GDT: Peter Chiarelli Media Availability

[CupofOil]

I do agree on your first sentence. But the Oilers do have players in Bear, Jones, Maksimov, Safin, Samourokov, Skinner etc who look like good prospects who were drafted round 3+. The Oilers have struggled to hit anything beyond the second round for so many year. It seems like theres positive news with some of the later picks. I just wish they wouldnt of traded/lost some of the picks for Reinhart deals, gm/coach hires, etc etc.

There was positive news with those other guys too. Most prospects do well in lesser leagues after their draft year but until they do something substantial in the pros, they will remain question marks.

I just don't have any faith in the development program when they can't even get anything out of their #4 pick 2 years in and promote one of the major architects of this failed development system to head coach of their primary development team. I don't blame anybody for being enthusiastic about this new crop of prospects and I like the players too but I just can't trust the Oilers to develop them properly until proven otherwise.

 

[McTedi]

My issue with what Gretzky did was him saying he felt it was important to save hockey in the desert when at the same time the Oilers were in danger of leaving Edmonton. I took offence to this. I respect Gretzky and will always love him as a player but I felt that was a slap in the face to Oiler fans. Good for you if you’re okey with it.

I applaud Gretzky for his efforts in growing the game south of the border. But as a result of popularity in the US and a slow dollar, Canadian teams have been struggling. They have to work harder with less money in a somewhat less desirable location.

 

[Kagomeboy]

My issue with what Gretzky did was him saying he felt it was important to save hockey in the desert when at the same time the Oilers were in danger of leaving Edmonton. I took offence to this. I respect Gretzky and will always love him as a player but I felt that was a slap in the face to Oiler fans. Good for you if you’re okey with it.

I am okey with it since he has investments in the US of course he feels that it was important to save hockey in the Deseret.

I get the what he had to do with the money he had with him.Also I do believe he knew the Oilers will never move.

 

[guymez]

Meh. I dont care any more. Let 'em move. Easy for me to say as Im older and got to enjoy the oilers before they were a joke.
Not that they will move or get a new owner. It is what it is. Katz makes his money and we can enjoy the product or not.

I am starting to lean this way as well.
Although not many people on here (or anywhere else) have had the pleasure of sitting in Northlands Coliseum and watching Gretzky win the Stanley Cup and play his last game as an Oiler like you and I have.

I would say that most of the people in here have never seen Gretzky play and have never witnessed a Stanley Cup win.

All that aside...as you mentioned the team isnt going anywhere now that this new building is in place.

 

[Aerrol]

There was positive news with those other guys too. Most prospects do well in lesser leagues after their draft year but until they do something substantial in the pros, they will remain question marks.

I just don't have any faith in the development program when they can't even get anything out of their #4 pick 2 years in and promote one of the major architects of this failed development system to head coach of their primary development team. I don't blame anybody for being enthusiastic about this new crop of prospects and I like the players too but I just can't trust the Oilers to develop them properly until proven otherwise.

I completely agree with this. It makes me so sad that I legitimately would never want the Oilers to draft another star Russian player because I would be devastated to watch us ruin them. I'm really, really excited to watch A. Svechnikov play in the NHL, but man I bet we'd even ruin a player of his calibre.

 

[Kagomeboy]

I completely agree with this. It makes me so sad that I legitimately would never want the Oilers to draft another star Russian player because I would be devastated to watch us ruin them. I'm really, really excited to watch A. Svechnikov play in the NHL, but man I bet we'd even ruin a player of his calibre.

which Russian player did we ruin,please do not say Yakupov,that was on him

 

[Giggli G]

Y'all are a bunch of suicidal lemmings right now. Chill the eff out.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Did yall see the schedule for our first month next year?

Devils, Bruins, Rangers, Jets, Boston, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Washington, Nashville, Chicago

Brutal

 

[McTedi]

which Russian player did we ruin,please do not say Yakupov,that was on him

I'm sure there is a 6000 post page somewhere on that discussion lol

 

[McTedi]

Did yall see the schedule for our first month next year?

Devils, Bruins, Rangers, Jets, Boston, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Washington, Nashville, Chicago

Brutal

Sink or swim...good test of what we have.

 

[Beerfish]

Y'all are a bunch of suicidal lemmings right now. Chill the eff out.

10 years ago, 9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, years ago.

You are all a bunch of suicidal lemmings, it will be fine, chill out, things will be great, we have a great management team in place.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

That or another shit schedule.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Sink or swim...good test of what we have.

The rough part is the start.

Devils in Sweden on the 6th. Boston on the 11th, Matinee against the Rangers on the 13th, Winnipeg on the 16th. Before that still on the road for preseason game in Germany.

21 days on the rd, 8 potential points.

 

[McJadeddog]

Did yall see the schedule for our first month next year?

Devils, Bruins, Rangers, Jets, Boston, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Washington, Nashville, Chicago

Brutal

Yikes, that is unbelievable. We'll be lucky to pull 3 wins out of that. That is basically a list of the best teams in the league, more or less.

 

[McTedi]

The rough part is the start.

Devils in Sweden on the 6th. Boston on the 11th, Matinee against the Rangers on the 13th, Winnipeg on the 16th. Before that still on the road for preseason game in Germany.

21 days on the rd, 8 potential points.

Agreed tough schedule but the usual Flame, Nuck sweep doesn't ever set us up for success either.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Yikes, that is unbelievable. We'll be lucky to pull 3 wins out of that. That is basically a list of the best teams in the league, more or less.

I forgot to add, last game in October is against the Wild.

Edmonton Oilers Schedule

 

[McTedi]

The rough part is the start.

Devils in Sweden on the 6th. Boston on the 11th, Matinee against the Rangers on the 13th, Winnipeg on the 16th. Before that still on the road for preseason game in Germany.

21 days on the rd, 8 potential points.

delete

 

[Fourier]

It looks like the cap will be $79.5M. Chia will have little room to maneuver unless he trades Lucic.

 

[Kagomeboy]

Schedule is tough but I think the Oilers will surprise us and win those tough games.

 

[rboomercat90]

It looks like the cap will be $79.5M. Chia will have little room to maneuver unless he trades Lucic.

I don’t follow this closely but I thought some were predicting as high as 85. What happened?

 

[Paperbagofglory]

There was positive news with those other guys too. Most prospects do well in lesser leagues after their draft year but until they do something substantial in the pros, they will remain question marks.

I just don't have any faith in the development program when they can't even get anything out of their #4 pick 2 years in and promote one of the major architects of this failed development system to head coach of their primary development team. I don't blame anybody for being enthusiastic about this new crop of prospects and I like the players too but I just can't trust the Oilers to develop them properly until proven otherwise.

This is a vast improvement from the past where Oiler prospects were doing horribly in the minors. Springfield ring a bell? The Road Runners? The Bulldogs? The Oilers have had stinky prospects for a long time, not even potential realized in the AHL.

The fact that they have so many young players starting to exceed expectations when playing with higher competition is very encouraging.

 

[McTedi]

It looks like the cap will be $79.5M. Chia will have little room to maneuver unless he trades Lucic.

And really no one is sending us prospects or picks for Looch. Although I would settle for lesser paid top 9 forward and gain some cap back. Although Eberle still stings a little bit from a similar transaction.

 

[Kagomeboy]

I don’t follow this closely but I thought some were predicting as high as 85. What happened?

The low Canadian dollar is the reason for the cap going up by 2 million.

 

[CycloneSweep]

The low Canadian dollar is the reason for the cap going up by 2 million.

It went up by 4.5......

 

[CupofOil]

This is a vast improvement from the past where Oiler prospects were doing horribly in the minors. Springfield ring a bell? The Road Runners? The Bulldogs? The Oilers have had stinky prospects for a long time, not even potential realized in the AHL.

The fact that they have so many young players starting to exceed expectations when playing with higher competition is very encouraging.

Where is the vast improvement? The AHL team was a mess last season. Who is exceeding expectations at the pro level? Bear did ok but wasn't really a big stand out. It's too early to tell obviously but I don't see any major improvements in development thus far.