Player Discussion Viktor Arvidsson

[Duke74]

Nah. We need him going now. He’s not a fit here. I’d argue that he’s even less a fit than Jeff Skinner. But even if you want to call their performances this season roughly equal, Skinner is cheaper, only signed for this season and has a NMC. Arvidsson - more expensive, signed for another year and doesn’t have the NMC.

I agree for sure that one of these guys has to go before or at the deadline. It’s too much wasted cap. It seems like kind of a no-brainer which one you move on from. I’d rather keep Jeff Skinner.

Plus Skinner has been relegated to the fourth line or the pressbox for much of the year. Imagine Skinner's production glued to one of our superstar centers.

 

[Shanahanigans]

It kind of feels like the game is starting to pass him by. He's like half a second late on every play. I don't mean his skating, which is fine, but his processing of the game seems slowed, so he can't get pucks where he wants to get them, misses his spots, etc. Stark contrast to a guy like Perry, who is much slower, but thinks the game at an elite level and thus can make plays as he wants.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

His decline in production raises the question of who scouted him and what did they see? Virtually most players the Oilers acquire see a decline in their production. Hyman and Ekholm feel like the exceptions but there's a laundry list of players that see their totals fall off pretty hard when they don an Oiler jersey. Some who leave also see their totals increase which just raises further questions.

 

[VeteranPresence]

His decline in production raises the question of who scouted him and what did they see?

 

[Shanahanigans]

His decline in production raises the question of who scouted him and what did they see? Virtually most players the Oilers acquire see a decline in their production. Hyman and Ekholm feel like the exceptions but there's a laundry list of players that see their totals fall off pretty hard when they don an Oiler jersey. Some who leave also see their totals increase which just raises further questions.

Easy- unless you're Mcdavid, Drai, Mackinnon, Crosby, etc- most NHL forwards follow a similar trajectory. Their most productive years are between 24-29, then a slow decline from 30-34, then a faster decline 35+. The guys that have been underwhelming- Skinner, Arvidsson, Henrique, are all 32-34, all in line with average player decline. Even Kane's decline the last year could be partially attributed to age, same thing we saw when Lucic was here. The guys who left- Mcleod, Foegele, Holloway, are all 23-28- a forward's prime. When we traded away Hall and Eberle they were in their mid 20s too, no surprise they continued to produce until (surprise!) they hit their early 30s.

We develop players for other teams, give them away as they hit their prime, then sign players who's offensive prime has passed them and wonder why they don't produce like they did. Nobody defeats time, nobody.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Easy- unless you're Mcdavid, Drai, Mackinnon, Crosby, etc- most NHL forwards follow a similar trajectory. Their most productive years are between 24-29, then a slow decline from 30-34, then a faster decline 35+. The guys that have been underwhelming- Skinner, Arvidsson, Henrique, are all 32-34, all in line with average player decline. Even Kane's decline the last year could be partially attributed to age, same thing we saw when Lucic was here. The guys who left- Mcleod, Foegele, Holloway, are all 23-28- a forward's prime. When we traded away Hall and Eberle they were in their mid 20s too, no surprise they continued to produce until (surprise!) they hit their early 30s.

We develop players for other teams, give them away as they hit their prime, then sign players who's offensive prime has passed them and wonder why they don't produce like they did. Nobody defeats time, nobody.

I don't think that you're entirely wrong about this. There definitely does seem be a favouritism towards veteran players. That being said Perry is at least exceeding expectations but most of the other veteran forwards are a disappointment this year.