Tag Archives: Jacob Trouba

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

Thoughts on the Lucic Situation and Other Oilers Trade Rumors/Proposals

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Milan Lucic… The Oilers have quite the situation on their hands right now and part of that is on the player, part of it is on the coach, part if it is on the GM, and part of it is on the fanbase. I always knew that Edmonton could be a volatile market for players and perhaps I’m being naive but over the past 12 months was the first time I heard of a player’s family getting harassed. It has to have happened before then though.

These sort of harassment stories start leaking out, be they regarding Lucic’s family or McDavid’s, and folks still wonder why players won’t come to Edmonton via free agency unless the Oilers completely overpay.

Can you blame Milan Lucic for going to Peter Chiarelli and saying to him that he’d be willing to work with the team IF they felt a move out of Edmonton was the best course of action for the organization and the player? For a person like Lucic to go into the office of a man who’s been his boss for the majority of his career and a man who stepped up to sign him to a long-term deal, that’s probably one of the hardest things he’s had to do. I’d say that’s a pretty honorable thing to do if you ask me.

And NO it’s not quitting on the team. If you’re suggesting that I’d argue that you’re not fully on board with Milan Lucic being a member of the Edmonton Oilers and/or you’re still reeling from the Taylor Hall trade. Either way, feel free to move on.

Personally, if the Oilers can find a way to keep Milan Lucic and help whatever may or may not be happening off of the ice, that’d be the best way to go about things for me.

I’m not a huge supporter of the idea that trading him out for another bad contract is going to help the Oilers in their chances of making the playoffs next year. Milan Lucic plays a major role on the Oilers team and what message does that send to the rest of the roster if they trade him after having a bad 4 months? Mind you they did trade Eberle after a poor season but I think that had more to do with Eberle not buying into McLellan’s systems.

I do not believe that trading Lucic with a “sweetener” in order for another team to take the entire contract off their hands is a good idea either. Not only does that dig the team into a bigger hole long-term development-wise but there’s no guarantee that the Oilers will find a player in free agency that will do better than Lucic’s average of 42pts a year since joining the club.

Some will say that Pat Maroon would be a perfect replacement and that was suggested on Oilers Now yesterday. Stauffer immediately scoffed and said something to the effect that Maroon doesn’t scare anybody whereas Milan just being on the team is a deterrent for the “rats” on the other team.

Some might say David Perron or James Neal but I’m here to say that they’re not signing in Edmonton for less than what Milan Lucic made and they’re the same age. So not only would the Oilers be overpaying those players, they’d be giving them NMCs and term up to 6/7 years IF they’d be willing to sign.

Look, you could say Rick Nash, Michael Grabner, JVR, or Thomas Vanek. It doesn’t matter if none of them want to come to Edmonton after what’s happening with Lucic here. So you trade him and none of them want to sign, what then? You’ve got that cap room and Darnell Nurse, Ryan Strome, and the rest of the RFAs are licking their chops now. But you’re down a top-6 winger, again!

Speaking of Milan being a top-6 winger, it’s up for debate at the moment. I had no problems with him playing on the 3rd line near the end of last season as the opposition wasn’t as difficult. If that’s where he helps the team the most, so be it. Phil Kessel has spent time on the Pens 3rd line in the past. I believe David Backes, Andrew Ladd, and Kyle Okposo have as well. It’s not the end of the world if he plays there.

In 16/17, Milan Lucic had excellent fancies with Connor McDavid but in 17/18 he had better fancies with RNH (hard to believe) but in both years, he was best served away from Leon Draisaitl. So with Nuge now on Connor’s LW and the numbers telling us that McLellan should avoid playing Lucic and Draisaitl together, that leaves only the 3rd line for him apparently.

That’s not to say that things couldn’t change next season. Maybe in 18/19 Leon will be the best centre that Milan plays with IF he’s an Oiler. I just found that when Lucic played with Puljujarvi and Strome, it was a very disruptive line and maybe that’s on Jesse and Milan’s forechecking less than Strome’s work at centre. Maybe it was the 3rd pairing defensemen they were lined up across from but whatever it was, it worked between the three of them.

Anyways, the Oilers have a top-6 winger right now. If there’s a way to keep him and keep him happy (on and off the ice), the Oilers should do it.

Jason Gregor had a helluva rant on his show yesterday that I thought summed up my feelings perfectly. Take a listen to it below. The rant starts around 13:15.

Enjoy!

TRADE RUMORS/PROPOSALS

A caller named “Travis” called into Oilers Now yesterday and offered the following proposal and I’d love to know what you think about it because I dig it.

To Buffalo: Jacob Trouba
To Winnipeg: Oscar Klefbom
To Edmonton Rasmus Ristolainen

I’ve come to the point to where the only thing that Oscar Klefbom has going for him right now is his contract. He doesn’t produce points nor is he the best possession positive player. He’s hurt a lot and isn’t very mobile.

The Jets could use a LHD to replace Enstrom, for some reason the Sabres are souring on Ristolainen (I’m not sure if that’s Jack Eichel talking or what), and a Sabres top pairing of Dahlin and Trouba wouldn’t be too bad. Although I think they should go after Shea Weber to be Dahlin’s partner, that’s just me.

I want the Oilers top PP dman to be one that actually produces on the PP. One that is actually a threat and there are a couple of defensemen in the league that always do well versus Edmonton, Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov. Or at least they had great seasons against the Oilers last year. Either of those two players would be outstanding additions to Edmonton’s back end. They shoot, their big, mobile, and they’re mean MF’ers.

CAROLINA

Stauffer had Tripp Tracy (Carolina’s television analyst) on his show yesterday and they were discussing what the Hurricanes problems where and Tracy said that Carolina was looking to add physicality to their team. He also talked about times when the team wasn’t playing the right way and specifically tossed out Jeff Skinner’s name. That got Stauffer’s attention and he hummed in agreement. So I guess we can safely assume that Skinner has got some Eberle-like tendencies. They also said that Skinner has been inconsistent in his goal scoring.

Justin Faulk’s name came up and Tracy said that Faulk has let him down on the defensive side of the puck and that he’s got a lot more to give. Tracy also noted that Faulk has lost some quickness due to the addition of more muscle mass.

“Would there be an appetite to change the makeup and add a different ingredient to the organization? Because to me they lacked a bit of physical competitiveness.” is what Stauffer asked Tripp Tracy at one point and Tracy’s response was,

“I literally couldn’t agree more.”

Tracy also went on to say that he thought the culture has quite a bit to be desired and the biggest reasons for that were,

  • “Guys not playing the right way all the time. With a team-first mindset. Jeff Skinner’s a classic example of that.”
  • “Being too perimeter based.”

I don’t watch the Hurricanes ever. I think they’re pretty boring to watch and therefore not worth my time unless they’re playing the Oilers. That said, Tracy mentioned that the ‘Canes new coach Rod Brind’Amour will demand they play the right way and that softens my stance a bit with regards to the Hurricanes being a destination for Milan Lucic.

Tom Dundon, it’s been said, is very much into the analytics and will rely on them and while Lucic doesn’t have “bad” possession numbers, they’re above water, for the most part, but he doesn’t have amazing ones either.

But maybe it wouldn’t be Lucic going to Carolina, maybe it’d be Zack Kassian. Maybe it’d be Jujhar Khaira or Darnell Nurse. Who knows?

What I will say to end this off is that IF this Lucic situation was a fabrication or a falsity made up by the media, the agents would be all over it. Lucic’s agent is local but he’s not the kind of agent that goes around stirring the pot either. The fact that we haven’t heard anything from the player, the agent or the GM says something.

I’d like to see him stay but if it’s not a fit for his family after 2 years, I’d understand.

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Around the Oilogosphere, Bakersfield Condors, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, NHL Entry Draft, Prospects, Rumors

Around the Oilogosphere – April 3rd Edition – Oilers Prospect Reports, Staying the Course, Top-10 Free Agents, Karlsson/Trouba Rumors, and More!

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Two more games until the end of this disastrous 2017/18 Oilers season that has been derailed by slumps, injuries (disclosed and not), bad coaching, and questionable GM-ing.

That special portion of the Oilers fanbase is looking for their sacrificial lamb. Some yearning for Todd McLellan to be fired or for Peter Chiarelli to get his pink slip but this is what I don’t understand.

Peter Chiarelli’s job was to get the Oilers into the playoffs ASAP when he was hired, right? Why in Sam’s Hell are you all concerned with how he does it?

We’ve got “smart” people complaining that he’s built this team around heavy hockey, well, has he?

He signed Milan Lucic and traded for Adam Larsson (who is +31 since joining the team). He got rid of a jaded goalie for Zack Kassian (nobody was complaining about that deal until this year) but you can’t even say Kassian plays a heavy hockey game if you take the time to watch him. Maroon was brought in and if you’re going to complain about his contributions to the team, then I suggest you head down the QE2 and shack up with the Shames because you’re just complaining to hear your own voice.

Are you going to shit on JJ Khaira’s performance this season? He plays a heavy game but I bet you’d take the time to criticize Chiarelli if he dealt JJ. Does Leon Draisaitl fall into this category as well?

So what I’m getting here is that special portion of the fanbase is so mad that Chiarelli traded their boys in Hall and Eberle (no mention of Yak ever which is unsurprising) for specifically targetted pieces that the team needed that they are blinded to the good things that Chiarelli has done for the team.

My advice: Be careful what you wish for.

The Gagner-Hall years were filled with skill. So much skill in that teams just bullied them into submission. Well, I’ll tell you this much, the bullying hasn’t stopped with those teams and yes, they’re still heavy teams. Those are veteran-laden teams who get the call more often than not.

So we go back to getting to the playoffs and not caring how Chiarelli builds the team to get there. To get out of the division and into the playoffs in the Pacific division, every team has to go through California and to do that they have to outmuscle Getzlaf, Perry, Burns, Thornton, Doughty, Lindholm, Carter, etc.

Many will point to Vegas and say, “SEE!” without taking the time to look at their roster closely. Yup, they’re a fast team and forecheck hard. You can’t deny they’ve also had above average goaltending and the coach has done a wonderful job but have you counted the number of expiring contracts on that team? We all know players playing on the last year of their deal play better (for the most part) and that’s exactly what the Golden Knights are doing and good on them for taking advantage. What will they look like next season?

I think you can look at an Oilers supporter on Twitter and immediately deduce if they are pro-Chiarelli or anti-Chiarelli quite easily and that’s what all of this is boiling down to.

Personally, whoever gets traded or loses their job this summer has it coming. I’m not so far up my own ass that I can’t say Chiarelli made some massive bets on his roster and they backfired. I supported Todd McLellan at the beginning of the year but have found myself frustrated as hell with his staff’s performances 80 games later.

I see the holes on the roster and it’d be nice to see upgrades.

This tweet kind of sums it up for me:

https://twitter.com/Mr_JJT/status/981345249564901376

Speaking of Twitter, I’m going to start blocking people more liberally because it’s getting tiresome going around in circles for the sake of satiating another’s ego or my own for that matter. I’m not looking for people to always agree with my comments but I’m not looking for harassment either. It’s a drain.

OILERS NEWS

Sportsnet – Takeaways: Wild simply too much for nosediving Oilers to handle – It says here that the coaching staff is the least of this club’s problems right now, but tell me how you defend a staff whose special teams are this pathetic?

Sportsnet – Oilers Prospect Report: Kailer Yamamoto Offers Promise Up Front – Of the top four prospects in the Edmonton Oilers organization, none were drafted first overall. In fact, one is a deep first-rounder, another from Round 2, and then a fourth- and fifth-rounder — a sign the Oilers are perhaps figuring out how to find players below the No. 1 spot in the NHL Draft.

The Oil Knight – OHL Playoffs Round 2 – Niagara vs. Hamilton – Despite the success in the Regular Season vs. the Bulldogs, Niagara is going to be in tough in this matchup.

The Cult of Hockey – Fans should be wary about buying “stay the course” narrative from Edmonton Oilers – Heading into the season, most folks predicted the Oilers would be one of the top teams in the NHL. On paper, this looked like a good-to-great team. There is a serious gap between these expectations and how things turned out. I see a number of possible courses of action…

Oilersnation – Monday Mailbag – UFAs, trading the first round pick, and Al Montoya

Oilersnation – Let’s find some positives from this season

The Hockey Writers – Oilers Six Thoughts: Benson, Maksimov, Skinner; and Others – Here’s a quick recap of what’s transpired during the CHL’s first-round action, and how the Oiler prospects are doing.

NHL RUMORS

Dreger and Friedman ponder cap space usage for Canucks

Friedman | Surprise team could pursue Karlsson trade

Ranking the Top-10 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents at Season’s End

McKenzie | Trouba probably looking to drive real hard bargain

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

Trouba Be Breaking Hearts

2 Comments

I think I’m the first to write about this today, right? Jacob Trouba has asked for a trade and Oilers fans are on the warpath to offer everything the Winnipeg Jets don’t or wouldn’t want for him. I’m sorry folks but Jacob Trouba isn’t going to be an Edmonton Oiler for a multitude of reasons.

REASON 1

The ask from Winnipeg for Jacob Trouba is Darnell Nurse. Plain and simple. Straight across could very well get it done IF Chiarelli really wanted to do the deal. Cheveldayoff likes Nurse BUT so does Chiarelli (hence the giant mural in Roger’s Place).

I think the Oilers would be best off making this trade because it would “cost” the least, theoretically.

Nurse wouldn’t have to be protected in the upcoming expansion draft BUT the trade-off is leaving Reinhart and Davidson unprotected, which, to me; isn’t even a question.

Woodguy, G Money, and other brainiacs have made their findings very known as to who is the better defenseman at this point in time and are we not at that point where the Oilers need to be good right now?

REASON 2

Jacob Trouba is going to cost whatever team acquires him an arm and a leg and possibly an eye. Meaning, The price to acquire him will be what Cheveldayoff wants because he can sit on this deal until he’s happy with what is being offered AND the other price will be in salary.

Luke Fox of Sportsnet had a report back in 2015 talking about What the Jets were looking at with regards to re-signing Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, and Jacob Trouba.

Trouba has requested upwards of $56 million over eight years.

So if Trouba is dealt, that max term goes down to 7 years. I imagine one could realistically look at him signing something between $6M and $7M at max term.

Now the boy is good, but does he deserve to get paid on par with Erik Karlsson and Drew Doughty and would that be smart on the Oilers part to add that kind of cap hit?

Last I heard, the Jets were asking for Klefbom AND Nurse but that was in the summer and the price has gone down. Still though, It’ll take an “A” grade prospect or a scoring forward with pedigree to get the talks started and moving along.

REASON 3

Other teams have more to offer than the Oilers.

https://twitter.com/RumorBreak/status/779862376409595904

Boston: Zboril, Debrusk, Senyshyn, Pastrnak, Krejci

The Bruins are a bit weak in these negotiations unless their willing to move winger David Pastrnak but David Krejci could be a wildcard here.

Arizona: Rieder, Stone, Perlini, Dvorak, Murphy, Chychrun, Keller

The Coyotes could offer a bit more in terms of an NHL player who could help right now…

New York: Nash, Kreider, Staal, Skej

IF the Jets want to add to their scoring, the Rangers might want to be their target. A Pricey add Nash or Kreider would be but if Jimmy Vesey is what he’s been pumped up to be, the Rangers are moving a LW.

Unless the Oilers are willing to offer Jordan Eberle for Trouba, I can’t see the Oilers being the team that Winnipeg says yes to. I wouldn’t be opposed to that trade but later in the season AFTER we know what Jesse Puljujarvi is bringing to the table and where we are with Nail Yakupov.

So don’t hold your breath kids. The Oilers will be going into teh 2016/17 season sans Jacob Trouba UNLESS either Eberle or Nurse are sent to Winnipeg…

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

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Armchair GM, Edmonton Oilers, Michael Sifeldeen, NHL, Trades

Someone’s In Big Trouba

6 Comments

Okay, before you beat me up and take my lunch money for that pun that doesn’t even really work if you read it out loud, let’s just talk about a few things. A recap, if you will, of a rather eventful few days at a point in the offseason not really close to any major events, when we as hockey writers have to just take it upon ourselves to manufacture controversy wherever we can. I will gladly shoulder that burden.

Oh hey, Sexbom
  • By now, we’re all painfully aware of the comments made by Klefbom in regard to Hall and his play against tough competition, and how it was in all likelihood someone in the Oilers organization who made him “clarify” those comments the next morning, when they became a whole lot more politically correct and a whole lot less about Hall
  • Tyson Barrie is going to be an Avalanche… Avalancher?.. for the foreseeable future and not, in fact, an Oiler. Boo-urns.
  • Jacob Trouba and Winnipeg management are “far apart on money, term, and usage”, according to comments made by TSN’s Gary Lawless on “That’s Hockey” on Tuesday

But what does it all mean, man?

Well, a few things, maybe:

  • The Cubs are still not going to win the World Series
  • If one more goddamn Pidgey breaks out of one of my pokeballs, I’m deleting Pokémon Go for good
  • Maybe Klefbom gets traded to Winnipeg for Trouba?

I know, I know, that’s ridiculous. I’ll never delete Pokémon Go. So let’s talk about why the Oilers and the Jets do this trade.

Anyone who’s been paying attention the last few years knows that Peter Chiarelli absolutely does not care at all about your opinion when it comes to who he gets rid of from an organization. Phil Kessel, Tyler Seguin, and Taylor Hall can all attest to that. He also has no time for guys who he feels are sources of “character problems” inside or outside the locker room. Do Klef’s comments put him firmly on Chia’s shit list? Who knows. But if the rumours are true that he was the one who got on the phone and laid down the law, you’ve got to think there’s tension there.

Enter, the Winnipeg Jets and their inability to retain young talent long-term. There’s an argument to be made that the Jets are under-utilizing one of their best defensive assets, and it’s probably pissing him off, especially if they’re trying to lowball him on his well-earned bridge contract. Jacob is watching Dustin “The Brandon Davidson Killer” Byfuglien lumber around with a $7.6M contract until 2021 and he wants to get his, too. I reckon he’s asking for something like a $6Mx4 and guaranteed PP minutes, and the Jets don’t want to pony up just yet, on term or price.

I hate this guy

Maybe a guy like Klefbom, locked in at under $4.2M for the next 6 seasons looks pretty appealing to Winnipeg right now. Maybe the Oilers take a shot on Trouba (who is pretty much a known quantity at this point, who stays healthier than poor Klef has historically) and give him the $6M he wants for a few years. We’ll be shedding some anchors soon with all the money tied up in Ference and Nikitin, and we have almost $8.5M in cap space left as it is. Woodguy (one half of the very cool WoodMoney stat co-created by BLH’s own G Money) loves the guy, and he’s a lot smarter than me and has the fancystats to prove what an asset Trouba would be. The Oilers so desperately need defencemen who consistently maintain possession and drive offense, which is Jacob’s specialty. Now, that’s not to say the numbers indicate that Klefbom doesn’t do that — because he definitely does — but what I’m saying is that we wouldn’t necessarily miss him all that much. (I mean, I would miss just looking at him at the very least, and these top Google suggestions would seem to indicate the Edmonton area would share my pain.)

 

But we’ll plop BDavey on the top line on Larsson’s wing and let them just be awesome and rock solid together and out-Corsi everyone in the Pacific. Look at what it does to our defensive lineups:

Davidson – Larsson
Sekera- Trouba
Nurse – Fayne/Oesterle

Holy smokes, right? That’s an objectively awesome defensive lineup. And cheap, too! Dare I say it, that’s a playoff d-core.

And all because Klefbom shot his mouth off a bit to the Swedish press. It sure is nice here in perpetual optimism land, where the glass is always half full and this year is always our year!

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

Barrie Vs. Trouba: Who Would Be a Better Fit for the Oilers

5 Comments
Tyson Barrie

The day is upon us! I imagine it will be quite anti-climatic for Oilers fans. Tyson Barrie will be a member of the Colorado Avalanche for one or two more seasons at least because the Avs simply have all of the power right now. If I’m not mistaken Barrie is under team control for at least another two years. So the ball is in their court unless Barrie wants to steal it and run home with it.

Woodguy had another great spot on Lowetide’s show yesterday and in it he talked about Barrie and Trouba. I’m going to do my best to transcribe it below and then comment on it because he made some interesting points regarding the two with regards to the Oilers. If you want to listen to it I’ll put the soundcloud link at the end of the transcription. The talk about Trouba/Barrie starts around minute 33.

*I got in touch with Woodguy after this post was finished and he told me he’d mis-said somethings and tweeted out the following to clear them up*

LT: Is he (Barrie) a good fit, a great fit, or a perfect fit for the Oilers?

WG: I think he’s a good fit Al. The shine has come off of Barrie for me a little bit as I keep digging deeper and deeper into defensemen trying to figure out what makes them good. And as I dig deeper into defensemen Al, I value points less and I value possession more and defending more, the ability to defend and the ability to turn the puck up ice. I value that more than points.

So for instance if you had a Jacob Trouba on one side and Barrie on the other, they’re both available for the exact same dollars, I take Trouba 100 times out of 100 because of how he plays 5×5, how he defends 5×5 and his ability to transition the puck.

He affects the shots against in a good way, the shots for in a good way and Barrie does that but not on the same scale and actually Barrie doesn’t do that. The shots against go up when Barrie’s on the ice. He’s a bit of a saloon door that way but he scores so much that you kinda forgive him for it.

But I want a guy that’s better both ways, a guy that affects the shots for in a positive way, a guy that affects the shots against in a positive way.

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LT: And that’s Hamonic.

WG: That’s Hamonic, that’s uhhhhh. Actually Hamonic. No, it’s not Hamonic. The shots against go up when Hamonic is on the ice.

No, there’s only a few guys who can do that and the list is shorter than I thought it’d be and believe it or not, Trouba falls into that list.

So, you know, and you have RNH and McDavid, so I don’t think the Oilers really need a PP quarterback out on that right-hand defenseman, they just need a shot and Trouba’s got a howitzer.

You know, one of the reasons I’m starting to value points less 5×5 Al, think about this.

LT: This is about defenseman.

WG: This is about defensemen, the top 10 NHL teams in goals for last year, Washington didn’t have a Barrie-type, Florida had Campbell mehhh.

LT: What about Mike Green?

WG: Mike Green played for Detroit last year. Old man.

Dallas had Klingberg and that’s one thing and he’s there and Pittsburgh had Letang, Rangers had McDonagh. So they kinda had one guy but then you have Boston, Tampa, the Islanders, Calgary, Columbus.

No one is that Barrie-Type yet, these guys (teams) score the most. If you look at why they score the most, you look at their overall defense core in terms of transitioning the puck. The Rangers kinda stick out like a sore thumb but otherwise those are pretty decent teams defense core-wise. Columbus is a little weird but we can get into that, they have a really nice set of forwards in terms of possession and scoring.

But that’s your top 5×5 scoring teams Al and that’s where the Oilers really need help and you don’t necessarily need a Barrie-type,  you need a solid solid top four. So if you can add a Trouba and I think that helps the Oilers much much much more than a Barrie.

Isn’t that crazy? I was under the impression that Barrie was far and away the better player. But if we take a look at some of the charts we have available like the HERO chart and Ryan Stimson’s passing project chart (I’m not sure how often this chart is being updated though, it says last updated in July of 2015… So take that chart with a grain of salt).

Be forewarned, the post is about to get a bit long due to the charts and stats. If you want to you can scroll down a bit and you’ll probably get the gist in the conclusion.

(HERO chart) courtesy of http://ownthepuck.blogspot.tw/

 

(Passing chart) http://ownthepuck.blogspot.tw/

So even with these two charts, it’s tough to discern who is truly the better of the two. You’d probably look at both charts and say Barrie is much better than Trouba but what if we use the Woodmoney metrics to toss some more confusion into the salad bowl?

Name TOI Competition Conf.

DFF/60

DFA/60
Tyson Barrie 278:22 Elite West

40.6

49.4
Tyson Barrie 139:52 Elite East

33.5

46.4
Tyson Barrie 208:51 Elite Home

41

52.1
Tyson Barrie 209:23 Elite Away

35.5

44.6
Tyson Barrie 418:14 Elite Both

38.2

48.4
Tyson Barrie 319:29 Muddle West

35.1

41.5
Tyson Barrie 229:33 Muddle East

34.8

40.8
Tyson Barrie 280:37 Muddle Home

34.7

40.7
Tyson Barrie 268:25 Muddle Away

35.3

41.8
Tyson Barrie 549:02 Muddle Both

35

41.2
Tyson Barrie 292:22 Dregs West

28.5

40.8
Tyson Barrie 163:22 Dregs East

45.4

43
Tyson Barrie 197:46 Dregs Home

34.6

46.2
Tyson Barrie 257:58 Dregs Away

34.5

38
Tyson Barrie 455:44 Dregs Both

34.5

41.6
Tyson Barrie 1423:00 All All

35.8

43.4

So with Barrie, we can see that he had his most successful defensive deployment versus the “dregs” of the NHL when Colorado was away from home. Basically the bottom tier of players. And his most successful offensive deployment came against the “dregs” of the Eastern Conference.

All in All, his dangerous fenwick for per sixty isn’t great and neither is his dangerous fenwick against per sixty. He puts up points at the sacrifice of his team’s defence is how I am reading things.

Name TOI Competition Conf.

DFF/60

DFA/60
Jacob Trouba 304:48 Elite West

45.2

41
Jacob Trouba 148:17 Elite East

30.4

36.1
Jacob Trouba 217:21 Elite Home

40

37.4
Jacob Trouba 235:44 Elite Away

40.7

41.3
Jacob Trouba 453:05 Elite Both

40.4

39.4
Jacob Trouba 274:11 Muddle West

37

31.9
Jacob Trouba 209:06 Muddle East

46.6

35.5
Jacob Trouba 244:54 Muddle Home

42.2

32.3
Jacob Trouba 238:23 Muddle Away

40.1

34.6
Jacob Trouba 483:17 Muddle Both

41.2

33.4
Jacob Trouba 272:51 Dregs West

44.1

32.2
Jacob Trouba 178:41 Dregs East

41.2

40.3
Jacob Trouba 208:12 Dregs Home

52.3

30.9
Jacob Trouba 243:20 Dregs Away

34.9

39.3
Jacob Trouba 451:32 Dregs Both

43

35.4
Jacob Trouba 1387:54 All All

41.5

36

Jacob Trouba’s most successful defensive deployment came when we was put out against the “dregs” when Winnipeg played away from home and his most successful offensive deployment came versus against the same competition.

The big difference between Trouba and Barrie here is in the final tallies.

Trouba DFF/60 – 41.5 DFA/60 – 36
Barrie   DFF/60 – 36.8 DFA/60 – 43.4

I believe the numbers are telling me that Jacob Trouba is a far a better defenseman than Tyson Barrie and that flows with what Woodguy was saying. He creates more dangerous shot attempts per sixty and he prevents more dangerous shot attempts per sixty minutes than Tyson Barrie.

What are their impacts on teammates?

charts courtesy of http://www.corsica.hockey/combos/

Trouba’s WOWYs come out on top as well.

So one (as an Oilers fan) really has to ask themselves, are the Edmonton Oilers better off with a Jacob Trouba-type or a Tyson Barrie-type?

For me, I love what Jacob Trouba brings to the table. He’s mean, he can play actual defense and he’s got a bloody hard shot. He’s the modern-day Dave Manson in my opinion. Probably a better skater. But his contract demands scare me a bit. Would that be an issue in the future? Could you imagine a top six like this:

Klefbom/Larsson
Sekera/Trouba
Nurse/Davidson

Good Lord have mercy on the forwards of the NHL!!

That being said though, the Oilers haven’t had an pure offensive dman in some time. A guy that can put up points from the… Point would be quite the addition but I’m not sure it’s a pertinent need for Edmonton right now. I’d rather have a defense that can move the puck efficiently to the forwards and let them do the scoring.

If the Oilers can produce an offensive dman from within (Joey Laleggia/Jordan Oesterle??) and toss him out there with cherry minutes and soft zone starts whilst getting some PP minutes, what’s the hurt in that? This would allow them to move a Brandon Davidson into the no.4 spot on defense and give the Oilers a very solid top-two pairings, each with a shut-down defenseman and a puck mover.

From my understanding the Oilers have talked to the Jets in the past and we know they’ve been talking to the Avalanche. As far as I know these have been the asks from each team for their player:

Winnipeg wanted Oscar Klefbom AND Darnell Nurse for Jacob Trouba.
Colorado wants Jordan Eberle and Brandon Davidson for Tyson Barrie and Jarome Iginla (apparently).

Now, doesn’t that throw a wrench into things. If that’s the cost of doing business, I think that the shop should be closed for the summer in E-town. The Oilers finally have some depth in nearly every position and there’s competition for the top six forwards and the bottom four defensemen. I would say that this would be a good time to stand pat and see what the players within the organization can offer before making another trade or signing.

What do you think? I hope I haven’t butchered the understanding of those stats but if I have let me know in the comments below!