So listen, not that I'm really into defending the Oilers, but I kind of feel everyone is being a little unfair...but then again it's the Oilers and nobody deserves to be fair to them.
This is just a bad, bad, bad deal.
It could become a good deal, but the Oilers just didn't have to take this risk, because odds are they could have extended him at about the same amount 2 years down the road, and if his play would have demanded more that would be great pay him more he makes your team better.
But what if 4 or 5 years down the road he is still a 3rd pairing player or doesn't even belong in the league. I don't think its unreasonable to think they could happen. Dmen stall out at various levels of progression all of the time.
Saving $500k - $1M just isn't worth the risk of having an anchor or a contract $3M higher than it needs to be.
The Brodie comparison 2 years ago is a great one, a slightly mistake prone player that gets way too much TOI because he is on a bad team. But we all have to remember Brodie spent the next 2 season as a top pairing player, and there is no way of knowing Klefboms progress
So funny with examples like Gardiner, Hodgson and Cowen that teams still insist on taking these insane gambles with young players. These types of players (and Klefbom) aren't even top tier like Doughty, Stamkos... why the mad panic to lock them up for so long? It would be like BT signing Bennett (hypothetically I know he has 2 years on his ELC) to a 7/8 year for 4.5m AAV if he had a 30 point rookie season... Bennett has more pedigree/potential than Klefbom and that would still be just as stupid.
Best case scenario is Klefbom turns into Roman Josi over the course of the deal. This is a real long shot IMO as I personally don't see him even becoming a top 50 Dman. Worst case, he's Cowen or Gardiner. The chance that either scenario happens are probably pretty similar (remote), the most likely outcome is probably that he will be worth the contract, but just because he's a competent #4. If that happens, they've locked an average player up for 7 years with cap uncertainty looming (probably going to be flat or slightly decrease until if/when the CDN dollar rebounds). I don't know about you guys but I don't want the Russells of the world locked up for 7 years, even if they are competent.
I's all about managing risk. There's a reason super long term deals are better gamble with elite, established guys than they are for good depth/support players. If an elite player loses a step, they can still be a good depth player. If a good depth player loses a step, they are out of the league. 7 years is a long time to not be able to protect yourself against a player not performing up to expectations. This is literally the exact type of signing that screwed over Boston's salary cap situation. Granted, Chia was giving older players those deals in Boston, at least Klefbom still has room to grow. However, at the end of the day, potential is pretty much useless unless it is realized. A 22 y.o. #6/7 guy is no more useful than a 30 y.o #6/7 guy if he never takes that next step. The vast majority of players never take that next step.
Can't wait to see what Nurse gets, he's got to be licking his chops right now. If he plays the next two years the way I think he will, he's going to look at Klefbom's contract and be like "I want 7m for 7 years" and what will they do, play hardball with their future #1 Dman because they blew their wad on Klefbom and Sekera? Between Nurse and McDavid, it might cost the Oilers 15m-17m combined to retain both with the salary structure they are starting to put in place.
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Hold on I'm confused. Are you saying the 6x6 contracts that were signed are now bargains???
If so, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Even if Hall is a 7m player being paid 6m and RNH and Eberle are worth it, it still won't matter. There's a good chance all those 6x6's expire before any of those guys play a single playoff game.
The best part is, you know whatever savings Chia enjoys from those 3 playing above/at their deals will be wasted 10 fold on bad contracts for other players. Managing the cap is Chia's biggest weakness (besides trading), it's going to fun watching this play out.
Tell me what a guy who finishes top 10 in NHL SCORING TWICE in 3 seasons would sign for after that.
I'm very curious to hear your response. I hope you come up with a good one that I don't shred to pieces.
What does a guy who hit a point per game in his sophomore season get? A season where your numbers should drop? And after that his worst is a 0.81 PPG.
How about a guy who hit 0.83PPG in his rookie year and the last half of last year was a top 3 scorer in the NHL
How about a guy who finished with 80 points in 75 games before last year?
Probably all a one off right.
Please tell me how that would get you less than 6.
The thing I consistently love about Oilers fans is how infatuated they all are with individual statistics and how they completely lose site of the big picture, team success.
Other than RNH, who actually gives a ****, you guys build your team around a group of perennial losers plain and simple. As long as Taylor Hall and Eberle are a part of your core moving forward, enjoy finishing in the basement.
As a Flames fan, it's fantastic.
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I have to wonder: Since Chi and McLellan weren't in Edmonton last year and the Oilers have reportedly fired all of their scouting staff, who's recommendation are they relying on for Klefbom's potential? Dumb and dumber (Lowe and McTavish)?
This is proof positive that, even though the general standing in front of the camera has changed, the old regime is alive and well and still running the show.
The thing I consistently love about Oilers fans is how infatuated they all are with individual statistics and how they completely lose site of the big picture, team success.
Other than RNH, who actually gives a ****, you guys build your team around a group of perennial losers plain and simple. As long as Taylor Hall and Eberle are a part of your core moving forward, enjoy finishing in the basement.
As a Flames fan, it's fantastic.
I knew the only response I would get was "team success". No tangible response.
It doesn't work like that in a contract world. Go talk to an agent
There's only three Oilers I'd take. Eberle, the Nuge and Mcnugget. The rest of them would be in the press box, one floaty lazy play by Hall and he'd be canned unlikely to earn his way back on the ice. Goals are nice and all, but not at the expense of screwing over the team and finishing last.
They are pretty similar with respect to production per game, but Tavares has been far more durable. Tavares has also led the Islanders to a couple playoff appearances.
Tell me what a guy who finishes top 10 in NHL SCORING TWICE in 3 seasons would sign for after that.
I'm very curious to hear your response. I hope you come up with a good one that I don't shred to pieces.
What does a guy who hit a point per game in his sophomore season get? A season where your numbers should drop? And after that his worst is a 0.81 PPG.
How about a guy who hit 0.83PPG in his rookie year and the last half of last year was a top 3 scorer in the NHL
How about a guy who finished with 80 points in 75 games before last year?
Probably all a one off right.
Please tell me how that would get you less than 6.
Hall's contract is good (and so is RNH's) but it won't matter because they'll be expired before the Oilers ever get their crap together. Now it looks like it would've been better to bridge them because now they're going to have to re-sign them as UFAs just as Connor starts hitting his prime. Not that management could've foreseen that, but it is a risk you run when you start giving out longer/more expensive contracts then you have to and you have a bad team that won't contend for years and years. it's hilarious that they apparently thought the savings from those 6x6 deals would be used to help build a contender over that period. Instead they spend to the cap every year while being terrible. Who really cares if Hall is getting 0m, 2m, 4m, 6m or 8m if the team is being paid 70m but is really worth 30m?
In an alternate universe, Hall and RNH sign 2 year bridge deals and are now coming in to negotiate their 7/8 year deals. I doubt either player gets more than 7m-8m AAV over 8 years if they are RFA next summer. Instead, the Oilers are going to have to re-sign them at age 27, right in their prime as UFAs. They'll both easily get 9m+ on their next deals while all the 'savings' on their previous deals will be to the benefit of terrible teams in the past that couldn't take advantage of those savings anyway.
They are pretty similar with respect to production per game, but Tavares has been far more durable. Tavares has also led the Islanders to a couple playoff appearances.
That is a good reach about Tavares and Hall.
There's only three Oilers I'd take. Eberle, the Nuge and Mcnugget. The rest of them would be in the press box, one floaty lazy play by Hall and he'd be canned unlikely to earn his way back on the ice. Goals are nice and all, but not at the expense of screwing over the team and finishing last.
The fact that you would take Eberle is laughable.
I would throw him away in a heartbeat. He is a Gudreau clone but bigger.
