Archibald is apparently an excellent penalty killer. Add on the 12 goals and I think it's a pretty good deal at 1 mill.

Are all the bloggers on this site incompetent. Holland is doing exactly what he said. Creating competition on the depth players where zero scoring happened last year. With the cap he inherited what were you expecting? Top UFA signings? Trading nothing for top 6 players? No wonder you only get gigs in these sites. Relax... It is only July 16th.

Fire Holland.

You guys missed out on signing Nick Cousins. That will totally come back to bite you in the arse.

OH MY GOD WE BOUGHT OUT SEKERA WHO HAS PROBABLY BROKEN HIS HAND SIGNING IN DALLAS.

(frank)ing bandaid

Are all the bloggers on this site incompetent. Holland is doing exactly what he said. Creating competition on the depth players where zero scoring happened last year. With the cap he inherited what were you expecting? Top UFA signings? Trading nothing for top 6 players? No wonder you only get gigs in these sites. Relax... It is only July 16th.
- Elijah888

He had a list for this offseason

1. Add a top 6 forward.....he has not accomplished this yet and even tho it’s only July I’m having doubts that he will get that done which was probably the most important thing for him to accomplish so Nuge wasn’t screwed this season

2. Add forward depth.....no one can argue that hasn’t been accomplished....will make it so you will have to earn a spot.....this years bottom forwards should be more productive then last years

3. Add an experienced back up.....Mike Smith is a gamble....if we get playoffs Smith then it’s an instant upgrade who should push Koskenin.....if it’s early season Smith then it becomes a major issue

Holland really needs to get that top 6 forward and perhaps if he did that might calm some people down but if said people were expecting every single issue to be fixed in one off season then I’ll have what you are smoking

yeah what the heck is going on over there?

i love watching oilers games from afar when rexall place is rockin, and this makes me sad (i am already a sad buffalo fan, but...yikes).

i think your GM needs to make some major moves this offseason, and i dont see that happening. hopefully he can get it goin for you folks.

Finally!!
Very very crafty

Sure, if you were Chuck Fletcher, Peter Chiarelli or Kenny Holla... Oh wait...
- mnhockeyguy

So those are the only GMs adding bottom 6 insurance depth at the deadline? SOunds like you're quite the expert on this topic...

He had a list for this offseason

1. Add a top 6 forward.....he has not accomplished this yet and even tho it’s only July I’m having doubts that he will get that done which was probably the most important thing for him to accomplish so Nuge wasn’t screwed this season

2. Add forward depth.....no one can argue that hasn’t been accomplished....will make it so you will have to earn a spot.....this years bottom forwards should be more productive then last years

3. Add an experienced back up.....Mike Smith is a gamble....if we get playoffs Smith then it’s an instant upgrade who should push Koskenin.....if it’s early season Smith then it becomes a major issue

Holland really needs to get that top 6 forward and perhaps if he did that might calm some people down but if said people were expecting every single issue to be fixed in one off season then I’ll have what you are smoking
- RatedR80

I thought there was something about a 3rd line center too?

I'm not impressed with the off-season so far but I'm also not super disappointed as my expectations were pretty low considering the cap situation and overall disaster Holland inherited.

I also am happy not to see another Chiarelli situation where Holland gets bent over in a position of weakness just because he feels the need to put his stamp on this team.

I thought there was something about a 3rd line center too?

I'm not impressed with the off-season so far but I'm also not super disappointed as my expectations were pretty low considering the cap situation and overall disaster Holland inherited.

I also am happy not to see another Chiarelli situation where Holland gets bent over in a position of weakness just because he feels the need to put his stamp on this team.
- RonPielep

Ah yes I think a 3c was on the agenda as well.....I wasn’t expecting a major overhaul over the summer that’s impossible.....I’ll give him points for not spending stupid money this off season like Chia has and for standing his ground against JP.....I don’t like the fact that we still lack a top 6 forward and I wasn’t a fan of the draft (I could easily be wrong about that in time) like you my expectations weren’t sky high to begin with so maybe that’s why I’m not as upset as others are

Might I suggest you Google the last 12 years of Oilers hockey?
- Wildschwein

Spectacular summary of the high octane snatch of free agency. Love the humour. The Oil......not so much. Got posted to Edmonton and thought - cool - an NHL team and Mc D was just starting out. It has been painful to say the least. Does not look to be getting any better any time soon.

So those are the only GMs adding bottom 6 insurance depth at the deadline? SOunds like you're quite the expert on this topic...
- uofcguy

No competent GM gives up a midround pick for a 4th liner. Maybe a 6th rounder, maybe.

Depth signing...he could pot 15-20 with our center depth...It still seems that Holland has a trade coming for the top six players we need.

Huh? So a contender looking for bottom 6 insurance at the deadline wouldn't give up a mid-round pick for a guy like Archibald or Granlund or Jurco on expiring contracts? Suggest you review previous deadline details.
- uofcguy

OK, go back to 2019 trade deadline, and let me know what bottom 6 jobbers were moved for mid round picks. Matt Hendricks for a 2020 7th, and........ Teams look for depth at D, but look to acquire rental forwards to push their own players down the lineup. These guys generally just bung up your lineup and cap, IMO. Rieder averaged about 14 goals and 30+ points per season in his time in Arizona, how did that turn out here? I think Holland needed to focus on one true top 6 acquisition to play with RNH, and push a player down our lineup into the bottom 6. I like the Granlund add, but he wasn't even qualified in Van, because they have too many bodies too.

No competent GM gives up a midround pick for a 4th liner. Maybe a 6th rounder, maybe.
- mnhockeyguy

Hmm, let’s review a few years.

2017:
Flames trade 2nd for Curtis Lazar
Montreal trades 4th for Dwight King, yes, Dwight King who had 8 goals and 7 assists at the time.
Montreal trades a 6th for Steve Ott. They were really going for it that year.
Florida adds Thomas Vanek for a 3rd. Holland was the seller on that one.
Sharks add Jannik Hansen for prospect Goldobin (nice asset) plus a 4th. Hansen had 6 goals and 7 assists at the time.
Ottawa adds Viktor Stalberg for a 4th. He had 9 goals and 3 assists at the time.
Ottawa adds washed up Alex Burrows for young prospect Dahlen. Seems like they really coveted some veteran bottom 6 depth to go on a run that took them 3 rounds.

You know what, I was going to recap 2018 and 2019 but don’t want to waste me time. Believe what you want...

I warned you guys about Holland’s UFA signings. Ugh.

Not particularly keen on the signing. Doesn't really do much for us in any capacity but making the bottom-6 a touch faster. His stat line reads similarly to Caggiula's. He seems like precisely the kind of player Tippett likes, though.

Lucic, Granlund, Nygard, Gambardella
Khaira, Cave, Brodziak, Marody, Haas
Chiasson, Gagner, Jurco, Archibald, Russell

That's who we've got duking it out for the 7 or 8 spots as of now. Impressive.

Not particularly keen on the signing. Doesn't really do much for us in any capacity but making the bottom-6 a touch faster. His stat line reads similarly to Caggiula's. He seems like precisely the kind of player Tippett likes, though.

Lucic, Granlund, Nygard, Gambardella
Khaira, Cave, Brodziak, Marody, Haas
Chiasson, Gagner, Jurco, Archibald, Russell

That's who we've got duking it out for the 7 or 8 spots as of now. Impressive.
- MaximumBone

Not a terrible group for a bottom six make up. Not great but enough to start with. Still missing a solid 3c to shore it up. Hoping Nygard can earn a spot on the 2nd line with Nuge.

Not a terrible group for a bottom six make up. Not great but enough to start with. Still missing a solid 3c to shore it up. Hoping Nygard can earn a spot on the 2nd line with Nuge.
- RafiDRW

A tad too costly. As much as I hate watching him there, I can't argue with Lucic's results with RNH. They tend to saw-off well and that has value behind a duo like McDrai. I fear we'd be sewering his 5-on-5 offense (barring a major bounceback from Lucic) but if that's the only way to make it work, then I'd do it. Just keep Chiasson away from the top-6. He can play on the PP.

Lucic- RNH- Currie/Jurco
Ny/Gran- Khaira- Gagner
Gambo- Haas- Chiasson
Archibald, Cave

Honestly, everything I try to make looks ugly to me. Maybe Tippett can make it respectable, but I doubt it.

I warned you guys about Holland’s UFA signings. Ugh.
- RafiDRW

These aren’t the ones that scare me....it’s the ones on the Chia level of giving a Lucic contract that are scary

A tad too costly. As much as I hate watching him there, I can't argue with Lucic's results with RNH. They tend to saw-off well and that has value behind a duo like McDrai. I fear we'd be sewering his 5-on-5 offense (barring a major bounceback from Lucic) but if that's the only way to make it work, then I'd do it. Just keep Chiasson away from the top-6. He can play on the PP.

Lucic- RNH- Currie/Jurco
Ny/Gran- Khaira- Gagner
Gambo- Haas- Chiasson
Archibald, Cave

Honestly, everything I try to make looks ugly to me. Maybe Tippett can make it respectable, but I doubt it.
- MaximumBone

Haven’t paid enough attention to Lucic and his playability with centers to comment on that one. I only caught about 15 Oilers games last season. Chiasson scares me. Can only see a major regression from him.

These aren’t the ones that scare me....it’s the ones on the Chia level of giving a Lucic contract that are scary
- RatedR80

Holland never signs significant talent during the off-season. His work is always bottom six and bottom four dmen. It’s those extensions for those same players that haunt our nightmares.

Now, he did sign Nielsen but that was him doing everything possible to offset the loss of the mot underrated player in history.

Holland is adversely to making huge splashes in FA or by trade. I think Hosea was the last legitimate threat he signed on offense, and Rafalski is the last defensive star we signed. Both of them over 10+ years ago. That includes trades. Everyone else has been bottom six/bottom four players or former super stars (Richards, Bertuzzi, Stuart, Alfredsson, Vanek)

Kass-McD-Drai
Granlund-RNH-Gagner
Nygaard-Archibald-Chiasson
Gambo-Haas-Jurco
Lucic scratched.
Khaira traded.
Cave and Brodziak can GTFO.