McDavid
- Oildrum

lol, perhaps. But there is a D who typically plays on PP1...Barrie fit that role perfectly.

Oilers fans hating on this trade are funny.
Ekholm instantly becomes their best Dman, and his contract lines up with the other stars.

Obviously it was expensive. Look what Tampa paid for Jeannot. You have to pay to get your guy.

People that think Barrie "ran the powerplay" are out of their f6n minds!!! What did he do? Drop pass to McDavid? (that wasn't even in his path most of the time). He kicked the puck at the blue line more times than he kept it in the zone, and his passes were rarely on anyone's tape. Let's not even mention his d-zone shortcomings...God he is bad in his own zone! Barrie is one of my least favourite Oilers of all time.

This trade is PRECISELY what the Oilers need. 100% perfect. Great work.

Ekholm logs tough minutes in Nashville. He'll be the main shutdown guy in Edmonton, providing some needed insulation for Nurse. Also slots Ceci in a role he belongs. Bouchard takes over PP1 from Barrie, with Nurse the next option. Disrupts the chemistry on that PP, but McDavid, Draisitl, RNH should be able to adapt quickly. Better 5-on-5 play is worth whatever modest decline you get in the PP. Ekholm is also on the roster for 3 playoff runs. So they turned a 4/5 PP specialist into a top pair D, and paid a late 1st and a prospect that wasn't developing as hoped. Good deal for the Oilers.
- Cooleus

kinda a stupid statement for a guy picked late 1st round in 2022 ?

Hahaha okay guy, you trying to flex? Careful now

So since you don’t care about prospects, you don’t like the Barrie straight across for Ekholm trade?
- nanook82

Well, he wants to know what you are going to do about it ?

High price. Now add a RW and let the team make it worthwhile.

Oilers fans hating on this trade are funny.
Ekholm instantly becomes their best Dman, and his contract lines up with the other stars.

Obviously it was expensive. Look what Tampa paid for Jeannot. You have to pay to get your guy.
- itsallfalse

Oilers fans are funny cause they don’t realize they aren’t a good team. They are McJesus, Ze German, and a Power Play…add in that Skinner has played over his head this year = the playoff spot

Oilers fans are funny cause they don’t realize they aren’t a good team. They are McJesus, Ze German, and a Power Play…add in that Skinner has played over his head this year = the playoff spot
- Big23Questions

RNH, Kane, Hyman....

Ekholm logs tough minutes in Nashville. He'll be the main shutdown guy in Edmonton, providing some needed insulation for Nurse. Also slots Ceci in a role he belongs. Bouchard takes over PP1 from Barrie, with Nurse the next option. Disrupts the chemistry on that PP, but McDavid, Draisitl, RNH should be able to adapt quickly. Better 5-on-5 play is worth whatever modest decline you get in the PP. Ekholm is also on the roster for 3 playoff runs. So they turned a 4/5 PP specialist into a top pair D, and paid a late 1st and a prospect that wasn't developing as hoped. Good deal for the Oilers.
- Cooleus

This is the perfect logical take on the trade.

And yes. We all overvalue our prospects.

A big physical no nonsense D man. He also has a offensive upside.

Nice to see the Oilers finally budge from their organizational mission statement of "maybe next year". Schaefer and that 1st weren't ever going to get McDavid and Draisaitl any further into the playoffs.

Kenny, where's my Jimmy Howard or DeKeyser acquisitions??

Oilers fans are funny cause they don’t realize they aren’t a good team. They are McJesus, Ze German, and a Power Play…add in that Skinner has played over his head this year = the playoff spot
- Big23Questions

The Oilers are similar to the Leafs in that they are one dimensional hockey teams (Leafs this year seem to be bucking that trend a bit).

The Oilers are a good team and actually boost great/amazing/whatever forward depth. They have one of if not the best groups of forwards in the league. I find it funny how media, especially Eatsern Media likes to say McDrai blah blah blah and are just to dumb and lazy to look at the team.

The defense, as bad as it is, and slightly better with Ekholm, is the best it has been in ages. Still below league average but it is an actual NHL defense group.

Jack has been poop. I am shocked how bad he has been. I watched a lot of him in previous years and never saw him this bad. Is what it is.

Skinner is a legit starting goalie prospect/player. Has followed a career path that puts him in that category and while certainly relatively inexperienced he has not been rushed either. Its shaping up to be Jack as an expensive back-up between the two, which is unfortunate, but by the same token Skinner does not have the pressure to be "the" guy.

-Best forward group in the league with overlooked depth, check.
-Below league average defense... Not great but we are not talking bottom 5/10 in the league.
-Solid rookie goalie in Skinner and suspect in Jack... A weakness for sure.

They are a good team. Relatively speaking in the extremely weak Western Conference... A very good team. Compared to Boston, absolute garbage, but that is the vast majority of the league.

Oilers fans hating on this trade are funny.
Ekholm instantly becomes their best Dman, and his contract lines up with the other stars.

Obviously it was expensive. Look what Tampa paid for Jeannot. You have to pay to get your guy.
- itsallfalse

Imagine thinking you have a legit contender when your best Dman is Ekholm.

The Oilers are similar to the Leafs in that they are one dimensional hockey teams (Leafs this year seem to be bucking that trend a bit).

The Oilers are a good team and actually boost great/amazing/whatever forward depth. They have one of if not the best groups of forwards in the league. I find it funny how media, especially Eatsern Media likes to say McDrai blah blah blah and are just to dumb and lazy to look at the team.

The defense, as bad as it is, and slightly better with Ekholm, is the best it has been in ages. Still below league average but it is an actual NHL defense group.

Jack has been poop. I am shocked how bad he has been. I watched a lot of him in previous years and never saw him this bad. Is what it is.

Skinner is a legit starting goalie prospect/player. Has followed a career path that puts him in that category and while certainly relatively inexperienced he has not been rushed either. Its shaping up to be Jack as an expensive back-up between the two, which is unfortunate, but by the same token Skinner does not have the pressure to be "the" guy.

-Best forward group in the league with overlooked depth, check.
-Below league average defense... Not great but we are not talking bottom 5/10 in the league.
-Solid rookie goalie in Skinner and suspect in Jack... A weakness for sure.

They are a good team. Relatively speaking in the extremely weak Western Conference... A very good team. Compared to Boston, absolute garbage, but that is the vast majority of the league.
- Aerchon

Could not disagree more. I’m not part of Leafs Nation but to compare Edmonton to Leafs is ridiculous! Just a terrible take. Not even close to having the roster composition of Toronto.

Not the best forward group in the league at all. Leafs, Bruins, Lightning, Rangers, Hurricanes, Avs- ALL are better and deeper and then we can talk about Oilers.

I think you meant to say you have the best forward in the league and that Draistle is arguably in the Top 5 forwards in league.

Nowhere near Boston, Tbay, Leafs

PP + Jesus = Edmonton Oilers

Could not disagree more. I’m not part of Leafs Nation but to compare Edmonton to Leafs is ridiculous! Just a terrible take. Not even close to having the roster composition of Toronto.

Not the best forward group in the league at all. Leafs, Bruins, Lightning, Rangers, Hurricanes, Avs- ALL are better and deeper and then we can talk about Oilers.

I think you meant to say you have the best forward in the league and that Draistle is arguably in the Top 5 forwards in league.

Nowhere near Boston, Tbay, Leafs

PP + Jesus = Edmonton Oilers
- Big23Questions

The Oilers don't have the best forward group in the league, but are a much better team than just PP + Jesus. They're somewhere in between your take and his take. And like you said, not on the level of the Leafs.

That said, his main point was that people only see McDavid and Draisaitl and ignore their other quality pieces. And then you proved him right in your response.

The Oilers don't have the best forward group in the league, but are a much better team than just PP + Jesus. They're somewhere in between your take and his take. And like you said, not on the level of the Leafs.

That said, his main point was that people only see McDavid and Draisaitl and ignore their other quality pieces. And then you proved him right in your response.
- ElbowingPenalty

I didn’t prove his point. I was making mine. I don’t think the other forwards are overlooked at all in my opinion. I fell oilers are The Edmonton Power Plays and 97/29.
So, MY point was that they do not overlook anyone. They are effectively 2 players and a PP.

Well, he wants to know what you are going to do about it ?
- Xizord

He’s a loud mouthed wanna be tough guy that also happens to be a moron. Been around for years. We don’t usually pay him much bother.