@Max

Keep in mind that he isn't at the top of my priorities, but if all else fails, he isn't a bad add at the right price.

At 3m, I think his positives are worth more than his negatives (proven complementary scoring ability to say the least, grit, can keep up with top players [which isn't as simple-minded as you may think or else Lucic would have 60 points by now ], a big body with skill). Anything more, and I say no, especially to a long-term deal.

Probably gonna have to agree to disagree here either way.

Regardless, this year's FA has some interesting options depending on if they become available. With that being said, I'd rather target Perron if he becomes available. 5m for 3y and I'd be all up for it. Speed, skill, and grit all in one. No complaints here on such a deal.

Nurse negotiation I can definitely cover soon

As for Lucic could do a blog on that. Best case scenario I personally envision for Lucic is what happened with Backes. Not going to be a 50 point player anymore but if he can contribute 35 or so points on a third line and be effective with those minutes.
- freelancer

Guess I'll have to race you on that one, huh?

Don’t have to love the CoC. Just respect the CoC. There’s a lot of that CoC.
- RafiDRW

To be the CoC, you gotta beat the CoC...

Guess I'll have to race you on that one, huh?
- MaximumBone

Some real competition could be fun

Some real competition could be fun
- freelancer

Yeah, I reckon HallFan doesn't exactly inspire a great deal of competitive fire The alternative is cooperation, but that's likely not all that fun.

Nyquist is a Ufa after next season. I’d think a protected first or a second and Yammer maybe?

Mantha would be a non protected first from this year and next.
- RafiDRW

Protected [2019] 1st for Nyquist sounds alright, however, I might try to get you to take on Russell's contract though.

or...

For Mantha, I'd counter with a 2019 unprotected first and Yamo. No way do I trade this year's first in this deal. Yay or nay?

Yeah, I reckon HallFan doesn't exactly inspire a great deal of competitive fire The alternative is cooperation, but that's likely not all that fun.
- MaximumBone

Coorperation? Never heard of it.......

In all seriousness that sounds good to me. If you were interested in writing on Nurse go ahead. Let me know if you ever feel like running a duo blog on a variety of Oiler questions.

You guys know any decent online vinyl signage companies that'll ship all anywhere in Canada? My imaginary friends only know the local ones.

To be the CoC, you gotta beat the CoC...


- laughs2907

Coorperation? Never heard of it.......

In all seriousness that sounds good to me. If you were interested in writing on Nurse go ahead. Let me know if you ever feel like running a duo blog on a variety of Oiler questions.
- freelancer

Sounds like a solid idea for the future! I'm mostly gonna be writing about players from around the league and targets I'd like to see the Oilers pursue (trade, UFA and draft). Writing about the current Oilers is something I'll probably just keep doing here in the threads aside from the deeper dives that seem to attract TL;DR responses

For fun, how 1 offseason could change a team (w/ some solid management moves)

1.(draft day) Upgrade defense by looking into OEL, Karlsson, or Carlson. Start at Klefbom+2018 1st and go from there. (+2m)
2. Look into DET's situation and try to pry Nyquist or Mantha away, maybe even trade away Russel if Nyquist is involved (will still give "some cap relief") in a package. (+4.7m or just .7m...)
3. Resign Nurse. Probably going to be similar to Klefbom's contract if we are going by historical similarities (and the fact that Chia is in charge, perhaps less cap hit. 4m/6-7 years? (+3.2m)
4. Resign Strome (+.5m) and other depth players at same value (+0m)
5. Look into FA. Kovy, Perron, or to a lesser extent Grabner/Vanek/Maroon (+from as low as 2m to 6m)

Cap is said to go up. Let's take the lowest cap increase scenario (at 78m, up 3m).
+7.5 to 11.5 in cap space added if Russell is traded away. If not, max add is 15.5 which is still under the salary cap by .1m going into next year (capfriendly). Gonna be this easy? Probably not, but goes to show what a few key moves can do to a team.

RNH-McD-Pulj
FA signing (Perron/Ilya are my targets if available)-LD-Nyquist
-----------------------
Upgrade/Sekera & Nurse/Larsson

All via one offseason.

I don't think that'd work. I think the point of trading Yamo would be with the knowledge that this year's picks would have to fill the hole left by his departure. It's also my assertion that this trade would occur in July once Nyquist is eligible to be resigned so 2018 picks would be off the board.
- MaximumBone

Yammer and a second would be fine then honestly. I see the same potential in both but Yammer being more goal scorer than playmaker like Nike is.

To be the CoC, you gotta beat the CoC...


- laughs2907

Yammer and a second would be fine then honestly. I see the same potential in both but Yammer being more goal scorer than playmaker like Nike is.
- RafiDRW

2019 1st, 2nd, and Russell for Nyquist? Gotta be tempting at least? You still shave off 0.75m in cap space. And considering your defensive situation, you guys need all the help you can get.

Yammer and a second would be fine then honestly. I see the same potential in both but Yammer being more goal scorer than playmaker like Nike is.
- RafiDRW

If we were to tack on Russell in exchange for Helm would you still agree?

If we were to tack on Russell in exchange for Helm would you still agree?
- MaximumBone

See above. Even better.

See above. Even better.
- EdmHockeyMan

Not quite and I doubt he'd agree to that. I want additional team speed, a defined 4C to allow Khaira to move up, a solid faceoff guy and to free up a spot on the blueline that would otherwise be filled. Added benefit is Helm's injury-prone nature enables more cap flexibility in the more likely event of LT injury.

Not quite and I doubt he'd agree to that. I want additional team speed, a defined 4C to allow Khaira to move up, a strong faceoff guy and to free up a spot on the blueline that would otherwise be filled. Added benefit is Helm's injury-prone nature enables more cap flexibility in the more likely event of LT injury.
- MaximumBone

It's worth a try though. Means we wouldn't trade away Yamo.

It's worth a try though. Means we wouldn't trade away Yamo.
- EdmHockeyMan

I'm not worried about losing Yamo so long as we get a medium to long term solution at top-6 W position. I believe Yamo will make it, but I'm not so convinced that I wouldn't just as soon swap him for a sure thing.

On an aside, I found an interesting trade proposal that would get Lucic off the books if he were to agree to going to Carolina: Lucic with 1mil retained for Darling. Reasoning by poster "John Chambers' on Lowetide's site:

The Oilers would still owe $5M on the books for the next three seasons, and would then alleviate their financial burden down to $1M for years 4 and 5.

For the Canes the deal is actually financially defensible, because after Lucic receives his rich signing bones on July 1, there are only something like $20M in actual dollars payable over the final 5 years.

To consider:
– Darling probably has nothing to offer us, and is (likely) even poor value as a backup over his remaining 3 years.
– Even buying Darling out there is a total savings of ~$3.6M / year. Can you find a winger to replace Lucic for $3.6M?
– Can Lucic recover any of his playing ability from prior to Christmas? Or was he so poopty that taking back a virtually useless player to save $3M / year is defensible.

I honestly would probably do it if I were GM. If I have to assume Chiarelli is still GM, then I wouldn't trust him to utilize that cap space effectively.

If we were to tack on Russell in exchange for Helm would you still agree?
- MaximumBone

Ehhhh. That’s pushing it. It’s fair before but Russell is not what we are looking for. We have a log jam of prospects that are his range or better that losing a bottom six speed demon with stone hands but awesome PKness is not worth it.

It's worth a try though. Means we wouldn't trade away Yamo.
- EdmHockeyMan

Yammer and Puljujarvi are interchangeable for you guys. If you end up getting Zadina, Tkachuk, or Svechnikov, it’s an even more expendable.

I'm not worried about losing Yamo so long as we get a medium to long term solution at top-6 W position. I believe Yamo will make it, but I'm not so convinced that I wouldn't just as soon swap him for a sure thing.

On an aside, I found an interesting trade proposal that would get Lucic off the books if he were to agree to going to Carolina: Lucic with 1mil retained for Darling. Reasoning by poster "John Chambers' on Lowetide's site:

I honestly would probably do it if I were GM. If I have to assume Chiarelli is still GM, then I wouldn't trust him to utilize that cap space effectively.
- MaximumBone

I would do this.

Nyquist, Hicketts, Helm and a 3rd

For

Yamamoto, Russell, 2019 non protected first, and 2021 protected first.

Thoughts?

I would do this.

Nyquist, Hicketts, Helm and a 3rd

For

Yamamoto, Russell, 2019 non protected first, and 2021 protected first.

Thoughts?
- RafiDRW

Would you swap out Hicketts and the 3rd for Saarijarvi? And I'd say bump the 2021 1st to a second that becomes a 1st in whichever year (if at all) the Oilers reach the Conference final leading up to that pick.

For anyone who gives a (frank), I've begun writing here again

http://my.hockeybuzz.com/...t_id=18071&user_id=163151

Now you'll all be spared from most of my hopelessly long posts here and instead only have to subject yourself to them by choice! Have at it, you beautiful female genitalias