addition of a competent backup. If the Oil can add 2 dmen. Even if one is just a short term rental for their top 4 then this team is a ton better. Put all this together with hopefully less injuries and they are in the playoffs as early as next year.

I think the Oilers need to concentrate on grabbing the d needed. I think next years first round should be on the table, not this years. People will still bite if they have to move cap space. Wild are one. Then target a UFA. Campbell (if he doesn't anti up again with Florida) would be a great 2 year contract to help get the young guys going. Yandle would be a great long term investment. He is leagues ahead of Sekeras and we went after him hard last year. Hamhuis is a steady two way dman that might want to stay in Canada. There are others and maybe not everyone likes these but there are options. For the first year in probably a decade, there is finally compentent dmen looking to hit the UFA market. Last year there was only green. The year before Strait. It has been slim pickings for a while until now.

Leave the core for at least a year. Their value will sky rocket with a healthy McDavid. Then replace one with whomever we draft this year.

I will have to disagree...I think a few of those teams would jump at the chance for Nuge....Blues fans always mention Nuge as far as a trade for Shattenkirk goes...the Wild would have probably loved to have had him...the Wings as well
- RatedR80

steen and koivu.... would be for the future as they are both in there 30's... just dont see nuge as a number one... but those are two balanced teams and have wingers to help make nuge look good.

I think trading any of those three would show they mean business. None of them would be moved unless for a Dman. I think Hall would actually set a weaker precedent of moving the one player who- unlike Eberle and Nuge to a lesser extent- has always cared and always given his all despite the constant failure around him.
- MaximumBone

Where has there ever been a case of Nuge not caring?

It is actually easier to make a case that Hall is a petulant baby and selfish, being a locker room cancer.

And before anyone gets their panties in a bunch, I am not one of those people that thinks that about Hall.

Are we really at that point? We are talking about young guys going into a whole new situation next year. A back to back season with stable management. We have Nuge, Eberle and Hall on great contracts and they are doing amazing considering everything that has happened in Edmonton since they started there. Finally a stable goalie and hopefully the addition of a competent backup. If the Oil can add 2 dmen. Even if one is just a short term rental for their top 4 then this team is a ton better. Put all this together with hopefully less injuries and they are in the playoffs as early as next year.

I think the Oilers need to concentrate on grabbing the d needed. I think next years first round should be on the table, not this years. People will still bite if they have to move cap space. Wild are one. Then target a UFA. Campbell (if he doesn't anti up again with Florida) would be a great 2 year contract to help get the young guys going. Yandle would be a great long term investment. He is leagues ahead of Sekeras and we went after him hard last year. Hamhuis is a steady two way dman that might want to stay in Canada. There are others and maybe not everyone likes these but there are options. For the first year in probably a decade, there is finally compentent dmen looking to hit the UFA market. Last year there was only green. The year before Strait. It has been slim pickings for a while until now.

Leave the core for at least a year. Their value will sky rocket with a healthy McDavid. Then replace one with whomever we draft this year.
- Hall Fan

Our core is Doing amazing ??

We finished 2nd last. We've finished bottom 3 five of the last 6 years and 7th last the other one.
Obviously our problems are much deeper than just the core, but there's some flaws in all 3 of em for different reasons no doubt. Even nuge who I think is a quality centre, has never actually put up big numbers.
Eberle is as a consistent scorer as they come, but is a complimentary player with defensive deficiencies etc

You wanna grab quality defencemen, but you don't wanna give up anyone or even this years first? ? Next years first is the best asset you'll give??

And We ARE concentrating on attracting defenders, good ones, and u have to give to get.

In what world have you been living in that the oilers can depend on being one of the big attractions for free agents?

Comparing sekera and yandle is such a clear indication of your fundamental misunderstanding of so Much. Sekera is actually probably a defensive guy first. At the very most he's a TWO way guy. While yandle is not that at all.
As I've said to you before, but you still fail to comprehend, it's not sekeras fault he was put in the positions (like 1 pp qb) with no insulation.

Campbell's best days are gone. He could help marginally, but he'd be a distant second acquisition for the blueline. He's the type of guy that would a been a boon 2 seasons ago, and now only somewhat.
Our sights need to be set higher.

End if the day the acquisitions you want while giving up nothing for, don't help nearly as much as those that we give up something tangible for. And even then, there's no guarantee those guys would sign with us.

Back to the drawing board for your next post bro

i dont see him leading a team to the playoffs.
- derm10

Lead? Depends. I think he gets overshadowed by others who draw more attention for what ever reason, and Nuge just quietly goes about his business.

I think that for most Nuge just hasn't developed as fast as they had hoped. Yet every year he gets better. I will not say he is stagnating, but he does fall into the Oil Trap of development, too much too fast with no veteran help.

I trade almost anyone on the team before I trade Nuge, or for that matter any of the Top 3 C.

I also agree with your post about "losing" a trade with Hall, to make the team better.

Lead? Depends. I think he gets overshadowed by others who draw more attention for what ever reason, and Nuge just quietly goes about his business.

I think that for most Nuge just hasn't developed as fast as they had hoped. Yet every year he gets better. I will not say he is stagnating, but he does fall into the Oil Trap of development, too much too fast with no veteran help.

I trade almost anyone on the team before I trade Nuge, or for that matter any of the Top 3 C.

I also agree with your post about "losing" a trade with Hall, to make the team better.
- McSavioursPupil

Trading hall before nuge is crazy talk imo. I think nuge is a helluva a player and only getting better, but hall is in a whole other level

Nuge could go for any number of lesser prices and I think we're improved. Or even for said secondary defender while forcing us to sign a much lesser 3c.

While hall would be extremely tough to replace with anything less than a bonafide stud defender


Just a guess, but I think pc is probs my shopping 1 or 2 of nuge/ebs/first.
With some willingness to potentially part with hall/nurse but fairly unlikely.
Connor/Leon/klefbom probably not st all in the table for any realistic scenario

got better... but developed into something totally different then was expected.
was hard for fans to see him as anything other then what he was proclaimed to be.
maybe see simlilar development from nuge..... could see nuge settling into a lesser role on another team
- derm10

He turned into something different because of the insane depth Anaehim had. On the Oilers he was a top six forward because the team sucked then and still sucks now.

Maroon shouldn't be in your top 6 please.

More

Hall/RNH/Draisaitl
Pouliot/McDavid/Free Agent

Or the Ebs combination without Maroon.

Maroon shouldn't be in your top 6 please.

More

Hall/RNH/Draisaitl
Pouliot/McDavid/Free Agent

Or the Ebs combination without Maroon.
- DutchSenators

Did you perchance watch his play in the top 6 last year?
Judging by your response I'm going to say no. McDavid and Maroon were a great fit and it was a refreshing breath of fresh air to finally see an Oiler forward park his ass in front of opposing goalie and create havoc. At this point I'd rather Maroon in the top 6 than Pouliot (and I am a fan of Pouliot).

Yes. Minnesota does have that depth, but Hamonic didn't request a trade to western USA. Winnipeg is most likely his top request. They aren't giving up a lot for a guy requesting a trade to them. That's a pipe dream.

Unless Okposo gets signed I see a need for a winger on the Island next year. Plus, I think it's the most they get for Hamonic, who I think is great btw.
- Matt_Henderson

Agree with you 100%. I think part of the reason Eberle is mentioned with NY is that Tavares and Eberke have history (and its good history) and the Isles have not really found someone who can think and play on the same level as Tavares. Enter Eberle.

Remember: Edmonton is looking for 2 things here: a RH D (Hamonic) and cap flexibility. It makes sense that one of the 6 million dollar men gets moved.

Trading hall before nuge is crazy talk imo. I think nuge is a helluva a player and only getting better, but hall is in a whole other level.
- HB77

What you say about Hall is true, but there is an equally convincing argument that can be made for an abundance of quality center depth.
While Hall drives possession and is the closest thing to a PPG player the Oilers have (other than McDavid of course), I can't help but wonder if the package he would bring back would be worth more to the club from a team perspective. The Oilers with Hall have never been a particularly high scoring club. Perhaps goal prevention from the addition of quality defenders and defensively responsible forwards (Lehtera, Koivu, Jarnkrok, etc) would be worth more collectively than Hall's production/play.

Maroon shouldn't be in your top 6 please.

More

Hall/RNH/Draisaitl
Pouliot/McDavid/Free Agent

Or the Ebs combination without Maroon.
- DutchSenators

Maroon hasn't needed to play above his head to fill that role well. He's used his size to create space and go to the net while Connor and eberle create offence. And the real beauty of him in that line is that despite his brutal skating, he actually has good hands and can bang them home from in close

Admittedly, it was only a 20 game sample size, but he was almost a ppg in that time

What you say about Hall is true, but there is an equally convincing argument that can be made for an abundance of quality center depth.
While Hall drives possession and is the closest thing to a PPG player the Oilers have (other than McDavid of course), I can't help but wonder if the package he would bring back would be worth more to the club from a team perspective. The Oilers with Hall have never been a particularly high scoring club. Perhaps goal prevention from the addition of quality defenders and defensively responsible forwards (Lehtera, Koivu, Jarnkrok, etc) would be worth more collectively than Hall's production/play.
- Wildschwein

This is just it, you speak of our inability to score, but then take away our top scorer.
I love the idea of centre depth as well, but the whole thing about centres and wingers is taking on a life it's own it seems. Like so many things on hb tend to. You need good players, regardless of position. and hall at wing does far more for this team Than nuge at centre has/does

Taransenko, Kane, kucherov, steen, ovie etc etc
Tell me there's any centre that's more important to their team than these guys

End of the day, I don't think there's no deal that can be made for lesser players that doesn't make us better, but it's a pretty slippery slope if you're going through hall instead of much inferior players...

This is just it, you speak of our inability to score, but then take away our top scorer.
I love the idea of centre depth as well, but the while thing about centres and wingers is taking in a life it's own it seems. You need good players, and hall at wing does far more for this team Than nuge at centre has

Taransenko, Kane, kucherov, steen, ovie etc etc
Tell me there's any centre that's more important to their team than these guys

End of the day, I don't think there's no deal that can be made for lesser players that doesn't make us better, but it's a pretty slippery slope if you're going through hall instead of much inferior players...
- HB77

I did not say the Oilers couldn't score. I said they were not a particularly high scoring club.
Other teams have seen success without a great deal of scoring by being more defensively sound. I just wonder if instead of focusing on the offense the Oil will lose should they trade Hall, we should instead consider whether the defensive stability his trade could create might not be more beneficial from a team play/standings perspective.