Rumor: Rumors & Proposals Thread | Forwards & Goaltending Under a Microscope, Which Bottom 6 Forwards Do You Keep?

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

McD being a fan was just some interview IIRC.
Chia was going after Lucic regardless because he wanted to. Has nothing to do with a 19 year old McD

No doubt Chiarelli wanted Lucic but you cant discount that McDavid was also a big fan of him. Mind you Chiarelli went and traded for the guy that nearly killed him into the backboards so what do I know lol.

That said I stand by my opinion that players play, coaches coach and GMs manage. I am not sure what POHO's quite do yet other than draw $5M per year salaries and give dumb quotes to the media. But I digress.

It seems rather muddled in Edmonton that we seem to run to Connor to ask him what kind of toilet paper the fan bathrooms should have and if the shade of white for repainting the visitor locker rooms should be off white or neutral white. It seems a little backbreaking that we are bending over backwards on personnel decisions in particular who should be playing goal. The goalie he would want we probably couldn't afford or would have to trade his BFF Nurse for anyway.

 

[Faelko]

Do you have a link indicating this because this is the first I’m hearing about that.

I’d have to look and honestly maybe I read it wrong and he was unhappy about them signing the offer sheets.

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

Oh geez. That is terrible. Zegras is a flawed player but how could some other team not beat that offer?

5.75 million dollar contract that expires next season. Doubt any playoff teams want to give a 6.3 million dollar qualifying offer to a 40-50 point pace defensive liability so the only teams bidding on him are Anaheim's fellow "I can fix him" teams like Buffalo and Chicago.

Steve Tambellini looks more competent.

I'd rather have Poehling than Zegras. I'm not even joking. Zegras is earning 5.75 million to be a 40-50 point soft defensive liability, while Poehling is earning 1.9 million to be a 30 point bottom 6 forward who's serviceable defensively, kills penalties, and throws some hits once in a while. If you just go off even strength points last year. Poehling put up 27 in 68. While Zegras put up 28 in 57 so it's not even like he's many tiers above Poehling off the power play.

 

[North]

I’d have to look and honestly maybe I read it wrong and he was unhappy about them signing the offer sheets.

I think he was unhappy they signed. There has never been any indication he was unhappy we didn’t match.

 

[Canovin]

No, Kulak isn't a great defenseman. He's a third pairing defenseman on a club that expects to contend.

I hope he is delt for the straightforward reason that he is extraordinarily overated when he is accurately a league average defender at best.

We get it. He's the reason you had to change your name

 

[aggressive forecheck]

Until Walman was asked to play his offside he was absolutely killing it in his first ever playoffs.

Another overated defensman.

Walman is better than Kulak but that doesn't ammount to much in my humble opinion.

 

[oXo Cube]

No doubt Chiarelli wanted Lucic but you cant discount that McDavid was also a big fan of him. Mind you Chiarelli went and traded for the guy that nearly killed him into the backboards so what do I know lol.

That said I stand by my opinion that players play, coaches coach and GMs manage. I am not sure what POHO's quite do yet other than draw $5M per year salaries and give dumb quotes to the media. But I digress.

It seems rather muddled in Edmonton that we seem to run to Connor to ask him what kind of toilet paper the fan bathrooms should have and if the shade of white for repainting the visitor locker rooms should be off white or neutral white. It seems a little backbreaking that we are bending over backwards on personnel decisions in particular who should be playing goal. The goalie he would want we probably couldn't afford or would have to trade his BFF Nurse for anyway.

You're correct generally from a hockey operations perspective.

But fact is the Oilers as a franchise stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in value if their golden goose player decides to ply his talents elsewhere. His opinion matters to them and it should.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

I do seem to recall someone quoting analytics that indicated Gibson struggles with the same thing Skinner struggles with but I can’t remember who posted that.

I don't think Gibson struggles with breakaways, dekes, all cross crease shots, wraparounds, screens, shots to the glove side, shots to the blocker side, shots to the 5, 6 and 7 holes, or shots above the pads.

Edit - I forgot shots along the ice and deflections.

 

[Canovin]

Well that settles it, I guess.

You’ve provided so much more insight to the issue.

I pointed out last offseason that Savoie and Yamo are very similar and there wasn't a lot of happy campers haha.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

5.75 million dollar contract that expires next season. Doubt any playoff teams want to give a 6.3 million dollar qualifying offer to a 40-50 point pace defensive liability so the only teams bidding on him are Anaheim's fellow "I can fix him" teams like Buffalo and Chicago.

I guess, scoring is still the hardest thing, flawed player or not, if you're a team who struggles offensively he will help. They can always shelter him with offensive minutes.

The Flyers did well here. Verbeek is a VERY bad GM.

 

[aggressive forecheck]

We get it. He's the reason you had to change your name

yes, now you get to watch him for the next decade playing 23 minutes a night, being a top 4 driver on a rival team

 

[Faelko]

I think he was unhappy they signed. There has never been any indication he was unhappy we didn’t match.

I’ll see if I can find something, I read too many BS blogs just for entertainment value and I could be mixing it up with legit reporting.

 

[Canovin]

yes, now you get to watch him for the next decade, playing for a rival

The Oilers beat St. Louis all the time. They're no rival

 

[oXo Cube]

I do seem to recall someone quoting analytics that indicated Gibson struggles with the same thing Skinner struggles with but I can’t remember who posted that.

Before 2024-25, Gibson just flat out had not been good. Bad for awhile too. He was cruising on name value and 'plays for a bad team' for awhile.

Of course he's being compared to Stuart Skinner in our case so the bar he needs to clear is on the floor.

 

[McTonyBrar]

I don't think Gibson struggles with breakaways, dekes, all cross crease shots, wraparounds, screens, shots to the glove side, shots to the blocker side, shots to the 5, 6 and 7 holes, or shots above the pads.

I also think he doesn't start allowing goals in bunches right after allowing 1.

 

[aggressive forecheck]

The Oilers beat St. Louis all the time. They're no rival

they have Holloway too and the Oilers still beat St. Lous... I give little f***s about St. Louis

 

[brentashton]

I pointed out last offseason that Savoie and Yamo are very similar and there wasn't a lot of happy campers haha.

Can’t blame them for being unhappy (but maybe for different reasons, ).

Yamamoto has already flamed out as an NHLr. And now our great white hope is a similar type and sized player? Oh goody.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

You're correct generally from a hockey operations perspective.

But fact is the Oilers as a franchise stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in value if their golden goose player decides to ply his talents elsewhere. His opinion matters to them and it should.

And as I have said, it is important in the general sense of the direction of the club, yes of course. On who he prefers as his line mates from the existing roster, naturally.

But in micromanaging who should start in net (Game 6 quote from KK), who should the goalie be for next season (Bowman), not upgrading the defence (24 playoffs he didn't want Cody Ceci traded), etc, it is getting into areas he should not be consulted on.

At the end of the day it is starting to seem a little much and as I have said carries its own risks.

 

[WaitingForUser]

No, Kulak isn't a great defenseman. He's a third pairing defenseman on a club that expects to contend.

I hope he is delt for the straightforward reason that he is extraordinarily overated when he is accurately a league average defender at best.

Seems like a really weird hill to die on. As you say he’s a third pair d man. We have much bigger issues to deal with one being the absolute shit show that is our goaltending. For a third pair d man he is quite good. I would say he is a 4/5 myself.

 

[North]

I don't think Gibson struggles with breakaways, dekes, all cross crease shots, wraparounds, screens, shots to the glove side, shots to the blocker side, shots to the 5, 6 and 7 holes, or shots above the pads.

Edit - I forgot shots along the ice and deflections.

Just shots in general.

 

[oXo Cube]

And as I have said, it is important in the general sense of the direction of the club, yes of course. On who he prefers as his line mates from the existing roster, naturally.

But in micromanaging who should start in net (Game 6 quote from KK), who should the goalie be for next season (Bowman), not upgrading the defence (24 playoffs he didn't want Cody Ceci traded), etc, it is getting into areas he should not be consulted on.

At the end of the day it is starting to seem a little much and as I have said carries its own risks.

It's an uncomfortable truth, but keeping McDavid happy is more important to management than winning a Stanley Cup.

It's fortunate for those of us not financially invested that those two things have a generally positive correlation.

 

[FlameChampion]

Oh geez. That is terrible. Zegras is a flawed player but how could some other team not beat that offer?

Anaheim clearly doesn’t want him part of their culture. I think was time to move on.

Philly is a weird landing spot though. Surprised a team like Calgary couldn’t beat that offer.

 

[gretzkyoilers]

I pointed out last offseason that Savoie and Yamo are very similar and there wasn't a lot of happy campers haha.

Yeah 5'9" and 179 lbs...last thing the Oilers need is another smallish forward....

 

[FlameChampion]

It's an uncomfortable truth, but keeping McDavid happy is more important to management than winning a Stanley Cup.

It's fortunate for those of us not financially invested that those two things have a generally positive correlation.

Honestly if the team and McDavid are serious about winning the cup, they should be seriously exploring moving Nurse and legitimately fixing their goaltending. I think feelings inside the dressing room are too important.

 

[foshizzle]

I do seem to recall someone quoting analytics that indicated Gibson struggles with the same thing Skinner struggles with but I can’t remember who posted that.

I don’t think so. Skinner is horrendous, non-NHL level on rush chances (odd and even). 23/24 the oilers allowed the second least amount of rush chances- Skinner allowed the most rush chance goals in the league. This year he got worse. Gibson is pretty good against the rush.