Edmonton Oilers Weekly Oil Drop Mail Bag #2: Trades and Fans
Edmonton Oilers Weekly Oil Drop Mail Bag
Hi there, Edmonton Oilers fans! This is Sammi Silber here, hopefully one of your favorite Oilers writers. Heh… uh, anyway! I was a bit bored tonight, as I took a break from the keyboard for a couple hours and am now back and sitting watching Netflix.
So, tonight, we got some pretty… interesting questions from fans around the world! We posted on Facebook and Twitter again, asking if you guys had any questions for me to address in this weekly mail bag. This is the second one, so let’s see how it goes!
I decided to do slideshow format so that this post won’t be a scrolling fest. So if you’re ready to see if your quesiotn made it, or if you just wanna check out some of the interesting topics that have popped up in our mailbag, just page through and see!
The main thing we have been asked about tonight involve defensemen, trade possibilities and questions about fans. We are ready to answer all of them, right here and right now. Thank you to those who asked questions, and for those reading now, I hope you step up next mail bag and feel free to ask some questions!
Next: Mail Bag Question #1
Mail Bag Question #1: Brent Burns or Dustin Byfuglien
Facebook User Cory Hoffman gave us a rather interesting question regarding two defenders.
“Burnsy or Big Buff? To trade the first round pick, and if so, for who?
Thanks for your question, Cory! This was an interesting question for me. If I had to choose, and this is saying that both could likely occur, I would want Brent Burns.
First off, the guy’s Chewbacca style is fantastic; who wouldn’t want a guy like Burnsy on your team? He’s fun-loving and obviously a great team player. He even has connections to the team, as Todd McLellan coached him during his time in San Jose.
He’s also a big guy, and I mean BIG. 6-foot-5, 230 pounds. The Oilers lack size, and that is exactly what Burns can provide. Big Buff’s a big guy, too, but Burns can throw his weight around, is familiar with McLellan and is a proven leader.
As for which one is more realistic? I think the Oilers go for Big Buff. He’s going to be a UFA and it’s not likely that Winnipeg resigns him. He would bring speed, strength and size to the Oilers lineup; not to mention that he has a Stanley Cup championship under his belt. Plus, as a free agent, the Oilers won’t have to give up anything up for him.
Plus, the Sharks aren’t likely to trade away Burns unless our offer is legitimately out of this world.
Next: Mail Bag Question #2
Mail Bag Question #2: Defensemen
Our next question is from Facebook user Sean Haugen.
Since all the trades the other day, defenders are slim pickings. If we don’t make a deal for a defender, whom do you think the Oilers will target in the offseason? I personally think Yandle will be a target of PC since the chances of the Rangers resigning him are slim due to cap issues. He is a good puck-moving D-man who is only 29 and can replace Schultz. I’m just curious on who you think they will target in free agency in the offseason?”
Good question, Sean! The Oilers definitely have a couple of great picks if they plan to wait for the offseason. I, however, do not really see the Oilers jumping at Keith Yandle, and the reason why is because of the struggles he has had so far this year on the backend for New York. Seeing how the poor defense from the Rangers has caused Henrik Lundqvist to lose his triple-crown league-leading stats, as well as an All-Star nomination, I wouldn’t want to be thinking of New York.
The Oilers need a right hand shot. I think they go for Big Buff, either trade route or in free agency, because of the fact that he’s a big guy who can throw his weight around and create scoring chances. However, I do see the potential of the Oilers signing Jason Demers, who is a second-pairing defenseman with the Stars who becomes a UFA this offseason. If he does not resign with Dallas, I could see Edmonton going all in for him.
However, I believe the Oilers pick the trade route instead of waiting it out. With a playoff chance in reach, the time for the Oilers to strengthen their defense is now.
Next: Mail Bag Question #3
Mail Bag Question #3: Blockbusters
The next question is an interesting one from Facebook user Dan Pubben.
Do you think that a ‘blockbuster’ with the Islanders is a possibility? I was watching Tim and Sid today. They had a list of potential players that might be on the move before the deadline. With the Oilers in dire need of a top 1 or 2 defenseman, I came up with the following: To Edmonton, Travis Hamonic and Kyle Okposo. To New York: Jordan Eberle and Justin Schultz, along with a 1st or 2nd round pick next year. The addition of Okposo would bring more size for the heavy Western Conference. Put him on a line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Benoit Pouliot. I’m not sure of the cap implications but it seems like a trade that could potentially be made if they decided to go with a bigger deal.”
Also included is a question from Billee Dean, who asks “If the Oilers were to make a huge blockbuster trade, who would they send out and want in return?”
Thanks for the questions! I believe that there is some kind of trade in the works, a deep one that has been in the works for months. Everything’s been too quiet, and now that Seth Jones was shipped to Columbus, Nuge will stay with the team… for now.
As for Hamonic, I believe the Oilers are now the frontrunners and will go for him at the trade deadline. The defender wants a trade due to family reasons, and his family is in Western Canada. However, they will not take Justin Schultz alone… which would bring me to suggest that Jordan Eberle would also be sent the other way.
If you wanted to add Okposo for the possibility of a blockbuster, it is possible, but it would need more than Eberle Schultz and a first-round pick. I think if you swapped out Ebs for Nuge, then you would have a deal. Eberle wouldn’t make the cut alone; we have seen him play and know of his struggles.
As for Billee’s question, the Oilers would give up Nuge, Ebs, or Schultzy. Nothing else. Maybe one of their bottom pairing defenseman, and a draft pick, likely a second-rounder. They would want only the best top defensive corps in return.
Mail Bag Question #4: The Fans
Facebook User Daniel Kufuor asked yet another interesting question, this time, regarding the fans.
“I’ve been a dedicated Oilers fan since 1981. I lived in Edmonton through the glory years and remember them clearly. I also know these last years all too well. having been brought back down to Earth as a fan has injected me with a strong dose of skepticism. I no longer consider myself a ‘homer’ fan. My question is why do we seem to have a greater percentage of Homers than even Toronto (as a percentage based on city size)? So many of us, as fans, over value our players. It’s almost like people think every roster player who has scored than more than 10 goals in a season is the second coming of Sidney Crosby. Why, oh why, is our fan base is so ignorant of the skills our team is so sorely lacking?”
We will also pair this with a question from AJ Hansen, who asked “What’s a true fan?”
Well, Daniel, I can’t tell you why it is the way it is. I think we have a lot of Homer fans due to the fact that they think this team has taken so much work into acquiring all of these draft picks that they have talent, and that the tools we have are not ones to just give away. They fail to see that the Oilers need help in certain areas in order to return to their winning ways, and they simply don’t understand that in order to get good players, we need to trade some away, too.
These fans typically see games in a game-to-game style. If they lose… the Oilers will get ’em next time… if they win… great, nothing needs to change, perfect.
We put way too much value on our “untouchable” players. I’m sorry, but Nail Yakupov is only good when riding an 18-year-old center who has been compared to the likes of Wayne Gretzky. He is a great guy, but Yak is not too be taken as a key player to our core. Nuge is an incredible playmaker and possesses great skill, but he has struggled greatly this season, and if his trade means we get a number one defenseman in return, that’s the risk to make. Same goes for Eberle.
Fans are ignorant because they love certain players. Baby Nuge is a fan favorite. Yak is a great guy and we love his wackiness and speed. Ebs has proven to possess magic hands. But hey, you can’t keep them all. You can’t. There’s not enough room, and if we’re going to get defense, then something’s gotta give.
As for AJ’s question, a true fan is someone who is always dedicated to their team and sticks by them through thick and thin. A true fan is also one that recognizes that their team has issues, and they are not afraid to talk about it or even laugh about it. IN addition, they love their team and know all about it; the history, the ups, the downs and of course, the now. However, what makes them different from Homer fans is that they are not blind or oblivious to the flaws of our team and do not see it as perfect.
Next: Mail Bag Question #4
Mail Bag Question #4: Apocalypse in Yeg
Our last question is from Thomas J Bruner, who has an interesting question that requires us to go back in time.
“My long-winded question is- would you imagine an apocalyptic stampede through the streets of Edmonton if nothing changed last summer and we were not lottery winners. I’m talking Mr. six rings still in charge, Mac-T saying too much and doing too little, and no McJesus to pray to every night. In other words, how disillusioned would our fanbase be if nothing happened this summer?”
This is my favorite question. Thomas, thank you for asking this. If the Oilers did not decide that enough was enough, the fans would be incredibly angry. I mean, you all are already pissed off at everything right now as it is, but chaos would be happening. More jerseys would be flung on the ice. Ben Scrivens would be the one scooping them up.
Connor McDavid is not just a player. He is a beacon of hope for the franchise, and without him, there wouldn’t be the hope that we have for this year. However; it is not just him, but the hiring of Peter Chiarelli and McLellan that have enlightened this fanbase again.
Next: Edmonton Oilers Nail Yakupov to Return Next Week
Speaking as a fan, this team would continuously be the laughing stock of the NHL if the Oilers did not clean out the front office, and if the team missed out on the lottery, I don’t even know where the organization would be right now. Definitely not in the standings where they are now, and definitely not in the headlines.