travel_dude

Two schools of thought. 1) Monahan and/or Dube part of a trade with Buffalo This has some legs to it, as Buffalo would need to get a C back. Can have them injured if you are getting ready to make a trade. 2) Pre-season is meaningless. Keep Monahan out of crap games by exposing him slowly to game scenarios. With Dube, we don't have a 100% define 4th line C. Richardson actually had over 50% in his last game in faceoffs. The other options are Lewis and Gawdin. I'm less interested in having Dube as a #4C as much as exploring his abilities there. In the WJC, I believe he was 3C, and scored a huge goal there. It was more of a defensive C spot though. If one of the top C were not available, we would like to have one ready to take the spot. Zary is months or a year away from that.

I think that most people are of that mind. I would have preferred a different player for that much, but we were going to spend it on something. What I want to see is the GM and coach seeing eye to eye. If Guddy should be waibed, it happens. There is nothing that Kylington has done to warrant being waived. So, he should not be. The cap savings for sending Gudbranson down over Kylington isn't insignificant. If he's here it should be because he is the 6th or 7th best.

Stone did what he needed to do. Practice every day and come in when needed. He looked solid during these games, but it's not a full season. The last time he had that he struggled. Is he an everyday player? Wasn't the last time I looked.

That is something we can agree on.... No to Hanifin-Tanev. It leaves us wanting elsewhere. It's probably safe then to project Hanifin-Ras. Yes, it's pre-season, but I don't see Tanev working with Gudbranson or Stone or Zadorov. Whether it's Kylington or Valimaki or Mackey that plays with Tanev through the season, it has to be one of them. I probably have a little more time for Zadorov, but I still think he would be better off with a younger, more mobile player. And I agree that they need to figure out who plays best on RD; Kylington or Valimaki or Zadorov. I'm not set on my pairs, just making some choices on what I have seen to date.

I can only make suggestions based on what we have available and take into account some intangibles. Hanifin-Ras I trust this pair as a alternative to the best pairing from last year. It's not perfect, but allows us a 2nd pair with Tanev that could be trusted. Kylington-Tanev Kylington has looked solid playing with Tanev. I get that he has not been a steady NHL player, but play together players that work. Zadorov-Valimaki This is the one I am most concerned about. Valimaki has foot speed and can jump up into the play. Zadorov can focus on defense. Unless you are trading Zadorov or Gudbranson, I don't see any other pairings that work any better. Hanifin-Tanev only really gives you one solid pair. That means we end up with two questionable pairs.

Easier if I just spell it out here: Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk Mangiapane-Monahan-Coleman Dube-Backlund-Pitlick Lucic-Gawdin-Duehr Ex. Richardson, Ritchie Hanifin-Ras Kylington-Tanev Valimaki-Zadorov Ex. Stone and Gudbranson Markstrom/Vladar Bolded is in case of LTIR for Pitlick, otherwise Ritchie gets added to waiver list. Waive Stone, Gudbranson and Lewis, keep Gudbranson and Stone on the roster, send down Lewis, Froese, Kirkland and eventually Kinnvall and Zary and Parsons. I might actually not bother waiving Stone. Waiving Gudbranson and keeping him on the roster makes Dutter happy.

Waiving Guddy sends a message, though they don't have to assign him to the AHL. Keep him on the roster. 8D, 13F and 2G. Froese and Kirkland go for sure. If Pitlick is IR, then 2 of Gawdin, Richardson, Ritchie, Duehr and Lewis needs to go, otherwise 3 have to; that assume 13F

The goal of the pre-season was to work out the kinks/rust and get back to game speed. Considering that JH looks like he is in mid-season form already, Sutter didn't need to chance anything on a nothing game. He might have had a booboo or just held out to save him for the real season. Sutter said it was nothing. Tkachuk and Lindholm played the most time of any forwards with just under 19 minutes. It seems like Tippy is intent on playing McD/Drai/Nuge for every minute of every PP. And playing the top 2 for 21 to 24 minutes per game. Good luck with that.

Unfortunately, Zaddy was on the wrong side of the play. You are not going to stop McD from behind. But, I believe you are correct on the mistake/soft play that Tanev made. He didn't get in the way of the player. He skated to intercept but missed body contact and just tried the stick. I don't think that is typical of Tanev or a guy like Ras. They normally take the body. There is a pattern that we should be aware of... McD loves to gain speed on the RW side and cut to the net. Kylington or Hanifin or Valimaki have the speed to keep him in reach, but it would be good to have a D block the way to the net. Since it's esentially the same cut every time, it probably is the RD that deals with it. Tanev or Ras or Zadorov (if he shifts to RD with Kylington or Valimaki). If Gudbranson is on the team, then he needs to be on the blueline or back most of his shifts. Falling down at the offensive blueline doesn't cut it.

Sutter had a belief that McD intentionally ran Markstrom. I am a little on the fence about it. The call on the ice was no penalty for tripping and no goalie interference. His angle of attack would have brought him into the crease or darn close. It's a 50/50 call; ca easily go either way for most players. I didn't think Sutter should challenge it, but whatever. McD of course blames Tanev for a dangerous hit. Sorry bub, but you swoop on net like that and sooner or later you or a goalie will end up in the ER. There is such a fine line between in control and taking an unnecessary risk. Here's a funny observation. A player ends up knocking a goalie out of position and he gets credit for a goal. Poolparty scored it off McDavid into the net.

No, just saying it's kinda the going rate. Kulikov, Tucker Poolman, Ryan Murray. Hamonic $3m. Lots closer to $1m. Also, not saying I like it. I say waive him and Stone. If you keep him as a 7th ot 8th D just practicing, that would be fine with me.

Must just be the drama teacher funding orange shirts. Got confused because he thought he was in Tofino Kamloops.

I really hated the Ducks with the orange lighting in the arena. But the Oilers orange is puke coloured, if you drank the orange kool ade. Hunter looks like some Plushy and Furry fetish costume.

Question - which is uglier? Oilers orange or Ducks orange? Both are sickening.

Kylington hit the crossbar. He's got a shot, if only it was between the wickets.

Didn't see any bad check. Maybe a hack. Or just too much cheaps shots. Nurse two handed a guy earlier in the game.

That was a weird line up for a PK. Tanev, Lewis, Richardson and Gudbranson. Almost no speed there. Against the fast skating Oilers. Come on Sutter, use your head.

That's going to count. Even though Tanev tripped McD, he went hard into Markstrom.

Fans complained about them.

Gaudreau hasn't been on the ice in the 3rd.

Jack Michaels (monkey sound) and Bob Stauffer (McGruff) doing it tonight for Oils. Michaels does the SN regional broadcast games with Debrusk normally. Drew Remenda and Kevin Quinn were the guys they replaced.

I don't know. They make a ton of noise. Loubo talks through goals. Wills is loud but calls the goals evenly. I can't watch the Oilers guy on TV either. Gives me a headache. Stauffer is an Oiles fanboy. Debrusk is okay, but gets a little too homer-ish. He knows a lot about NHL at least. Sees the mistakes. The Oilers had to get rid of Quinn and the other guy because fans felt they were always criticizin. Quinn with the "CONNOR McDAVID...OVERTIME WINNER" yell. So annoying.

The main guy is an ex-radio guy. Like Loubo from Flames radio. Annoying as F

Superspreader event. Not a lot of maks on people. Yeah the vax works, but not 100%.

Spelling lessons for Oiler fans.