Confirmed Trade: [EDM/SJS] Jake Walman for Carl Berglund, 2026 1st round pick

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How many games do you think Kulak has played at 2RD to say he looks great at it? Agree he's a great player, I love him on the OIlers. But he's not a 2RD on a Cup contender. neither is Walman or anyone else in our organization today. We have 4 very good LD's and one good RD.

But we will have to agree to disagree.

You feel confident with Kulak as our 2RD in a Cup run and I don't. Playing over his head.. just like Ceci. FTR... I liked Ceci too and wrote the same things last year.. he was miscast.

According to naturalstattrick Kulak and Nurse have played 1/3 of their 5v5 time together this season… that’s significant.

During that time they have xGF% of 56%

Kulak without Nurse is hovering around 49-50%. Nurse without Kulak is 55%.
 
According to naturalstattrick Kulak and Nurse have played 1/3 of their 5v5 time together this season… that’s significant.

During that time they have xGF% of 56%

Kulak without Nurse is hovering around 49-50%. Nurse without Kulak is 55%.
So you are comfortable with Kulak as our 2RD in the playoffs trying to win a Cup?
 
Why.. he's a LD?
And? Ceci was an utter failure as a top 4 RD. Kulak has at least put up a solid stretch of it.

So you are comfortable with Kulak as our 2RD in the playoffs trying to win a Cup?
They almost won a cup with Ceci as their 2RD who was downright atrocious in that role.
 
And? Ceci was an utter failure as a top 4 RD. Kulak has at least put up a solid stretch of it.
Because you are saying that a LD is a better than a RD.
They were on the same team a year ago

1741321959306.png


Ceci played RD and Kulak played LD .. a year later and you think saying Ceci is the better RD is 'absurd'?

I'll ask you the same question.. are you okay with Brett Kulak as our 2RD on our playoff run? I'm not.
 
Because you are saying that a LD is a better than a RD.
They were on the same team a year ago

View attachment 988493

Ceci played RD and Kulak played LD .. a year later and you think saying Ceci is the better RD is 'absurd'?

I'll ask you the same question.. are you okay with Brett Kulak as our 2RD on our playoff run? I'm not.
Over Ceci? Yeah 100x over. Ceci was one of the biggest deadweights on this team the past 2 postseasons. Kulak has played excellent in both of those post seasons. In fact Ceci got demoted to 3rd pairing in the WCF and SCF because he was that bad.
 
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So you are comfortable with Kulak as our 2RD in the playoffs trying to win a Cup?
I’d probably play Nurse on the right with Walman, who by all accounts has been playing top pair in SJ aand will be asked to to less here…

if you recall, Nurse was playing on the right (some of his best defensive hockey early in the season) when paired with Kulak. He was better at keeping guys wide and erasing them… adding Walman instead of Kulak at 2LD means the outlet pass is coming from a stronger passer (in Walman) or is skated out by Nurse (also his bread and butter).

As others have pointed out… Walman doing the heavy lifting on a -63 team and coming out -1 while playing against top competition is very high praise.

Other than arguing AGAINST depth and guessing at deployment do you have a real argument against this player?

We play our third pair 16 mins a night this year… because we can… that’s good for us.
 
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Kulak has played excellent in both of those post seasons.
As a 3LD.. not a 2RD. And yes, he was great. I would never trade Kulak. But he's not a 2RD.

Just confirming your answer... because you switched to Ceci.. are you okay with Brett Kulak being our 2RD in our playoff run in 2025?
 
I’d probably play Nurse on the right with Walman, who by all accounts has been playing top pair in SJ aand will be asked to to less here…

if you recall, Nurse was playing on the right (some of his best defensive hockey early in the season) when paired with Kulak. He was better at keeping guys wide and erasing them… adding Walman instead of Kulak at 2LD means the outlet pass is coming from a stronger passer (in Walman) or is skated out by Nurse (also his bread and butter).

As others have pointed out… Walman doing the heavy lifting on a -63 team and coming out -1 while playing against top competition is very high praise.

Other than arguing AGAINST depth and guessing at deployment do you have a real argument against this player?

We play our third pair 16 mins a night this year… because we can… that’s good for us.
This is the more logical decision. Nurse was playing right side quite a bit this season and I don't think handedness matters nearly as much as people think.

As a 3LD.. not a 2RD. And yes, he was great. I would never trade Kulak. But he's not a 2RD.

Just confirming your answer... because you switched to Ceci.. are you okay with Brett Kulak being our 2RD in our playoff run in 2025?
I would take him over Ceci, yes. Ceci was an abomination. He's barely a bottom pairing D, while Kulak is an excellent bottom pairing D.

With that said if Walman is as good as the numbers show this year then you should play him and Nurse together and not worry about which way they shoot.
 
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would take him over Ceci, yes. Ceci was an abomination. He's barely a bottom pairing D, while Kulak is an excellent bottom pairing D.
I didn't ask if you wanted him over Ceci? Handedness absolutely matters btw. Name all the guys playing their wrong side on Cup winning teams? Good luck!

I asked if you are comfortable with Kulak as our 2RD going into the playoff? It's a yes or no question. My answer is 'no'.
 
This is the more logical decision. Nurse was playing right side quite a bit this season and I don't think handedness matters nearly as much as people think.


I would take him over Ceci, yes. Ceci was an abomination. He's barely a bottom pairing D, while Kulak is an excellent bottom pairing D.

With that said if Walman is as good as the numbers show this year then you should play him and Nurse together and not worry about which way they shoot.
Agree with you.

When does handedness matter? Mostly on D-D passes if you are expecting the receiver to make an outlet pass…

If you want him to skate (like we often do with Nurse given his stride) it’s almost an advantage to be on your offside.

Similarly when you have a very mobile D (like Nurse) cheating to the center to force a guy to beat you wide means your poke reach is improved on your offside (outside)… and Nurse was doing really well at that.
 
Agree with you.

When does handedness matter? Mostly on D-D passes if you are expecting the receiver to make an outlet pass…

If you want him to skate (like we often do with Nurse given his stride) it’s almost an advantage to be on your offside.

Similarly when you have a very mobile D (like Nurse) cheating to the center to force a guy to beat you wide means your poke reach is improved on your offside (outside)… and Nurse was doing really well at that.

If you ever played hockey you would know that the downside of playing off handed is being forced to pass from your back hand and if you do get to your forehand it is the middle of the ice in the d zone......seriously basic knowledge.
 
I’d probably play Nurse on the right with Walman, who by all accounts has been playing top pair in SJ aand will be asked to to less here…

if you recall, Nurse was playing on the right (some of his best defensive hockey early in the season) when paired with Kulak. He was better at keeping guys wide and erasing them… adding Walman instead of Kulak at 2LD means the outlet pass is coming from a stronger passer (in Walman) or is skated out by Nurse (also his bread and butter).

As others have pointed out… Walman doing the heavy lifting on a -63 team and coming out -1 while playing against top competition is very high praise.

Other than arguing AGAINST depth and guessing at deployment do you have a real argument against this player?

We play our third pair 16 mins a night this year… because we can… that’s good for us.
Against the player, none. I think he's a great player and thought trade value was great! but we didn't need a LD. We don't have a 2RD and Nurse isn't it either.

I keep waiting for a 2RD and the last 3D we got were Stecher, Gus and now Walstrom. Last playoff run with a legit top 4 was 2016.

But you're seeing

Ek Bouch
Walman Nurse
Kulak Emberson

Which isn't bad at all.. I get the point but now Nurse is on his wrong side after a decade of LD play.

4LD and 1RD is not ideal.
 
I didn't ask if you wanted him over Ceci? Handedness absolutely matters btw. Name all the guys playing their wrong side on Cup winning teams? Good luck!

I asked if you are comfortable with Kulak as our 2RD going into the playoff? It's a yes or no question. My answer is 'no'.

Why is it a yes/no question? Because you say so?

Why isn’t Walmart going to play his offside or Nurse (who was the D playing RD when Kulak moved up)

You are inventing a false narrative to be angry about. Zero fact or data to support your rage… you need to calm yourself
 
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Against the player, none. I think he's a great player and thought trade value was great! but we didn't need a LD. We don't have a 2RD and Nurse isn't it either.

I keep waiting for a 2RD and the last 3D we got were Stecher, Gus and now Walstrom. Last playoff run with a legit top 4 was 2016.

But you're seeing

Ek Bouch
Walman Nurse
Kulak Emberson

Which isn't bad at all.. I get the point but now Nurse is on his wrong side after a decade of LD play.

4LD and 1RD is not ideal.

That is not a D-corps that you want as a cup contender.
 
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If you ever played hockey you would know that the downside of playing off handed is being forced to pass from your back hand and if you do get to your forehand it is the middle of the ice in the d zone......seriously basic knowledge.
THIS

sure, there are a handful of exceptions of D that play on their wrong side but it is by far not the norm and the Oil don't have that very rare Top 4 D that can play both sides equally.
 
Why is it a yes/no question? Because you say so?

Why isn’t Walmart going to play his offside or Nurse (who was the D playing RD when Kulak moved up)

You are inventing a false narrative to be angry about. Zero fact or data to support your rage… you need to calm yourself
I'm totally calm. I asked a simple question and you can't answer it. Cool.
 
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If you ever played hockey you would know that the downside of playing off handed is being forced to pass from your back hand and if you do get to your forehand it is the middle of the ice in the d zone......seriously basic knowledge.
I played hockey tonight dipshit… against and with ex-pros in their early thirties.

And I think it was pretty obvious I was acknowledging the fact it can be tough to receive on backhand and outlet pass… did you not read that part, or you just couldn’t parse language?

I'm totally calm. I asked a simple question and you can't answer it. Cool.
I can answer it. My answer is Nurse
 
I played hockey tonight dipshit… against and with ex-pros in their early thirties.

And I think it was pretty obvious I was acknowledging the fact it can be tough to receive on backhand and outlet pass… did you not read that part, or you just couldn’t parse language?


I can answer it. My answer is Nurse
I already got your answer.lol

I'm not comfortable with Nurse as our 2RD either. But I do see your point in that makes our Top 6 more solid and is probably our best play. That tosses Kulak back to 3LD too where he excels.

And I played last night.... your league sounds a lot better than my league.lol
 
I didn't ask if you wanted him over Ceci? Handedness absolutely matters btw. Name all the guys playing their wrong side on Cup winning teams? Good luck!

I asked if you are comfortable with Kulak as our 2RD going into the playoff? It's a yes or no question. My answer is 'no'.
I'll give you a hint. The Panthers game 7 lineup featured 4 LH shooting D last year.
 
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