Is Edmonton intentionally tanking?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

Everytime Eakins opens his trap to reporters and thinks he is being witty if i was an Oiler fan i would be shuddering saying just shut your damn mouth Dallas. Like his comment yesterday to press about " you know what's the perfect game" ? and his stupid reply "it is when you don't have any hits" then added "it's because you always have the puck"
Eakins just falls in suit with entire ass backwards organization.

LOL he really isn't as smart as he thinks he is as a perfect game by his definition isn't possible as this is head in the clouds talk. Even if you dominate puck possession you aren't going to have the puck 100% of the time which means the opportunity for body contact will be there and in the game of hockey if a body check is there you take it.

Eakins should really be looking at the perfect game in terms of the Oilers which is simply coming out of 60 minutes with 2 points.

[dying4acup]

I know my answer, but is there a flames fan out there that would trade Monahan for any single player on the oilers roster one-for-one.

My answer: NOT EVEN HALL!!

[TheDebaser]

"A guy said he wouldn't trade me for hall which is nice because hall is a good hockey player."

[Tinordi]

I have a soft spot for Hall. Maybe it's because he's from Calgary. But it's pretty quizzical to suggest that Hall doesn't use his teammates when he consistently gets more assists than goals. He's the best playmaker on that team and by a fair margin. RNH might be better than Hall someday but he isn't now.

Sure he's a player with warts and isn't close to being a top five player right now but over the past 3 seasons he's been in the top ten in PPG in the league. That's hardly chopped liver.

The LEAST of the Oilers' concerns are with Hall. As far as I'm concerned he's basically panned out and could still be a consistent 90 point player if he stays uninjured.

The big problem with the Oilers is relatively simple. Besides the number 1 picks they haven't turned anything resembling a roster mainstay with their later round picks. Because they can't build depth through free agency because nobody wants to play there, they have to build their depth through the draft and it's failed. In a nut shell that's the problem.

[Coach]

There are very few people in the league I would trade Monahan for. And none of them have oilers stink.

[Tinordi]

Oh and the other problem is that they gave the keys to the city to their young players without them having to really earn it by demonstrating they were committed to being complete players.

Now, those young guys have very little incentive to buy into what the coach is selling or to really work on their complete games. They've got paid yo. No bridge contracts no nothing, they were told "you guys are NHL players, thank you for being here, here's your huge contract." The psychology of a young guy might change to actually believe they were NHL players and not have to prove it. Not just by scoring points but by being apart of a system, being responsible to each other, showing leadership.

[868904]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Oh and the other problem is that they gave the keys to the city to their young players without them having to really earn it by demonstrating they were committed to being complete players.

Now, those young guys have very little incentive to buy into what the coach is selling or to really work on their complete games. They've got paid yo. No bridge contracts no nothing, they were told "you guys are NHL players, thank you for being here, here's your huge contract." The psychology of a young guy might change to actually believe they were NHL players and not have to prove it. Not just by scoring points but by being apart of a system, being responsible to each other, showing leadership.

The fUnny thing is Lowe and Mactavish were defensive guys when they played and yet they don't seem to understand the 200 foot game concept. You'd expect this if Gretzky and Messier were running the show.

[YYC in LAX]

It's actually disgusting how many quality picks they have gotten and will be getting after this season. What a joke. I actually think the rules need to be changed.

[CedarMeter]

Mod edit

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by YYC in LAX

It's actually disgusting how many quality picks they have gotten and will be getting after this season. What a joke. I actually think the rules need to be changed.

I think Edmonton have proven that top picks aren't everything. If the Oilers were a contender now, I could see the argument that the rules need to be switched. Although, I think you could argue that relegation to the AHL might be appropriate at this point.

[moon]

Originally Posted by dying4acup

I know my answer, but is there a flames fan out there that would trade Monahan for any single player on the oilers roster one-for-one.

My answer: NOT EVEN HALL!!

Hall for Monahan in a second but not to the other guys.

If RNH was more solid and didn't look like an injury a season guy maybe I consider him but for the other guys it isn't close.

[browna]

Originally Posted by codynw

Hall puts up more than enough points to justify his cap hit. Not sure if I would say the same about RNH, but Hall would be easy to trade.

Easy to trade in the one sided fact that other teams would covet him. However, any impact players that the Oilers would be looking for/needing in return for Hall (or any of the young guys) would invoke their NTC/NMC immediately.

This is why they can't trade to get better, and why they can't get better at UFA time. Lowe's turned that place into the most undesirable destination with his antics, double talk, and flat out lying to players constantly over the past decade.

For players who have a choice, more than just this year and last, but basically since 2006 (and can easily be argued, since his Comrie stunt in 2002), it's clear the NHLPA knows exactly the train wreck that is going on behind the scenes...the way they treated Comrie, Pronger, Souray, Smyth (round 1) then Heatly, Nylander refusing to go, and guys that wanted out ASAP like Erik Cole.

[moon]

Originally Posted by browna

Easy to trade in the one sided fact that other teams would covet him. However, any impact players that the Oilers would be looking for/needing in return for Hall (or any of the young guys) would invoke their NTC/NMC immediately.

Weber wouldn't (or more importantly couldn't since he doesn't have a NTC).

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

I have a soft spot for Hall. Maybe it's because he's from Calgary. But it's pretty quizzical to suggest that Hall doesn't use his teammates when he consistently gets more assists than goals. He's the best playmaker on that team and by a fair margin. RNH might be better than Hall someday but he isn't now.

Sure he's a player with warts and isn't close to being a top five player right now but over the past 3 seasons he's been in the top ten in PPG in the league. That's hardly chopped liver.

The LEAST of the Oilers' concerns are with Hall. As far as I'm concerned he's basically panned out and could still be a consistent 90 point player if he stays uninjured.

The big problem with the Oilers is relatively simple. Besides the number 1 picks they haven't turned anything resembling a roster mainstay with their later round picks. Because they can't build depth through free agency because nobody wants to play there, they have to build their depth through the draft and it's failed. In a nut shell that's the problem.

The question isn't whether Hall can put up points, it's whether Hall can put up points at the same time as he is contributing to wins, playing meaningful minutes.

The measure of a player is how many points they put up relative to how many are scored on them in the same time frame. Can hall be a 75 point player while also contributing defensively? I'm not convinced. It's not impossible, but I've seen lots of guys in the NHL put up points where winning was a secondary concern.

I agree that Hall is the least of their problems, but if he can't wrap his head around being a 3 zone player who makes smart decisions with the puck, he's not going to be a solution either.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

The question isn't whether Hall can put up points, it's whether Hall can put up points at the same time as he is contributing to wins, playing meaningful minutes.

The measure of a player is how many points they put up relative to how many are scored on them in the same time frame. Can hall be a 75 point player while also contributing defensively? I'm not convinced. It's not impossible, but I've seen lots of guys in the NHL put up points where winning was a secondary concern.

I agree that Hall is the least of their problems, but if he can't wrap his head around being a 3 zone player who makes smart decisions with the puck, he's not going to be a solution either.

Precisely why I wouldn't trade Monahan for Hall. Hall will always be more talented and will probably always put up more points.

But Monahan is committed to becoming the best player he can be and to leaning how to do the little things that help you win.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by moon

Hall for Monahan in a second but not to the other guys.

If RNH was more solid and didn't look like an injury a season guy maybe I consider him but for the other guys it isn't close.

Man moon, come on. Monahan is going to be a stud 2-way center. You would be crazy to trade him for Hall, who hasnt made single player around him better. He would look nice along side Monahan though. But Ill wait for Poirier and Gaudreau

[moon]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Man moon, come on. Monahan is going to be a stud 2-way center. You would be crazy to trade him for Hall, who hasnt made single player around him better. He would look nice along side Monahan though. But Ill wait for Poirier and Gaudreau

I like Monahan and wouldn't trade him for much but Hall was a top 10 scorer last year, over a PPG this year and the BS about him being awful defensively or stupid mainly come from him being a Oiler.

He was invited to the Team Canada Olympic roster camp and is only 3 years older than Monahan.

Monahan may be a two way stud player and not sure how you can say that Hall doesn't make guys around him better but Monahan does.

You may prefer to keep Monahan and that is fine but it is nowhere close to crazy to take Hall over Monahan unless looking at it with huge homer glasses.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

But Monahan is committed to becoming the best player he can be and to leaning how to do the little things that help you win.

What's this based on compared to Hall?

Eakins has said that Hall is working on being a better defensive player this year. It might not work out but what indication is there that Hall isn't committed to becoming the best player he can be?

[herashak]

Wow people wouldn't trade monahan for hall? That's insane to say no to that.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by moon

I like Monahan and wouldn't trade him for much but Hall was a top 10 scorer last year, over a PPG this year and the BS about him being awful defensively or stupid mainly come from him being a Oiler.

He was invited to the Team Canada Olympic roster camp and is only 3 years older than Monahan.

Monahan may be a two way stud player and not sure how you can say that Hall doesn't make guys around him better but Monahan does.

You may prefer to keep Monahan and that is fine but it is nowhere close to crazy to take Hall over Monahan unless looking at it with huge homer glasses.

Most, if not all, non Calgary fans would take Hall over Monahan