Rumor: Rumors & Proposals Thread | With Klingberg in the Mix Who Are Our 7D After the Deadline?

Skinner and Blackwood would have made a heap of sense, and only didn’t because the Oilers think there are more pressing needs on the roster. There aren’t imo. Goaltending has consistently been the biggest issue this team has had in the playoffs since the one year we had Talbot in net. It will be again this year with no legitimate option to spell of Skinner if he chokes again. Blackwood was also a UFA at the end of the season so there would have been no cap implications for next year.

For some reason this team thinks that spending yet more assets on a top 9 winger or a 4C is a bigger priority. It’s baffling.
People can feel differently but I'm far from sold on Blackwood being the answer. He has been very inconsistent his whole career even going back to huis time in Barrie. If he was 24 maybe but at 28 he has still not really established himself as being anything better than what they have right now. Plus if they made that move before Colorado it would have meant other roster moves given the uncertainty surrounding Kane at the time. If he was simply a rental I think this makes it even less desirable for me.

I'd like to see the Oilers improve in goal. But I am not overly optimistic that it happens this year. The options just don't seem to be all that attractive. Though something could happen closer to the deadline especially once the Kane situation is clear.
 
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What intangibles does J skinner have exactly?

I see you put a laughing emoji on my response. I also see you misinterpreted my post.

The intangible he brings is to his teammates.

I seem to recall Brown getting absolutely blasted and run outta town by this "fan base", just like they are doing to Skinner right now

I also recall during that time a play happened on the ice and I believe Drai gave a shout out and credit to Brown on the bench and the players were having a good laugh.

So when this "fanbase" turned their back on him, the team didn't

So much like Brown, I can guarantee his teammates will rally around him come playoff time.
 
He's exactly the type of player you would expect to crumble during the playoffs.
Small, slow and avoids contact.
He actually doesn’t avoid contact at all and is pretty greasy around the net.

8 goals in 44 games and -8.

We can probably upgrade on that at the deadline.
All the goals at even strength and playing on the 4th line usually. Staples, who I hate, put up on article quantifying their defensive lapses. Skinner was tied with Nuge. Nuge plays on the first line. Let’s not look at +/-, which is a stat that makes little sense.
 
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I see you put a laughing emoji on my response. I also see you misinterpreted my post.

The intangible he brings is to his teammates.

I seem to recall Brown getting absolutely blasted and run outta town by this "fan base", just like they are doing to Skinner right now

I also recall during that time a play happened on the ice and I believe Drai gave a shout out and credit to Brown on the bench and the players were having a good laugh.

So when this "fanbase" turned their back on him, the team didn't

So much like Brown, I can guarantee his teammates will rally around him come playoff time.
Oh sorry I thought you were kidding.

Idgaf if he's a great guy in the room. $3M against the cap is a lot to waste on someone who won't even be in the starting lineup come Game 1.

And he has absolutely 0 ON ICE intangibles. You think Draisaitl and McDavid would rather have some smiley guy who can make jokes over someone who can put this team over the hump to win a cup?
 
He's exactly the type of player you would expect to crumble during the playoffs.
Small, slow and avoids contact.
I wouldnt say that he avoids contact he just isnt very effective (too small..too slow) when the games get heavier.
A quality that the team cant afford to have in the bottom 6....espcailly at that cap hit. They need a player in the bottom 6 that elevates his game when the games get heavy. Skinner is the opposite of that player.

He might be fine on a team where he could play further up in the lineup (and get more PP time) but he just isnt a fit on this team.
Even his hands arent what they used to be...he misses a lot of grade A opportunites to score.
He will also be 33 this season. If he had the gamesmanship of a Corey Perry then he would at least add that element. He isnt particularily strong defensively and he doesnt even PK.
So when he isnt scoring he brings very little. He certainly doesnt bring nearly enough to justify the $3M cap hit.
IMO the team needs to move on from him and they likely will.
 
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god forbid a guy celebrates his first NHL goal for his home town team after spending years toiling away in the minors

Yes, it was embarrassing.

As the rest of the team is in the gutter he’s dancing around the ice like it’s game 7.
 
8 goals in 44 games and -8.

We can probably upgrade on that at the deadline.
The issue I had with his contract was mostly the NMC. Maybe that is the only way he would sign but they could have tried for a NMC with a MNTC. The NMC will make moving him a lot more challenging.

On the positive side over his last 20 games he as 4g 4a 8pts and is a +1. That is actually not so bad for a vet at $3M. That said, I think they would like someone who plays a heavier and faster game.
 
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Oh sorry I thought you were kidding.

Idgaf if he's a great guy in the room. $3M against the cap is a lot to waste on someone who won't even be in the starting lineup come Game 1.

And he has absolutely 0 ON ICE intangibles. You think Draisaitl and McDavid would rather have some smiley guy who can make jokes over someone who can put this team over the hump to win a cup?

I think 100% he'll be on the ice for game 1 and the players will be extra motivated because of it, and for him personally

Brown was playing poorly when he came back but the players didn't hold that against him. The "fans" surely did tho.
 
He actually doesn’t avoid contact at all and is pretty greasy around the net.
This is definitely a misconception about the player. He's not at all afraid to go to the tough areas even if he is not really a physical player. He's also not exactly a small guy. He is actually quite stocky and is strong on his skates.

Skinner has never played in the playoffs in the NHL. But for what it is worth he was fantastic in the playoffs for the Rangers. He scored 20 goals in 20 games playing as a 17 year old. Junior stats don't mean much now of course but I think the idea that he is not a playoff player needs some evidence to back it up.

If they can find a better option I'd have no problem if they move on. And in hindsight, Holloway over Skinner would have been a big win. But that was not really the choice at the time they signed him.
 
The issue I had with his contract was mostly the NMC. Maybe that is the only way he would sign but they could have tried for a NMC with a MNTC. The NMC will make moving him a lot more challenging.

On the positive side over his last 20 games he as 4g 4a 8pts and is a +1. That is actually not so bad for a vet at $3M. That said, I think they would like someone who plays a heavier and faster game.
Agreed. This is what I too hope for.

They need to round out the lineup in a more balanced way. I’m not convinced Kane will be back/able to contribute as expected.

Skinner isn't north/south neither so as an offensive player he doesn’t fit with the greyhounds, he slows things down too much for my liking.
 
Couldn’t have wished him off the team fast enough when he celebrated like he won the cup when he got the lone Oilers goal late during an absolute ass kicking. Forget who beat us, but it was bad.

Never wanted to see him in an Oiler sweater again, and ironically I think he only played a handful of games at most after that.
Come on. If it had been his 8th NHL goal in a blowout you could be a little harsher. It’s the only goal the guy ever scored.
 
I have always enjoyed best on best tournaments. Going to the Canada Cup in 1984 was a highlight for me. But I have almost no interest in this one. It seems completely contrived.

An in season tourney just before the playoffs is pretty much guaranteed to derail at least one teams SC dream, as I fully expect some avoidable injury to occur.
 
People can feel differently but I'm far from sold on Blackwood being the answer. He has been very inconsistent his whole career even going back to huis time in Barrie. If he was 24 maybe but at 28 he has still not really established himself as being anything better than what they have right now. Plus if they made that move before Colorado it would have meant other roster moves given the uncertainty surrounding Kane at the time. If he was simply a rental I think this makes it even less desirable for me.

I'd like to see the Oilers improve in goal. But I am not overly optimistic that it happens this year. The options just don't seem to be all that attractive. Though something could happen closer to the deadline especially once the Kane situation is clear.
I'm not sold on Blackwood being the answer either. But I know with certainty that he's having a better season than either Skinner or Pickard are right now. He's another bullet in the chamber that Pickard isn't.

And Blackwood has a 2.3M cap hit this year. I don't buy that the Oilers couldn't have made that work if they truly wanted to. Simply finding another team to eat half his salary for the season would have cost the Oilers a ~4th or 5th round pick and would have been close to cap neutral by sending down Pickard.

The organization just doesn't think its a priority. They'd rather waste more assets on yet another depth forward that will be barely played down the stretch and in the playoffs.
 

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