[Signing] Ducks sign Vatanen to 4 year extension ($4.875 mil AAV)

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Please re-read the sentence you're replying to.

You posted this:

Originally Posted by The Fonz

...On any other organization, Taylor Hall @ 6M would be one of the best contracts in the league, IMO.

I don't think it matters what team he plays for. Taylor Hall's deal is decent, but hardly what I would characterise as "one of the best contracts in the league." He is a 25-65 winger with a history of injury and dubious hockey sense. I don't see how he is worth any more than he is already being paid.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I don't think it matters what team he plays for. Taylor Hall's deal is decent, but hardly what I would characterise as "one of the best contracts in the league." He is a 25-65 winger with a history of injury and dubious hockey sense. I don't see how he is worth any more than he is already being paid.

Then there's not much sense in us arguing about it. You don't believe his game would change if he played for another organization, while I do, and the statement that I made hinged on that.

I don't believe Taylor Hall, today, has one of the best contracts in the league, and I never suggested that to begin with. You quoted me out of context, and implied that I said something that I did not.

[Major Major]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Please re-read the sentence you're replying to.

So long as we are re-sending sentences, I think you skimmed over the stated fact that ANH is a budget team. Hall for any of their young D takes on $ surplus and completely defeats the purpose.

You could argue that hall for Lindholm + bieksa makes a lot of sense for both teams, but frankly I think this is just a matter of Anaheim wanting to keep their young D group together and signing an RFA to a decent contract.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Then there's not much sense in us arguing about it. You don't believe his game would change if he played for another organization, while I do, and the statement that I made hinged on that.



I don't believe Taylor Hall, today, has one of the best contracts in the league, and I never suggested that to begin with. You quoted me out of context, and implied that I said something that I did not.

I certainly did not mean to quote you out of context, I simply don't see how Hall would improve with another organization. I think a good counter argument could be made that his offensive production is presently at its peak, and that under different circumstances with more responsibilities he is still not a very bright player, but now with lower production.

My apologies again that you feel mis-represented.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I certainly did not mean to quote you out of context, I simply don't see how Hall would improve with another organization. I think a good counter argument could be made that his offensive production is presently at its peak, and that under different circumstances with more responsibilities he is still not a very bright player, but now with lower production.

I don't believe Taylor Hall has the leadership or character to be playing the role he is with Edmonton. Similar in a way to Phil Kessel... the Oilers decided what Taylor Hall was before he had ever played a game. He was 'the guy', while he had never actually earned that title and potentially never will.

I guess it's just a gut feeling, and so it's obviously difficult/impossible to quantify, but I don't think we've seen the best of Taylor Hall. Unless he requests a trade in the next year or two, I don't think we ever will.

[DeluxeMoustache]

^ Now Taylor Hall has been relieved of the pressure of being 'the guy'. McJesus is now the guy. His broken collarbone broke up the season.

To me, if McLellan has absorbed what Pittsburgh just did, and enters the season with a solid game plan and strong message, then that team up north could enter the year in a much more productive fashion.

As much as they are reviled here, if Chia does his job, and McLellan can right the ship, then we have a different conversation.

Their weakness is surely on D, and that brings us back to Vatanen.

But that just makes me glad once again for Brodie's deal.

Tried to bring it back on topic but only have fleeting interest in the Ducks or Oil. Sorry

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

^ Now Taylor Hall has been relieved of the pressure of being 'the guy'. McJesus is now the guy. His broken collarbone broke up the season.

To me, if McLellan has absorbed what Pittsburgh just did, and enters the season with a solid game plan and strong message, then that team up north could enter the year in a much more productive fashion.

As much as they are reviled here, if Chia does his job, and McLellan can right the ship, then we have a different conversation.

Their weakness is surely on D, and that brings us back to Vatanen.

But that just makes me glad once again for Brodie's deal.

Tried to bring it back on topic but only have fleeting interest in the Ducks or Oil. Sorry

We've heard this lots and lots of times.

But the problem with Edmonton besides the lack of defense is an overall lack of organizational depth, they simply don't have anyone coming that can fill in for injuries or poor play, yet they're a cap team with some significant raises coming.

As for the coaching, it sure doesn't look like T-Mac instituted a lot of cultural changes last year, instead by the end he looked like a guy that regretted his decision to coach the Oilers as he cried to the press about his teams lack of effort and fight.'

On top of that Chia in his first year really nibbled at the edge and then kicked himself in the balls with that terrible Reinhart trade, he can talk about his evaluation process taking a year, but I've never seen a GM that was so afraid to put his mark on the team. Frankly most GM's come into a team already knowing what the teams problems are and has a plan to fix them. Instead he sat back and watched Rome burn while making a panic move.

Last of all Hall, he might not be the guy anymore, but he has a ton of influence in that room with Eberle and RNH, and can we really name a coach that Hall hasn't quit on, or ignored to play his own severely flawed game.

T-Mac - Hall outright quit on him once MacDavid came back becoming terrible in the later half of the season. Edmonton fans have a tremendous blind spot on this guy, maybe because they either don't know what good hockey is because of years of being exposed to the crap up there, or they don't know how to judge effort.

Todd Nelson - More of a baby sitter, but Hall continued to play his disastrous game with no attention to the defensive zone

Dallas Eakins - The whole team quit on him, but nobody quit more often or with more precision then Taylor Hall.

Ralph Krueger - This experiment started ok, with Hall actually trying to back check and play positionally sound hockey, but at the 3/4 mark of the season, Hall went back to his own brand of hockey, which is give a spit in the offensive zone then go for a linechange on the inevitable turnover

If the Oilers want to succeed, beyond rebuilding their blueline, they have to truly make this team MacDavids or they will lose him at his first chance to flee, and that means burning out that core of losers. Yes they could absolutely trade a Hall or Eberle or RNH for a top tier minute munching RHD which realistically every team in the league is looking for, but I would argue that they should be looking to move one or two of those losers for organizational depth throughout their lineup.

[Sylvanfan]

I'd bet money that Vaatanen insisted on a gentlemens agreement with Bob Murray that he never be traded to Edmonton. I'm also pretty convinced that Murray is playing the sign early and sign cheap or I'll trade your rights to Edmonton card.