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

[CornKicker]

Typical oilers if they add Saad. Ignoring the real issues and biggestweakness(goaltending) while creating another issues with to mamy forwards upfront. Like some of said what's gonna happen when Kane comes back? Healthy Kane is an absolute must in the playoffs

i agree it would be kinda Saad if they signed him

 

[Sanchez]

I wonder if Skinner agrees to mutually terminate his contract with the Oilers. He has made double the money Saad made over his career lol

Also he's still getting paid by Buffalo till the end of 2027-2028 season lol

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Typical oilers if they add Saad. Ignoring the real issues and biggestweakness(goaltending) while creating another issues with to mamy forwards upfront. Like some of said what's gonna happen when Kane comes back? Healthy Kane is an absolute must in the playoffs

Agreed, they should really sign that free goalie that's just available, it's so simple.

 

[Soundwave]

He’s closing in on 100 million in career earnings and has never played a playoff game. I doubt he cares about his next contract in the slightest.



Yep. If they both pan out, you’ve basically avoided having to pay like a 1st and 2 2nds and that’s huge for a team that’s low on assets. We still have capspace so we won’t be done regardless.



More likely Philp goes down. If Janmark works at center you run something like

Nuge - McDavid - Hyman
Podkolzin - Draisaitl - Arvidsson
Saad - Henrique - Kapanen
Brown - Janmark - Perry
Skinner




Yep. There’s no downside



BS. He’s a potential upgrade for free. You don’t ignore a free upgrade because you might have another need to address. If Saad and Klingberg work out then you can basically spend all your assets getting a goalie and you’re set

Pretty sure if Saad signs here it will come with some guarantee of a chance to play with McDavid or Draisaitl, which wouldn't be that hard to accommodate as basically no one has worked out great on Leon's wing this year (production wise).

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Nuge plays better by himself actually. He can drive play when he needs to.

He absolutely doesn't drive the play when he needs to which is literally why he was moved to wing a few years ago. If he could we would have kept Draisaitl and McDavid on the same line. He's been tried many a time centering his own line in the last few years and gets very little done.

Nuge has had a good 10-game stretch here but he's already proven what he is.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

Saros is the only starter that is better than Skinner? lol

What I said is that Saros is the only starter who’s definitively better then Skinner and who might possibly be available.

Grow a brain and then learn to read.

 

[McShogun99]

In the playoffs though you don't have a limit on your roster to worry about and you will no doubt have injuries so depth is a big plus. Kane for example may not be ready for game 1.

Having players like Kane, Ryan, Skinner, Saad as depth options for the playoffs gives us so many options. Our bottom six would essentially be two 3rd lines. It's essentially how Colorado and Vegas won their cups.

 

[Canovin]

What I said is that Saros is the only starter who’s definitively better then Skinner and who might possibly be available.

Grow a brain and then learn to read.

I read it correctly. Saros, Vejmelka, Gibson, Demko just off the top of my head

Pretty sure if Saad signs here it will come with some guarantee of a chance to play with McDavid or Draisaitl, which wouldn't be that hard to accommodate as basically no one has worked out great on Leon's wing this year (production wise).

Saad has good 5 on 5 numbers given his ice time and who's he's been playing with. He's also an easy player to play with.

 

[McDoused]

Maybe Kane isn't coming back and when he does he might very well be a shell of his former self and what's wrong with adding a free asset with upside to be a contributing player at league minimum? How is adding a guy for cheap ignoring other needs? Some of you complain about the oddest things.

This is what drives me crazy. If you can add guys for free, it means that you now have the flexibility to use your assets and cap space elsewhere.

From what I've gathered it comes down to a lack of patience. Looking back, it's easy to give Holland flowers for acquiring Ekholm. However, that entire season was almost insufferable as fans complained that he was sitting on his hands. The only way these fans are happy is if every hold is addressed months in advance, which is completely unrealistic.

 

[Canovin]

This is what drives me crazy. If you can add guys for free, it means that you now have the flexibility to use your assets and cap space elsewhere.

From what I've gathered it comes down to a lack of patience. Looking back, it's easy to give Holland flowers for acquiring Ekholm. However, that entire season was almost insufferable as fans complained that he was sitting on his hands. The only way these fans are happy is if every hold is addressed months in advance, which is completely unrealistic.

Outside of Ekholm and Kane, I don't miss the you can't squeeze GMs era

 

[McDoused]

Outside of Ekholm and Kane, I don't miss the you can't squeeze GMs era

Agreed but my point still stands. We essentially made the biggest splash out of any team but until it happened fans whined and complained about it.

 

[K1984]

It's at the point where we're going to be buyers AND sellers at the deadline lol.

There are a few pieces that probably aren't making it into the lineup that someone would want.

 

[VeteranPresence]

Typical oilers if they add Saad. Ignoring the real issues and biggestweakness(goaltending) while creating another issues with to mamy forwards upfront. Like some of said what's gonna happen when Kane comes back? Healthy Kane is an absolute must in the playoffs

I don't love Bowman's inaction on the goalie and (proven top four) D file, but Saad is a no-brainer if he is willing to sign for an immaterial cap hit. Even when Kane is healthy he'll have all kinds of rust, and it would much better to ease him into game action in the bottom six than expect him to just slot in next to McDrai right away.

We also don't know what Kane will even be post surgery. Can he still play the style that makes him so effective? Is his wrist any better from that skate cut, which robbed him of a lot of shot velocity?

I still want a defender who has played in someone's top four more recently than 2022 + a goalie who isn't in the bottom third of the league statistically, but I can't fault us giving Saad a look. It just can't be the only thing we do.

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

They're going to waste even more money on Saad than Klingberg aren't they.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

They're going to waste even more money on Saad than Klingberg aren't they.

Katz's money. Doesn't really hurt our ability to upgrade at the deadline.

 

[stewy04]

He absolutely doesn't drive the play when he needs to which is literally why he was moved to wing a few years ago. If he could we would have kept Draisaitl and McDavid on the same line. He's been tried many a time centering his own line in the last few years and gets very little done.

Nuge has had a good 10-game stretch here but he's already proven what he is.

I guess a better way to put it is he seems to dissappear with McDavid more. Wants to be a passenger but has the ability as seen the the last 10 games to drive his own. We have better players for him to play with now as compared to the past too.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

It's at the point where we're going to be buyers AND sellers at the deadline lol.

There are a few pieces that probably aren't making it into the lineup that someone would want.

West: Back of the 2nd Wild Card

STL - 6 pts out
UTA - 6 pts out
ANA - 8 pts out
SEA - 9 pts out
NSH - 13 pts out
CHI - 19 pts out
SJ - 20 pts out

So I suspect Anaheim down should consider themselves sellers, STL and UTA to be determined, though I think Utah will be sellers.

East: Back of the 2nd Wild Card

NYI - 4 pts out
PIT - 5 pts out
BUF - 12 pts out

PIT has been "sellers" all season, the Isles I would expect, but a couple good weeks who knows. The Sabres (and Pens) look like the only sellers out there.

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

Katz's money. Doesn't really hurt our ability to upgrade at the deadline.

I don't care about Katz' money. These contracts should able to be buried. What's Saad gonna get, 2-2.5M?

 

[K1984]

West: Back of the 2nd Wild Card

STL - 6 pts out
UTA - 6 pts out
ANA - 8 pts out
SEA - 9 pts out
NSH - 13 pts out
CHI - 19 pts out
SJ - 20 pts out

So I suspect Anaheim down should consider themselves sellers, STL and UTA to be determined, though I think Utah will be sellers.

East: Back of the 2nd Wild Card

NYI - 4 pts out
PIT - 5 pts out
BUF - 12 pts out

PIT has been "sellers" all season, the Isles I would expect, but a couple good weeks who knows. The Sabres (and Pens) look like the only sellers out there.

Sadly due to games in hand the Islanders are still somehow right in it.

I believe if they win their 3 games in hand they pass the Bruins. It sucks because they have more than one player I would like.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Sadly due to games in hand the Islanders are still somehow right in it.

I believe if they win their 3 games in hand they pass the Bruins. It sucks because they have more than one player I would like.

They do have 3 games in hand on the Bruins and they're 5 points back, they have the same number of games as the Bolts who are in the 2nd wild card, for whatever that's worth.

Either way, you're right, the East will 'mid' itself down to the wire lol.

Adding the Pens further into sellers, they've played 53 games and the Bolts have 4 games in hand.

 

[Canovin]

They're going to waste even more money on Saad than Klingberg aren't they.

When players want to play for the Oilers, just based on that reputation alone is worth it

 

[Arpeggio]

Saad is possibly an upgrade on the worst forward currently getting ice (whether you think that's Philp, Brown, Janmark, Kapanen, it doesn't matter). Therefore, if he comes at low low number, it's an absolute no brainer to add him to the roster.

This is the same argument I have with people who don't want to knock Emberson out of the lineup by acquiring a defenceman (in the scenario where Klingberg clicks immediately with Nurse). I love Emberson, I think he has a great future here and was a great acquisition. But in an all-in year like this, you use every bit of cap space available to make the team as deep and good as possible. If that means acquiring another top four defenceman at the deadline when you don't necessarily need it, you do it anyway if you think it could tip the scales even just a little bit.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

I read it correctly. Saros, Vejmelka, Gibson, Demko just off the top of my head


Saad has good 5 on 5 numbers given his ice time and who's he's been playing with. He's also an easy player to play with.

Vejmelka and Gibson aren’t definitively better than Skinner, none of them are consistent and in the 2 seasons previous to this one, Skinner has better numbers than either of them. Demko might be available but doubt Canucks would trade him in division. Before this year without question he’s definitively better then Skinner but his injuries seemed to have derailed him a bit and he’s been pretty atrocious so far this year.

Gibsons contract just makes him a terrible risk, you’re chewing up precious assets and cap betting on 20 games from a guy who’s been steadily declining for 5 years.

Vejmelka I actually like and could get behind as a tandem goalie with Skinner but I don’t think Utah is selling their #1 goalie when they’re still in the hunt. At some point you have to turn the page on selling off every year and send the message that we’re trying to be competitive to the very end. Trading their starter sends the message to their players that they’re packing it in.

 

[CupofOil]

I don't know why people are saying we don't need anymore LWs. The 1LW is still one of our biggest needs. No one really plays well there aside from Drai and we can't have him there full time. RNH is an offensive blackhole let's be honest. Saad plays well with elite players in the past and he might fit in there like Benoit Pouliot.

No kidding. RNH, Podkolzin, Skinner, Janmark. Those are their LWs, one of them who is healthy scratched half the time, the other in Podkolzin who does a lot of things well but doesn't score at a top 6 level, another in Janmark with 1 goal although he contributes in other areas.

On paper going into the season, the Oilers had a lot of depth on LW but it hasn't quite panned out as planned so they could absolutely use a goal scorer on LW and Saad happened to have 26 last year so there's potential for some impact with this player, a guy who has also been a solid playoff performer as well.

 

[Soundwave]

Vejmelka and Gibson aren’t definitively better than Skinner, none of them are consistent and in the 2 seasons previous to this one, Skinner has better numbers than either of them. Demko might be available but doubt Canucks would trade him in division. Before this year without question he’s definitively better then Skinner but his injuries seemed to have derailed him a bit and he’s been pretty atrocious so far this year.

Gibsons contract just makes him a terrible risk, you’re chewing up precious assets and cap betting on 20 games from a guy who’s been steadily declining for 5 years.

Vejmelka I actually like and could get behind as a tandem goalie with Skinner but I don’t think Utah is selling their #1 goalie when they’re still in the hunt. At some point you have to turn the page on selling off every year and send the message that we’re trying to be competitive to the very end. Trading their starter sends the message to their players that they’re packing it in.

At what point are the Oilers management going to send a signal that they're serious about goaltending? Funny how teams like Utah are arriving at that conclusion before us in a do or die Cup window.

Gibson would take over the starting job here in 5 games flat. He is far more talented and athletic than Skinner ever will be.