Quote:
Originally Posted by Macho0978
I'm not suggesting any coaches wrecked his game or he isn't over paid. What I'm saying is like lots of us flames fans say when our team decide to play and defensive style game and guys like Gaudreau or gio or brodie struggle. We say this team isn't suited for that style of play. This team needs to skate and allow dmen to jump into rush and not sit back. Imo ekman larrson is this style of player but his whole career has been with a team that never unleashes his skating ability.
Is he over paid? Sure but not 50% retained salary over paid. If Rittich or Ryan got added to a deal it helps short term to take his salary. Maybe Arizona remains 10%. 50% for 7 years is ridiculous.
But my most important point is hes played with crap his whole career. He's rarely played with players who are top 10 caliber point scorers in the league. 90 point guys. 40 goal scorers. Hes always played with players who at best are 60 point guys. My doighty point was he was arguably the best dmsn in nhl when kings were stacked. Now he barely makes top 50 players list. He must have forgot how to play hockey or maybe he's now playing with crap and its hard to excel with that level of crap. OEL had played with crap for 10 years. Put him on a good team I bet he could score 20 and 60 points.
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Have Gio and Brodie been poor defensively? I don't think so. As a pairing they routinely out chance whoever they play against which is regularly the other teams top offensive players.
I agree OEL is a really good skater, but why doesn't that ability come through in his results? He regularly is a drag on the Coyotes, even compared to his teammates. I get he faces the toughest competition, but that is why his salary is that of an elite defensemen. If it's as easy as Arizona has never unleashed his skating ability then we need to ask why.
Why wouldn't they do everything in their power to put their 8 million dollar captain in a position to succeed? Why is he on the block before his brand new extension even starts?
Given the current financial situation in Arizona I would assume a large part of the reason is because they want to get out of the financial commitment of OEL. I can't really see them retaining anything on a 7 year deal, but maybe I'm wrong.
Your biggest point is that OEL has poor results because he doesn't play with great players? Well that's an issue for me because he is paid to be a great player. He should be making the players around him better (which I'm not seeing). At 8.25 million he should be putting up great results no matter who he is playing with. He shouldn't need to rely on playing with great players. This guy makes more money than Victor Hedman.
Even if everything you said is true, why should Calgary take on all of that risk? Even in the very best case scenario OEL is a competent top pairing d man who is paid fairly.
I think a much more likely scenario is that OEL continues to decline and quickly becomes a massive contract anchor to the Flames. Just way too much risk.
That money would be much better suited going to someone like Hall. He has played with crap his entire career too, but more often than not provides high end play driving ability no matter who his teammates are.
