I always wonder why people are afraid to play young players who are capable of making the jump lol. Id rather them play when they are young then wasting their talent in a league that does nothing for the oilers. Assuming Bouchard comes in and plays at an NHL level. If he shows signs of hesitation or fear then sure send him back but if he comes up and creates some plays for us then keep the mfer here.

I always wonder why people are afraid to play young players who are capable of making the jump lol. Id rather them play when they are young then wasting their talent in a league that does nothing for the oilers. Assuming Bouchard comes in and plays at an NHL level. If he shows signs of hesitation or fear then sure send him back but if he comes up and creates some plays for us then keep the mfer here.
- benmacw

I don't think they're afraid of playing young players who are capable; the problem is their respective capabilities are a question mark and thus relying on them to be a key part of your team is a suspect decision. After the results of last year's "wait-and-see" approach, I don't blame them.

Like (frank) I'm going to read something by a habs fan. They know less about defense than oiler fans
- Lahey

You'll find any reason to not have to struggle through reading, huh?

I don't think they're afraid of playing young players who are capable; the problem is their respective capabilities are a question mark and thus relying on them to be a key part of your team is a suspect decision. After the results of last year's "wait-and-see" approach, I don't blame them.
- MaximumBone

I just find stupidity in saying send him down before anyone even sees the (frank) play. If hes a boss hes staying, sending him down on some principle is stupid.

I just find stupidity in saying send him down before anyone even sees the (frank) play. If hes a boss hes staying, sending him down on some principle is stupid.
- benmacw

Great, then say that. Don't build a strawman argument of an opinion that no one here holds and attack it.

As for the discussion at hand, Bouchard will get preseason to show if he's up to the task and, if he earns more, I'd give him a few games to show him the level he's gotta get to. If he's not making substantial contributions to winning games early (strong PP, >50% GF, not visibly overmatched, etc), he should be in the OHL by mid-October.

Nurse- Larsson
Klefbom- Benning
Enstrom- Bouchard
Russel/Gravel

Start the year with that and see how he manages. As an adept passer with a big point shot, Bouchard seems to be a perfect fit alongside Enstrom. Best case scenario is he's Cam Fowler 2.0 and (mostly) ready right away.

I think I'd send him down almost regardless of his play after 9 games. Run him through the proper development channels and see what comes of an extra year in London with a better team around him. An extra year in junior is pretty much never detrimental whereas rushing him out of junior often can be.

Five pages into the comments section and you (frank)wads are no closer to solving the Sekera crisis than P.C. is........the Oilers are clearly (frank)ed.

Five pages into the comments section and you (frank)wads are no closer to solving the Sekera crisis than P.C. is........the Oilers are clearly (frank)ed.
- leonkennedy

Speak for yourself, buttplug; I've already fixed it

You'll find any reason to not have to struggle through reading, huh?
- MaximumBone

Well it's also over my 40 word maximum as well

Five pages into the comments section and you (frank)wads are no closer to solving the Sekera crisis than P.C. is........the Oilers are clearly (frank)ed.
- leonkennedy

I had it solved

I just find stupidity in saying send him down before anyone even sees the (frank) play. If hes a boss hes staying, sending him down on some principle is stupid.
- benmacw

Is anyone actually saying this?

Great, then say that. Don't build a strawman argument of an opinion that no one here holds and attack it.

As for the discussion at hand, Bouchard will get preseason to show if he's up to the task and, if he earns more, I'd give him a few games to show him the level he's gotta get to. If he's not making substantial contributions to winning games early (strong PP, >50% GF, not visibly overmatched, etc), he should be in the OHL by mid-October.

Nurse- Larsson
Klefbom- Benning
Enstrom- Bouchard
Russel/Gravel

Start the year with that and see how he manages. As an adept passer with a big point shot, Bouchard seems to be a perfect fit alongside Enstrom. Best case scenario is he's Cam Fowler 2.0 and (mostly) ready right away.

I think I'd send him down almost regardless of his play after 9 games. Run him through the proper development channels and see what comes of an extra year in London with a better team around him. An extra year in junior is pretty much never detrimental whereas rushing him out of junior often can be.
- MaximumBone

He's going to get the same treatment KY got last year. If he does do well in all 9 games then who knows, but I don't think anyone is saying send him down without seeing him

Most importantly, they can not consider keeping Bouchard up for the season to fill the void created by Sekera.

Oilers have damaged too many young players by throwing them into the fire too early, particularly a talented young defenseman like Bouchard. Give him the 9 game look at the NHL game and then send him back to London to grow and develop his game.
- dumpnchase

My response was to this comment so you can relax mb.

My response was to this comment so you can relax mb.
- benmacw

Ah, I guess that was close enough to the point you addressed, but I think you made it out to seem less reasonable a stance than it is. The idea of sending a player back to junior regardless of results in a 9-game stretch is completely reasonable- especially when that player is a Dman. Reasons include:

- despite their possible success in the 9 game window, there's nothing to say they can keep that up over 82 NHL game schedule

- the potential for preserving cap space down the road is very real and- for a team tight to the cap- we need every dollar we can get

- 18 to 19 year olds rarely have fully developed shoulders so they're highly susceptible to injury if pushed too hard too early

- as I stated earlier, an extra year in junior almost never has a detrimental effect on development while the opposite often does

Whether intentional or not, I still think you framed the opposing argument as weaker than it actually is. It's not a stupid opinion to hold and shouldn't be treated as though it is.

Ah, I guess that was close enough to the point you addressed, but I think you made it out to seem less reasonable a stance than it is. The idea of sending a player back to junior regardless of results in a 9-game stretch is completely reasonable- especially when that player is a Dman. Reasons include:

- despite their possible success in the 9 game window, there's nothing to say they can keep that up over 82 NHL game schedule

- the potential for preserving cap space down the road is very real and- for a team tight to the cap- we need every dollar we can get

- 18 to 19 year olds rarely have fully developed shoulders so they're highly susceptible to injury if pushed too hard too early

- as I stated earlier, an extra year in junior almost never has a detrimental effect on development while the opposite often does

Whether intentional or not, I still think you framed the opposing argument as weaker than it actually is. It's not a stupid opinion to hold and shouldn't be treated as though it is.
- MaximumBone

zzzzzzzz

I had it solved
- Lahey

Any idea when the injury occurred? Im sure Management would have known as soon as it happened. If it happened before the arbitration hearings, why the fck wouldnt Chia put a claim on Kulak when we waived him just before the Arb hearing. Guy was a decent 3rd pairing & actually handled himself well playing 2nd pairing with hamonic for those 8-10 games when Brodie went down last year. Best of all he's young & would cost under a mill.
But when it comes down to it now, any GM with a legit 2nd pairing D available is going hammer Chia knowing he is dealing from weakness. So probably the waiver wire as teams finalize their rosters will be the best way to go, so just wait until mid/end Sept.

Curious, does anyone know the rule of how the LTIR actually works. Are Oilers allowed to go over the cap by the 5.5mill or that cap relief doesnt kick in until the first game & season starts. Ive seen comments that this will now help get Nurse signed to long term but I dont think it does. Not sure.

My response was to this comment so you can relax mb.
- benmacw

Really...?? If Bouchard blows everyone's doors off in the first 9 games, then of course he should make the team.

How many defensemen, even those picked in the top 5-10, are ready to "legitimately" step into the NHL their draft year? The numbers are EXTREMELY low, but management (and many fans) continue to express that their is a good chance they can make it. Just "making it" shouldn't be the goal for a

Look at the Norris Trophy winners since 2000-01 season, only 4 played in the NHL their first season (Hedman-74gp, Burns-36gp, Doughty-81gp, Niedermayer-4gp), and they all had much stronger defense depth to shelter/support and develop them. Does anyone really believe that Karlsson, Weber, Chara, Kieth, Subban and Lidstrom couldn't have "made" the team in their first years? Pretty sure they could have, but their teams did not want to sacrifice their development and screw their chances of realizing their potential.

Too many young players on the Oilers have been expected to come in and play/save this team out of managements desperation to cover their pi$$ poor moves!! Throwing away tomorrow to cover your a$$ today is why this organization continues to struggle. How does that expression go again-something about doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results...

Ah, I guess that was close enough to the point you addressed, but I think you made it out to seem less reasonable a stance than it is. The idea of sending a player back to junior regardless of results in a 9-game stretch is completely reasonable- especially when that player is a Dman. Reasons include:

- despite their possible success in the 9 game window, there's nothing to say they can keep that up over 82 NHL game schedule

- the potential for preserving cap space down the road is very real and- for a team tight to the cap- we need every dollar we can get

- 18 to 19 year olds rarely have fully developed shoulders so they're highly susceptible to injury if pushed too hard too early

- as I stated earlier, an extra year in junior almost never has a detrimental effect on development while the opposite often does

Whether intentional or not, I still think you framed the opposing argument as weaker than it actually is. It's not a stupid opinion to hold and shouldn't be treated as though it is.
- MaximumBone

Thank you!

Any idea when the injury occurred? Im sure Management would have known as soon as it happened. If it happened before the arbitration hearings, why the fck wouldnt Chia put a claim on Kulak when we waived him just before the Arb hearing. Guy was a decent 3rd pairing & actually handled himself well playing 2nd pairing with hamonic for those 8-10 games when Brodie went down last year. Best of all he's young & would cost under a mill.
But when it comes down to it now, any GM with a legit 2nd pairing D available is going hammer Chia knowing he is dealing from weakness. So probably the waiver wire as teams finalize their rosters will be the best way to go, so just wait until mid/end Sept.

Curious, does anyone know the rule of how the LTIR actually works. Are Oilers allowed to go over the cap by the 5.5mill or that cap relief doesnt kick in until the first game & season starts. Ive seen comments that this will now help get Nurse signed to long term but I dont think it does. Not sure.
- Kevin R

Happened over the weekend.

There is a poster on hf that was denying the injury as his buddy saw Sekera on Friday or Saturday skating. Apparently the other poster who said someone from within the Oilers organization told him about the injury wasn't wrong.

- the potential for preserving cap space down the road is very real and- for a team tight to the cap- we need every dollar we can get



-Puljujärvi

-Draisaitl

terrible cap planning/management created by desperation to fill key roster spots...

Happened over the weekend.

There is a poster on hf that was denying the injury as his buddy saw Sekera on Friday or Saturday skating. Apparently the other poster who said someone from within the Oilers organization told him about the injury wasn't wrong.
- Lahey

Then thats just crappy timing. Still shocked Oilers didnt scoop Kulak anyways.

Would love to send you guys Stone but we would have to take cap back from you guys to even make sense. Im getting the sense that Nurse doesnt want a bridge, especially now that he is being pencilled in top pairing. Its a tough trade for you guys to make, I think the later waiver wires are the way to go. Enstrom is a fcking hurter, he seems to get hurt every year the last while. Last year he missed 39 games & 20 the year before.

Then thats just crappy timing. Still shocked Oilers didnt scoop Kulak anyways.

Would love to send you guys Stone but we would have to take cap back from you guys to even make sense. Im getting the sense that Nurse doesnt want a bridge, especially now that he is being pencilled in top pairing. Its a tough trade for you guys to make, I think the later waiver wires are the way to go. Enstrom is a fcking hurter, he seems to get hurt every year the last while. Last year he missed 39 games & 20 the year before.
- Kevin R

His agent was quite clear a few weeks back that we didn't have cap space for a long-term deal so a bridge was more than likely. Stauffer and some other local media also mentioned a bridge deal should be coming about a week ago.

Not sure how that all changes now.

His agent was quite clear a few weeks back that we didn't have cap space for a long-term deal so a bridge was more than likely. Stauffer and some other local media also mentioned a bridge deal should be coming about a week ago.

Not sure how that all changes now.
- Lahey

He'll probably try to squeeze a few extra dollars out of us

His agent was quite clear a few weeks back that we didn't have cap space for a long-term deal so a bridge was more than likely. Stauffer and some other local media also mentioned a bridge deal should be coming about a week ago.

Not sure how that all changes now.
- Lahey

Honestly I think you wait for something to shake loose on the waiver wire

Honestly I think you wait for something to shake loose on the waiver wire
- Reveen.

Mr. Franson and Mr. Rundblad are awaiting your calls!

Mr. Franson and Mr. Rundblad are awaiting your calls!
- VeryModernMan

Franson could be an okay band aid on a one year under a million dollar contract.