Rumor: Rumors & Proposals Thread | What Do Our RFA's Sign For Edition

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Ekholm might be able to give Broberg some more confidence and teach him a few things, but the areas I see Broberg faltering are often individual skill checks, both not making plays while pressured and also not successfully completing routine plays (particularly in the d-zone) at the levels of consistency expected from an NHL player.

Where as with Bouchard I feel like all the big pieces were already in place he was doing the right things, but to me it felt like he was second guessing himself, he knew what the correct play was to make, but he was asking himself is my partner going to pick up on it and cover for him. With Ekholm all the self doubt and second guessing went out the window, he knows someone will be back there if he wants to take an offensive chance and Ekholm and him are both phenomenal at holding the blueline for zone entry denials, but it can be easily punished if your partner isn't on the same page as you.

I think more soft minutes is the right play for Broberg it's the easiest way to build confidence, the pressure of people forechecking you hard is less frequent and you generally don't get punished as hard for mistakes. I think a big part of why J. Schultz failed to prosper here is cause we put too much on his plate too early, I'm not a big believer in Broberg, but lets keep things in bite sized pieces for him a step at a time.

This is a processor issue of a young d-man adapting to apex competition speed and strength. The player's skills are fine. His confidence is lagging with trying to grapple with NHL game speed. He was a big minute, all situational top pair defenseman on a Bakersfield's team that was top 3 league in fewest goals allowed; 23 points in 31 games; and +14 while also yo-yoing up to the NHL parent team to fill in when it had major injuries.

He's a young d-man trying to onboard a speeding bullet train team that's in mature winning phase of organizational development. Can't break to develop and rightfully so the team needs to rely on veteran experience to drive where it wants to go. Broberg's development is pretty comparable to the vast majority of his 2019 draft defensemen peers outside of higher picks Seider and Byram.

Unfortunately the hard reality is that a young defender's development doesn't align well with the veteran d-corp that define Cup winning teams. But the flashes are there like a 23:34 toi 4th career NHL game in Vegas with a heavily depleted Oilers d-corp or the critical stretch drive game in hostile Calgary 22:34, 2:43 PP and 2:09 PK minutes while playing RD. It's a damn hard position.

 

[Broberg Speed]

Teams can offer him a contract as an RFA. He’d need to sign an offer sheet to leave, but he’d have an idea what he’s worth to some teams possibly.

That's true... offer sheet whispering. I don't know the ins and outs of that.

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

I like McLeod but if wants 2m or more, I would really have to think about it. He hasn’t really established himself as a 3C yet.

3C money is generally $3-$3.5M, so he would be well below that mark. In terms of offense last season his 5 on 5 Pts per 60 amongst forwards with a minimum of 500 mins played would of put him in a tie for 146th place (tied with M. Rasmussen, Scheifele, Larkin, & W. Johnston), I do think the Oilers are in general a high scoring team and its kind of infectious so I don't want to give him full credit for those numbers, but even taking a haircut to those numbers he is in the 2nd/3rd line tweener kind of offensive production range.

His defensive game isn't at a 3rd line caliber, nor his utility as a penalty killer, but as a player I do think his speed causes issues and while most people want a 3C that is a problem solver, being a problem creator is also an effective strategy.

While I have some hesitation to fully endorse it cause of sample sizes, Woodguy's post about McLeod being a very solid option for combatting elite opposition is atleast interesting.

If Woodcroft trusted McLeod more, the Oilers may have beaten the Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights just won The Stanley Cup. The narrative around them is that they are so deep at Forward and Defence that no team ...

becauseoilers.blogspot.com

 

[Macblender]

Honestly if Mcleod wants way too high a number you will get a sense on his ask - ship him sign Pius Sutter and play two rookies in the line up.

 

[Broberg Speed]

• A player who has elected for salary arbitration is ineligible to receive an Offer Sheet

That's from CapFriendly.


Saying that though, up until now... teams were free to talk to McLeod as he was a free agent... so I'm sure his agent has an idea of what the market might be willing to offer for this type of player.

you nailed it every which way

 

[Beerfish]

They should try hard to keep McLeod, he has shown the ability in spurts to be a good long term player. Losing him and keeping the likes of ryan, foegle and janmark would be an error.

he is only 23, has some size though not a super physical guy and can skate.

You do not spend time and resources to develop players just to let them walk in favor of guys with one foot out of the league.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

They should try hard to keep McLeod, he has shown the ability in spurts to be a good long term player. Losing him and keeping the likes of ryan, foegle and janmark would be an error.

he is only 23, has some size though not a super physical guy and can skate.

You do not spend time and resources to develop players just to let them walk in favor of guys with one foot out of the league.

You also dont overpay depth players to stay just cause you developed them.

 

[Broberg Speed]

They should try hard to keep McLeod, he has shown the ability in spurts to be a good long term player. Losing him and keeping the likes of ryan, foegle and janmark would be an error.

he is only 23, has some size though not a super physical guy and can skate.

You do not spend time and resources to develop players just to let them walk in favor of guys with one foot out of the league.

I don't see a center, at least not a third-line center on a team expected to compete for the cup.

As a center he needs to go to a "young gun" team that's okey dokey with the "fire wagon" brand of hockey.

McLeod might have priced himself out as a winger. I voted trade.

 

[McDoused]

I would tell Ryan McLeod that hes get 1.5M x 2 years and if he doesnt take it that we are trading him.

His brother just signed for 1.4M and has a better season.

He can have the bragging rights over his brother and double his salary. Anything more then that is an overpay for a guy who has never scored 30 points or proven he can be a 3C for an entire season.

I think the potential is there but he needs to prove it.

 

[McTonyBrar]

Honestly if Mcleod wants way too high a number you will get a sense on his ask - ship him sign Pius Sutter and play two rookies in the line up.

Yeah no thanks. I think we stick with McLeod. We developed a good 3rd line centre who has potential to be a 2nd line centre and you want to throw him away because maybe he wants 1 million more? I hope you aren't Chiarelli or the OBC in disguise

 

[Anarchism]

So Holland should be in a Tiki bar somewhere playing with little umbrellas.
Or on a recliner on a beach with his feet buried in the sand connecting with nature at old crane hotel watching the new GMs (plural) rebalance the oilers roster ....saying 'I could have done that'.

 

[Macblender]

Yeah no thanks. I think we stick with McLeod. We developed a good 3rd line centre who has potential to be a 2nd line centre and you want to throw him away because maybe he wants 1 million more? I hope you aren't Chiarelli or the OBC in disguise

Hahah in what world is Mcleod a potential second line center. He has all the speed but a lack of hands at speed. He is a perennial 30-40 point player we cant afford to pay over 2M a season.

I would even say it is a stretch he is a good 3rd line center right now. He is a 3rd/4th line tweener as a center and low end 3rd line winger in my eyes right now. Sure he could get better and be a good 3rd liner but with the cap crunch there is a few of those out there who can fill that void for cheaper.

Pius Suter is also a very good 3rd line center so not sure what the issue is with that.

 

[FunkyChicken]

If Toews is around $1.5M and McLeod is looking at $2M, I think you sign Toews and move McLeod.
McLeod + Campbell for Gibson at $4.5M

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Well I don't know the dollar amount he's looking for... but point being that some here would have likely preferred the package of traits/skills that Kostin brings over what McLeod brings... if indeed their contracts are going to be in the same ballpark cap-hit wise.

Importantly Holland knows the dollar amount and they are grinding together to find a fair price point. I something think at times some people view contract negotiations as a time restricted, strictly adversarial activity. It's more an ongoing process and discussion with Holland no doubt communicating the reality of last contract squeeze to McLeod/agent with a roadmap of how they might envision the player's role within the team and rough parameters where future salary range might land. Leverage goes back and forth.

McLeod is an important core support piece for this team. A guy that seems to have more latent offensive to give and a developing defensive game that includes important PK capabilities. Finding a comparable 3C would be a big problem imo.

To your post, centre over wing. The question is not McLeod or Kostin; it is the price point and utility of game between Kostin and Foegele that was a more relevant question. Comparable point production with Kostin doing more in critical winning season with fewer minutes. Is a younger, cheaper Kostin with better shot, hard, physical game and functional toughness and a breakout season with additional latent potential better?

 

[CycloneSweep]

Yeah no thanks. I think we stick with McLeod. We developed a good 3rd line centre who has potential to be a 2nd line centre and you want to throw him away because maybe he wants 1 million more? I hope you aren't Chiarelli or the OBC in disguise

We developed a good 4th line center with the potential to be a 3c

 

[Broberg Speed]

So Holland should be in a Tiki bar somewhere playing with little umbrellas.
Or on a recliner on a beach with his feet buried in the sand connecting with nature at old crane hotel watching the new GMs (plural) rebalance the oilers roster ....saying 'I could have done that'.

If Holland was on the ball McLeod could have been a player used to shed salary as a sweetener, like Kostin enabled us to dump Yamamoto, or as a significant piece to bring in a real banger at a position of need. Like #3C.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

I don't see a center, at least not a third-line center on a team expected to compete for the cup.

As a center he needs to go to a "young gun" team that's okey dokey with the "fire wagon" brand of hockey.

McLeod might have priced himself out as a winger. I voted trade.

You insulate a young, developing bottom six centre with a cheap 4C veteran who can support critical situational play, win face-offs and add some grind and grease. Help to insulate McLeod to continue growing his game. Ryan has been a good mentor type.

 

[Broberg Speed]

You insulate a young, developing bottom six veteran centre with a cheap 4C veteran who can support critical situational play, win face-offs and add some grind and grease. Help to insulate McLeod to continue growing his game. Ryan has been a good mentor type.

I'm hesitant to mention this because of the abuse I endure for mentioning I watched Bouchard in junior... I also watched the McLeod brothers a little with the Steelheads. I wasn't a fan of the team in general and it was mostly due to the coaching. They had a bunch of fast skaters yet it was some of the most perimeter hockey I have ever seen at that level. You have to leave North America to watch hockey like that on the big ice.

I believe with some of these players it's what they have to unlearn. And that's more difficult than it sounds.

 

[McShogun99]

Wonder if Holland circles back to Zadina, a former draft pick by Wright. It would have to be at league minimum.

I’d sign him for league minimum and start him in the AHL. Let him work his way back up.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

I'm hesitant to mention this because of the abuse I endure for mentioning I watched Bouchard in junior... I also watched the McLeod brothers a little with the Steelheads. I wasn't a fan of the team in general and it was mostly due to the coaching. They had a bunch of fast skaters yet it was some of the most perimeter hockey I have ever seen at that level. You have to leave North America to watch hockey like that on the big ice.

I totally get that. It was the primary reason McLeod with size and skating slipped into the second round. There was substantive concerns he would be a soft, perimeter pro player. It was reasonable to question his internal motor. Very hard to turn a kitten into a lion. It's not his nature to play a hard, physical game despite his size.

But there is a growing, developing player that has very good utility as a PK specialist and centre/wing versatility. He has to work at playing in the guts of the game (where games are won and lost) but I do see progress in this too. Will never expect him to play a heavier, grinding style game but that's where complementing him with suitable line mates is important and a 4C who brings those grind attributes vital to the winning season style of hockey.

Your comments are fair criticism. Well documented by Oil management types but long ago by junior birddogs paid to project teenage talent. Skill alone is not enough to play and thrive at the apex NHL level of competition.

 

[tiger_80]

Nurse and Brown ate Bouchard's lunch. McLeod will go to the food bank.

 

[McAsuno]

 

[Broberg Speed]

I totally get that. It was the primary reason McLeod with size and skating slipped into the second round. There was substantive concerns he would be a soft, perimeter pro player. It was reasonable to question his internal motor. Very hard to turn a kitten into a lion. It's not his nature to play a hard, physical game despite his size.

But there is a growing, developing player that has very good utility as a PK specialist and centre/wing versatility. He has to work at playing in the guts of the game (where games are won and lost) but I do see progress in this too. Will never expect him to play a heavier, grinding style game but that's where complementing him with suitable line mates is important and a 4C who brings those grind attributes vital to the winning season style of hockey.

Your comments are fair criticism. Well documented by Oil management types but long ago by junior birddogs paid to project teenage talent. Skill alone is not enough to play and thrive at the apex NHL level of competition.

It's the positioning that's my number one concern. Good coaching and smart players can lure McLeod out of position. Give McLeod a little leash for one shift then he's all over the place.

His positioning has to be correct and his assignments repeated shift after shit to become a dependable center.

 

[mkatcherin00]

McLeod filing for arbitration sucks and pretty much directly means we can’t add anyone else to the roster.

Trade Charmin for a low cash veteran

Holland 'squeezed' him last year so I have no issue with him doing so.

He is soft as toilet paper I have no issue getting rid of him

Oh I have no issues either. I just know it most likely means we lose Ceci or Foegele. Which is unfortunate cause I’m not really that high on McLeod.

We shouldn't be high on any of the three lol. I will give Foegele some credit. He is JP with some balance and he can actually skate.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

It's the positioning that's my number one concern. Good coaching and smart players can lure McLeod out of position. Give McLeod a little leash for one shift then he's all over the place.

His positioning has to be correct and his assignments repeated shift after shit to become a dependable center.

Again, I think that's fair criticism. Centre and defense are the two most difficult positions to onboard at NHL level. They take time and patience along with strong coaching that guide this hockey stick development curve that exists for like 95% of all young talent. That's where I've liked the role of veteran Ryan on McLeod's wing. On ice peer coaching and mentorship.

It's also where Oiler coaching have to adapt their system play and simplify how they defend. There's too much chaos with defense who aggressively chase opposition forwards far away from high danger scoring areas and confusion with forwards to cover in departed cherry ice. Again, this is where I would insulate with a details focused, veteran 4C who can share some of the load defending especially at critical times. Holistically this starts to fully flesh out a legitimate Cup contender which can insulate young green bananas and their cheap contracts while pedal down to legitimately running at winning a Cup.