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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors, Trades

Friedman, Seravalli, Soria, and Thomas on Shattenkirk and the Oilers

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Good Evening Oilers fans! The team is 7 pts out of 1st place… IN THE ENTIRE NHL!!! Good times. Good times.

I want to talk about Kevin Shattenkirk this morning because it’s not like everybody else isn’t, right? But difference being, I just woke up and I now get to review the radio hits and blogs to scour for quotes, to which I’ll provide to you below as well as a new t-shirt design!!! If you’re a Kris Russell fan, you should dig the new design!

Quotes on Kevin Shattenkirk

Alex Thomas on Lowetide 1/19/17 

“I think it depends on the asking price. I’m not sure if I’m willing to give up this year’s 1st round pick and then something else if I’m not going to be able to re-sign Kevin Shattenkirk. Now, I don’t think the Oilers will get a commitment from him no matter how hard they try before they trade for him but I do think it’s a possibility that Shattenkirk comes here. Let’s say the Oilers make the playoffs, let’s say they even win a round and then Shattenkirk falls in love and re-signs. All of a sudden it looks like a stroke of genius. 

But I think it depends. I’m biased, I want to see them get in, I want to see what they can do in the playoffs. I hope they dgo out and buy as much they can without truly truly hurting the future but Kevin Shattenkirk is a guy that doesn’t really come available often and he fits their needs perfectly. Almost too perfect in this spot. 

So I guess it depends what St.Louis wants here. I know they had a high asking price but I’ve seen a few people floating around the thought that St.Louis just wants the money so they can go out and get something else because they can afford to lose Shattenkirk as they need something more up front. Would they lower the price?

I think it all depends on the price for Shattenkirk.

You know I also really look at some other guys out there too. A guy like Martin Hanzal, how much is he going to cost? He’d be the perfect 3rd line centre. Or a lot of people rolled their eyes when he was brought up over the summer but Thomas Vanek has been really good on the right-wing for the Detroit Red Wings. What if he came in here as a goal-scoring right-winger? He’s going to hit 20 this year easily. Players like that, Radim Vrbata, are the guys I’m really looking at right now. 

Players like that, Radim Vrbata, are the guys I’m really looking at right now. But if Shattenkirk’s price comes down, I think the Oilers would be foolish not to look at him.”

Rob Soria on Lowetide 1/19/17

“If they (Oilers) go out and get a Shattenkirk, on his own, I don’t think it would make any sense. If they want to go for it, then, they gotta go at a couple of pieces. They need a 3rd line centre, a defenseman. If they go get two players like that, fine. Make a run but people have to understand, it’s going to come at a cost.

He’s a UFA but I think they are other playoff teams that would love to add Shattenkirk to their blueline.”

Frank Seravalli on Lowetide 1/17/19

“We obviously know that the Oilers have interest in Kevin Shattenkirk because they recieved permission from the blues and obviously they’d gotten to a desk in conversation that they were interested in inquiring enough to go down that road and talk about long-term extension and the response from the Shattenkirk camp at the time was that they weren’t interested in doing something like that.

Now, again, to stress, we’re a long way from March 1st and the deadline is still 6 weeks from yesterday. I’m not saying at all that a deal is imminent but from the conversations that I’ve had, the Shattenkirk camp, I believe, is interested and excited about the potential of Kevin Shattenkirk being a rental acquisition at the trade deadline. He’d be interested in going anywhere to try any sort of short term fit to figure out what he likes and wants for the future and certainley Edmonton would be included in that category to come and try it.

Cam Talbot was in the exact situation and has the same agent group as Kevin Shattenkirk. He (Talbot) didn’t want to come to Edmonton, in fact, his group told the Oilers, “Don’t trade for him because he’s not going to sign and extension there.” And he went and came to Edmonton and ended up loving it, started playing really well and went on that stretch last year in Dec. or Jan. and was excellent for the Oilers and it convinced him, even before seeing, really; the new building and Connor McDavid consistently playing in this team, fully turning it around in the standings. Cam Talbot absolutely loves it in Edmonton and I think that’s something that’s been the trend league-wide, is that players are realizing quite quickly that Edmonton is becoming a destination for NHL players.

There’s a certain shift that is going on in St.Louis. Obviously they have Tarasenko, but they have some other issues, Fabbri there as well. They have some other issues they need to tackle. As you (Lowetide) said, Doug Armstrong was burnt by the fact that Backes went to Boston and Troy Brouwer went to Calgary on July 1, they didn’t retain either of those players and got nothing for them in return. I think the sweet spot for the blues would be finding a player that they could bring in now that wouldn’t create such a hole in Shattenkirk’s return and also have something for the future.

One of the ideas that was floated yesterday that I heard, certainly NOT from an official source but pure speculation, what about the idea of something like a Brandon Davidson and a conditional pick because the Oilers are going to position themselves for the expansion draft and as it stands right now, they’d likely lose Davidson in the expansion draft anyway. He’s someone that can help the Blues now and also that conditional pick for the future and in return the Oilers would get Shattenkirk with the idea of betting on the fact that they can convince him with both a playoff run and a really home-heavy march schedule. I think they have something like 12 home games, the Oilers do, in the month of March. That they could convice him in that time that Edmonton is the place to be for the long-term and figure out the conditional pick and him signing on the back-end.”

Elliotte Friedman on Oilers Now! 1/19/17

“I think that they (Blues) realize that they’re not going in the right direction right now and they have, on the right side at least, they have Pietrangelo and they have Parayko, so they can get away with not having Shattenkirk. And if you look at some times this year, you get the impression that the coaching staff and Shattenkirk aren’t always on the same page in the terms of how he plays.

What I don’t know is, what’s the price? Like, if they’re still determining the asking for a big price, they’re not going to do it for a guy who, they’re not going to get it for a guy who has got a couple of months left before becomes UFA. And there is a belief out there, rightly or wrongly, that he wants to be a Ranger.

If they’re going to ask for a premium, I don’t think they’re going to be able to get much. But if they’re going to ask for something a bit more short term or the price isn’t as high because maybe they want to move him to get something else. I could see it happening and the other thing I could see happening Bob is, what if they did something with Tampa where they send Shattenkirk to Tampa and Bishop goes to St.Louis? I mean, that’s something that helps both teams. I don’t know, I’m just throwing it out there.

But what I do think that is going on here is that there’s a willingness to move him, I don’t know what the price is, and I think that Shattenkirk, who was wasn’t willing to go to Edmonton last summer to sign long-term, he might be willing to do it as a rental. I think there were all sorts of teams he wasn’t interested in before like Montreal, like Toronto, could potentially in as a rental depending on what the cost is. I can’t see Peter Chiarelli giving up anything that affects his long-term situation for a 3-month rental just to get into the playoffs. It just doesn’t make any sense to me.”

 

My Thoughts…

Okay, so what I’ve gathered from Friedman and Saravilli is that IF the Oilers want to go out and get Kevin Shattenkirk, it’ll be for the playoffs only. Now, I like Saravilli’s suggestion that the Oilers offer Brandon Davidson and depending on what round that conditional pick is in… The Oilers might not have to give up much if Shattenkirk does indeed take off for the east coast in the summer.

Surely the New York Rangers would have interest in Shattenkirk but could they fit him under their cap? I’m not so sure with them having Staal, McDonagh, and Girardi signed up for the foreseeable future. Nobody will be taking the injury-riddled Staal and can you see any teams having interest in Girardi right now with his foot speed and cap hit? They could trade their captain but that seems extremely unlikely.

Lowetide mentioned it on his show this morning, but perhaps now is not the time for a Rangers/Shattenkirk marriage. Could that possibly open things up for a short term deal between the Oilers and Shattenkirk though? Just wait out the Rangers and then by that time, be it one or two years, maybe New York has something the Oilers would like and then perhaps the Oilers have Matt Benning running the show on the PP or another young player. Who knows?

Speaking of defenseman! Grab the new Kris Russell t-shirt and join the “Kris Army”.

Corey Mitchell, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rob Cooke, Sunday Night Pint, Zach Laing

BLH Sunday Night Pint #5

Sunday Night Pint #5 is in session! Welcome back to those that have been here before and It’s good to see you if you’re new to the Sunday Night Pint. This is our weekly post where we gather a few of the writers here at BLH and go over the week that was in the world of hockey, sometimes more specifically the Edmonton Oilers.

This week we’re joined by Corey Mitchell (@corn_cwm), Zach Laing (@loweded), Rob Cooke (@cooke_rob) and The Oilers Rig’s Alex Thomas!

If you don’t know, Mr.Thomas is the brains (not the beauty, that belongs to Jackie Dawson) behind The Oilers Rig. He knows his hockey and he certainly knows his Oilers! Keep an eye out for him in the future as he could be on your TV sooner than later. Follow Alex on Twitter @alex_thomas14.

The topics today are as such:

So if you’re comfortable in your seat and beer is in hand, let’s get started!

1 – Ads on Jerseys, Yeah or Nay?

AT – Honestly, it totally depends. I would hate it if the jerseys looked like European hockey jerseys or like soccer jerseys. The logo needs to be front and center, not a sponsor. That said, if they elect to go the AHL route and have a minor sponsor, I’d be fine with it. I like the jerseys as is, but I don’t think it’s ruining something sacred like many believe. If the NHL is making money, and they will off this, and the change isn’t too radical, I’m okay with it.

CM – Jersey ads have been a unique conversation point in recent years. You look back to the NHL implementing the “no tuck” rule a few years ago, and the instant conclusion was that ads were coming. And from what I can see on social media is most fans don’t want to see them. Of the four major sports in North America, the NHL has the best looking uniforms, from the color scheme, to the logos on the front. To ruin that look with big money sponsors seems so wrong for so many reasons.

You look at hockey in Europe. Club teams have almost no space left on their sweaters, and the clutter of ads is a major visual turn off. It’s nice to see once in awhile, like during the Spengler Cup, but that’s not something I want to see for an 82 games season, and then playoffs. Unfortunately, the trademark of the Bettman Regime has been to find revenue in non-traditional ways. And if you look at a league like the CFL, ads are small, and don’t take away from the look of the uniform as a whole. So if the NHL follows that model, a modest corporate logo on the sleeve or something, and as long as I can purchase ad free jerseys, I really don’t have a problem with it.

ZL – Aesthetically, I am not a fan of having sponsors on the jersey’s however I do realize that the NHL will more than likely be having sponsors on jersey’s sooner rather than later. It provides a chance for NHL owners to receive more money, and anytime you can add revenue to a business that is a positive. Like with when the NHL first introduced ads on the boards in the 1980 season, fans didn’t like it but they eventually got used to it. Just like we will have to do with the ads on jerseys.

RC – I don’t particularly like the idea myself. With that being said I think that the vast majority of fans will feel that way as well but I don’t see any of us owning a team so realistically our opinions don’t really matter. The league and team owners will see the added dollar signs that will be coming with the addition of jersey advertising. The almighty dollar will win out here and there isn’t really anything that fans will be able to do about it…

BLH – Listen to me when I say this. An a supporter of the Edmonton Oilers, YOU WANT ADS ON JERSEYS! The reason is simple. All these years of sucking ass has landed the Oilers with arguable the best crop of young players in the league. How are they to keep all of them under the cap without extra revenue?

2 – Would You Trade Jordan Eberle for Kevin Shattenkirk (St.L)?

AT – No, I wouldn’t. Jordan Eberle is a tremendous offensive talent, easily the top RW on this roster. I like Shattenkirk as a player, but he’s more of a second pairing guy in my mind. He’s great offensively, but to me, Shattenkirk’s defensive game leaves much to be desired. To me, Shattenkirk is what Justin Schultz should be. He’s a good player, but he’s not a game changer on the blue-line. I’d rather keep Ebs.

CM – For a long time now, I’ve reserved myself to the fact that the Oilers need to sacrifice one of the kids to obtain the assets they need to be a winner. And I’ve stated many times on Twitter, that it should be Jordan Eberle. Hall and Nuge, now with McDavid, have a much higher ceiling than a Jordan Eberle, as much as most fanboys and girls will disagree with me. And if part of the package coming over is Kevin Shattenkirk, than by all means that move should be made.

Two season ago, I was really liking the idea of an Eberle package to Nashville for Shea Weber, which at the time I felt was very realistic. Now, the general consensus is that Weber is a pipe dream at best, but you can do far worse than adding a Shattenkirk to the revamped blue line. I think that deal has more moving parts than just Eberle for Shattenkirk straight across

ZL – This is a very interesting proposal. TSN’s Ray Ferraro suggested the Oilers look for a trade surrounding Jordan Eberle for Patrick Berglund and Kevin Shattenkirk. Shattenkirk is a very interesting player and is thought of to be a player that will soon develop into a top pairing defender in the NHL. He doesn’t necessarily bring a lot of size to his game (6’0”, 202lbs) but since joining the league in 2010-2011, he has scored 215 points ranking him 12th among NHL defenseman since then.

If the Oilers were to make a trade with Eberle and Shattenkirk being two main pieces going back and forth, it could certainly benefit both teams.

RC – Yes I would! Everyday and twice on Sunday! I know Ebs is the current best option on the right side but defenseman with the skill set of Kevin Shattenkirk do not become available very often. I’m sure that the advanced stats will back up my opinion but that is something I will leave to our stats guru, Walt Foddis (@waltlaw69) to discern.

BLH – I would also do this trade but I’d expand it horribly into a blockbuster and try for David Backes as well. Maybe you throw in Draisaitl with Eberle and they send back Backes and Shattenkirk. Seasoned vets have a certain value to teams like the Oilers who are coming up and big mean veterans who have a good 5 – 6 years left who’ve work the ‘C’ on their chest for a good portion of their career is something I’d be willing to pay dearly for.

3 – Who Are Your Top 5 International Players of All-Time?

AT – My top five? Oh Jeez, that’s tough. Being so young, it’s hard for me to look back and pick the top-five international players ever, but I’ll try…. In no particular order, I’ll take Wayne Gretzky, Mike Eruzione (Come on, that’s the best hockey moment, like, ever), Dominik Hasek, Mario Lemieux and Mark Messier.

CM – My top 5 international players? Obviously no list is leaving off Jari Kurri or Teemu Selanne. Add Pavel Bure to that, and now you’ve got three. My last two might go off the board a bit. Sergei Makarov and Vladislav Tretiak, two of the great players from that powerhouse Soviet team.

ZL – Wayne Gretzky, Viacheslav Fetisov, Nicklas Lidstrom, Sidney Crosby, and the obligatory Connor McDavid. Hehehe!

RC – Obviously as a Canadian born and raised guy my list is made up of some of the best Canadians to ever play in some form of IIHF tournament. Wayne Gretzky has to top the list for sure. How can he not? At the 1987 Canada Cup he lit up everyone for 21 points in 9 games and Gretzky himself says it is the best hockey that he ever played.

His linemate at that tournament would be my second choice for this list. Mario Lemieux was a fantastic player on the international stage and one of very few people that can claim to have won the Stanley Cup, Canada Cup, World Cup, and Olympic gold during their career.

Next on my list is Captain Canada, Ryan Smyth. No player has represented this great nation more than Smytty. He has done everything that can be done internationally and when I call him Captain Canada I do so because it is a very well deserved moniker for him.

Following Smytty is Jordan Eberle. He was the most clutch player I have ever had the pleasure of watching at the World Junior’s and his goal against the Russians in the dying seconds of the game is right up their with his first NHL goal for highlight quality.

My final choice for the list is likely one that not a lot of people will agree with but I am going to go with Eric Lindros. At the junior level the Big E was as dominant as any player I have ever seen and his 42 points in 29 international junior games is pretty damn impressive. Of course that isn’t even including the 34 points in 36 games at the men’s level. Those 34 points include 1 goal that he managed during the 2002 Olympic games.

BLH – Jeez Cooke, you damn near have a post on its own there. Lol. My top five international players of all-time are Valeri Kharlamov, Peter Forsberg, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Slava Fetisov.

Bonus – Who’s Your Favorite Player to Hate?

AT – My favorite player to hate? That’s tough, but I can’t stand Zack Kassian and Ryan Kesler. Really, I hated those good Canucks teams, they had a cocky arrogance to them even though they have never won a thing. Kassian was a total goon, just a guy with no regard for other players. Kesler just killed the Oilers and played a pest game. That said, even though I hate Kesler as a player, I have a lot of respect for him.

CM – My most hated player, for whatever reason, is Ryan Kesler. I’m guessing it’s got to do with how much he really personified what being a Vancouver Canuck meant while he was with them. I never want to see him win a Stanley Cup. And actually, throw the caveman Kevin Bieksa on this list too. Two guys that I cannot stand watching play the game, throwing dirty shots on the ice, and turtling until a ref for linesman comes in.

One of my greatest joys recently as an Oilers fan was watching Kesler get tuned in by Sam Gagner. So yeah, forget those guys. Didn’t like them as Canucks, don’t like them as Ducks. And just to cover all my bases, Aaron Ward can take a walk off a bridge too

ZL – Anybody on the Calgary Flames. Just because I live in Calgary, and it’s not easy being an Oilers fan in Calgary.

RC – This is a hard question for me because the Oilers have really been irrelevant the last half decade and it is hard to really get a hate on for anyone when our team was so god awful. If I have to pick one player that I truly hated it would have to be Ryan Kesler. To me he epitomized the “whiny player”.

He is known as a diver and a player that isn’t afraid to embellish a lot if it will get him the call he wants. He has always managed to play fairly well against Edmonton as well so that kind of irritates me a little bit more about the guy.

Another guy that definitely deserves some hate mail from Oilers fans would be the goof Zack Kassian. After his stick swinging incident from a couple seasons back where he nearly decapitated poor Sam Gagner I find it very hard to feel anything but loathing when his name is mentioned.

BLH – We have quite the Canucks theme going on here… But it really is hard not to hate at least 3 players that were on that team in the last 5 years or are currently on. Kassian, Kesler, Bieksa, and Burrows come to mind immediately. I imagine Prust will fill the void this season. But I have a feeling the kid Ferland in Calgary is going to creep into these lists in the very near future.

So there we have it! Jersey ads are cool… Kinda. Ebs is on his way out and everyone hates the Canucks and Flames! Obviously.

Thank you for joining us for the Beer League Heroes Sunday Night Pint #5! We hope you enjoyed the read! Let us know in the comments below what you think about ads on jerseys or a potential Eberle trade!

As always, if you’re looking for a sweet t-shirt to show off your NHL ’94 pride, head on over to the Beer League Heroes T-Shirt Shop and find your favorite player in 16-bit! You can also pick up the Official Beer League Heroes shirt and the NEW “Straight Outta Oil Country” top!

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Take care and until next time!

– BLH

**PS** Thanks goes to all of the readers who participated on Facebook! You’re all AWESOME!