Tag Archives: Brandon Manning

Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers: Brandon Manning Incident Revealed!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or a snowdrift in some parts of Canada), you’ve probably heard that Brandon Manning (property of the Edmonton Oilers) got into a bit of a scuffle with a fella by the name of Bokondji Imama in Bakersfield’s game against the Ontario Reign (LA Kings AHL affiliate). Apparently there was a racial slur used and subsequently, Manning has apologized to Imama in person and a 5-game suspension has been handed out to the defenseman.

I don’t think a lot of people know what set things off and I’d like to offer some clarification on the incident to provide a modicum of context.

What you might not know about Imama is that he’s the kind of player that goes out and gets under the skin of the opposition and he’s a big boy (6’1″ 220lbs) who can take care of himself. I’ve watched a few Bakersfield/Ontario games this year and Imama has been a thorn in the Condors’ side every time. Very Tkachuk-like in the way he plays except he actually fights but he isn’t a very good hockey player. I don’t know if he got 10 shifts in that game the other night.

The game was pretty physical in the first as both teams were taking some big runs at each other, but I think that Matt Benning hit sort of got the ball rolling because right after that Imama was sent out. So not surprisingly, he goes after Bakersfield’s star player, right? To send a message. Those are the kind of tactics that the coaching staff of the Ontario team employs because at the end of the game with about one minute to go and harboring a 3-0 lead, they sent out Brett Sutter, Lance Bouma, Imama, Daniel Brickley, and former Condor Ryan Stanton to faceoff against Tyler Benson, Colby Cave, Ryan McLeod, Evan Bouchard, and Jake Kulevich. This was after both Brad Malone and Keegan Lowe were sent to the showers.

It all really comes down to the officiating… Again. If they called a few more infractions, maybe the tempers stay where they should…

Getting back to the incident.

As you can see, Tyler Benson engages with Imama slightly and then the Reign forward retaliates very aggressively. Uncalled for if you ask me since Ontario was up by two already. So Manning jumps in (and takes a heavy shot to the face for it) because that’s the kind of guy he is and sometime in there or after, the incident occurs.

For clarification in the Manning incident, can report that the word he used was not the same word used in the Aliu/Peters situation. Not that any hurtful words are ever ok, simply reporting for context. – Ryan Rishaug (TSN)

What annoys me is Oilers fans getting all conspiratorial now. How would Darnell Nurse feel about this or Ethan Bear? As if Manning is a card-carrying member of the KKK who just happens to be a hockey player too. Zack Kassian called Matt Tkachuk a “pussy” not too long ago but not a peep out of these folks regarding discrimination towards women or the such.

Now, I’m not saying what Manning did was right because it 100% was not. In the heat of the battle sometimes things get blurted out that are immediately regretted. It happens and most everyone has done it because emotions, but how many of you have had to apologize in the same manner Manning has had to.

There’s got to be some empathy for both parties here I feel. A lot of people can’t even imagine what sort of mindset these players are in when they go to battle like this because they’ve never been professional hockey players.

Again, not saying that using racist insults is right or acceptable and that the world is a much “cleaner” one in that regard now. I’m just saying, shit happens.

I do not believe his contract should be terminated nor should he be called a piece of shit like a lot of folks online are doing since the news broke of the incident. He’s not a piece of excrement, in fact, if you recall, he stepped up for Connor McDavid this year after the Oilers captain took a dodgy hit in San Jose.

He’s done what he can do and he’s accepted his punishment, anybody pining for more than that is looking for attention in my opinion or looking for some way for the Oilers to get out from under his contract which is just a f*cked up justification as it is.

See, what has happened here will follow Manning for the rest of his life, unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how much hate you have in your heart). So, in effect, the punishment may very well last forever. We all know there are Oilers fans out there who still haven’t forgiven him for his altercation with Connor McDavid during 97’s rookie year.

Did Manning do something wrong? Yes. Did he atone for that? That’s for Imama to decide, not you or me.

It’s not like Manning has a history going around being a racist, right? The man apologized both publicly and privately and in addition to that there’s remorse and a willingness to improve. If that’s not enough for you, that’s your problem. He’s the one that has to live with this now, not you. Unless of course, you choose to. Pretty narcissistic, but not unheard of.

As I close this out, I realize it sounds like I’m supporting Manning’s actions and I am, but the ones that followed the incident. The apology was the right thing to do and I support that. What I do not support is the witchhunt and refusal to acknowledge said apology.

Why should some words have meaning and others not?

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Gagner, Sekera In. Talbot, Puljujarvi Out. Who’s Next?

What. A. Weekend! I was convinced that the Oilers were going to really make a go of it against Pittsburgh, Carolina, and the Islanders but man did they show me how wrong I really was. So much for getting rewarded for hard work eh? Those boys must be absolutely spent mentally. It’s come to the point to where they can’t even get a win when they do the right things…

Well, no need to dwell on that. The Oilers have started the sell-off with a couple of deals. One that I expected very much and the other that I’d heard rumblings of but didn’t actually think it would go down.

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Cam Talbot Gets His Trade

We talked about this WAY back in November, eh?

The recent rumor was that Brian Elliott was going to be the goalie coming back from Philadelphia, but it turned out that the management team lead by Keith Gretzky found a way to get 25-year-old Anthony Stolarz instead and cleared up almost $3.5M in cap space in the process.

Has anybody found out how Chuck Fletcher is going to deal with having Brian Elliott, Michael Neuvirth, Carter Hart, and Cam Talbot on the team?

I approve of this deal because I’m tired of seeing goals being scored on Edmonton in the first few shifts of a game or a period. Not a knock on Dadbot the person because he was a great citizen in Edmonton, but he didn’t want to be there anymore, the Oilers didn’t want him anymore. He’ll be a good mentor and backup for the Flyers.

Another plus to that deal was that Edmonton didn’t have to retain any salary. So good on them for that.

I don’t know a lot about Stolarz. When Bob Stauffer asked Gretzky for the scouting report on this kid, all he could say was that he was big and athletic… Alrighty then. Well, hopefully, the Oilers goalie coach doesn’t get him to leave the top corners open as he has with Koskinen and Talbot.

https://twitter.com/TheOilKnight/status/1096645322510557184

The Return of Samwise

I’d heard whispers of this maybe a month ago and I also remember it hypothetically being brought up on Oilers Now but I never thought it would actually go down. It was widely believed that Ryan Spooner would either be a buyout this summer or he’d be buried in the minors until his contract had expired, Mark Fayne-style.

My belief is that while Sam has still got the mind for the game and his hands are still there, his skating is not. I really think he was brought in for his leadership qualities and to gain a bit of favor with an irate fanbase. There’s nothing like bringing back a fan favorite!

It didn’t take long for him to get up to the 2nd line either eh? Jesse Puljujarvi couldn’t buy a second on the Oilers 2nd PP unit but Gagner gets thrust right into it with Colby Cave and Ty Rattie… If that doesn’t tell you how far Hitchcock’s coaching has fallen, I don’t know what does.

Were These Going to be Chiarelli’s Trades?

We were told that both of these deals were being negotiated for some time before they’d been finalized. So why all of a sudden is Keith Gretzky getting the push from the Oilers media to be the team’s next GM? All he did was say ok.

https://twitter.com/NHLbyMatty/status/1096827711262212098

I think that for the sake of the Gretzky name, Keith should take his name out of the running for the job and stay behind the scenes. Just because he’s got his name on a trade that the Oilers have won and another that is a wash doesn’t mean he’s qualified for the position. And let’s say he does get hired and nothing changes with the performances of the team. You think the fans are angry now… Just wait until they start vandalizing the Gretzky statue outside the arena.

Kretzky can be a very effective member of this team’s management structure without having to be the general manager.

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Who’s Getting Traded Next?

Let’s take a look at some of the Oilers most likely to be moved between now and the deadline. Keeping in mind here that the plan is to clear as much cap space as possible.

  • Alex Petrovic – If not waivers, it sounds like the Pens are interested in him. I don’t think the Oilers will get much back in return. Hopefully, a draft pick but if I were gunning for a prospect, I really like a kid by the name of JS Dea. He’s a small skilled center that doesn’t look like there’s a future for him in Pittsburgh at 24 years old. I think he’d fit seamlessly onto Bakersfield’s roster.
  • Matt Benning – Toronto, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Dallas, and Arizona are teams I’ve heard with interest in the rugged defender. He’s on the IR right now though. Once again, I’m sure a draft pick is the aim but if I could get a player out of these teams, I’d try for these ones,
    • TOR – Calle Rosen (D) – offensive dman who’s lighting up the AHL for the Marlies.
    • MTL – Joni Ikonen (C) – Highly skilled pivot scoring in bunches in Finland. Could be the key to unlocking Puljujarvi?
    • ARI – Nick Cousins (C) – No offensive output but he’s a dedicated 3C who can win draws. Edmonton needs players who pride themselves on their defensive acumen.
    • DAL – Julius Honka (D) – High-risk dman who can move the puck. Has worn his welcome out in Dallas though.
  • Brandon Manning – If the Oilers can find a way to get rid of Ryan Spooner, I’ve got some faith they might be able to do the same with Manning. If not, a waivers he will go!

**EDIT: To make room for Andrej Sekera, Manning was put on waivers for the purpose of assignment. Finally taking some of the power out of Hitchcock’s hands…**

  • Zack Kassian – If there’s a guy who I’d like to see stay, it’s Zack. Maybe he’s changed his mind from before and he feels the same but one has to wonder why he’s getting such a push on McDavid’s line recently if it’s not for a showcasing. I guess Boston has been asking around with regards to his availability.
    • BOS – Edmonton has been watching a lot of Bruins games in the last couple of weeks and I wouldn’t be surprised if a bigger deal was being negotiated but Don Sweeney is all-in this year and they’re younger players are up for grabs. Forwards like Danton Heinen, Anton Blidh, and Peter Cehlarik are available. I know the Oilers have liked Heinen in the past and he’s a player with some zip/speed to his game that Edmonton could certainly use and he did put up nearly 50 points last season.
  • Alex Chiasson – Gretzky said he’d like to keep him because if they traded him the Oilers wouldn’t have enough NHL forwards on the team. So he’s basically given him an NMC unofficially but I think they’ll be getting calls on him. Chiasson is exactly the kind of player teams who plan to go deep into the playoffs acquire. He’s big, he works his ass off, and he’s effective along the boards. Plus he starts off really well with new teams in terms of goal-scoring. No word on who’s interested here. I think Nashville would be though with Austin Watson out. Possibly Montreal as they could use a bit of size on the flanks.
    • NSH – Give me Tolvanen! Just kidding! I don’t see a lot on their roster that would be feasible in terms of a player-for-player trade. So a mid-round draft pick would suffice
    • MTL – Charles Hudon (F) recently went through waivers. I’d have time for him.
  • Toby Rieder – Edmonton is having trouble giving this guy away but I feel like a team who’d like a player who can contribute on the PK might come calling for him on deadline day.

I could probably do the whole roster but I’m going to stop there. Can’t see Manning getting claimed and in my opinion, Kevin Gravel has earned himself a new contract. So that means Petrovic is probably the next shoe to drop folks!

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

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

Edmonton Oilers Rumors: Details on Chiasson Contract Negotiations, Oilers Shopping Wingers, and How Sekera Will Fit Back In

Alrighty, let’s make this Edmonton Oilers rumor update a quicky so you can get back to your lunch! But first, the preface!

  • Oilers offered Alex Chiasson a 3-yr deal worth $1.5M per year, Chiasson’s camp countered with $2M per year and Edmonton hung up the phone… 

I wouldn’t give this guy $1.5M per year… What in the world makes anybody think that he’s going to replicate this again? As much as I like Chiasson’s performances, he’s cooled off severely since his hot start, just as he said he would when he was getting interviewed at the beginning of the year. He starts off hot with new teams and then goes cold. IMO, if he doesn’t want to sign for $1M on a one-year deal, thank him for his services and move on.

  • Andrej Sekera is most likely making his return to the Oilers roster by the weekend and Edmonton is going to have to make a couple of roster moves to do that. Word is that they’ll waive Brandon Manning and Alex Petrovic in hopes that at least one of them gets claimed. 

JE-SUS… What a mess these boys have to clean up here. Now, you might be wondering to yourself, “Didn’t you support those moves?”

I tried to find the positive in the moves. To my eye, Manning has been way superior to Petrovic so far and that’s not a great thing for Josh Marshall’s good buddy. But it might not matter if they both hit the waiver wire.

They said before that the Oilers were working as a committee to get things done. For example, Bob Stauffer talked about Hall and Eberle being traded and referred to those trades as “organizational trades”. We remember when Hitchcock came in, he said he was the one that had Puljujarvi recalled. Then, later on, he thanked “Keith especially” after the Petrovic/Manning trades. Oh and don’t forget Bob Nicholson saying that Chia wasn’t the only person working on the Koskinen contract… Now we’re being told that it was all Chiarelli…

https://twitter.com/TheOilKnight/status/1095060072793665536

Well, I can pretty much tell you with a high degree of certainty that Chiarelli wasn’t working alone but that he made a lot of the final decisions on player acquisitions/contracts that a lot of the other members of the management team didn’t agree with.

A lot of folks get pissy at the pro scouting department but from what I’ve gathered, Chiarelli didn’t have time for those that opposed him. Going as far as removing them from meetings. Word has it that Peter preferred the word of his brother Mike when it came to scouting.

  • The Oilers are still taking calls on Cam Talbot.

Oh boy… I hope they get something good for this guy but I’m not hopeful on it. He’ll play great one game and shite the next. He does have a clause in his deal that gives him the choice as to where he’s traded but since that Chicago game (and subsequent trade demand), I don’t think he’s going to make a fuss about it.

I wonder if Columbus might make sense should they find a way to move Sergei Bobrovsky. Personally, Philadelphia makes the most sense to me. Their need for a mentor for Carter Hart and a goalie that could be a short-term stop gap for a couple of seasons while Hart gets broken in just tells me there’s a fit there.

  • Rieder and Kassian are bring shopped HARD. 

Kassian has been playing quite well as of recent. Well enough to get back on the 1st line with McDavid and Draisaitl at least. Whereas Rieder STILL hasn’t scored a goal. If there’s a team out there that’ll take either of these boys off the Oilers’ hands without Edmonton retaining salary, GET. IT. DONE!

  • Oilers like Zuccarello

This would be a fine acquisition if there weren’t rumors of him wanted to sign back in NY this summer… If those rumors are indeed true, his price won’t be high, so Edmonton might pick him up after all. I wouldn’t bet your house on it though.

  • Brodziak could be moved out for a younger 4C

Yeah… Not so sure on this one. I don’t know any teams that would want to pick Brodziak up really. If he does move, it’ll be right on deadline day and that trade will be a fallback deal for some team that missed out on another one.

I think they should go with Jujhar Khaira as 4C. I watched the Leafs do it with Frederik Gauthier and he’s a worse player than JJ in my opinion.

So there you have it. The latest up to date info on the Oilers! Have a great day!

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Armchair GM, Edmonton Oil Drops, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

Edmonton Oil Drops: Cap Situation Revealed, Chiarelli Isn’t Done Yet by @edmoildrops

Another late post, I’m very sorry! She’s been a busy week for writing and other family responsibilities. This one is really good and I’m really happy to be able to offer it to you.

It was hard not to expect a deal of some kind today after the painful effort put forth against SJ. Chiarelli has acquired defenceman Alex Petrovic from Florida for Chris Wideman and a conditional 3rd round pick. The acquisition cost was certainly right. Wideman cost Edmonton a conditional low round pick, and the Oilers had a 3rd round pick to spare in the upcoming draft. Petrovic will provide some stability to a back-end that sorely needs it because of some key injuries. The Oilers have allowed at least 4 goals in each of the last 5 games, which were all losses.

With rumours of Chiarelli’s demise running rampant, a deal had to made.

Here is a look at the current cap situation after the Petrovic deal, and the call-up of Kailer Yamamoto:

Click here to read more of this BEAUTY of a blog post by Ryab (@edmoildrops)

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Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

McDavid Rips Classless Manning After Oilers Loss in Philly

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Connor McDavid was not a happy camper after the Edmonton Oilers absolutely BLEW two 2-goal leads in a 6-5 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers but that a narrative will be playing second fiddle to the Manning/McDavid quotes that came after the game.

Edmonton journalist Jim Matheson asked McDavid the following question in the post-game scrum:

Words for Manning. You didn’t like the hit from last year or just early in the 1st period?

To which McDavid responded after a letting out a huge breath:

I did all I could defending him last year in the media, everyone wanted to make it a big deal saying he did it on purpose. He (manning) wanted to say some comments today about what went on last year. I thought it was one of the classless things I’ve ever seen on the ice. So he (manning) said some things and our guys responded accordingly. I guess we can put the whole “did he do it on purpose thing” to rest because what he said out there kinda confirmed that. Shows what kind of guy he (manning) is when he doesn’t step up and fight some of our guys.

“Fuck you! You fucking little bitch!” – Connor McDavid to Brandon Manning

What do you think about McDavid’s comments? Personally, I love that he dropped the f-bomb like that and that he opened up this little can of worms in the post-game scrum. Manning is a little bitch and a classless hockey player for doing what he did to McDavid and then not answering the call when it was time to pay the fiddler. We’ll be talking about potty-mouth McDavid for the rest of the week now! lol. #FYYLB (hat tip to Ms.Jackie Dawson for that hash tag!)

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