Luke Gazdic

[The Nuge]

Yeah, he's got a spot here going forward afaic. Guys that can fight heavyweights and play a semi regular shift are hard to come by.

Agreed. It's nice we finally have an enforcer who we don't have to be scared to play. He's also only 24 so he's the same age as our core (well, Eberle and Schultz at least) and a guy we can actually keep for more than a year or two

 

[lakai17]

Gazdic does nothing but wonders for the organization. It has been a long time.

 

[Joey Moss]

Good size, good speed, good hands, good fighter, willing to fight, young, great locker room guy. I can't find any reason not to like him. Re-sign him to a multi year deal.

MacT deserves credit for this one.

 

[AlowlyMcOilersfan]

He's the prime example of why you shouldn't overpay for 4th liners.

 

[Homesick]

Luke also works with Gary Roberts in the off season. He seems to think pretty highly of the kid

 

[joestevens29]

Luke also works with Gary Roberts in the off season. He seems to think pretty highly of the kid

Not shocking, the kid knew he had to work his butt off to make the NHL and now stick in the NHL.

 

[Homesick]

Anybody that thinks Gazdik is a good hockey player didn't see people like Dave Semenko, Clark Gillies, Bob Probert play the game. probably deserves to be said.

I don't know what ever happened, and maybe because people take harder punches than ever before but in general terms the skillsets of todays enforcers has taken a real backseat to that which came before it for decades.

Luke Gazdik, Mike Brown would never play a game in the NHL in previous decades.


There just seems to be so many of these junk players with fists will travel making the circuit in todays capped NHL. Teams used to have more skilled enforcers. Now you get excited if one somehow knocks in a goal in a year by accident.

those players would get eaten alive by the MacIntyres, McGrattons, and even Gazdics of today. Players are so much bigger and stronger than they were then. Players get KO'd more frequently now and they don't just have a nose to nose punchfest like they did 30 years ago

 

[oiler4ever]

http://youtu.be/FCEOMs2y0gU

 

[Bangers]

those players would get eaten alive by the MacIntyres, McGrattons, and even Gazdics of today. Players are so much bigger and stronger than they were then. Players get KO'd more frequently now and they don't just have a nose to nose punchfest like they did 30 years ago

Not so sure about that. I think quite a few fighters like Probert from yesteryear would have no issue going toe-to-toe with today's coke machines.

 

[nexttothemoon]

He's a tough ****er for sure... definitely one of the best fighters in the NHL. I just wish he had a little more skill so he could play more than a 5 minute per game role.

 

[DarthP0ker]

I want Gazdic vs Luic II in Boston later in the season

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

He's not exactly a great player, but he can skate and handle the puck to an acceptable degree and is willing to go against some of the most intimidating players in the game in McGratton and Lucic. Considering how the rest of our team is a bunch of pansies, he absolutely fills a need on this team. I'm sure everyone would rather have a Prust or Nystrom instead, but there's not that many out there. Gazdic is IMO an ideal 13th forward, can draw in against big/dirty teams and not be a huge liability on the ice like McIntyre, and can sit against the Chicagos/Detroits of the league.

Ideally, Mitchell Moroz replaces Gazdic moving forward, as he has much higher skill and defensive capabilities, but he's probably a year or two away. Plus it's always better to have more than one guy willing to drop the gloves.

 

[Replacement*]

those players would get eaten alive by the MacIntyres, McGrattons, and even Gazdics of today. Players are so much bigger and stronger than they were then. Players get KO'd more frequently now and they don't just have a nose to nose punchfest like they did 30 years ago

Notice I said hockey players. Meaning they could play hockey better. Probert was a pugilist and a friggen allstar. I don't see any of present cast auditioning. Used to be that the toughs could actually play the game.

 

[McTedi]

Notice I said hockey players. Meaning they could play hockey better. Probert was a pugilist and a friggen allstar. I don't see any of present cast auditioning. Used to be that the toughs could actually play the game.

Lol...really, I would say the exact opposite. I'm sure you could dig up a few names but fighting 20 years ago was much more prevalent in the game than it is today. And I've seen Probert play, the word allstar doesn't come to mind. He did score some goals, mostly because no one would touch him in front of the net for fear of getting beat up. Seems to me there were way more Dave Brown types back then than there are today.

 

[Tw0Shoes]

Lol...really, I would say the exact opposite. I'm sure you could dig up a few names but fighting 20 years ago was much more prevalent in the game than it is today. And I've seen Probert play, the word allstar doesn't come to mind. He did score some goals, mostly because no one would touch him in front of the net for fear of getting beat up. Seems to me there were way more Dave Brown types back then than there are today.

Probert had a 29 goal, 62 point season while racking up 398 pims. He also had 8 goals & 21 points in 16 playoff games that year. The guy had talent.
Wendel Clark put up four 30 goal seasons (one was 46 goals), and would have put up a bunch more if it wasn't for injuries.
Those are two of the toughest guys in the league of that era.

 

[Replacement*]

Lol...really, I would say the exact opposite. I'm sure you could dig up a few names but fighting 20 years ago was much more prevalent in the game than it is today. And I've seen Probert play, the word allstar doesn't come to mind. He did score some goals, mostly because no one would touch him in front of the net for fear of getting beat up. Seems to me there were way more Dave Brown types back then than there are today.

Probert was a dominating player in every aspect and one of the hardest opponents to play against. I believe Mark Messier figured he was one of the most difficult opponents in the league to face.
When Probert was on his game(and this wasn't always due to his own demons) he was just a force. An outright unstoppable force. Think Penner, except extremely aggressive and always willing to fight. That was Probert. Great player. Could've been a legend.

 

[McBeastMode]

Good size, good speed, good hands, good fighter, willing to fight, young, great locker room guy. I can't find any reason not to like him. Re-sign him to a multi year deal.

MacT deserves credit for this one.

Totally agree...

He must have knuckles made of carbon fiber, with the number of times he drills the opposing players helmets...

He also has one of the best uppercuts in the league....

 

[nexttothemoon]

I actually grimace a little when the fighters (Gazdic especially amongst them because he's one of our Oilers) slam their fists into those hard helmets. I figure they gotta bust fingers and even hands eventually doing that. They definitely earn their money through the constant abuse of their bodies.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

Good size, good speed, good hands, good fighter, willing to fight, young, great locker room guy. I can't find any reason not to like him. Re-sign him to a multi year deal.

MacT deserves credit for this one.

Nailed it. We gotta keep him for the long haul.

 

[Zap Brannigan]

Gazdic is terrible. He's not an NHLer. He is an upgrade on the pure awful that is Mac and Acton though

 

[ElFossum]

Gazdic is terrible. He's not an NHLer. He is an upgrade on the pure awful that is Mac and Acton though

i respectfully disagree. I think you have have to give your head a shake if you are unable to see the hole he fills in our line up. when your forward corp is as soft as butter, someone like him is necessary. How you fail to see this and applaud him for his effort and dedication is beyond me.

 

[harpoon]

Could've been a legend.

He's a legend to me.

 

[Zap Brannigan]

i respectfully disagree. I think you have have to give your head a shake if you are unable to see the hole he fills in our line up. when your forward corp is as soft as butter, someone like him is necessary. How you fail to see this and applaud him for his effort and dedication is beyond me.

I didnt know we were into giving medals for trying really hard and dedication.

Good teams win with good hockey players. Gazdic is not a hockey player. Hes a face puncher

 

[Towmater14]

I didnt know we were into giving medals for trying really hard and dedication.

Good teams win with good hockey players. Gazdic is not a hockey player. Hes a face puncher

Oh **** off with your face puncher bull ****. He has done more for the team as a whole in his last two fights then all of our skilled players put together. He changed the tide in these games. Ask the players what they think of this face puncher.

 

[Zap Brannigan]

I'm pretty sure the tide turned in the Boston game when Perron scored prior to Gazdic fought Lucic.

But I'll be sure to ask the players if they would rather win them have a roster spot wasted on a worthless hockey player.