Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
I don't dislike Neal. Obviously I don't want him to succeed in Edmonton but I feel regardless of my feelings on the matter it's probably going to happen at least in the first year or two. I just feel some of you are in a state of denial about him. Brad Treliving never signed Neal for his play away from the puck 5 on 5. He signed him to be that elusive winger that could put the puck in the net as he's done his entire career. Obviously in year one things didn't work as planned but at least early he's back on track as the player he has always been. Many of you keep bringing up his 5 on 5 play, powerplay goals, skating, etc, etc ignoring the fact that like many one dimensional forwards he gets paid to score goals and he's doing that right now and there's no reason to believe that he's going to drift back to the player he was for the Flames last year as he's not the first player ever to have a bad season and bounce back to career norms.
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Hope you're wrong.
If a guy scores 20 but has three plus years of a negative estimated contribution he isn't playing well enough in every facet to make up for the goals he scores.
That's a bad signing.
But that's beyond the point. You literally said you hope people run out of excuses ... why?
You certainly don't have to agree with me or others on the assessment of James Neal, but shouldn't you kind of hope that you're wrong and not the group that thinks Neal is going to list into irrelevance in a matter of time?
When the playoffs start this year I have a feeling my gut will tell me they'll be first round fodder again, but I sure hope I'm wrong.