"Would you be ok with tanking this year to get a top 2 draft pick?"
What are your thoughts?
If so would we maybe trade a few players away for more draft picks or prospects but keeping the core like:
Souray
Vis
Penner(never thought I would say this last year); Or do we trade him when value is high?
Hemmer
Gagner
MPS
Eberle
Absolutely. Finishing and drafting in a middling spot has got us nowhere the last decade. We have few quality, effective, players to show for our troubles and limited playoff success.
Why now? We have been rebuilding, retooling trading since the last real success we have had, so what does all that mean if we just do it again. Let's suck for almost 20 years, changing the gameplan with zero patience for the majority of that time
So let me get this straight so my puny little poor brain can understand it.
What have we been doing all this time to get the team we have now to push the reset button, would that not be a slap in the face to all Oiler fans. If this was to be the case, some would consider this mocking fans perhaps? I know this is all hearsay, however purely unfounded.
It actually ticks me off as a fan of nearly 27 years, seriously. I know the play of the players cannot be alter-controlled, but come on.
I feel that we need a top end draft pick and the top 2 are both suppose to be able to be top players in the NHL. That is what this team needs.
With players like Smid playing better and Chorney proving that he can play I would also trade away Gilbert and Grebs for prospects or 1st round picks. Maybe we can package them with players like Cogs or O'Sullivan to get a big scoring winger like maybe Horton.
Why now? We have been rebuilding, retooling trading since the last real success we have had, so what does all that mean if we just do it again. Let's suck for almost 20 years, changing the gameplan with zero patience for the majority of that time
So let me get this straight so my puny little poor brain can understand it.
What have we been doing all this time to get the team we have now to push the reset button, would that not be a slap in the face to all Oiler fans. If this was to be the case, some would consider this mocking fans perhaps? I know this is all hearsay, however purely unfounded.
It actually ticks me off as a fan of nearly 27 years, seriously. I know the play of the players cannot be alter-controlled, but come on.
That has been the problem with this team. We pay right up to the max of the salary cap and always end up from 11th to 9th place. I know that we had a lot of injuries so far this season but the point is we never did a complete rebuild and that has harmed us. We had a GM like Low that over paid for players and tried to fill holes with whom ever he could get.
Yes, we do have some talent but we need top end talent and keep coming in 11th to 9th is not going to get us that talent.
What we NEED to do is create a philosophy and stick to it.
Post-lockout, Lowe had a 5 year plan to build a defense first bluecollar team around Chris Pronger... with speed (as usual). After his departure, management identified a Buffalo-model (forward depth, speed, offense, PMD) as the style to mould our team around. After 4 years of management ineptness, lack of philosophy, trading away heart and soul players, shackling team with bloated contracts, and failing to address blatant team needs - ignoring minor tweaks we need trying to swing for the big fish - we are left 2 steps back for every step forward we take.
There is no way we are worse off in the long run adding Hall, Seguin, or Kabanov to our team. The easiest way to acquire a high caliber player is through the draft.
Trade or send down Gilbert and/or Grebs, Moreau, Pisani, Nilsson, Horcoff, Staios (if we can get somoene cheaper who can replace him) and Cogliano
This would give us the ability to kind of tank and gives room to some of our prospects next season (Eberle, MPS, Omark and Chorney) while shedding salary to sign the things we need in the offseason
We need 1 or 2 shutdown Dmen, a big forward who can score (Maybe MPS can play that role if we cant bring anyone else here) and pking centers who can win faceoffs
For a dmen the players that I would keep for next year would be:
Souray
Vis
Smid
Staios
Chorney
Strudwick
Sign a good shut down dman. Lines would be:
Vis-Signed shut down dman
Souray-Smid
Staios- Chorney
Strudwick
I think that these pairings are more balance than what we had this year. Getting rid of Gilbert and Grebs we can use them to package or players or good prospects and high draft picks. Adding in players like Cogs; O'Sullivan; Nilsson if possible; Comrie UFA at the end of the year will help us get the players that we need. With Eberle; MPS and maybe Omark ready for next year. We masswell see what those 3 can do in the NHL.
Always compete. Shed vets on expiring contracts absolutely. Intentionally tank?
Never. City of Champions.
And here lies why we are always going to be in this vicious cycle of mediocrity. Always drafting mid-rounders that only bring us back to 8-12 position in the WC, 10-18 in the draft.
I'd say if we **** the bed so badly a little closer to halfway through the season, just drop the bomb and tank as low as we can.
Currently sitting in 12th spot, 4 points out of last in the West with every team behind us having GIH.
