This IMO is a major problem with this team. It seems as if Eberle and MPS will be better players and quite frankly neither of Cogs or Gagner are good enough to be leading players on this club now or in the future from what I can see. If we are to be contenders in the future we either need to move these guys for better players or give them contracts that reflect their play and not over pay them because there are MANY players that are as young or younger than they are that are already far better players. At this rate Cogs better not expect much more than a 10% qualifying offer raise.
This IMO is a major problem with this team. It seems as if Eberle and MPS will be better players and quite frankly neither of Cogs or Gagner are good enough to be leading players on this club now or in the future from what I can see. If we are to be contenders in the future we either need to move these guys for better players or give them contracts that reflect their play and not over pay them because there are MANY players that are as young or younger than they are that are already far better players. At this rate Cogs better not expect much more than a 10% qualifying offer raise.
This IMO is a major problem with this team. It seems as if Eberle and MPS will be better players and quite frankly neither of Cogs or Gagner are good enough to be leading players on this club now or in the future from what I can see. If we are to be contenders in the future we either need to move these guys for better players or give them contracts that reflect their play and not over pay them because there are MANY players that are as young or younger than they are that are already far better players. At this rate Cogs better not expect much more than a 10% qualifying offer raise.
you better watch it
we have a negative nancy cop running around here and he may tell you to stop being SOOOOO negative
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Joy of being an oiler fan--watching the team play worse then AHL teams. Guess the oiler brass is already on the golf course
This IMO is a major problem with this team. It seems as if Eberle and MPS will be better players and quite frankly neither of Cogs or Gagner are good enough to be leading players on this club now or in the future from what I can see. If we are to be contenders in the future we either need to move these guys for better players or give them contracts that reflect their play and not over pay them because there are MANY players that are as young or younger than they are that are already far better players. At this rate Cogs better not expect much more than a 10% qualifying offer raise.
Gags was stuck with grinders, Jacques and Stortini. What do you expect?
__________________ "He just ate up Robyn Regehr for dinner, a spectacular play by Hemsky, and Robyn Regehr has got doo doo all over his face" - Rod Phillips call on Hemsky's goal vs the Flames
They don't have any quality veteran forwards to set an example for them offensively. Hemsky sleeps through practice and gets called out for it and Horcoff gets paid a heinous amount of money to win face-offs (something that he can't even do right now because of a shoulder problem). Unless Tambellini finds a way to cut something like 4-5 million this off season to sign some good solid veterans, the Oilers are going to continue slogging on a treadmill.
Eberle and Paajarvi could struggle just as easily as Gagner and Cogliano if the Oilers continue on insisting that their veteran forward core is "good enough".
Does anyone else remember when Cogliano/Gagner/Nilsson was this teams second line and we were actually GOOD? We came within a hair of the playoffs and won big down the stretch. Must have some sort of unbelievable coaching/goaltending when those players comprise 50% of your top 6, most of them with no prior NHL experience, and you win like crazy.
I think its way to early to say that man. Gagner is still VERY young, and still has some growing up to do. Cogs is a bit older so I expect more from him, but again he's a young guy. You can't put a lot pressure on them yet. Same thing with Gilbert.
I expect the vets to contribute more. The more I keep hearing people bang on the young players ... the more I believe we need another veteran guy here. We really need a guy Like Nolan. We are a really young team.
Does anyone else remember when Cogliano/Gagner/Nilsson was this teams second line and we were actually GOOD? We came within a hair of the playoffs and won big down the stretch. Must have some sort of unbelievable coaching/goaltending when those players comprise 50% of your top 6, most of them with no prior NHL experience, and you win like crazy.
They weren't being keyed on. Which is really quite crazy because they were putting up points over the course of 20plus games.
I think its way to early to say that man. Gagner is still VERY young, and still has some growing up to do. Cogs is a bit older so I expect more from him, but again he's a young guy. You can't put a lot pressure on them yet. Same thing with Gilbert.
I expect the vets to contribute more. The more I keep hearing people bang on the young players ... the more I believe we need another veteran guy here. We really need a guy Like Nolan. We are a really young team.
Exactly right. The veterans continue to be a major, major problem.
This IMO is a major problem with this team. It seems as if Eberle and MPS will be better players and quite frankly neither of Cogs or Gagner are good enough to be leading players on this club now or in the future from what I can see. If we are to be contenders in the future we either need to move these guys for better players or give them contracts that reflect their play and not over pay them because there are MANY players that are as young or younger than they are that are already far better players. At this rate Cogs better not expect much more than a 10% qualifying offer raise.
And I'd be willing to bet a lot that all, but a small, small, # of them will go though similar slumps in their young careers.
This is true. I can't believe some people expect them to be huge contributors right now.
most people don't expect them to be huge contributors, i think most of us would be happy if they were at least treading water .... but its their 3rd NHL seasons, and they are simply *terrible*... gagner has played a couple decent games and thats it... cogliano has been beyond horrible all season... both are soft as butter, neither plays good defence, neither can win a faceoff to save their lives and neither plays even a resemblence of a physical game.... what *exactly* are they doing thats even neutral, let alone positive?
i was actually coming on here to start this exact same thread.... its their 3rd NHL season, good players have mostly separated themselves by this point... i'm not saying there isn't a chance one of them becomes a useful hockey player, but history certainly isn't on their side... i would be willing to place a large bet that gagner never breaks 60 points in the NHL and cogliano never breaks 50... we saw a bunch of reasons to start questioning their abilities last season, and we're witnessing a lot more reasons this year
i have a gagner signed rookie jersey, so it really pains me to say this - but in all liklihood he'll never be more than a complimentary 2nd line player... i don't even think cogliano will reach those lofty heights, as i can't see him being anything more than a role-player, or possibly a 2nd line player on a very bad team
Yeah, no one should expect Kane, Toews, Kopitar or Doughty to be very good.
They're just too young.
They've got players to play with. And were all top 4 picks. On the Oilers we've got...Hemsky? This year Penner has gained back his game too but not the same calibre guys to play along with.
Gags and Cogs are victims of oberhype. They'll be very good players, but not elite. The Kid Line flash the one season definitely fed into it. But now they can't surprise people.
The one danger I see in the organization is putting too much stock in them and bet on them being more than they will be. Both with roster makeup and contracts. I'm worried Gags will get a bad contract because so many people see him so highly.
I think grouping these 2 players together is unfair. Gagner has done pretty much everything asked of a 20 year old player IMO. Cogliano is fair game though and as shown by the poll of Brule or Cogliano, he has been outclassed by a new comer.
I think its a natural thing when a new coaching staff comes in to see some players excel like Penner, but there are always some players who fail under new leadership. I think Gilbert, Horcoff and Coglaino are good examples of that under Quinn.
I think this game really exposed how far the Oiler are from being elite level. I think we are closer to picking Taylor Hall than we are to making the playoffs.
This IMO is a major problem with this team. It seems as if Eberle and MPS will be better players and quite frankly neither of Cogs or Gagner are good enough to be leading players on this club now or in the future from what I can see. If we are to be contenders in the future we either need to move these guys for better players or give them contracts that reflect their play and not over pay them because there are MANY players that are as young or younger than they are that are already far better players. At this rate Cogs better not expect much more than a 10% qualifying offer raise.
they'll be easier to sign this offseason... get em signed to good deals first and then think about trading em..