Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
Neal almost obviously signed in Calgary as a last resort because no one else was willing to pay him the salary and term he expected, including the team he played for the year prior.
If that's not a red flag I don't know what is. We didn't "win the James Neal sweepstakes" the way Toronto won the John Tavares sweepstakes. We were just one of the few teams irresponsible enough to sign Neal.
Tre signing a winger who isn't a true top line player or a strong passer, and needs a good center to produce goals... we've seen that story annually. It's okay to admit Tre's faults.
Personally I do think Neal could be somewhat salvaged if we move Bennett to 3C and Neal to the right on PP2. Ryan's lack of size and Jankowski's lack of pace have had the worst impact on Neal at 3RW, and Neal simply isn't getting shots on our powerplay which renders him useless.
Then add another winger with some pace at LW, either Frolik, Czarnik or Quine. Or go all-in on Panarin.
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Bennett played a fantastic game the other night and is much more noticeable than Neal. this would be a bad message to send to players who are working hard. Neal hasnt earned anything and thus he shouldnt be given extra, this isnt the Oilers