Rumor: Rumor & Proposals: The sound of silence (Free Agency opens 12PM EST)

[McDavyCrockett]

The Islanders made the playoffs, sure, but they aren't contenders by any means.

Hall for Larsson might help us make the playoffs but it's about winning the cup. The teams that win the cup have elite players at all skating positions, not just defense and centre.

The playoffs are a crapshoot. The only thing teams can somewhat bank on (and even that is a stretch) is regular season success/qualifying for the playoffs.

PS: 09 Pens, 08 Wings, 11 Bruins, 12 Kings, 14 Kings.....none had elite wingers.

 

[TheNumber4]

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=2087217&highlight=

there the thread I started on June 6th -I got shredded for the idea

Good stuff. A lot of posters are short sighted and don't spend the time to look at the big picture.

 

[NewSaskOil]

Definitely, Nielsen seems unlikely to come here due to his supposed talks with Red Wings.

That leaves two swallow-able options from Free Agency, Backes or Staal for cheap.

I'm on the Demers boat but I don't think it'll happen. So second option is keep RNH and sign a cheap offensive d-man for cheap like Wiz until Davidson comes to his own.

Maybe a deal like 2017 first and Brandon Davidson for Martin Hanzal and a 2017 2nd. Hope to god he can stay healthy and if he does resign him for 6 years 4.8million. I also think Nurse is NHL ready because trading Davidson stings a bit.

 

[Aerrol]

Guys, guys. I will not fail you. Lucic is an Oilers. The guy puts up respectable point totals.

I'm willing to bet you all that the ~15 point differential between Hall and Lucic will be washed away if not turned in Lucic's favor with the addition of Larsson and whoever else we add. Larsson's incredible breakout pass, when it hits McDavid, is going to be something we haven't seen since Visnovsky. You're all going to be so happy.

edit: I'd like to point out all the flack I've received for my trade proposals. I was hounded, ridiculed, called a complete idiot for them. They involved Hall being traded for perceived lesser players. Now we've seen his true value. Maybe, just maybe, I am not so crazy after all.

Pretty bold words. I hope you're around if he doesn't sign tomorrow lol.

 

[Namtsua]

The playoffs are a crapshoot. The only thing teams can somewhat bank on (and even that is a stretch) is regular season success/qualifying for the playoffs.

PS: 09 Pens, 08 Wings, 11 Bruins, 12 Kings, 14 Kings.....none had elite wingers.

I'd argue that Zetterberg is an elite winger (he had 92 points that season as well).

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

Demers+wiz+RNH >>Barrie

What's with all this false equivalency BS that's been going on around here you got $6M on Barrie's side and then likely closer to $12M of salary on the RNH side. If you are going to arbitrarily add $6M+ in UFA's to RNH's side why not do the same thing on Barrie's side?

Why not Demers + Wiz + RNH vs Barrie + Eriksson or Backes

 

[snipes]

Can't wait for Lucic .

He'll be a fan favourite immediately. We need more toughness and blue collar attitude around McDavid/Drai/RNH/Eberle. Oiler fans have always loved our tough guys.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

I think the Barrie-RNH/Eberle deal could still be a go but Chiarelli needs to have another signed forward first, most likely a centre since its supposedly RNH. If he does this early into free agency tomorrow, we may see this rumored trade go through.

 

[Spawn]

Interesting this dude thinks Lucic wants a 6 year deal. Maybe it wont be as horrifying as we are all afraid of?

Also, unrelated, but Dreger sounds pretty convinced Campbell goes to Chi town.

 

[Spawn]

One name I haven't seen yet as potential 3rd line Cs yet is Joe Colborne. Not sure on his advanced stats, but he put up 44 points this past season. Flames didn't offer him a QO because they didn't want to have to go through arbitration for him. But could be a decent option?

 

[Jet Walters]

I wanted Hamonic and Lee for Hall for a good part of the season and took my lumps. But as they say, onward and upward. What is next? Lucic in UFA, but that RH offensive defenseman is still a major need.

I will get flamed for this and I love the potential Nurse has, but what about

Eberle, Nurse, and Fayne for Barrie and Iginla?

Money is similar assuming Barrie signs for around 6.

Signing Lucic and trading for Iginla on the same day would be enough to push Flames fans to the brink of insanity. I'd still try to add a 3C or RW with center experience to allow Pulju to break in on the 3rd line. Iginla only has a year left on his deal and the cap space can be used to extend Drai next year.

Lucic McDavid Draisaitl
Pouliot RNH Iginla
Maroon ?(Sobotka/Helm/Nielssen type) Puljujarvi
Khaira Letestu Kassian

Klefbom LArsson
Sekera Barrie
Davidson ? (Schenn/Gryba type)

Talbot
Montoya/Johnson

The year after if Iginla retires Pulju steps into the top 6 and maybe run a 3rd line with Maroon and Caggiula as wingers.

 

[McDavyCrockett]

I'd argue that Zetterberg is an elite winger (he had 92 points that season as well).

Wasn't he a center?

 

[FunkyChicken]

Can't wait for Lucic .

He'll be a fan favourite immediately. We need more toughness and blue collar attitude around McDavid/Drai/RNH/Eberle. Oiler fans have always loved our tough guys.

Be prepared. He does dog it quite a bit.

 

[snipes]

Be prepared. He does dog it quite a bit.

I think he'd be great with McDavid. His type of play works well with McDavid, his size and strength will open up time and space for him.

Lucic can dominate the forecheck and cycle game, he can also crash the net and pull defenders in with him. Those abilities will give McDavid so much time and space in the offensive zone to work his magic.

 

[Namtsua]

Wasn't he a center?

Wiki says Center/LW, but NHL.com indicates that he was a LW that year

 

[VincenzosOil]

I remember a couple weeks back posting a Hall for Hamonic ++ proposal on the basis that Lucic signs. I said that Hamonic + Lucic is a better team than just Hall. I still stand by this and I like Larsson better than Hamonic.

I remember posters saying NO WAY do you do that trade because EVERY single trade needs to be won. And you can't combine trades and free agency signings together to assess their worth. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

What went down was exactly as I predicted when analyzing the market and what was out there. No one views Eberle, RNH, or Hall has highly as we do. That is just reality, it's the reality of playing on a ****** team for 6 years straight and not showing the ability to win.

When all is said and done. I think Chia builds a play-off team. And really, he had to lose a trade here or there to make it happen. If you really think he didn't explore all options you weren't watching closely enough or you are accusing Chia of being a liar. (because he said he looked at options for defencemen on multiple levels)

Agree with most of this. Excellent post.

Chia pulled off what Lowe, Tambo, MacT could not or would not do. Shake up the losing culture to the bone in one fell swoop by trading a now former core piece in Hall for our greatest need.

This is not a slight on Hall. Chia is building a team and if it took Hall to fill our biggest hole (people can argue whether Larsson is a top 2 D; I don't care...he is an excellent RHD, bottom line) so be it. Chia is doing what he feels is necessary to make this team as competitive as possible as soon as possible. He has pretty well stated as much.

This is a trade that, value-wise, would have never been considered before by previous management, media and many fans. It came as a shock to everyone and I believe the end result will be a turn north.

 

[Mcnofool6110]

Oooh, any takers for former Oilers Purcell, Horcoff and Gagner?

I won't mention Schultz. That wound has not healed.

 

[Soli]

The way I see things, after the difficulty we've had trading for right handed defensemen, we're not in a great position to tell Demers to find another home. If he wants to come here we should be leaning towards the non-asset acquisition. Problem with this is I think the Oilers are looking for a big right handed shot for the PP.

I'm gonna be watching Minnesota tomorrow, hoping they put themselves closer to the cap with some acquisitions. The upper threshold in RFA offer sheet compensation that still nets a 2nd rounder is $3,755,233. With how much Fletcher is trying to screw us in a Nuge/Dumba swap, I'd like to put the screws to him with a 1/2-year $3,755,232 per year contract.

 

[Namtsua]

Oooh, any takers for former Oilers Purcell, Horcoff and Gagner?

I won't mention Schultz. That wound has not healed.

I mean, if we sign Demers, we need a cheap RHD PP-quarterback

 

[Blitzago*]

One name I haven't seen yet as potential 3rd line Cs yet is Joe Colborne. Not sure on his advanced stats, but he put up 44 points this past season. Flames didn't offer him a QO because they didn't want to have to go through arbitration for him. But could be a decent option?

He's not a center, He plays much better on the wing, and is as soft as eberle.

 

[Wewillrise]

Agree with most of this. Excellent post.

Chia pulled off what Lowe, Tambo, MacT could not or would not do. Shake up the losing culture to the bone in one fell swoop by trading a now former core piece in Hall for our greatest need.

This is not a slight on Hall. Chia is building a team and if it took Hall to fill our biggest hole (people can argue whether Larsson is a top 2 D; I don't care...he is an excellent RHD, bottom line) so be it. Chia is doing what he feels is necessary to make this team as competitive as possible as soon as possible. He has pretty well stated as much.

This is a trade that, value-wise, would have never been considered before by previous management, media and many fans. It came as a shock to everyone and I believe the end result will be a turn north.

I listen to the Fan 960 all day every day and Joe Colborne wasn't qualified because he went on a hot streak at the end of the season playing on the top line. He isn't worth what he will get on the open market and def does not fit the Chia mold (very soft). His stats and size are misleading def stay away unless it's a 4th line role.

 

[McDavyCrockett]

[MOD]

Not only is he not a top-4 guy (he's Justin Schultz with a cannon for a shot and hitting ability), but he's also a complete tool in the room/disliked by teammates from all accounts...including Alex Petrovic's cousin- an Oiler fan- who I'm still close friends with (I grew up with Petro as well....close friends all the way til the end of junior high).

 

[Mr Positive]

I'm fine with giving Lucic the 7th year as long as that year, and the 6th one, are free of NMC and NTC. By doing that we can at least move him out if we need to to a cap floor team, and give them a good asset for their trouble. The later years can be used to lower the cap hit as much as possible. He could be getting paid 7 million, but only have a cap hit of 5

 

[Baby Nilsson]

Wiki says Center/LW, but NHL.com indicates that he was a LW that year

He played both, on the road he was a center

 

[Blitzago*]

I listen to the Fan 960 all day every day and Joe Colborne wasn't qualified because he went on a hot streak at the end of the season playing on the top line. He isn't worth what he will get on the open market and def does not fit the Chia mold (very soft). His stats and size are misleading def stay away unless it's a 4th line role.

He also put up most of those points while being on the wing.