GDT: Preseason Game 6, Canucks at Oilers beer leager. Sportsnet 7PM

[powerserge]

Yamamoto is 5'8" 158 lbs, Savoie is 5'9" 178lbs So I mean, pretty close

With how I think the roster is going to shake out personnel wise I think having
Podkolzin - Henrique - Lavoie
Janmark - Philp - Brown
Is ideal although I still think they send Philp down for a bit and use Ryan as that center with Perry on the bench as a "plug and play" kind of vet.

Would be ideal and like it. However as mentioned yesterday with Kane taking up a roster spot we can only have one of Pod/Philp/Lavoie on our team (with Ryan/Perry on the roster). Philp is waivers exempt, no matter which route we go we expose players to waivers. If Kane goes LTIR or you run 6 D then you can keep another youngin.

It's a way to protect Lavoie. Chances are if you send down J Brown at 1 mil x 3 yrs and Stecher .787 x 2 yrs they will not be claimed which would allow us to sign Dermott as well. Philp starts in the minors (which I don't like):

Nuge/Skinner McD Hyms
Skinner/Nuge Drai Ard
Pod Henrique Lavoie
Janmark Ryan Brown
Perry

Eks Bouch
Nurse Emb
Kulak Dermott
No 7th D

Skins
Picks

Still have our accrued cap space in place, Kane on IR but not LTIR which means he's taking a roster spot for many months.

 

[TB12]

McLeod, Holloway, Broberg were among our better playes in the SC final and produced and contributed more than even Legend Connor Brown in the final. They're all gone. The org valuing old broken players isntead of their own prospects. Who all played well in the SC final.

Seems even like I'm not the only one that has selective opinions. When all 3 of the young players were lost the board collectively goes "on well, little lost" Oddly enough on a board called Hockeyfutures that started out as a prospects leaning board.

Balls of a church mouse, would never get dragged into the battle McLeod????

 

[Drivesaitl]

Balls of a church mouse, would never get dragged into the battle McLeod????

I have a weakness for the player. I seem alone in that regard. You never liked him?

He did score goals in playoffs and last couple rounds. But of the two I thought Holloway was coming. Who knows now. My strange takes aside I think the club has to do much better with raising their own and developing prospects.

 

[Thomas Tatar]

And when Skinner doubles Holloway’s goal totals this season, I’ll laugh at this.

It’s pre-season for a Cup contending team, none of the guys are going full bore, they’re trying to ramp up while avoiding injury in meaningless games.

Doesn’t seem smart to make an assessment of a player on a new team after 2 pre season games.

And as Holloway stock keeps rising and Skinners falls, perhaps I’ll be the one laughing? But since you can predict the future, better get out there and buy a lottery ticket!

 

[CycloneSweep]

I have a weakness for the player. I seem alone in that regard. You never liked him?

He did score goals in playoffs and last couple rounds. But of the two I thought Holloway was coming. Who knows now. My strange takes aside I think the club has to do much better with raising their own and developing prospects.

I absolutely agree we need to do better at development.
Which IMHO is why its smart we sent down Savoie. As someone else mentioned having him learn how to play against adult players and size in an easier league will help him with the longevity part small players can often have.
I get why you are skittish on Arvidssons back because of how many games he will ultimately play but while he is healthy he wil be good. Which...isn't it okay if he gets hurt? Cause then Lavoie or Savoie can just play with Drai anyways with far less pressure cause they are just the "fill in".

I think an issue this club has had for a little bit is until Henrique, we haven't had a 3c with a drop of offense. So when you wanted to bring skilled players in it was either in a offensively inept bottom 6 or thrown right to McDrai which is a lot of pressure for young players and having to play against top shutdown players as a young player is incredibly hard. Now the team has to use Henrique properly to ease guys in but thats another story and you now my thoughts on that one.

And as Holloway stock keeps rising and Skinners falls, perhaps I’ll be the one laughing? But since you can predict the future, better get out there and buy a lottery ticket!

Holloway is at minimum 2-3 years away from being close to what Skinner is offensively. The team is in win NOW mode.

 

[North]

And as Holloway stock keeps rising and Skinners falls, perhaps I’ll be the one laughing? But since you can predict the future, better get out there and buy a lottery ticket!

The point is Holloway may get better but we’re in win now mode and that means providing our top two centres scoring help on the wings.

What Holloway currently provides is of no use to us at double what he should be making.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

And as Holloway stock keeps rising and Skinners falls, perhaps I’ll be the one laughing? But since you can predict the future, better get out there and buy a lottery ticket!

Well you put your money on a penny stock rising and I’ll put my money on a blue chip stock with proven performance. Thats the stock that’s going to bring more returns for a Stanley Cup contender this year.

I’m actually a big Holloway fan. Kid is a bull and I’m sure he’s got more to give but he’s not going to provide the kind of offensive production Skinner can, certainly not in the next 2 years, if ever.

 

[McTonyBrar]

Two back surgeries and hardly played last season and was bad in playoffs. He's not the same player people remember. Better than Skinner but not saying much there.

I would have all kinds of time for Arvy in prime. We got him late.

Back injuries are really difficult to recover from. I'm not faulting Arvy in this, just that in hockey its pretty next to impossible to establish back to peak game with the back conditiosn he has. Credit that he's out there even playing. Tbh I wouldn't be.

Arvy is very brave to be continuing to play. But I don't know how well this works out for him or the club.

Man you have way too much bias. Maybe wait until the season starts

 

[bucks_oil]

I need more cowbell. Hockey being back, at least regular season will bring some of that cowbell. I was gut punched with how the SC final went. Really to me it was a repeat of 2006 except this time we're still a good team the year after so thats better.

Biking is a good way to go. I can't sit down pedal anymore due to a health condition. So I need a stand up bike like this one.

ElliptiGO® RSUB

-- Full-size 700c tires with Schrader valve, for a smooth ride -- 8-speeds for climbing hills and sprinting flats -- Disc-brakes for stopping power in all conditions Limited edition Stand Up To Cancer® RSUB now available. ElliptiGO will donate 20% of the purchase price of the SU2C RSUB. To...

www.elliptigo.com

not being able to bike these past few years has been a major setback for me. Trouble is the above product is not sold or available anywhee in Canada and I can't test ride it anywhere. Have to good faith shell out 2K CAD to get one ordered. Been reading lots of reviews. Being able to bike everyday again would be huge for me. I was a cycling diehard before my condition.

ps I defended Bowman from all the over scrutiny. There were lots of posters here claiming they'd never post again because the Oilers hired.....

I think in cancel culture days Bowman got more criticism than ought to be the case.

A stand-up bike?!?!? OMG that looks like an excruciating experience for the quads and glutes! Have you considered a recumbent? The sit down position might be better for your medical condition (not prying here, just speculating).

This SC (and more to the point the immediate aftermath) was far less heartbreaking for me... the gaps in our team were pretty obvious and we didn't have the cap space to address them.

I am optimistic for this year mostly because of the offensive depth (Henrique, Skinner, Arvidsson and still eventually Kane... in that order) and cap space flexibility for the deadline... will be HUGE.

Next year... I've written that off in advance, too huge a jump in salaries, not yet offset by cap rise... but we should progressively get in stronger position for 2026 and beyond.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

I don't worry much about Jeff Skinner. I think his game will often drift with consistency challenges but he's ultimately a finisher whose game requires finding soft ice to cash. It's not a loud game but rather the instincts of a burglar to find opening and finish.

I'm anticipating 20-25 goals to be pragmatic. Has ability to get more and hope he does. But a daily viewing of this player, versus boxscore readings, likely is going to include critique of tendencies of floating play.

Line 2 needs some runway together to learn one another's tendencies. Lots of skill and good hockey processors notably Draisaitl and Arvy will be interesting to watch as they finally build up some game time together.

 

[Louis Cypher]

Did Hoffman get released?

 

[K1984]

I don't worry much about Jeff Skinner. I think his game will often drift with consistency challenges but he's ultimately a finisher whose game requires finding soft ice to cash. It's not a loud game but rather the instincts of a burglar to find opening and finish.

I'm anticipating 20-25 goals to be pragmatic. Has ability to get more and hope he does. But a daily viewing of this player, versus boxscore readings, likely is going to include critique of tendencies of floating play.

Line 2 needs some runway together to learn one another's tendencies. Lots of skill and good hockey processors notably Draisaitl and Arvy will be interesting to watch as they finally build up some game time together.

From the get go I thought Skinner would be a much better fit with McDavid and Hyman, with RNH joining Draisaitl on the 2nd line.

McDavid is a one man play driving and play making machine. Put two pure finishers like Hyman and Skinner with him and the line will rack up goals. Less reliance on Skinner to actually play a playmaking/puck possession role on this line as well.

Conversely, Leon needs guys he can play off of for him to be at his best. RNH is the definition of that type of player. In the right spot, and can give and go with the best of them. Arvidsson can play the north/south play driving style he is known for, and Leon and RNH can make magic with the space created.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

From the get go I thought Skinner would be a much better fit with McDavid and Hyman, with RNH joining Draisaitl on the 2nd line.

McDavid is a one man play driving and play making machine. Put two pure finishers like Hyman and Skinner with him and the line will rack up goals. Less reliance on Skinner to actually play a playmaking/puck possession role on this line as well.

Conversely, Leon needs guys he can play off of for him to be at his best. RNH is the definition of that type of player. In the right spot, and can give and go with the best of them. Arvidsson can play the north/south play driving style he is known for, and Leon and RNH can make magic with the space created.

We'll see for sure. That's a beauty about a player type like Nugent Hopkins who can move between lines to complement the super elites. They might also choose to move up Draisaitl to finishing winger with McDavid as their practice with Nuge into 2C with a shooter and hard net front player.

The thing about Nuge on Line 1 is he provides very valuable defensive cover for McDavid's penetrating game and Hyman's net front play. Skinner adds a quality finishing option but exposure defensively.

Lots of options. Line 1 was among the league's elite for offensive zone time so it seems Knoblauch is somewhat reluctant to move off of his line driver. But there's lots of weapons and smart players who can move around the roster. Will be interesting to see how Knoblauch deploys a varied and diverse high talent top six.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

From the get go I thought Skinner would be a much better fit with McDavid and Hyman, with RNH joining Draisaitl on the 2nd line.

McDavid is a one man play driving and play making machine. Put two pure finishers like Hyman and Skinner with him and the line will rack up goals. Less reliance on Skinner to actually play a playmaking/puck possession role on this line as well.

Conversely, Leon needs guys he can play off of for him to be at his best. RNH is the definition of that type of player. In the right spot, and can give and go with the best of them. Arvidsson can play the north/south play driving style he is known for, and Leon and RNH can make magic with the space created.

This is basically how I see it too. Skinner's an outstanding finisher from any spot of the ice, but doesn't really excel at give and goes. When he's asked to be more "on and around" the puck" he struggles to work with his linemates. He's a bit like Kane in that sense.

His best recent season came off the back of Thompson and Tuch dangling through defences and then finding him in the open ice. That screams more McDavid vs. Drai.

Though when they do go with McDrai on a line, I can see an argument that Skinner could/should supplant Hyman as the 3rd wheel there.

 

[Thomas Tatar]

Well you put your money on a penny stock rising and I’ll put my money on a blue chip stock with proven performance. Thats the stock that’s going to bring more returns for a Stanley Cup contender this year.

I’m actually a big Holloway fan. Kid is a bull and I’m sure he’s got more to give but he’s not going to provide the kind of offensive production Skinner can, certainly not in the next 2 years, if ever.

You may be right, in fact you probably are. But hockey success is not just measured on offence. Maybe there is a reason Skinner has never been on a playoff team, sure the team has a lot to do with it, but the player has to own some of that.

Holloway bring energy, work ethic, speed, and timely goals. I think he has a more positive influence on the teams he plays for and that is more valuable than regular season offence.

I don’t hate Skinner, I was happy we signed him, and I’m not judging his whole season on one pre-season game. I just think the money would have been better spent on Holloway and cap space.

Just my opinion. But to your point, I have lost plenty of money on penny stocks.

 

[Spawn]

This is basically how I see it too. Skinner's an outstanding finisher from any spot of the ice, but doesn't really excel at give and goes. When he's asked to be more "on and around" the puck" he struggles to work with his linemates. He's a bit like Kane in that sense.

His best recent season came off the back of Thompson and Tuch dangling through defences and then finding him in the open ice. That screams more McDavid vs. Drai.

Though when they do go with McDrai on a line, I can see an argument that Skinner could/should supplant Hyman as the 3rd wheel there.

100% agree

It also balances the defensive conscience out a bit better between the two lines.