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Old 09-26-2017, 12:13 PM   #107
Erick Estrada
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: San Fernando Valley
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I'm a little grossed out the Kulak and Bartkowski will be regulars on this team. We make fun of the Oilers blue line depth but I doubt either two of these guys make their bottom pairing. I know some people like Kulak but IMO he's an AHL talent. Sometimes he's looked like a barely adequate 6th guy and other times he looks like AHL fodder. Bartkowski is the type of player a team signs in the event they are decimated by blue line injuries and needs a warm body 7th defensemen and him playing any meaningful minutes is absolutely last resort. It certainly appears from my limited preseason viewing and what I have read that Andersson has been better than both of these guys. It's time for this organization to reward their young prospects for outplaying the scrubs and it's time for Andersson to get his NHL seasoning. While he may have some tough nights as all rookie defensemen do at least you know there will be a future payoff whereas with Kulak/Bartkowski the tough nights will define their NHL careers.

As for Shinkaruk he simply didn't have the game this preseason to make this team. When he clears waivers as expected its up to him to go work hard in the AHL in hopes of being rewarded as he's still only 22 and while it appears he's a long shot some of these guys can hang around long enough to at least become quality depth players. As for Poirier he simply needs to spend a year of hockey in a stable environment and hopefully he gets that in Stockton.

Last edited by Erick Estrada; 09-26-2017 at 12:17 PM.
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