He'll be a more than capable shut down d-man. Believe me when I tell you that. If he can muster some more offense then he's a real stud.
- willschulme

Don't need to convince me. He and Klefbom should make a good pairing.

Ek you're such a liar.

It's interesting how a 'NHL executive' texted Eklund using a turn-of-phrase that Eklund uses all the time himself in his own writing...
- stringerbell

Eklund seems to do this all the time. He had a blog a while ago where he admits he tries to connect pieces on his own but writes that he heard his own opinions from "sources" for fun to be entertaining. H

Ek you're such a liar.
- woopstash

Not a very good one either

Ya you're right cause nobody wants to play with McDavid. Just ask Lucic and Sekera
- Xaos22

it's Edmonton.

Sorry.

Only Peter Chiarelli is dumb enough to trade Yakupov for Emelin...so I guess it could happen.
- Iggysbff

It would take a pretty dumb GM to make that deal.

Some team would offer a better deal.

1) Yakupov is garbage. I've had microwaves with higher hockey IQs.

2) The Oilers are better today than they were at the end of last season. How about you Zorches give Peter C a little time to correct the cluster(frank) he inherited, before spewing your venom.

1) Yakupov is garbage. I've had microwaves with higher hockey IQs.

2) The Oilers are better today than they were at the end of last season. How about you Zorches give Peter C a little time to correct the cluster(frank) he inherited, before spewing your venom.
- laughs2907

Agreed.

1) Yakupov is garbage. I've had microwaves with higher hockey IQs.

2) The Oilers are better today than they were at the end of last season. How about you Zorches give Peter C a little time to correct the cluster(frank) he inherited, before spewing your venom.
- laughs2907

Hall could have brought back a LOT more than what's-his-name from NJ.

Hall could have brought back a LOT more than what's-his-name from NJ.
- domi_legend

1) Since 2012, Larsson's defensive game has ranked #1 in the entire NHL. This trade has received a lot of criticism mainly because most people do not know a whole lot about him. He's not a flashy player, and he's not an attention whore... He just gets the job done defensively (brilliantly I should add).

2) The market value of LWs and RDs are not equal in the NHL...

Zack kassian will have his best year, mark my words.

Ya the Islanders can have Eberle... for Hamonic. Otherwise they can beat it.
- Xaos22

Eberle isn't worth Hamonic. Sounds like Edmonton should beat it. Why would the Islanders trade their best D man for Eberle? I wouldn't. That would be dumb.

I realize that his advanced stats make him look like a very good defender, and I believe he is a very good defender and that he will help the Oil, BUT.....

To say that he has been the best defensive dman in the league since 2012 just based on those advanced stats, is silly. If he had truly been that good there is no way his coach would have been sending him down to the AHL, repeatedly, is there?

Again, I believe that this was actually a terrible deal, but as part of the big picture it is ok to lose a trade to make your team better.

In fantasy hockey, I lose every deal I make on paper.....and yet my team is the best, and youngest in our league....and it isn't even close. The same thing can apply to the NHL.

Zack kassian will have his best year, mark my words.
- time2produce

I couldn't even recognize him on that interview he did at the golf course summer... He looked good. Hopefully he turned his sh1t around.

Emelin and his cap hit wouldn't be enough to land Yakupov, with that said I don't think Yak is the type of player they should be targeting. .. a Emelin for Hartnell trade would make more sense, to me anyway
- obie

I have no idea why Bergevin would do such a dumb thing. It's not like he had a great offseason - trading Subban for Weber and adding Radulov. All you need it another dumb move like adding Yukupov.

I realize that his advanced stats make him look like a very good defender, and I believe he is a very good defender and that he will help the Oil, BUT.....

To say that he has been the best defensive dman in the league since 2012 just based on those advanced stats, is silly. If he had truly been that good there is no way his coach would have been sending him down to the AHL, repeatedly, is there?

Again, I believe that this was actually a terrible deal, but as part of the big picture it is ok to lose a trade to make your team better.

In fantasy hockey, I lose every deal I make on paper.....and yet my team is the best, and youngest in our league....and it isn't even close. The same thing can apply to the NHL.
- Dollars2Donuts

We'll see... I know the Oilers couldn't continue to do what they were doing... They needed help on D and they got it. They also added toughness/skill in Lucic... I hope they can acquire another RD...

Eberle isn't worth Hamonic. Sounds like Edmonton should beat it. Why would the Islanders trade their best D man for Eberle? I wouldn't. That would be dumb.
- Oneonta Penguin

There's no trade to make. I'm confident that Edmonton has no plans to trade more of their offense and Harmonics too valuable to New Yorks D to move him.

I have no idea why Bergevin would do such a dumb thing. It's not like he had a great offseason - trading Subban for Weber and adding Radulov. All you need it another dumb move like adding Yukupov.
- Oneonta Penguin

I think the dream is that him and Galchenyuk can play together again... And by that, I mean the dream of the rest of the NHL (because Yak is crap).

1) Yakupov is garbage. I've had microwaves with higher hockey IQs.

2) The Oilers are better today than they were at the end of last season. How about you Zorches give Peter C a little time to correct the cluster(frank) he inherited, before spewing your venom.
- laughs2907

1) he's still worth far more than Emelin

2) they couldn't be worse. Being better isn't good enough at this point. He took over a team with a ton of young talent and added McDavid. And finished worse. He's made bad move after bad move. A monkey could have done better. He's a (frank)ing bumbling fool.

1) Since 2012, Larsson's defensive game has ranked #1 in the entire NHL. This trade has received a lot of criticism mainly because most people do not know a whole lot about him. He's not a flashy player, and he's not an attention whore... He just gets the job done defensively (brilliantly I should add).

2) The market value of LWs and RDs are not equal in the NHL...
- laughs2907

since 2012? he played 37 nhl games in 2012-2013, 26 nhl games in 2013-2014. Are you including his ahl stats because apparently he was so brilliant the devils didn't play him in the nhl for more than half a season.

I'm curious to see what advanced stats you've twisted to convince yourself that a milbury type trade was actually to the benefit of the oilers.

didn't you also say last summer that griffin reinhart was nhl ready when I told you he wasn't?

1) Since 2012, Larsson's defensive game has ranked #1 in the entire NHL. This trade has received a lot of criticism mainly because most people do not know a whole lot about him. He's not a flashy player, and he's not an attention whore... He just gets the job done defensively (brilliantly I should add).

2) The market value of LWs and RDs are not equal in the NHL...
- laughs2907

Yep Edmonton had the 4th worst GA per game last year and 18th ranked PK last year.

Add a defenseman who had the 2nd lowest GA per 60 (to Stralman), yet had the highest defensive zone starting percentage in the league, with next to no PP time and played on the top PK unit for the 8th best PK in the league. Managed to be a +15 on a team that had -20 goal differential.

But he is terrible because he didn't have 40 points while playing on the lowest scoring team in the league. Adam Larsson is going to make a lot of people look silly this year, but one of them won't be PC.

1) he's still worth far more than Emelin

2) they couldn't be worse. Being better isn't good enough at this point. He took over a team with a ton of young talent and added McDavid. And finished worse. He's made bad move after bad move. A monkey could have done better. He's a (frank)ing bumbling fool.
- Iggysbff

I liked the Zack Kassian and Patrick Maroon trades. Hope Zack has his poop figured out and stays long term for cheap in a bottom 6 role. He better show some discipline and take less stupid penalties tho. Hopefully that comes a bit with age.

since 2012? he played 37 nhl games in 2012-2013, 26 nhl games in 2013-2014. Are you including his ahl stats because apparently he was so brilliant the devils didn't play him in the nhl for more than half a season.

I'm curious to see what advanced stats you've twisted to convince yourself that a milbury type trade was actually to the benefit of the oilers.

didn't you also say last summer that griffin reinhart was nhl ready when I told you he wasn't?
- Isles_since_6

You don't need a degree in fancy stats to read this.

Btw does anybody know an easy site where you can see the list of moves a team has made under a particular management? Even a chronological list of moves would be good enough, I can figure out the management part on my own.

1) he's still worth far more than Emelin

2) they couldn't be worse. Being better isn't good enough at this point. He took over a team with a ton of young talent and added McDavid. And finished worse. He's made bad move after bad move. A monkey could have done better. He's a (frank)ing bumbling fool.
- Iggysbff

It was his first year as GM of the Oilers, and he needed to evaluate things. It's not fair to pin last year's season on him. Plus, then we had the injury issue...

McDavid... 37 games
RNH... 27 games
Pouliet... 27 games
Eberle... 13 games
Yakupov... 22 games (although that probably helped the Oilers)
Hendricks... 14 games
Klefbom... 52 games (this probably hurt the Oilers more than losing McDavid)
Davidson... 31 games
Gryba... 29 games

Give the guy some time. He has already added D and and made the Oilers much tougher.