Rumor: Rumors & Proposals Thread: The "Well, we're waiting!!!" Edition with a sprinkle of "Don't believe his lies."

[Ritchie Valens]

I see Barzal is out indefinitely. Might be a good landing spot for Jesse.

 

[Oilhawks]

Gavikov to Bawston smoke from MSNBC Boston & some guy with 36,000 twitter followers:

Which basically leaves:

Karlsson at 20% (not happening)
Chychrun (crickets on this front, rumours they weren’t very interested)
Edmundson (back problems…and ask is way too high. I’m not big on him either)
Parayko (haven’t seen much of him linked anywhere, also some health concerns)
Gostisbehere (rumoured to be interested)
Murphy? (Is he actually available?)

I left McCabe off since it sounds like he won’t waive to come to Canada

Gostisbehere might be the most likely option. I expect it’ll be him or Edmundson if they go for a more “shut down” option (his health issues scare me so hope not).

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

This team has had the same issues for years, long before Campbell showed up. I am tired of hearing the same excuse of goaltending as the reason we can't win and if we had goalie "X" we would win it all.

I am no big Campbell fan but as much as we can go on about this weak goal or that weak goal he let in, the past bunch of games he has been making numerous highlight reel saves.

The reason we keep losing is because of very very poor team defense, sub par & overworked defense, which results in a lot of mental errors as well as we are probably a top team in giveaways.

No Goalie is going to make this team look better as it is constructed and playing right now.

That "very very poor sub par overworked defense" does just fine with Stuart Skinner. I have no love for our defense but they're just an average to below average NHL defense, and shouldn't be treated as any more nor any less. They're not some Anaheim/Chicago level dumpster fire. Jack Campbell is the problem. Suggesting otherwise is ridiculous.

The inability and unwillingness of our D to clear shooting lanes, the face offs that we lose clean resulting in immediate goals against, the insane breakout which is resulting in numerous unforced icings leading to face offs in our zone, the poor D zone coverage by all 5 Oilers, the near league worst PK, the 1-2-2 neutral zone resulting in easy controlled zone entries for the opponents, the D backing in all the way to the goal crease, Bouchard lacking a pulse, Ceci unable to make a 5 foot pass, our stars not committing to a safer more controlled game with the lead and making egregious turnovers in vulnerable areas of the ice (here’s looking at you Leon), a coach who will absolutely not alter his ECHL level tactics or deployments, all combined with at least 2 weak goals per game are all contributing to a laughable defensive game that is not playoff calibre.

Again, our defense is no juggernaut, our forwards love to cherry pick, our systems often break down into hail mary stretch pass coinflips, and many of the defensemen have numerous warts and are played in spots too high for their abilities. But none of that makes them anything worse than a slightly below average NHL defense. Stuart Skinner plays under the exact same conditions, against stronger opponents, with the team playing worse eye test wise in front of him, yet still sits slightly above league average with a 0.913 save percentage and right around league average with 2.95 GAA. Jack Campbell is insufferably bad.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

What's the excuse for the game before when we had the lead and blew it as well?


At work so couldn't get into the details but ya, all of what you said. This team has a lot of warts and needs to fix things asap.

He was definitely much better against the Rangers. But his play is starting to slip for a guy that’s supposed to carry us deep in the playoffs. Goaltending is far and away the most important position in the sport. Hopefully it’s just a blip.

 

[FanOfSadTeam]

If they can somehow trade Bouchard before his value tanks further, that'd be great.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Oh look another name off the list. (If true)

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

But wait, how is it possible for BOS to clear cap for another trade when a certain HOF GM said every deal has to be "dollar in, dollar out"?

Hard reality that Boston is well run and a team in mature phase stage that has one specific finishing piece on what's been the best team in the NHL. They also lock in on trade pieces often with intent and ability to re-sign. The Oilers are multiple big pieces away from being a legitimate Cup contender. They've blown through their money trying to build up quality support around the elites and overpaying its young, internal players who have regressed.

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

Oh look another name off the list. (If true)

On the bright side it also means one less team in the running for a player like Chychrun (not that I expect Holland to do anything besides get some overpaid hitz player who gets hemmed in and can't play defense like Edmundson).

 

[AddyTheWrath]

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Which basically leaves:

Karlsson at 20% (not happening)
Chychrun (crickets on this front, rumours they weren’t very interested)
Edmundson (back problems…and ask is way too high. I’m not big on him either)
Parayko (haven’t seen much of him linked anywhere, also some health concerns)
Gostisbehere (rumoured to be interested)
Murphy? (Is he actually available?)

I left McCabe off since it sounds like he won’t waive to come to Canada

Gostisbehere might be the most likely option. I expect it’ll be him or Edmundson if they go for a more “shut down” option (his health issues scare me so hope not).

Maybe Peake in C-Bus but that doesn't make sense. Washington's Gufstasson (maybe Oil finally bring home a former draft pick that 'got away') Orlov, though UFA Russians and Edmonton don't really work. Ekholm in Nashville I think could shake free as available but very expensive in all respects. Anaheim has Fowler (expensive, no trade I think) and Klingberg (horribad year).

Oil need multiple pieces and likely not in a position to mortgage a 1st for UFA. Likely need a two fer deal to address multiple areas, partner that can (& will) take salary and retain. That sounds big market Chicago to me...

 

[Louis Cypher]

Another good principle in business is the art of negotiation especially under monopolistic conditions of one prospective partner who has a critical, time sensitive need for what you're selling. San Jose is looking at history making real dollar salary retention and that on top of real money absorbed on Burns and Martin Jones contracts. You've got an incredible talent and historic season happening with your basically lone team star to pump up your thin fan base.

This is an incredibly complex trade that is going to take time and likely significant back-and-forth to try to find a value point for retention on like $40,000,000 real dollars.

I happen to agree with you. I think this could be the apex trade value for Karlsson with the Oilers desperately needing an elite blue line upgrade. But it's not going to be made with one offer, if it has even been tabled by some speculation.

You mean I can't just press ok with my controller and the trade is done. That's not fair and its going to trigger many people on this board.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Friedman 32 Thoughts Podcast link with P. Kane musings (after 6 min. mark):

32 Thoughts: The Podcast

Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman & Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Blah blah blah same old. “Oilers are interested.”

 

[North]

Gavikov to Bawston smoke from MSNBC Boston & some guy with 36,000 twitter followers:

They’ve been rumoured to be the front runner for him for awhile.

I initially wanted him, but after watching a few games of his found him underwhelming.

 

[TheMustardTiger]

That "very very poor sub par overworked defense" does just fine with Stuart Skinner. I have no love for our defense but they're just an average to below average NHL defense, and shouldn't be treated as any more nor any less. They're not some Anaheim/Chicago level dumpster fire. Jack Campbell is the problem. Suggesting otherwise is ridiculous.

In no way am I trying to say Campbell is the solution in the Net. As excited as I am with the play of Skinner so far this year, I don't see us as a Stanley Cup team with the play of our team in front of our goaltender. We are reverting to too many of our old bad habits. These things shouldn't be showing up almost every game, month after month, year after year.

 

[FunkyChicken]

Which basically leaves:

Karlsson at 20% (not happening)
Chychrun (crickets on this front, rumours they weren’t very interested)
Edmundson (back problems…and ask is way too high. I’m not big on him either)
Parayko (haven’t seen much of him linked anywhere, also some health concerns)
Gostisbehere (rumoured to be interested)
Murphy? (Is he actually available?)

I left McCabe off since it sounds like he won’t waive to come to Canada

Gostisbehere might be the most likely option. I expect it’ll be him or Edmundson if they go for a more “shut down” option (his health issues scare me so hope not).

I'm good with Karlsson at 20% if Campbell is going the other way.

 

[North]

Hard reality that Boston is well run and a team in mature phase stage that has one specific finishing piece on what's been the best team in the NHL. They also lock in on trade pieces often with intent and ability to re-sign. The Oilers are multiple big pieces away from being a legitimate Cup contender. They've blown through their money trying to build up quality support around the elites and overpaying its young, internal players who have regressed.

Does Boston even have cap space available for re-signing Gavrikov considering the players they have to re-sign in the offseason?

 

[CycloneSweep]

Does Boston even have cap space available for re-signing Gavrikov considering the players they have to re-sign in the offseason?

They are going to have to go into a retool after this year most likely. So I don’t know if it even matters.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Does Boston even have cap space available for re-signing Gavrikov considering the players they have to re-sign in the offseason?

To be written. Regardless they are an organization that can take on a UFA with risk of losing the asset at end of season and a legitimate Stanley Cup contender to justify the involved risk. But they are an organization that tends to find a way.

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

In no way am I trying to say Campbell is the solution in the Net. As excited as I am with the play of Skinner so far this year, I don't see us as a Stanley Cup team with the play of our team in front of our goaltender. We are reverting to too many of our old bad habits. These things shouldn't be showing up almost every game, month after month, year after year.

Oh I don't think our defense is good enough to win a Cup either, but there are some pieces we can work around (Nurse as top pair LHD, ideally as a #2 instead, Ceci as a #3/4 2nd pair rhd, Broberg/Bouchard as bottom pair). Obviously plugging top pair rhd and 2nd pair lhd is easier said than done but it's workable. Jack Campbell is making a slightly below average NHL d-core look like the Anaheim Ducks.

 

[Mez]

Well it would appear that they will be waiting a very long time.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

Blah blah blah same old. “Oilers are interested.”

Its similar to my wife. She's been getting into online content writing and is finally making some headway after two years. She always talks about the potential money to be made and blah blah. But then she gets super pissed at me when I don't share the same excitement. Why? Potential and interest from prospective clients doesn't put money in our bank account. It's the same feeling I get with potential targets the Oilers may have interest in...potential and interest does f*** all for me.

 

[Oilhawks]

To be written. Regardless they are an organization that can take on a UFA with risk of losing the asset at end of season and a legitimate Stanley Cup contender to justify the involved risk. But they are an organization that tends to find a way.

I doubt Boston has a care at all as to whether or not they can re-sign Gavrikov and probably don’t need to find a way to do so (and I doubt they will). They are one of the few fully convincing teams this season (though President’s Trophy winners and their ilk have fooled many in the past).

 

[CycloneSweep]

Strong feeling we are going 11-6 again

 

[McDrai]

Blah blah blah same old. “Oilers are interested.”

At this point, I feel like it’s just a marketing ploy to keep Oilers fans hopes up. Well I’ve been involved in this shit for awhile to know that our premium pickup this deadline will be Edmundson. Our current GM does not know how to create cap space so expecting him to land a good player while operating within the cap is delusional as far as I’m concerned.