[Signing] Gagner signs 3 year deal

[puckluck2]

Gagner actually didn't even want a no trade clause. He just wanted a "When I demand a trade because the trainers, doctors and the organization rush me back from an injury I want to have the option on what real organizaton to play for" clause.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

7 years of Hall at $6 million is amazing.

I would say they are in pretty good shape up front. Two of their top forwards signed to reasonable long term deals, and all their support guys with 3 years or less.

Say it with me... I want to savour it...

"The Oilers are a non-playoff team, who have the most expensive forward group in the NHL, and I think things are pretty good."

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by The Coppernian One

Sort of. Gagner is an RFA now however, the upcoming season will be his last year as such. Any arbiter's ruling or deal ends with him as a UFA so not even a bridge deal was possible. He is an RFA right now, but this deal buys two years of UFA, the last one without the NMC.

The Oilers still face the chance that they could lose him for nothing, but if they do it's their own fault as they will have a chance to trade him for other assets if he's not part of the long-term plan.

Not "sort of".

You can't compare a player that one team is bidding on to a player that, potentially, 30 teams are bidding on.

You can assume what other teams would pay for Gagner, but you don't know until he's truly UFA.

[neo45]

Wow just noticed that they gave Boyd Gordon 3 mil per year

Honestly expected the deal to be about 1.8 per, and that is on the open market. No wonder Phoenix let him go

[The Coppernian One]

Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988

Not "sort of".

You can't compare a player that one team is bidding on to a player that, potentially, 30 teams are bidding on.

You can assume what other teams would pay for Gagner, but you don't know until he's truly UFA.

Right, you can never truly know until he hits UFA status. In Gagner's case the assumption (which is based on what comparable UFAs are signing for so it's not like that's an unreasonable guess) still has to be worked from given that there is no scenario in which he was not a UFA at the end of the deal. The Oilers were buying UFA years (without long term) so have to take that into account even though Gagner is still an RFA. It's not the same as Feaster negotiating with Brodie (or any gm negotiating on a bridge deal), because there is a high likelihood that Brodie will still be an RFA at the end.

While there is no bidding war going on for Gagner it still has to be considered as it's pretty much a guarantee that he gets $3.5 or over from an arbiter (which means the Oilers take a 1 year deal leaving him as a UFA or lose him for nothing immediately), it still has to be considered given this particular circumstance.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

Say it with me... I want to savour it...

"The Oilers are a non-playoff team, who have the most expensive forward group in the NHL, and I think things are pretty good."

They have 4 marquee talents. They have $7 million dropping from their forwards next season, and their two best forwards are locked up for 6+ years. They don't have any bad long term overpays.

They are in good shape moving forwards.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

They have 4 marquee talents. They have $7 million dropping from their forwards next season, and their two best forwards are locked up for 6+ years. They don't have any bad long term overpays.

They are in good shape moving forwards.

After this season RNH and Super Schultz ELC are up. That 7 million will go quickly and they still have yet to address glaring needs on the back end.

Regarding bad long term overpays...They just picked one up in Gordon. It may not be be super long but it is an overpay.

[Plett25]

They are in bad shape... sure they're going to have $7 million to work with when Hemsky and Smyth go away, but $5 million of that will end up going to RNH and Yakupov when they sign for $6 to $6.5 million each (current cap hit for each is $3.8)

They're going to end up with a pretty soft 2nd line where the 2nd line C makes $4.8 and a 2nd line winger makes $6 million.

Is that the recipe for success in todays NHL? I don't think so.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

They have 4 marquee talents. They have $7 million dropping from their forwards next season, and their two best forwards are locked up for 6+ years. They don't have any bad long term overpays.

They are in good shape moving forwards.

I wouldn't call it good shape moving forward. They might be a little ahead of last year which isn't saying much.

Saying you have 4 marquee talents kinda glosses over the fact that your franchise just doesn't have much anywhere else.

Let me ask you this Oil Stain, cause I'm curious, if the Oiler's fail to get close to the playoffs again this year, which is likely, do you finally start losing your optimism.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I wouldn't call it good shape moving forward. They might be a little ahead of last year which isn't saying much.

Saying you have 4 marquee talents kinda glosses over the fact that your franchise just doesn't have much anywhere else.

Let me ask you this Oil Stain, cause I'm curious, if the Oiler's fail to get close to the playoffs again this year, which is likely, do you finally start losing your optimism.

To add to this, the biggest problem with the Oilers rebuild is they have had next to nothing from other rounds. Missing on Plante and Riley in the first round was a set back. That is one of the reasons I think the flames will be able to right the ship earlier if players out of the first continue to progress (Brodie, Gaudreau, Seilof, Wotherspoon, Granlund).

If any can make the jump to a top 6 forward or top 4 Dmen that is the equivalent of adding first round talent at the end of the day IMO. Getting mulitple impact (NHL calibre) players out of one draft is one way to right the ship.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by Plett25

They are in bad shape... sure they're going to have $7 million to work with when Hemsky and Smyth go away, but $5 million of that will end up going to RNH and Yakupov when they sign for $6 to $6.5 million each (current cap hit for each is $3.8)

They're going to end up with a pretty soft 2nd line where the 2nd line C makes $4.8 and a 2nd line winger makes $6 million.

Is that the recipe for success in todays NHL? I don't think so.

I would say having an elite talent like Yakupov on the second line is not a recipe for failure.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I wouldn't call it good shape moving forward. They might be a little ahead of last year which isn't saying much.

Saying you have 4 marquee talents kinda glosses over the fact that your franchise just doesn't have much anywhere else.

Let me ask you this Oil Stain, cause I'm curious, if the Oiler's fail to get close to the playoffs again this year, which is likely, do you finally start losing your optimism.

I have the Oilers pegged for 11th in the West this year unless everything breaks right for them. Not sure I would call myself an optimist.

They are still in good shape moving forward with the Hall and Eberle contracts regardless. Especially so if they can get Hopkins and Yakupov signed to similar ones. If MacT completely screws the pooch, misses the playoffs for the next two seasons, then his replacement will have some nice things to work with.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by Robbob

To add to this, the biggest problem with the Oilers rebuild is they have had next to nothing from other rounds. Missing on Plante and Riley in the first round was a set back. That is one of the reasons I think the flames will be able to right the ship earlier if players out of the first continue to progress (Brodie, Gaudreau, Seilof, Wotherspoon, Granlund).

If any can make the jump to a top 6 forward or top 4 Dmen that is the equivalent of adding first round talent at the end of the day IMO. Getting mulitple impact (NHL calibre) players out of one draft is one way to right the ship.

Riley Nash played in the NHL some for Carolina last season. Not sure he's a miss. He just asked out like Erixon.

The Oilers do only have Petry from outside the second round, and he was taken before the "rebuild" started in 2006. Lander is supposed to start with the team which would make another. That isn't exactly uncommon though.

The STL Blues have only Ryan Reaves taken outside the first round since their rebuild started, and they have done alright.

After Boston hit pay dirt with Lucic, and Marchand in 2006 they haven't found a single player since.

I think you would be surprised at the number of teams that have had little to nothing from rounds 2-7 in the last 5 years. It'd be nice to mine some gold out of those rounds, but I don't think GM's can count on it.

You talk about Gaudreau, Seilof, Wotherspoon, and Granlund, but those chickens are far from hatched.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Brodie hasn't hatched?

Pretty obvious he has.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Brodie hasn't hatched?

Pretty obvious he has.

I edited him out. He was taken pre-rebuild anyhow.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

I edited him out. He was taken pre-rebuild anyhow.

All those guys you listed were selected pre rebuild though. Only the 2013 guys would count if that's the criteria.

[nik-]

All I know is that it's going to be awesome and hilarious when the Oilers don't win a cup with this group of "marquee players" and some of their fans get all indignant because they thought they were guaranteed to be the next Pittsburgh and Chicago.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

I edited him out. He was taken pre-rebuild anyhow.

Flames rebuild just started. Oilers have been at this since 2006-07.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

All those guys you listed were selected pre rebuild though. Only the 2013 guys would count if that's the criteria.

Besides Brodie none of them are evidence of savvy late round drafting until they do something.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

Riley Nash played in the NHL some for Carolina last season. Not sure he's a miss. He just asked out like Erixon.

The Oilers do only have Petry from outside the second round, and he was taken before the "rebuild" started in 2006. Lander is supposed to start with the team which would make another. That isn't exactly uncommon though.

The STL Blues have only Ryan Reaves taken outside the first round since their rebuild started, and they have done alright.

After Boston hit pay dirt with Lucic, and Marchand in 2006 they haven't found a single player since.

I think you would be surprised at the number of teams that have had little to nothing from rounds 2-7 in the last 5 years. It'd be nice to mine some gold out of those rounds, but I don't think GM's can count on it.

You talk about Brodie, Gaudreau, Seilof, Wotherspoon, and Granlund, but those chickens are far from hatched.

A lot of the the recent championship teams have had depth built from late rounds that have contributed. Blackhawks had 8 players drafted out of the first round. I would say that is pay dirt. Probably the same can be said for their last team that won.

Boston also had Krejci in the second. LA was also full of late picks that contributed heavily to their cup. Bottom line hitting pay dirt in later rounds does nothing but help with depth turning a team around quickly. You hit enough late and add in some good first rounders and you have the making of a contender. This is where I think the Oilers have failed and it has increased the time it takes for the rebuild because they are only getting one player a year.

Regarding the flames late picks, I did temper that with a "if they continue to progress". Can't blame me for being optimistic.