GDT: SCF | V | "Big Game Hunting" | Oilers @ Panthers | 5.18.24 | 6:00PM | SN

[McJadeddog]

There should be a standard.
That being said the last couple years of Northlands was complete shit ice. Also the new building I find sometimes has the puck bouncing.

The new place still gets ranked as #2 best ice by the players every year. Montreal has taken 1st place the past few years if memory serves. So Rogers is still really, really good.

 

[Oilers88]

Things to worry about:
-Bobrovsky bounce back game expected. Just what good goalies do.
-Desperate Florida team not wanting to come back to Alberta for Game 6. They don't want that crowd smoke OR that level of doubt to the series
-I don't think they are above "sweep the leg" tactics to try and win
-PP still cold at least 5 on 4
-Matchups won't be there. I was impressed with 3rd line's work against FLA's top 6.

Things to feel good about:
-Mindset and vibes around the team are confident and calm
-McDavid looked more like true McDavid last game than all playoffs imo
-Skinner showed well last game. He can do it, but has to be the better goalie 3 times in a row here
-That 3rd line is killing it. Janmark/Henrique/Brown are a hell of a counter right now to any line FLA is throwing out.

I believe this will be the hardest game to win if this thing goes the distance.
Might have to be in OT *screams internally*.

I think it comes down to the PP tonight . We've had our chances, just haven't capitalized. If we get going now (kind of like the Dallas series), then all of a sudden Florida might dial back their forecheck and aggressiveness out of fear of taking a penalty. That lets us have that extra second to break out and attack them with speed, which is where they're really vulnerable. If McD and Drai come out and make it count on the PP, we've got a chance to drag ourselves back in and make a series out of it.

Huge game tonight- everyone needs to bring their A-game. Time to put some doubt into the Panthers.

 

[Hollywood55]

I don't think those numbers are accurate, they may all resign, but I have a hard time believing Drai is going to take less then Austin Matthews. Pretty sure with how underpaid he has been the last few years, He will want to be the highest paid player until McDavid resigns. Pretty sure it will be closer to 15.5/14.5/11 depending on if Bouch signs this summer or waits until next year and has a good season.

Yeah my bad I got the numbers wrong for Drai and Connor, but Bouchard at 10 mil is correct. Seravalli said 16 for Connor and 14 for Drai.

 

[brentashton]

Are they really letting master negotiator Ken Holland negotiate Drai’s contract before his own contract isn’t renewed?

You can’t squeeze people.

 

[Roderek]

Yeah my bad I got the numbers wrong for Drai and Connor, but Bouchard at 10 mil is correct. Seravalli said 16 for Connor and 14 for Drai.

Yeah I think 10 might be low if Bouch doesn't extend this summer. With the cap going up and arb rights if he waits and has a good season next year he will get more then 10. If Oilers can get him to sign this summer 10 is probably the right number, just not sure it will happen.

unlike Matthews, Drai will take an 8-year max term though so his number would be lower

There is no way his cap hit will be lower than 13.25 Mil He is going to have the highest cap hit in the league for at least a year.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

He has been so far in these playoffs.


I think you want to keep both, there are other ways to upgrade Ceci.

Hes getting used as a 3rd pair D, and getting minutes like a 3rd pairing D.

 

[ujju2]

Not sure what people are seeing when they talk about trading Kulak. Guy is very solid back there and I consider him nearly as important as Ekholm on the left side. Depending on who we can move around in the offseason he is a top tier 3rd pairing guy or a comfortable 2nd pairing guy. Damn solid out there, you'd have to be insane to want to move him.

Agreed. You trade ceci before even thinking about trading kulak

I think both should be traded, but the thing about Kulak is you can comfortably trade him without needing a Dman back. Based on what we've seen from him these playoffs, we should absolutely be penciling Broberg in as the 3LD for next season. Ceci on the other hand also needs to go, but he needs to be replaced by a better 2RD, which will be harder said than done. Any hope we have of upgrading on Ceci will require us to save cap by moving players like Kulak and Foegele. Not that they are bad players (they are not) but we need ELCs in Broberg and Holloway to take their spots so we can upgrade elsewhere.

 

[cruisecity]

Hes getting used as a 3rd pair D, and getting minutes like a 3rd pairing D.

No, he is playing significantly more minutes than Nurse, and is comfortably our #3/4 defenceman in ice time this series.

Bouchard
Ekholm
Broberg
Kulak
Nurse
Ceci

In that order.

I think both should be traded, but the thig about Kulak is you can comfortably trade him without needing a Dman back. Based on what we've seen from him these playoffs, we should absolutely be penciling Broberg in as the 3LD for next season. Ceci on the other hand also needs to go, but he needs to be replaced by a better 2RD, which will be harder said than done. Any hope we have of upgrading on Ceci will require us to save cap by moving players like Kulak and Foegele. Not that they are bad players (they are not) but we need ELCs in Broberg and Holloway to take their spots so we can upgrade elsewhere.

Broberg and Kulak are both currently playing solid 2nd pairing minutes in the SCF. I'm comfortable with either in the #2 LHD position.

 

[Missing smitty]

Is it O'Rourke and Kozari again tonight?

 

[ujju2]

No, he is playing significantly more minutes than Nurse, and is comfortably our #3/4 defenceman in ice time this series.

Bouchard
Ekholm
Broberg
Kulak
Nurse
Ceci

In that order.


Broberg and Kulak are both currently playing solid 2nd pairing minutes in the SCF. I'm comfortable with either in the #2 LHD position.

Are you assuming Nurse is being moved? Because I have no idea how that could happen.

Otherwise you definitely don't want one of those guys playing 2RD. You move Kulak, move Ceci, and run:

Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-X
Broberg-Desharnais/X

With potential for Broberg to supplant Nurse. No room for Kulak anyways.

 

[Canovin]

Have people been watching the playoffs? Kulak has looked better than Nurse haha

Why in the world would you want to move him?

 

[cruisecity]

Are you assuming Nurse is being moved? Because I have no idea how that could happen.

Otherwise you definitely don't want one of those guys playing 2RD. You move Kulak, move Ceci, and run:

Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-X
Broberg-Desharnais/X

With potential for Broberg to supplant Nurse. No room for Kulak anyways.

Kulak and Broberg have both firmly supplanted Nurse already. It's nonsensical to put Nurse 2nd pairing as he will either be playing 3rd or moved somewhere. His time has ran out.

Keeping Kulak-Broberg as your 2nd pairing is cost-effective and they're showing they are more than capable of delivering in that position in the highest level of competitive play. I would only expect them to get better.

Seems foolish to get rid of Kulak when there are so many other areas with bad contracts. Kulak is a steal in my opinion for what he brings.

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

No, he is playing significantly more minutes than Nurse, and is comfortably our #3/4 defenceman in ice time this series.

Broberg and Kulak are both currently playing solid 2nd pairing minutes in the SCF. I'm comfortable with either in the #2 LHD position.

The bolded is wrong. Nurse played 20:03 and 19:02 the last two games while Kulak played 15:36 and 15:38.

 

[ujju2]

Kulak and Broberg have both firmly supplanted Nurse already. It's nonsensical to put Nurse 2nd pairing as he will either be playing 3rd or moved somewhere. His time has ran out.

Keeping Kulak-Broberg as your 2nd pairing is cost-effective and they're showing they are more than capable of delivering in that position in the highest level of competitive play. I would only expect them to get better.

Seems foolish to get rid of Kulak when there are so many other areas with bad contracts. Kulak is a steal in my opinion for what he brings.

Until you realize that some bad contracts are so bad they likely can't be moved (i.e. Nurse). So instead of living in a fantasy world where you can just shed your deadweight, you end up having to move out decent players on decent contracts that are simply more of a luxury than a necessity. Foegele and Kulak both fit that description in my estimation. Both good players, but both easily replaceable by internal options for less money.

 

[cruisecity]

The bolded is wrong. Nurse played 20:03 and 19:02 the last two games while Kulak played 15:36 and 15:38.

You're right. I look at even strength numbers. Nurse is at the bottom for EV minutes because he is a colossal failure at evens. I should have rephrased.

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

You're right. I look at even strength numbers. Nurse is at the bottom for EV minutes because he is a colossal failure at evens. I should have rephrased.

You're talking about this Panthers series right? Am I wrong to assume Nurse only has less EV TOI because he got hurt in game 2 and only played 4 minutes?

 

[ThePhoenixx]

There is no way his cap hit will be lower than 13.25 Mil He is going to have the highest cap hit in the league for at least a year.

Nobody in the future is going to remember who had the highest cap hit in 2025. That's strictly an ego stance. He will get paid the most.

Eight years puts him to 37 years old. Front bonus load the contract. Lower cap hit now, more then equals win more now.

 

[McJadeddog]

Have people been watching the playoffs? Kulak has looked better than Nurse haha

Why in the world would you want to move him?

Yeah, exactly. Kulak >> Nurse, and it hasn't just been this playoffs either. This was true last playoffs as well (although I think last year Nurse was pretty badly hurt right?) Let VD walk, trade Ceci for nothing, put Broberg on his right side, which he is apparently comfortable doing, and then find a cheap veteran 3rd pairing RHS guy to be a placeholder until you can get an upgrade at the trade deadline. The veteran gets paid what VD was this year more or less, and -Ceci +Broberg equals out to about $2M in savings overall on the backend. Then you likely trade Kulak after the 25 season when Bouch's new contract kicks in (and hopefully Drai's if he re-signs). The cap is supposed to go up another $4-6 million in 2025 though, so that will help a bit, and we won't have the $4M Brown bonus that year anymore either. We won't have the $1.9M Neal buyout on the books either, but I'm guessing we'll have a $2.3M Campbell buyout that will completely negate that savings.

 

[TheNumber4]

Sounds like Lomberg is in. Better grab this heads when he forechecks. Should be an auto PP if we play our Divealanche game right.

 

[Canovin]

Yeah, exactly. Kulak >> Nurse, and it hasn't just been this playoffs either. This was true last playoffs as well (although I think last year Nurse was pretty badly hurt right?) Let VD walk, trade Ceci for nothing, put Broberg on his right side, which he is apparently comfortable doing, and then find a cheap veteran 3rd pairing RHS guy to be a placeholder until you can get an upgrade at the trade deadline. The veteran gets paid what VD was this year more or less, and -Ceci +Broberg equals out to about $2M in savings overall on the backend. Then you likely trade Kulak after the 25 season when Bouch's new contract kicks in (and hopefully Drai's if he re-signs). The cap is supposed to go up another $4-6 million in 2025 though, so that will help a bit, and we won't have the $4M Brown bonus that year anymore either. We won't have the $1.9M Neal buyout on the books either, but I'm guessing we'll have a $2.3M Campbell buyout that will completely negate that savings.

I would still try to trade Campbell if we can. Buying him seems like the right move right now but I feel like the 2M deadcap is going to hurt us when Drai extension kicks in

I rather we lose a pick+prospect than a NHLer due to the 2M deadcap

 

[brentashton]

So.

How about those Oilers!

 

[Hockeylife2018]

I would still try to trade Campbell if we can. Buying him seems like the right move right now but I feel like the 2M deadcap is going to hurt us when Drai extension kicks in

I rather we lose a pick+prospect than a NHLer due to the 2M deadcap

I assure you, you wouldn't be willing to pray the price it would take to move him

 

[timekeep]

Who is having the long waited big game today? Nuge, Ceci, Hyman, Drai???

Nuge is due

 

[Heavy Dee]

Watching this team for 45 years. Yes back to the WHA days. I don't think our season ends tonight.

 

[Ritchie Valens]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1803087002167865497

it’s amazing how his body language doesn’t match his enthusiasm. I always pictured Jack doing the Gretzky fist pump in the booth, then reaching out of the booth high fiving fans and dumping drinks on them.

Nope, stoic AF…hands by his sides like he’s at church singing a hymn.