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NHL Off-Season 2015 |OT| With the first pick the LA Kings are proud to select...

Parch

Member
McDavid for

TOR and NSH 1st this year
TOR 1st next year
James Reimer (Instantly becomes their starter and can be bros with Scrivens again)
Dion Phaneuf (Hometown boy and can easily be their best dman)
Peter Granberg (good d prospect)

Edmonton uses Toronto's pick to draft Hanifin

Boom. Just rebuilt the Oilers. Everyone wins.
You think Toronto's junk is Edmonton's rebuild? Hilarious.

Edmonton doesn't want more draft picks.
Edmonton's rebuild definitely includes McDavid.
 

Tabris

Member
Edmonton would be so foolish not to trade one of RNH or Yakupov (maybe not Yakupov as his value is too low right now, but his bridge contract is also nice though) after getting McDavid.

They need to trade for a goaltender and some more D. Honestly, they should maybe look to someone like Ryan Miller.
 
Edmonton would be so foolish not to trade one of RNH or Yakupov (maybe not Yakupov as his value is too low right now, but his bridge contract is also nice though) after getting McDavid.

They need to trade for a goaltender and some more D. Honestly, they should maybe look to
someone like Ryan Miller.

Kinda wish Viktor Fasth worked out for Edmonton. I know he's had injury issues though. Pretty good when he was in Anaheim. Our defense is reasonable though compared to Edmonton
 

Parch

Member
Edmonton also has the 16th, 33rd, and 60th pick. There's a lot of defencemen projected to go in the 2nd round, so plenty of choices to stock up on D prospects if they can't move those picks.

From what we keep getting told, MacTavish is not going to trade Hall, RNH, Eberle, and Yak. Pretty obvious that McDavid and Nurse are also untouchable. Stay the course. That's the core and always been considered the rebuild. It would take one helluva nice deal involving an important roster player to see one of them go, and I would actually be very surprised if Mac pulls the trigger on a deal moving what he considers a rebuild piece.

IMO, flipping those picks for some of Cherry's foot soldiers is probably the most likely scenario right now. Then let's see if we can convince a UFA or two that McDavid is the future worth playing with.
 

Tabris

Member
See I would be so frustrated as an Oilers fan. Those core players are being tainted because they are in a constant losing culture. You can't build a team of only new players with no foundation.

Look at teams like Ottawa, Calgary, hell even Vancouver. You have a bad season, trade some veteran players (not all), add a couple new players. You let those new players into a team that still has some veterans and a solid back end and they thrive. Johnny Hockey, Sean Monahan, Mark Stone, Bo Horvat, etc.

They are really stupid not to trade one of those players for some roster players. They can't get the roster players via UFA (unless players want to go to EDM due to McDavid), they have to trade for them. Get a Ryan Miller + some 2nd pairing d-men with winning experience.
 

Tabris

Member
They should sell the mid-season hockey games to TSN so we can get a better broadcaster again. I miss there coverage. They still have the panel but it's not the same as when watching during an intermission.
 
I don't see RNH going anywhere.

But Draisatl seem's like he could be used to address at least the Oiler's lack of D.


Well, yesterday we had this:

Broadcast deal hurting NHL as CAD declines

Which made respected Hockey Mind Damien Cox lash out at the writer, David Shoalts, accusing him of writing a hit piece at Bell's behest.

ehehehehehehehe
 
Well, yesterday we had this:

Broadcast deal hurting NHL as CAD declines

Which made respected Hockey Mind Damien Cox lash out at the writer, David Shoalts, accusing him of writing a hit piece at Bell's behest.

ehehehehehehehe

Oh man, you got Cox's response to that?

The guy was a writer on tennis, he couldn't write anything good on hockey even if it slapped him in the face. That's one of the main problems of Rogers new look HNIC, is the panelists. You have a moderator who still believes he's relevant and still a hipster at heart in George Strombolopolus, the beautiful tandem of MacLean, Kypreos, and take your pick of Healy or Stock, a vapid, soulless studio that relies too much on non-existent flair, and then an absolutely ghastly commentating crew that besides from few standouts (Bob Cole at select points, Hughson, and Randorf) is pretty much bush league.

I won't mince words and say that CBC towards the end was any better. But it was certainly much better then any of the stuff Rogers is currently throwing at us when it comes to studio talent.
 

Parch

Member
They should sell the mid-season hockey games to TSN so we can get a better broadcaster again. I miss there coverage. They still have the panel but it's not the same as when watching during an intermission.
The one redeeming factor with Sportsnet's coverage is having the choice of early games on HNIC. After decades of having Leafs forced on us, you have no idea how grateful I am to SN for having the choice. When we don't get Habs regional coverage, those Saturday games on HNIC are valuable. It brought a tear to my eye when on the first Saturday of the season, we actually had a choice.
 
It's too bad Edmonton's rebuild doesn't include any personnel who know what the fuck they're doing. McDavid will make for a threat every night just on his own merit, but that org will not see any substantial success until they start throwing the off-ice idiots out. By the time that happens all these top picks of theirs will surely be approaching their 30s.
 

Parch

Member
Oh man, you got Cox's response to that?
The guy was a writer on tennis, he couldn't write anything good on hockey even if it slapped him in the face.
Haven't noticed it much lately, but Damien Cox has a very strong agenda against fighting in hockey. He will never have anything but sarcastic smartass comments about it.
 
It's too bad Edmonton's rebuild doesn't include any personnel who know what the fuck they're doing. McDavid will make for a threat every night just on his own merit, but that org will not see any substantial success until they start throwing the off-ice idiots out. By the time that happens all these top picks of theirs will surely be approaching their 30s.

When you have an old boys network that was there for the glory years and still believes that the high flying offensive style works when defense was non-existent, that isn't really going to happen.
 

Syrinx

Member
It's too bad Edmonton's rebuild doesn't include any personnel who know what the fuck they're doing. McDavid will make for a threat every night just on his own merit, but that org will not see any substantial success until they start throwing the off-ice idiots out. By the time that happens all these top picks of theirs will surely be approaching their 30s.

Not even just in their 30s, but long out of Edmonton. Outside of their first real contract I don't know why these guys wouldn't bolt for greener pastures the first chance they get.

edit: though with Hall and RNH that's a long ways off now that I checked.
 

Tabris

Member
It's no longer an age where one player can dominate that many shifts by himself.

Especially in the playoffs. See the many times Crosby has been shut down. If it wasn't for Malkin and roleplayers like Talbot, no way they would have beat DET for that cup as Crosby was shut down that entire series. It also took players like Bill Guerin in those series to make a difference.

EDM has no good roleplayers. They have no good goaltender (like MAF was back in the day covering when Crosby was shutdown) or defence (Sergei Gonchar was a big difference in that series). They traded a good role-player like David Perron for who knows what reason. They traded their only good defensive players. And they signed a shitty goaltender.
 
Not even just in their 30s, but long out of Edmonton. Outside of their first real contract I don't know why these guys wouldn't bolt for greener pastures the first chance they get.

edit: though with Hall and RNH that's a long ways off now that I checked.

Cap space is definitely going to be an issue over there as well. I wonder if losing top talent to free agency might smack some sense into management.
 

zroid

Banned
Their handling of Draisaitl is pretty much proof that the Oilers are still the most mismanaged team in the league. They've learned absolutely nothing.
 

Merguson

Banned
Their handling of Draisaitl is pretty much proof that the Oilers are still the most mismanaged team in the league. They've learned absolutely nothing.

Bob Nicholson was put in charge of the Oilers organization recently. He's going to have to do what Shanahan basically did for the Leafs, if he does it.
 

Parch

Member
Look at teams like Ottawa, Calgary, hell even Vancouver. You have a bad season, trade some veteran players (not all), add a couple new players. You let those new players into a team that still has some veterans and a solid back end and they thrive.
The Oiler players that other teams want are not veterans. They're still considered the core rebuild players.

Frustration doesn't begin to describe Oiler fans. Half this city abandoned this team because of the ineptitude of management. We're convinced nothing would change while they're still in charge.

But now we've been given a ray of hope. There can't be bigger shot of optimism to this city than Connor McDavid. Maybe there really is a light at the end of the tunnel.
 

Tabris

Member
The Oiler players that other teams want are not veterans. They're still considered the core rebuild players.

Because you don't have any veterans anymore. Instead of getting rid of some for some new players. You got rid of them all after your cup run and been building off prospects only for too long.

So you have to trade away one of your good prospects to get some real roster players.
 

Merguson

Banned
Doesn't he answer to Katz though?
So why would it matter?

We'll see if anything comes out of it. I can't really say if anything will happen, obviously.

I'm just assuming Katz didn't just put him there to be a figurehead, and I'm assuming Nicholson doesn't want to be a figurehead.
 

Parch

Member
Hall McDavid Eberle
Pouliot Nuge Yakupov
Purcell Draisatl (probably Klinkhammer bringing some rowdy)
Roy had some chemistry with Yakupov, so lines are yet to be determined.

I think that's a decent foundation to start with. Just a teensy weensy problem with the defence and goaltending that needs fixing. No problem.
 
The Oiler players that other teams want are not veterans. They're still considered the core rebuild players.

Frustration doesn't begin to describe Oiler fans. Half this city abandoned this team because of the ineptitude of management. We're convinced nothing would change while they're still in charge.

But now we've been given a ray of hope. There can't be bigger shot of optimism to this city than Connor McDavid. Maybe there really is a light at the end of the tunnel.

I don't really see how McDavid offers hope with all the comments coming from Edmonton are basically "Uh yeah, we're going to stay the course". Adding talent like McDavid is not what Edmonton is missing, you know that.
 

Tabris

Member
Hall McDavid Eberle
Pouliot Nuge Yakupov
Purcell Draisatl (probably Klinkhammer bringing some rowdy)

I think that's a decent foundation to start with. Just a teensy weensy problem with the defence and goaltending that needs fixing. No problem.

They won't be able to afford to keep those 5 forwards within 3 years. And that doesn't actually look that impressive. Look at some of the best teams:

Corey Perry Tomas Fleischmann Ryan Getzlaf
Ryan Kesler Jakob Silfverberg Matt Beleskey

Jonathan Toews Brandon Saad Marian Hossa
Patrick Sharp Patrick Kane Brad Richards

How many rookies are on these lines? How much can these players grind you up? These top lines would push those EDM lines around easily. Maybe pure skill guys may work in the East Coast, but not in the Pacific. You need to grind a lot of goals out here.

Even a team like STL that may have lines like this, with a rookie line:

Jori Lehtera Jaden Schwartz Vladimir Tarasenko
Alexander Steen David Backes T.J. Oshie

That 2nd line will grind the fuck out of you.

EDIT - Hell, let's ignore the playoff teams. Let's talk about the 2 teams EDM needs to get past (ignoring ARZ):

Joe Pavelski Joe Thornton Melker Karlsson
Patrick Marleau Logan Couture Tomas Hertl

Tyler Toffoli Dwight King Jeff Carter
Anze Kopitar Marian Gaborik Dustin Brown

Filled with veterans, big guys, and grinders... with some "rookies" (Toffoli, Karlsson, Hertl).
 

Parch

Member
You're comparing cup contenders to a bottom 3 very young team.
I'm not expecting the Oilers to go from worst to first in a year.
 

Samyy

Member
Having McDavid is no guarentee of success, though I hope for Connor and Edmonton fans it gets better, I would simply not feel comfortable until that entire front office is burned to the ground.
 

Tabris

Member
You're comparing cup contenders to a bottom 3 very young team.
I'm not expecting the Oilers to go from worst to first in a year.

Look at the teams that have gone through "worst to first" like seasons.

Nashville:

Filip Forsberg James Neal Mike Ribeiro
Mike Fisher Craig Smith Colin Wilson

Calgary (they needed Hudler to elevate their rookies, their 2nd line is full of grinders):

Johnny Gaudreau Sean Monahan Jiri Hudler
Matt Stajan David Jones Michael Ferland

Canucks:

Alexandre Burrows Daniel Sedin Henrik Sedin
Nick Bonino Radim Vrbata Chris Higgins

Outside of CGY, most teams bring in their prospects on their 3rd and 4th lines. Maybe 2nd or 1st but have appropriate grinders on lines as well.
 

Tabris

Member
Tabris don't forget your 2015 cup favorites the Colorado Avalanche from that list.

They were one of my 2013-2014 west coast favourites :p Them and Anaheim. I never made any guarantees for 2015. I made the prediction for 2013-2014 right after the Patrick Roy fight, as I knew they would fight for their coach and it would be a uniting force. That's only tenable for a season.

My prediction accuracies are pretty damn good.
 
Hall McDavid Eberle
Pouliot Nuge Yakupov
Purcell Draisatl (probably Klinkhammer bringing some rowdy)
Roy had some chemistry with Yakupov, so lines are yet to be determined.

I think that's a decent foundation to start with. Just a teensy weensy problem with the defence and goaltending that needs fixing. No problem.

Jesus Christ
 
They were one of my 2013-2014 west coast favourites :p Them and Anaheim. I never made any guarantees for 2015. I made the prediction for 2013-2014 right after the Patrick Roy fight, as I knew they would fight for their coach and it would be a uniting force. That's only tenable for a season.

My prediction accuracies are pretty damn good.

Yeah totally. You're a regular nostradumbass.
 

Yawnier

Banned
Having McDavid is no guarentee of success, though I hope for Connor and Edmonton fans it gets better, I would simply not feel comfortable until that entire front office is burned to the ground.

If the oilers were my team I would be pretty damn stoked about Connor. Not going to lie, but I would be worried as well.

We saw with Lindros and the Flyers in the mid to late 90s... a generational hyped player doesn't guarantee you a cup
 
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