Rumor: Rumors & Proposals Thread | The Oilers Biggest Roster Need Is?

[soothsayer]

The impact goes well beyond the threat of an OS to an individual player. Frequent OS's will change the nature of the NHL salary structures shifting the money towards players very early in their career.

To be clear, I don't think offer sheets are going to be casually thrown around every summer. I do think we are going to see more of them where they make sense. I'm not sure Bouchard is a guy likely to be offer-sheeted given the draft compensation that would be needed (not to mention how difficult it would be to even put together one's own picks to pay that compensation). But a guy like Broberg is a prime target--ask me who the next prime target is in June.

Anyways, I think there's a good chance we see another offer sheet this summer. And I definitely think teams will be considering offer sheets more seriously when dealing with their RFAs going into the future.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

If the cap rises significantly that does not make OS's more likely, exactly the opposite happens. It makes the cost of a successful offer sheet a lot greater. If the Oilers suddenly had $5M in additional space they would probably have matched both contracts.

OS's are more of a factor when the cap is growing slowly since teams at the top are often pressed to keep their roster. But the point is that even when such circumstances have happened in the past OS have not been a factor for RFA's without arbitration rights because they are highly inflationary. If teams start trying to defend against such moves it impacts their whole cap structure. It also resets arbitration numbers for RFA's with arbitration rights. Holloway and Broberg are now valid comparable for RFA's with similar stats. If a few more teams made similar OS's you soon have players coming off their ELCS being able to ask for arbitration awards comparable to these clearly inflated deals. Do you want to see Beau Akey asking for $4.6M after 80 games in the NHL with 2 goals and 10 points? While this may not be a big issue over the short period where the cap rests, it will become a big deal once teams spending catches up.

GM's need to save money somewhere. They can't do it with stars no matter what stage they are at. They can't do it with arbitration eligible RFA's (see JP and Yamamoto). The only class of players you can squeeze are RFA's without arbitration rights and old vets looking to get some job somewhere. Now is it possible that we will see a few copycats. Sure. But there is absolutely a reason why there have been only 4 successful OS in 20 years and two of those were this year.

I certainly see your point but It all depends on how teams are managed. If they are mismanaged like the Oilers and are hard against the cap teams with money to spend will use the OS.

More money to spend also means as stars / future stars deals expire they will rapidly suck up monies sitting available on teams cap.

To me the OS will be used more if teams decide to sit close to the cap over summer with young players to sign. StL correctly read the money situation this summer whereas the Oilers did not.

 

[McTonyBrar]

This is seriously getting crazy.

I still don't believe that this signing was a backfire. I'm expecting everyone to rip Viktor a new one along with the signing. But then people will regret what they said eventually

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

This is seriously getting crazy.

I still don't believe that this signing was a backfire. I'm expecting everyone to rip Viktor a new one along with the signing. But then people will regret what they said eventually

I wouldn't rip Viktor. I'd rip the people who scouted him.

 

[Scrapin Ice]

I wouldn't rip Viktor. I'd rip the people who scouted him.

We really dont have pro scouts. We have people with that title assigned to them but really they are just placeholders.

 

[bobbythebrain]

Arviddson is the Ferris Bueller of hockey

 

[CanadasTeam99]

In my head, I don't even consider Victor a part of this team. He will be like this all year. What a brutal signing knowing his injury history

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Time to pop him on LTIR with Kane, stretch out the recovery and add some bodies.

 

[samiam]

He is already on IR. Putting him on LTIR right now has no impact unless the Oilers bring in a big salary.

So we receive no benefit in terms of accruing cap space, but is there not a benefit in a round-about way, of now being able to carry 13/14 forwards and being able to rest Perry & Ryan more often, instead of being forced to play them, when they are not everyday players? (This in regards to putting Arv on full blown LTIR)

 

[GhostfaceWu]

Signing him to a multi year deal was mind numbingly dumb it should have been a 1 year deal bonus heavy with 60 games being minimum required to play. This bozo better not even think about playing in the four nations shit

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Imagining Arvidsson on LTIR for a while, maybe make a deal with Buffalo, try to get Byram and Lafferty moving out Ryan and Dermott++

 

[barry halls]

We really dont have pro scouts. We have people with that title assigned to them but really they are just placeholders.

There's a scene in the free agency episode of The Drop where one of the so-called pro scouts is on the phone with someone talking about Jeff Skinner. He says "he could lead the entire league in goals playing on this team!". That says all you need to know about the Oilers' pro scouts.

 

[CupofOil]

The frustrating thing is they aren't allergic to making smart/deft moves, they just seem to randomly pick their spots and it's never in a material or needed part of the roster. The Ceci/Emberson deal was smart, Podkolzin was smart, squeezing more out of the Blues during the offer sheet window was smart, the O'Reilly trade and Savoie/McLeod trades may have been smart (remains to be seen), but at minimum they showed some foresight and creativity.

On the other hand, for 2RD they basically signed Stecher, PTO'd Dermott, and washed their hands. Skinner inconsistent and not necessarily reliable? Pickard will just do. Just quickly shuffled these two critical areas off the agenda and moved on for whatever reason.

I think a lot of the moves they made in the offseason outside of arguably the Skinner signing which was the one move some were questioning were smart and most of these moves, the vet ones in particular, were made with the playoffs in mind so the Arvidsson, Skinner and 3rd line re-signs can't really be judged until after the playoff run.

The Emberson/Podkolzin/Savoie/Fischer (who I include because this might be an under the radar smart add to squeeze this prospect out of St. Louis) moves were made for possible long term benefit and pretty much in response to the Broberg/Holloway offer sheets so those also can't be judged for a few years. You can already see Emberson and Podkolzin settling in nicely at the low price of $2.1m so no problem with these moves either.

The biggest reasons why the Oilers are sort of meandering around in the standings is that existing guys like Hyman and RNH in particular are way underperforming particularly on the PP and the two new winger additions aren't scoring nearly enough. Plus Skinner's maddening inconsistency.
I still like the moves made in the offseason but it's going to take time to gel, if it does. Even with the Arvidsson injury, best to get it out of the way now so he'll be ready to go for the playoff stretch. If not then that's LTIR pool to work with I suppose.
The inaction on Fabbro sitting right there is inexcusable though. A low risk moderately high reward situation staring right at them and....nothing.

 

[CrazyJoeDavola]

Why does this coaching staff love derek ryan? I dont understand how he's an every day player at this point. He brings nothing to the table

 

[CanadasTeam99]

Why does this coaching staff love derek ryan? I dont understand how he's an every day player at this point. He brings nothing to the table

We are loyal and play guys until the wheels fall off.

 

[TheGingaNinja]

Carrier would be perfect

3 years x 3.75 aav. Overlaps with year 1 of McDavid's extension

He would probably be #1 choice of anyone who is at least semi-realistic.

 

[McShogun99]

There's a scene in the free agency episode of The Drop where one of the so-called pro scouts is on the phone with someone talking about Jeff Skinner. He says "he could lead the entire league in goals playing on this team!". That says all you need to know about the Oilers' pro scouts.

I wonder if that scout would say the same thing now knowing that Derek Ryan would be his primary center.

 

[Zerotonine]

Signing him to a multi year deal was mind numbingly dumb it should have been a 1 year deal bonus heavy with 60 games being minimum required to play. This bozo better not even think about playing in the four nations shit

Lol good luck on that. International play is all those Europeans dream about. The nhl is just a hobby to keep them in shape for they're country's national team....

 

[TheGingaNinja]

So we receive no benefit in terms of accruing cap space, but is there not a benefit in a round-about way, of now being able to carry 13/14 forwards and being able to rest Perry & Ryan more often, instead of being forced to play them, when they are not everyday players? (This in regards to putting Arv on full blown LTIR)

We can already do that by dipping in to Kane's LTIR if we choose too. (And we aren't already at the 23 player roster limit) The only advantage to putting Arvidsson on LTIR would be if if was out for the season, and we wanted to make a trade by dipping into LTIR, or, if were already at the 23 man roster limit, freeing a a space for a replacement.

Pretty sure that's correct anyway, lol. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm off about anything.

 

[Scrapin Ice]

He would probably be #1 choice of anyone who is at least semi-realistic.

Well im not sure about number 1 but with another less disturbing move it could be made to work.
And yes im sure there are a few guys here bubbling the opium.

 

[TheNumber4]

Should invest in a bubble boy suit for Arvie when he’s back.

 

[Scrapin Ice]

Should invest in a bubble boy suit for Arvie when he’s back.

Back trouble ain't no fun but the scouts should have been all over that and presented that risk to Jackson. The doctors would all likely say 'we dont know' or 'were not sure'. Could be years before he is 100%.

 

[TheNumber4]

Back trouble ain't no fun but the scouts should have been all over that and presented that risk to Jackson. The doctors would all likely say 'we dont know' or 'were not sure'. Could be years before he is 100%.

I mean one look at hockeydb and you can assess that risk. Oilers made a gamble here, so far a bad one.

 

[TheNumber4]

MacKenzie Blackwood is a terrible goaltender man. What are people smoking? Pickard straight up is better. Terrible trade proposal. Honestly do people think Blackwood is capable of winning a cup here ? Give your heads a shake. Rather the Oilers make a run at Varlamov or something along those lines.

He’s just another dice roll in the world of voodoo goaltenders. But atleast that dice roll is cheap (or better be). If he’s cheap I wouldn’t mind him.

You could also target “sure bets” and be in the hole 8.25M for a Seive like Ottawa currently. Or in the 5M range like Grubauer, Georgiev, Husso, Kuemper, Campbell etc.

If we are gonna go for a goalie, I want it cheap and a flexible contract.

Why does this coaching staff love derek ryan? I dont understand how he's an every day player at this point. He brings nothing to the table

One goal producing play every 2 weeks is probably why. If other guys could step and do that instead, likely don’t see Ryan in much more.

 

[Scrapin Ice]

I mean one look at hockeydb and you can assess that risk. Oilers made a gamble here, so far a bad one.

You would think there was one guy there that could take all available data and watch a bunch of film and correlate all the number and information and viewings into logical decisions. Either they dont have him or his voice cant be heard in the morass of upper managements wrangling for position and/or leaning on their cups of wine in the status quo.