Quote:
Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist
Ok, forget Keith and think Byfuglien.
Regardless, you need the savings on semi core guys. Cheap solid minutes. It's way tougher to do that with high picks as the expectation is part of what you're paying for.
Would Yakupov be getting $2.5 if he was a third round pick? No. Therefore, they have to gamble. Wait too long and the opportunity is gone.
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Yeah, that's absolutely true about the high picks. Their ELC's don't help with any savings.
I think the long term contracts 6X6s that are widely mocked here are turning out pretty well for the Oilers. You aren't signing a guy with Hall's track record to a contract today for only $6.
If the Oilers start doing better in the standings they will have the opportunity to bring in cheap, decent vets on one year deals as Chicago, LA, and Pittsburgh have to augment their core.
It'd be nice if they get lucky and hit on an impact player deep in the draft, but as a manager you can't count on that happening. The Flames for instance hit on two 4th rounders recently, but probably went 10+ years before without finding anything significant that deep in the draft. Which is the same for most teams.