Quote:
Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe
The Hall and Eberle trades make a lot more sense now after that interview. Also, I do remember that there were 'cliques' on that Edmonton squad that Ference was on. I remember he was on one clique with some other vets and Yakupov, while Hall, Eberle and I forgot whom else was on the other. At any rate, the Edmonton Oilers didn't put a stop to it and I bet that is one of the mitigating factors as to why they have such trouble developing players there. Remember when Hartley came down on Monahan and Gaudreau (and Bouma) the day after the 'Superbowl Incident'? That's what professional teams do - force their players to be professionals. Sure, go party - but don't you even think about breaking a team rule or showing up to practice late and/or not giving a full effort.
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It's largely forgotten now but iirc there was a real belief before they were traded that the Oilers had to trade Hall and Eberle and would get far below what fans perceived their value was, largely due to the fact that Edmonton had gone nowhere on their watch, and culture was seen to be a huge issue.
Clearly, since those issues have persisted, there were more issues, but that doesn't mean that Hall and Eberle weren't a huge part of those issues. Weren't they roommates too or something? I thought I remembered a video of them showing off their apartment.