The guy is work ethic, blocks shots and stands up for his team. We know what we have in him; I'd like to reward him with an extension to show our younger guys that if you work hard you'll be rewarded and be brought back and given minutes with the big flamin' C.
I remember an interview with Kirsten Hallett from not too long ago where she was praising him for his off-the-ice attitude and how well he fit in the team's locker.
I don't think we have many better replacements waiting in line either.
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Originally Posted by Oil Stain
There is no pressure on the Oilers to improve quickly
After hearing that story about how he went to unload all the gear off the team bus, he's the type of guy I'm more than happy to have around. If someone comes who just genuinely plays better while displaying the proper attitude, so be it, he's gone.
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He's the worst player on our team, don't resign him. He blocks tons of shots because he can't get it out of our zone and he doesn't maintain possession well at all. It really shouldn't be hard to find a better option in UFA. Even if we throw around some bigger offers as long as the contract is short term (1-2 years) it won't come back to bite us.
Consider this, what if Burke got hit on the head with a shovel and we ended up offering Meszaros 10 mil for two seasons. Ken King probably wouldn't be too happy, but I don't think even that nutty contract would come back to bite us. I think we would still be 5-15 Mil under the cap over that timespan.
Maybe this is the time to make a move for a defenseman too. If not Ekblad we could make a hockey trade for some talent on the blueline.
I guess my gut feeling is that Butler is the worst player on one of the worst hockey teams in the nhl. Those are the kinds of guys you find a way to let go of. There are better options out there.
He is now married or soon will be to a St. Louis lady who works as a vet. She can't work in Canada or won't work in Canada. May have something to do with his signing. Many think he will look to the US.
Based on what we have now I would say yes. I do think there are going to be some trades during the draft , not for picks but for roster players. If they manage to upgrade on D , then probably no. Granted at worst he is a 6/7th dman. If we upgrade I would rather have him in press box over a young prospect. So I guess my final answer is yes.
He's an asset that can be moved in the future assuming a reasonable deal is signed (no more than 2 years) and is a serviceable stopgap in the 3rd pairing until our prospects start to break down the door.
Finding better in UFA? Why not both in trying to sign a better defenseman and increase our overall depth if there is a player worth doing so?
Insiders claim is a hugely popular player within the room, and is one of the leaders. He isn't perfect, but as a 5,6,7 you could do a lot worse. Of course, depends on the deal.
Somewhere, in a far off and distant land (near Market Mall's food court), a former poster wishes he could have a say in this matter. Hehe
He showed some more grit last year. Bouwmeester leaving seemed to have benefited him somehow. If he wants to re - sign here I wouldn't be opposed to it.
Somewhere, in a far off and distant land (near Market Mall's food court), a former poster wishes he could have a say in this matter. Hehe
He showed some more grit last year. Bouwmeester leaving seemed to have benefited him somehow. If he wants to re - sign here I wouldn't be opposed to it.
Jbo leaving had nothing to do with Butler looking better. Playing Butler on the final d pairing made him look better.
Time to move on. Keeping the player because he's good at blocking shots could be a flawed stat to go by. Maybe he blocks more shots because he's bad at handling pressure in the defensive zone?
I think the fans that want to keep him will be disappointed. Treliving will want to bring in some of his own guys. Replacing a #5 or #6 defenseman is easy to do through free agency.
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He is now married or soon will be to a St. Louis lady who works as a vet. She can't work in Canada or won't work in Canada. May have something to do with his signing. Many think he will look to the US.
I can verify this as well. She remained in St. Louis last season and last I heard wasn't keen on moving here. That's why I previously posted I would be surprised if Butler returned and figured he would go somewhere near Missouri. He prefers to play for St. Louis but you rarely get to play for who you want, and maybe nearby cities don't have an interest either. In the end, though, money talks so it's possible he's back - the Flames can offer the money, and maybe she would change her mind.
__________________ "I think the eye test is still good, but analytics can sure give you confirmation: what you see...is that what you really believe?" Scotty Bowman, 0 NHL games played
He is pretty mediocre, but he can play both the right and left sides, and IF NEED BE can play 20+ Min a night without being absolutely terrible. He is good for a 7th Dman because he can fill in for injuries on any pairing
If we had a few more defensive prospects that were capable of going in that 5/6/7 position, I'd be all for letting Butler go. But, the only one that has really proven himself worthy of that spot is Wotherspoon. Breen and Cundari showed flashes but not enough to earn a spot. Only having one defenseman that can fill in that spot means we have pretty weak D prospects (and obviously need more this draft).
For that, I want Butler back. After this draft, I am pretty sure Treliving addresses our defensive needs and Butler could be gone in a couple of years. A 2 year contract should be the max.
