Oilers win Stanley Cup

[68shelby]

Yes there d is there weakness but the can trade a super talented forward for a d all day long.

[StirCrazy]

I don't think Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would be a good choice, the oilers already have a tone of fire power, and getting rid of Hemsky would be an even bigger mistake. he lead the team with his shoulder still not even close to 100% and is an amazing set up guy. Hall would have won the rookie race if he didn't sprain his ankle but on the good not both have a good reast time to heal.

with Magnus, omark, omarra, jones, eberly, and the others they actualy have a hell of a forard line up for most lines which has showen.

what I think they need to do is let habby go (isn't his contract up this year?) bring gerber up as the starter and give Dubby more play as he has been very impressive this year and is almost ready to be the starter. Gerber in his 4 showings this year had 4 wins 2 of them shutouts.

what they need to do is get a good defence so they can have more than 1 top blue line pair. by adding Adam Larsson (who in the final NHL rankings is #1 overall, Ryan nugent is #1 for northamerican skaters) brings a 6'3", 200lbs blue liner who can do it all.

here is a quote from the scouting report on him

“Adam is one of the best skater’s in this year’s draft -- he has excellent speed and mobility. He also has patient puck handling abilities and can surprise an opponent with a solid hit. His size and skating ability make him comparable with Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman.”


he is also being compared to Calle Johansson. could you imagin the oilers with 3 solid scoring d lines?

Steve

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by 68shelby

Yes there d is there weakness but the can trade a super talented forward for a d all day long.

no no no, trust me, I play goal in a rec league out here and when I have bad defence we lose more than win, when we have good defence we win more than lose. good defence make the difference in the goaltending and win close games by forcing the majority of shots to areas where they are easier for the goalie to stop.

Steve

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by othicx

the Oilers don't need Hopkins, they need a really solid D man or a number one center. And then they need someone with experiance and drive like Ryan Smyth to lead all the young guys and show them how to play. We already have a ton of good forwards, don't really need another

I totaly agree, but they have the "ryan smith" in Hall, but with a lot more talent. the hard part is going to be toning halls drive down a tiny bit.

Steve

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Madreefer

I have'nt heard anything on Souray. Where is he now?

I don't think you will see souray again, he has been branded with the bad attitude label and teams tend to stay away from that especialy at what 4 mill a year.. in a couple years when his contract is gone some one might pick him up but he won't get anywhere near what he was getting with the Oilers. Personaly I think Pronger should have left his wife and stayed with the Oilers and Souray should have seen the light and got some humility and he would have still been playing. imagin pronger, sourey, whitney, peckham, gilbert, and Adam Larsson as the oilers back line? mind you they would be over the cap but what a dream blue line that would be.

Steve

[Ian]

I agree that Souray is done he has ruined his reputation and has had more injuries this year..who would risk him and his contract now? We may see him com back into the Nhl after this contract expires and he takes a huge paycut.

As for the draft I still feel Nug is the best bet for the Oil.. his vision and playmaking are crazy. he needs more size but with the Oil in the place they are he could/would stay in red Deer 1 more year allowing some space on the big club for others to develope and find thier pro game. I like larsson and would be happy with him but with Nug we get a bet passing centre who is very responsible D wise and would make Hemmer expendable in the long term. Yes Hemsky is a very good player and I would hate to see him go but he becomes a free agant before the Oil will make a real push for the top. better to move him for that young talented D- man we need to round out our Defense now than maybe lose him later when we have to choose who we are keeping to stay under the cap( Gags, Whitney, etc).
No matter which way they go.....wierd that a last place team has been this much fun......

[Madreefer]

Ya Souray was a good guy when he played for the PG Cougars. The money, fame and playboy bunnies sure did turn him in to a real douche. He should be emberassed to show his face in Edmonton.

[Trigger Man]

Well I hope the Oilers pick up the pace soon, with all the young talent in the roster, by the time they finally start to mold together it will be to late. Due to salary cap restrictions, they will not be able to afford to keep the core together when contracts need to be renewed after the rookie contracts end.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by Trigger Man

Well I hope the Oilers pick up the pace soon, with all the young talent in the roster, by the time they finally start to mold together it will be to late. Due to salary cap restrictions, they will not be able to afford to keep the core together when contracts need to be renewed after the rookie contracts end.

Now there is a sad fact but true.