Rumor: Kulak or Soucy : Oilers kicking tires

[Goal Caufield50]

I would take a 3rd for Kulak. I don’t see a 2nd as reasonable.

I think a third is the right price. Habs go with savard , edmundson, petty and Romanov and wider an as the top five. Depth players , free agents and prospects like Harris can fill out the roster

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Oilers should go a cheaper option and tell Seattle to shove it. A first + B prospect for Soucy doesn’t make sense. Just go after Middleton from San Jose. He’s gonna cost less and He works on the Oilers third pairing

That sounds like a good plan for the Oilers.

 

[bobbythebrain]

2 things:

1. We had Dunn, Larsson, Gio and Oleksiak ahead of Soucy. He was not going to get 'top-4' minutes ahead of them. But when any of them got injured, he was the one who got moved there.
2. Our coach is genuinely not very good. He overuses Lauzon who is no doubt a bottom-6 D instead of better options like Soucy. Or even Fleury.

With Gio gone, Soucy is going to be playing top-4 D minutes. Do what you want with this info.

Flyers fans went through this with Hagg. Hakstol loves his grinders

 

[Mr Positive]

Depth on D is one of our strengths so Soucy on the 3rd pairing actually makes sense.

But anyway, how we value him will be driven entirely by how valuable he is to us, which a top-4 D-man. If he plays on a 3rd pairing on a contending team, it really means little to us in regards to the return we want for him.

how is he a top 4 Dman to you if he is 6th in Kraken D for ice time per game, and 7th in even strength ice time?

I get that the Kraken have traded some players but he's still low ranking. Kraken depth is very good, but shouldn't that make the team a motivated seller? It sounds like he wouldn't be crazy hard to replace during FA

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

how is he a top 4 Dman to you if he is 6th in Kraken D for ice time per game, and 7th in even strength ice time?

I get that the Kraken have traded some players but he's still low ranking. Kraken depth is very good, but shouldn't that make the team a motivated seller? It sounds like he wouldn't be crazy hard to replace during FA

What is your point here? I have said earlier in this thread that he is valuable to us and we are not interested in moving him at all. I also said that coaching is a major issue on the team and the player utilization has been terrible. Yet, there are posters from other teams trying to tell us that he is not really that valuable and is easily replaceable in FA and we should be looking to sell him? Thanks but no thanks.

Why would we care about a 2nd round pick? The chance that a pick in the 50+ range turns into a player better than Soucy in minimal. We don't need to worry about cap space or his contract. We are comfortable keeping him till next season and evaluate moving him at next TDL if we choose to.

 

[AddyTheWrath]

What is your point here? I have said earlier in this thread that he is valuable to us and we are not interested in moving him at all. I also said that coaching is a major issue on the team and the player utilization has been terrible. Yet, there are posters from other teams trying to tell us that he is not really that valuable and is easily replaceable in FA and we should be looking to sell him? Thanks but no thanks.

Why would we care about a 2nd round pick? The chance that a pick in the 50+ range turns into a player better than Soucy in minimal. We don't need to worry about cap space or his contract. We are comfortable keeping him till next season and evaluate moving him at next TDL if we choose to.

My question is, if Soucy is that good, shouldn't he be playing higher in the lineup considering how bad the Kraken are? And you can say it's just bad coaching, but at some point, you would expect that the management group steps in and says "hey what are we doing here? Soucy is a good defenseman. Play him more and we'll win more." If the team isn't doing that, then maybe they don't see Soucy as highly as you do?

 

[Mr Positive]

What is your point here? I have said earlier in this thread that he is valuable to us and we are not interested in moving him at all. I also said that coaching is a major issue on the team and the player utilization has been terrible. Yet, there are posters from other teams trying to tell us that he is not really that valuable and is easily replaceable in FA and we should be looking to sell him? Thanks but no thanks.

Why would we care about a 2nd round pick? The chance that a pick in the 50+ range turns into a player better than Soucy in minimal. We don't need to worry about cap space or his contract. We are comfortable keeping him till next season and evaluate moving him at next TDL if we choose to.

There are subtleties here that you are touching on, and that perhaps other fans do not understand (that includes myself), but all that means is that the values we toss around could be off. Fans rarely get it right, and perhaps that 2nd year adds more value than they'd admit. But how do you know that your team's management feels the same way about Soucy that you do? Or that they feel the same way about coaching, in regards to Soucy in particular?

The only reason that Oiler fans were giving attention to this is because there are rumors about Soucy. The only thing we can really check are the stats. I can believe what you say that maybe talks hit a brick wall because of factors like what you are saying, but until I see a counter rumor I'm still interested in it.

 

[Mr Positive]

My question is, if Soucy is that good, shouldn't he be playing higher in the lineup considering how bad the Kraken are? And you can say it's just bad coaching, but at some point, you would expect that the management group steps in and says "hey what are we doing here? Soucy is a good defenseman. Play him more and we'll win more." If the team isn't doing that, then maybe they don't see Soucy as highly as you do?

I agree in principle with what Kraken fans are saying. They are a bad team, but in a very peculiar way. This is what expansion drafts do. Not much very high end talent. Not very much low end talent either. Having depth is not enough. The team has chemistry issues likely, and possibly coaching issues, that keep them from being a bit better than they are.

 

[1909]

I agree in principle with what Kraken fans are saying. They are a bad team, but in a very peculiar way. This is what expansion drafts do. Not much very high end talent. Not very much low end talent either. Having depth is not enough. The team has chemistry issues likely, and possibly coaching issues, that keep them from being a bit better than they are.

Coaching is quite bad. And it is hard to have 20 different players coming from 20 different orgs, gelling overnite. That is a typical expansion team. Not Vegas.

 

[1909]

There are subtleties here that you are touching on, and that perhaps other fans do not understand (that includes myself), but all that means is that the values we toss around could be off. Fans rarely get it right, and perhaps that 2nd year adds more value than they'd admit. But how do you know that your team's management feels the same way about Soucy that you do? Or that they feel the same way about coaching, in regards to Soucy in particular?

The only reason that Oiler fans were giving attention to this is because there are rumors about Soucy. The only thing we can really check are the stats. I can believe what you say that maybe talks hit a brick wall because of factors like what you are saying, but until I see a counter rumor I'm still interested in it.

Why the Oilers did not keep Ethan Bear ?

 

[General Disarray]

How is this still a narrative when Mathews and the leafs keep getting bounced in the 1st round? Just stop.

What do the Leafs have to do with this?

Anyway Holland made his big move already with Kane so McDrai can't cry

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

My question is, if Soucy is that good, shouldn't he be playing higher in the lineup considering how bad the Kraken are? And you can say it's just bad coaching, but at some point, you would expect that the management group steps in and says "hey what are we doing here? Soucy is a good defenseman. Play him more and we'll win more." If the team isn't doing that, then maybe they don't see Soucy as highly as you do?

The fact that we are a bottom-3 in the league does not necessarily mean we have bad D-men or that we don't have 4 other D-men better than him on our roster. I cannot control how he is deployed on our team. All I can tell you is that when he is deployed in that role, he has been more than respectable in that role.

Soucy is not the only player in the history of hockey who has to deal with bad coaching and or bad utilization. Or had to deal with coaches with an affinity for a specific type of player and overplay them over the better options. Kraken are a new organization, so I am not sure how involved management is with day-to-day decisions regarding how the players are utlized. Heck, the same problem existed for a while with DeBoer when I was a Sharks fan. That is all I can really tell you. You look at TOI and say he is a bottom-pairing D-man. I look at him perform on the ice and tell you that he is a top-4 D-man being incorrectly deployed/utilized.

 

[Mr Positive]

Why the Oilers did not keep Ethan Bear ?

#1 is because they wanted to have our spot for young/inconsistent RHD open for Bouchard, our top prospect at the time
#2 we had the worse bottom six in the league, or close to it. Adding a Foegele type player was important
#3 (and imo not a significant reason) is that he had a very poor playoffs

 

[RedHawkDown]

Holland is a generational tire kicker, just saying

 

[Obvious Fabertism]

Soucy is a top tier #5 and more than capable of holding his own as a number 4 when called upon, pretty much the ideal depth defenseman. Physicality, solid defensive play, moves the puck adequately, and gets his shots off quickly. Would love to have him back on the Wild, he is pretty much everything that the Oilers have been missing from their D lineup for the last decade.

 

[PuckInTheNards]

Would be a great add in Edmonton. Wish we had him back in Minnesota.

 

[Jumptheshark]

There is a thread on this

 

[PostBradMalone]

He has term, so that’s worth an extra pick in itself this year

I’d do ‘23 2nd (better draft) plus either a 3rd or prospect for Soucy. Don’t love the player but for that price he would be worth a look IMO.

 

[57special]

Soucy is a top tier #5 and more than capable of holding his own as a number 4 when called upon, pretty much the ideal depth defenseman. Physicality, solid defensive play, moves the puck adequately, and gets his shots off quickly. Would love to have him back on the Wild, he is pretty much everything that the Oilers have been missing from their D lineup for the last decade.

I would also say that he is everything that the wild are missing on their D right now. He can mix it up a bit, is really long, and has sneaky good offense. Hakstol has to be a complete tool not to have figured out that he is a useful player.

 

[snipes]

Soucy is a top tier #5 and more than capable of holding his own as a number 4 when called upon, pretty much the ideal depth defenseman. Physicality, solid defensive play, moves the puck adequately, and gets his shots off quickly. Would love to have him back on the Wild, he is pretty much everything that the Oilers have been missing from their D lineup for the last decade.

This.

It’s not the sexiest pick up but I think of him as a possible D partner for Bouchard as a very tantalizing option. The extra year allows us to not rush Broberg next year either.

His size, physicality, and just overall defensive positioning could really help steady our D core. Especially as we have Bouchard and Barrie on the 2nd and 3rd pairing right D. He‘d end up being the D partner for an offensive D man with either Barrie or Bouchard, which again he fits the mould well for that.

Of all the D men linked to the Oilers (Soucy, Braun, Kulak, etc.), I like Soucy the best and think he makes the most sense.

 

[PostBradMalone]

Of all the D men linked to the Oilers (Soucy, Braun, Kulak, etc.), I like Soucy the best and think he makes the most sense.

I would rather have Braun if I could only choose one of the three since he could help stabilize Keith plus leave less ES minutes for Barrie/Bouchard, but both would be a sign that Holland is serious about giving this team a chance. Not many teams could compete with the depth of:

Nurse-Ceci/Braun
Keith/Soucy-Ceci/Braun
Keith/Soucy-Barrie/Bouch
Barrie/Bouch

Trade Turris with a pick for Braun and picks/prospects plus Russell for Soucy while dumping Archibald off on a US team and there you have it.

 

[MessierII]

This.

It’s not the sexiest pick up but I think of him as a possible D partner for Bouchard as a very tantalizing option. The extra year allows us to not rush Broberg next year either.

His size, physicality, and just overall defensive positioning could really help steady our D core. Especially as we have Bouchard and Barrie on the 2nd and 3rd pairing right D. He‘d end up being the D partner for an offensive D man with either Barrie or Bouchard, which again he fits the mould well for that.

Of all the D men linked to the Oilers (Soucy, Braun, Kulak, etc.), I like Soucy the best and think he makes the most sense.

I agree. He seems to be kind of the mould of an ideal modern 5-6 D man. You can never have enough depth on D.

 

[SwedishFire]

I spitballed that Kulak would be worth a 3d, but I wonder if he might fetch more, since he's a fairly efficient bottom-pair guy who can play either side. Just about any contender could use him, if only as injury insurance.

Compared to other guys I've seen added as cheap depth - Merrill, Gustafson, etc., he's a huge upgrade.

If as afvertised, I gladly part with 2023 1st and a player for salary purpose . Chose from Kassian, M Smith, Turris, T Benson.
Would that work?

 

[Tobias Kahun]

If as afvertised, I gladly part with 2023 1st and a player for salary purpose . Chose from Kassian, M Smith, Turris, T Benson.
Would that work?

a first for kulak?

Not a chance.

 

[pth2]

If as afvertised, I gladly part with 2023 1st and a player for salary purpose . Chose from Kassian, M Smith, Turris, T Benson.
Would that work?

I'm not finding Benson on capfriendly, and with Turris injured, I don't see how moving him would help you. But hey, I'd take Turris and a 1st for a 50% retained Kulak in a second. Though I think a 2nd would already be a fine deal for the Habs, with a lesser (4th or 5th) pick thrown in for having to take Turris.