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

[doulos]

I'm not too concerned about the cap hit. Just look at the Rangers. They seem to get out of bad contracts all of the time. If we have to overpay in order to improve as a team then so be it

Fair enough. I'm just stating what's going to happen. He could sign a a 5 year 5.5 contract and the world would explode in fury at the 'stupid Oilers'. He could retire from hockey and choose to play for the Oilers for free and the entire NHL fanbase would kick and scream at how dumb the Oilers are. There is no way to make people happy except by winning games. That's ALL we can hope for as fans at this point.

 

[dem]

I'm sure the thought of playing beside McDavid holds little to no appeal either...

I guess you will see how much appeal it holds by how much we have to pay him to get him here..

6mx7?
I think he would play here with Brian Swanson for that.

 

[joestevens29]

Agreed, most teams seem to be able to weasel out of bad contracts.

The rumor last lockout was that the next lockout the players know that the NHL is going to be pushing hard for non-guaranteed contracts.

So really who knows. WE seem to worry too much about the future and that hasn't done us any good.

 

[joestevens29]

Interesting a posted was claiming this yesterday. I guess there are some connections confirmed.

 

[duul]

I'm not too concerned about the cap hit. Just look at the Rangers. They seem to get out of bad contracts all of the time. If we have to overpay in order to improve as a team then so be it

Exactly. There are always ways to get around the cap and keep your team competitive. Chicago is a prime example of this. L.A. too.

I watched a few New Jersey games from last season too over the past couple days. Well, Larsson shifts. Everyone here is going to be very happy with this player. He brings something we simply haven't had since Pronger. I said since Visnovsky before, but Larsson is undeniably a beast defensively. This guy is so damn good at cutting people off, blocking shots, taking the body. It's funny, I see a comparison with him and Davidson. These deft little moves to evade forecheckers and skate the puck out or make a nice pass.

Speaking of which, his breakout pass is amazing. He is so damn good at the defensive side of the game. It's not wonder he was put into literally the most defensive role out of any other defenceman in the NHL last year and succeeded. This guy is one of the best shutdown D in the NHL right now. I hope he can play some PP time this year and get creative. His first pass alone to the likes of McDavid and Draisaitl should net him 15 extra points this season.

 

[USC Trojans]

Not sure why people are so concerned about what may or may not happen 5-7 years down the road. Team needs to get better now, and if we get to experience playoff hockey sometime in the next 5 years with Lucic and Demers, then whatever...we'll worry about what happens when the time comes. Too much time between now and then to get all worked up.

 

[joestevens29]

You think NJ doesn't do that obvious sweetheart of a deal if Chia waits a few days to get lucic locked up first?

The deal was apparently talked about when both Gm's took over of their new teams. Seems like something was going to happen regardless of Lucic.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Interesting a posted was claiming this yesterday. I guess there are some connections confirmed.

Was another Bob Stauffer prediction

 

[nabob]

You think NJ doesn't do that obvious sweetheart of a deal if Chia waits a few days to get lucic locked up first?

Maybe not. Maybe they sign Eriksson or Okposo instead and have no need to trade their #1 RHD unicorn for a winger.

Waiting and being afraid to make a trade for a good Dman didn't work out so good for the last 6 years did it?

 

[NewBoysClub97*]

Exactly. There are always ways to get around the cap and keep your team competitive. Chicago is a prime example of this. L.A. too.

I watched a few New Jersey games from last season too over the past couple days. Well, Larsson shifts. Everyone here is going to be very happy with this player. He brings something we simply haven't had since Pronger. I said since Visnovsky before, but Larsson is undeniably a beast defensively. This guy is so damn good at cutting people off, blocking shots, taking the body. It's funny, I see a comparison with him and Davidson. These deft little moves to evade forecheckers and skate the puck out or make a nice pass.

Speaking of which, his breakout pass is amazing. He is so damn good at the defensive side of the game. It's not wonder he was put into literally the most defensive role out of any other defenceman in the NHL last year and succeeded. This guy is one of the best shutdown D in the NHL right now. I hope he can play some PP time this year and get creative. His first pass alone to the likes of McDavid and Draisaitl should net him 15 extra points this season.

Nice post. This is the main problem. Most people do not watch or have not watched said players. Anger is instilled, but if people watched Larsson and Lucic for even 20-30 games, they would start to get excited...

 

[McDrai]

Exactly. There are always ways to get around the cap and keep your team competitive. Chicago is a prime example of this. L.A. too.

I watched a few New Jersey games from last season too over the past couple days. Well, Larsson shifts. Everyone here is going to be very happy with this player. He brings something we simply haven't had since Pronger. I said since Visnovsky before, but Larsson is undeniably a beast defensively. This guy is so damn good at cutting people off, blocking shots, taking the body. It's funny, I see a comparison with him and Davidson. These deft little moves to evade forecheckers and skate the puck out or make a nice pass.

Speaking of which, his breakout pass is amazing. He is so damn good at the defensive side of the game. It's not wonder he was put into literally the most defensive role out of any other defenceman in the NHL last year and succeeded. This guy is one of the best shutdown D in the NHL right now. I hope he can play some PP time this year and get creative. His first pass alone to the likes of McDavid and Draisaitl should net him 15 extra points this season.

That's very good news to hear about Larsson since I haven't seen him play that much. I definitely wasn't a fan of the trade when it happened but if we can get Lucic today to go with Larsson, I would consider that an improvement for sure. I just hope that fans don't put too much pressure on the kid and run him out of town. I've forgotten what a good Oilers defense actually looks like

 

[actionjackson]

I guess you will see how much appeal it holds by how much we have to pay him to get him here..

6mx7?
I think he would play here with Brian Swanson for that.

Imagine having to pay a guy market value to get him...the shame of it all...even at a 7 year term the guy is only 35 when it expires...should be fine...or we could just stay the course with a guy who is only 4 years younger who has led us to many moral victories as opposed to actual victories...

 

[CupofOil]

You think NJ doesn't do that obvious sweetheart of a deal if Chia waits a few days to get lucic locked up first?

That's a big if though. You can't be afraid to make trades that can help the team down the road, tough decisions had to be made at some point. Nuge and Eberle don't carry the value to net a Dman like Larsson so Hall was going to be the casualty.

It's a loss in talent but this is about building a team. They needed a top pairing RH shutdown defender very badly, more than they needed to maintain a high scoring winger. They got one who is locked into a bargain contract for the next 5 years. It was a tough decision, the type of BOLD move that MacT never followed through on and you see where that got us. No guarantees that it pays off but it was a needed risk at this point.

Also, the culture change thing. It wasn't working here with the previous core. This will probably benefit both the Oilers and Hall in the long run.

 

[duul]

Best case scenario: Larsson, Lucic, and whoever else we get combined with who we have and will ship out change the culture in the room and give McDavid reign to carry this team. Bringing in players who have won it all in Lucic will bring a serious attitude this team hasn't had in years. Maybe we start winning more games.

Worst case scenario: The loss of a 65 points winger turns us from a 29th overall team to a 30th overall team and with the 1st overall pick next year we draft another 65 point winger to replace him while having added Larsson and Lucic. The team is now better.

 

[joestevens29]

That's a big if though. You can't be afraid to make trades that can help the team down the road, tough decisions had to be made at some point. Nuge and Eberle don't carry the value to net a Dman like Larsson so Hall was going to be the casualty.

It's a loss in talent but this is about building a team. They needed a top pairing RH shutdown defender very badly, more than they needed to maintain a high scoring winger. They got one who is locked into a bargain contract for the next 5 years. It was a tough decision, the type of BOLD move that MacT never followed through on and you see where that got us. No guarantees that it pays off but it was a needed risk at this point.

Also, the culture change thing. It wasn't working here with the previous core. This will probably benefit both the Oilers and Hall in the long run.

I honestly would've liked to see this deal during the season for two reasons.

1 - Do RNH and Eberle start playing with more drive as they see things aren't a fantasy world

2 - I really wonder if we are a better team today than we were when we made the deal. We loss the trade, but I think we are way more rounded with this deal.

 

[s7ark]

Maybe not. Maybe they sign Eriksson or Okposo instead and have no need to trade their #1 RHD unicorn for a winger.

Waiting and being afraid to make a trade for a good Dman didn't work out so good for the last 6 years did it?

I don't find this to be a compelling argument at all. NJ had nothing for scoring. They trade a 2/3 D with upside for Hall then, today, tomorrow, next week, in training camp or during the season. That trade was a gift for them and they do it absolutely anytime.

There was little reason for Edmonton to make that trade then. And now we have little on lw and have given all leverage to Lucic who can basically write his own cheque here

 

[McVirginOil]

West fans (especially Pacific) don't watch hockey games in the East due to it being during work time, the same way East fans don't watch hockey games in the West due to it being too late.

I don't find this to be a compelling argument at all. NJ had nothing for scoring. They trade a 2/3 D with upside for Hall then, today, tomorrow, next week, in training camp or during the season. That trade was a gift for them and they do it absolutely anytime.

There was little reason for Edmonton to make that trade then. And now we have little on lw and have given all leverage to Lucic who can basically write his own cheque here

Everything you spout is nonsense.

Both teams traded to address team needs, that's what happened, and it would've happened regardless of Lucic rumors.

 

[actionjackson]

Best case scenario: Larsson, Lucic, and whoever else we get combined with who we have and will ship out change the culture in the room and give McDavid reign to carry this team. Bringing in players who have won it all in Lucic will bring a serious attitude this team hasn't had in years. Maybe we start winning more games.

Worst case scenario: The loss of a 65 points winger turns us from a 29th overall team to a 30th overall team and with the 1st overall pick next year we draft another 65 point winger to replace him while having added Larsson and Lucic. The team is now better.

I 100% agree with this...Hall has never been the answer...I liked him, but time to move on...for his benefit as well...

 

[duul]

I don't find this to be a compelling argument at all. NJ had nothing for scoring. They trade a 2/3 D with upside for Hall then, today, tomorrow, next week, in training camp or during the season. That trade was a gift for them and they do it absolutely anytime.

There was little reason for Edmonton to make that trade then. And now we have little on lw and have given all leverage to Lucic who can basically write his own cheque here

Not sure. Even Shero admitted they now have a huge hole to fill at their #1 RHD position. They're going to have to overpay now for a guy like Demers in the bidding war with us and other teams.

Or if they want to trade for a RHD of Larsson's calibre to replace him, they then need to look at trading one of their players like Taylor Hall to get one. That's the price of a RHD with his skill and potential.

Larsson is a far better player than Demers is on a great contract. It is far easier to acquire 65 point wingers than it is to acquire top pairing RHD.

 

[NewBoysClub97*]

 

[GinMakeMeSin]

Oilers need Lucic now. Our idiot gm backed us into a corner for no reason. Lucic will get whatever he wants from us. Even if it kills our cap

We are undergoing a culture change and building an actual nhl defense, have no worries Chia is a genius.

 

[Seachd]

Nice.

 

[McVirginOil]

$ I'm okay with, I just don't want >6 years

 

[Faelko]

I've prepared myself for the past few days that we're probably going to be thrilled with his contract...lol

 

[doulos]

Not sure. Even Shero admitted they now have a huge hole to fill at their #1 RHD position. They're going to have to overpay now for a guy like Demers in the bidding war with us and other teams.

Or if they want to trade for a RHD of Larsson's calibre to replace him, they then need to look at trading one of their players like Taylor Hall to get one. That's the price of a RHD with his skill and potential.

Larsson is a far better player than Demers is on a great contract. It is far easier to acquire 65 point wingers than it is to acquire top pairing RHD.

Calling Hall a 65 point winger feels a little bit disingenuous. The guy has already had one season of 80 points and the tools to do even more just based on watching him play.