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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”.

Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

Jumping In Head First

I’m going to be touching on a few things here including the game tonight that I’ll miss due to work. GRRR! Also, I want to touch on the anti-Eberle fans and then on a more serious note I’ll be talking about a serious article from The Oilers Rig that has had me thinking and I hope you can help me with my thoughts a bit.

**WARNING! THIS POST HAS QUITE A BIT OF FOUL LANGUAGE IN IT. PLEASE GO ELSEWHERE IF YOU’RE OFFENDED BY SWEAR WORDS. IF YOU DO STAY AND READ AND THEN DECIDE TO EMAIL ME ABOUT SAID LANGUAGE, I WILL PROBABLY REPLY WITH THE SAME SORT OF LANGUAGE. THANK YOU!**

Oilers/Maple Leafs: McDavid vs. Kadri

I’m very interested in seeing how this is going to go down. Will Kadri try to go at McDavid like he did in TO? Will Lucic do something about it if Kadri does? How will McLellan work the last change?

I think that Connor is going to take this match-up very seriously and very personally. He looks like a man of immense pride and being embarrassed like that in TO has surely left a mark.

How will the Oilers combat Mitch Marner? What if Darnell Nurse was out there every time Marner was? Do what Arizona with OEL on McDavid and just have a single dman tasked withs shutting Marner down.

Will Auston Matthews and William Nylander have a better go this time around? They were pretty quiet in the previous game. Do you reckon that RNH will be given the job of taking care of the Maple Leafs’ kid line?

This should be a beauty of a game and in comparison to the last two versus Arizona, it should feel like 1987 all over again!

JORDAN EBERLE

Are you one of the fans that is yearning for the Oilers to sit Eberle in the press box for a night to “teach him a lesson”? Or are you the kind that wants the Oilers to deal him right now?

Ain’t happenin’ folks!

Eberle is the team’s best RW, period and he’s on pace to put up 25 goals and 60 points! You can’t even argue that Puljujarvi is one bit and he’s the closest one! WHY would you want to trade that?

Ebs scores, forechecks like a mutha fucker and he’s been backchecking like crazy this season. More than any other season that I can remember.

Do you think he’s lazy in the corners and too weak?

Remember how he and Hall and Nuge used to work that cycle in year’s past? Yeah, he had to go to the dirty areas to do that.

Look, I’m mad at him for missing that assignment in front of the net vs. Arizona too and I absolutely HATE how he has to dribble the puck 3 or 4 times before letting it fly but you win as a team and you lose as a team. The Oilers, and Eberle himself, had plenty of chances to score earlier and they didn’t. Boo hoo, we move on to the next team.

I mean if you’re going to pick on someone, be consistent. Get on Pouliot’s back.

ON A SERIOUS NOTE… This is Where I Jump in Head First.

As I laid in bed trying to get to sleep I had a Joe Rogan podcast playing in the background and today’s guest was a professor from the Univ. of Toronto and they were talking about social justice warriors and the likes and it got me thinking about an article I read from my old haunt, The Oilers Rig.

http://www.theoilersrig.com/2016/11/sports-email-abuse-2/

The article was from the site’s content manager Megan Fowler and she had an encounter with an unknown follower who happened to show a lack of appreciation for her fondness of Taylor Hall and proceeded to call her a cunt. Neh! A stupid cunt.

Now I’ve dealt with Ms.Fowler in the past and I’ll be honest, the interactions weren’t that pleasant. It was more business-like than I was used to and we didn’t see eye-to-eye because we’re on the opposite sides of the Hall debate and had no problems letting each other know. Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t a stupid cunt or anything. But I left the Rig family soon after to concentrate on things here at BLH. Shows how smart of a guy I am…

I’m torn and a bit confused about my whole feelings on Ms.Fowler’s experience and that’s why I’m writing this. I’d like to know more about the situation and in the process, hopefully, learn more about myself by exposing my underbelly a bit on the topic and most likely open myself up to some public shaming due to my lack of empathy. Hooray! And a pre-emptive thank you for taking the time to read perhaps a different viewpoint.

Honestly, I just want to know if my wheels are aligned or if they’re in dire need of an adjustment.

I’m not female so I can’t say I know how Ms.Fowler feels nor have I been called any sort of cunt before. But a part of me says if she’s going to passionately write about her team and be combative and have the words “Salty AF” (AF = as fuck) in her Twitter handle, then she should be prepared to have some shit slung at her and when it does come her way; she can’t go crying on social media and through her site about it.

I don’t know why but there lingering questions for me.

  • Did the email only contain the sentence, “Hey you stupid cunt, why don’t you cry about Taylor Hall some more?” Because ironically, that is a pretty cunty email to send if that’s all it said.
  • How do we know it was a guy that sent it?
  • Was it a person from Great Britain where the term “cunt” is fairly widespread and common?

The ego takes a bit of a hit there when someone calls you a name (especially a cunt in North America) and nobody likes to be disrespected be they male or female but the reassurances needed by Ms.Fowler, a grown adult and teacher, are also a question for me. She claims that it’s not the first time and certainly won’t be the last but if it’s happening so often, is there something there that should be reflected upon? I mean, what’s the motivation in posting an entire article on being called a name and why does she care so much about this one person’s opinion?

She claims that it’s not the first time and certainly won’t be the last but if it’s happening so often, is there something there that should be reflected upon personally? I mean, what’s the motivation in posting an entire article on being called a name and why does she care so much about this one person’s opinion if this is a common occurrence?

  • Social justice?
  • To shed light on women in sport and the abuse they have to endure?
  • Needed attention?

In Ms.Fowler’s case, she kinda made her own bed with her pining of Taylor Hall but hey, we all have our favorite players and even I’ll say that trade was questionable. My favorite band was Blink-182 when I was younger and I can say from experience, I did not want to admit that amongst my more punk rock engrained friends and I never wore a Blink shirt to the Warped Tours I attended… Stayed safe and wore Anti-Flag shirts 🙂

I guess personally, I just don’t feel the need to bring to light the garbage that someone is trying to toss on my lawn so I can say “Hey! Look at what happened here! This is an unspeakable offense!” I suppose I’m more of the type that says, “Wow! Whoever sent that is obviously having a tough time in life, I hope things get better for them but a name only has the power you give it.” And honestly, there are worse things to be called than a stupid cunt, unless you feel that you might be a bit a cunt and are pissed someone has finally called you out.

I imagine I’ve done my own but of shit-disturbing by now and there will most definitely be someone who’ll ask me, “What if that happened to your daughter?”

Well, the answer to that is, don’t worry about my daughter because it’s none of your business. I appreciate the concern but we’ll handle it.

I figure in this instance there’s some person out there laughing his ass off feeling empowered by what has transpired. So has Ms.Fowler really done anything to combat this sort of offense?

All of That Being Said…

Megan has obviously gone and done something so well that it has irked someone enough into showing their own insecurities to you by taking the time to email her and call her a cunt. She’s obviously talented at what she does and since taking over at The Rig, the site has gone stratospheric!

One must give credit where credit is due and often times when one cannot find it in them to give said credit, they go the other way and try to tear down what that other person has done.

You see, that’s the thing about the keyboard warriors. So so so so insecure and they believe that their opinion of you or your works counts for something. The mindset of “If I’m wrong then you’re a dick” is the most fucked up and childish one I’ve come across but I find it rare in public settings because those people tend to be taken care of one way or another. Give a guy a keyboard and the safety net of knowing they may never have to meet the person their denigrating though and it’s on!

In the end, I really believe that the sex of a writer is unimportant. Good content comes from everyone and everywhere, male or female or transgender, but if you’re being a cunt, you’re fair game.

So don’t be a cunt.

The comments section is open for your thoughts. Thank you!

Shirts are still on sale until the end of the day (nov.30)!! Contact us if you want a custom 16-bit NHL94 shirt done up!!
Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Podcast

The Oilers Rig Radio is Back!

Hey folks! I’m writing this while the blog’s server is good. It’s been giving us fits this week hence the lack of action here are BLH. So with that said I’d like to let you know that you can hear me as well as the kick ass crew over at The Oilers Rig on Channel One Radio every Wednesday night at 7pm MST!!

Who are these kick ass people I speak of? Well, how about Alex Thomas, Dave Gordon, Jackie Dawson, and Sean Wingrave and the many more contributing behind the scenes. They’ve been too generous in allowing me to join in their podcasting fun and I’m not totally sure if Dave is regretting that decision to buy me a couple pints at the Tilted Kilt when I was home that fall but that’s a story for another day… If you’ve listened to The Oilers Rig Podcast in the past then you’ll know exactly who I’m talking about but if you haven’t and your cherry has yet to be burst by The Oilers Rig, then you my friends are in for a treat!

Channel One Radio is a local Edmonton Blues station that has made The Oilers Rig their go-to Edmonton Oilers resource. So if you’re into BB King, Muddy Waters and a weekly Edmonton Oilers recap, head on over to channeloneradio.org!

Me and Dave recorded the latest Oilers Rig podcast yesterday, which you can download on iTunes/Podcast Addict or stream on Soundcloud, and we got into some major issues from the past week including:

  • Travis Hamonic: Is he coming to Edmonton or not and what would Dave offer for him?
  • Is Nail Yakupov the next coming of Alexandre Daigle?
  • Who’s this Leon Draisaitl character?
  • Trading Nuge…
  • Cam Talbot’s never going to play again.
  • HF Boards contributor proposals
  • We know a guy who knows a guy who made himself look like a huge asshole in front of Connor McDavid last week…

Listen below and share it with all your friends and especially your friends who are Calgary Flames fans. There’s a special bit in there for them.

Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, Podcast, Rumors

Eberle Gonzo? Oilers Rig Podcast #2

Is Ebs off to the Jets?

Is the Edmonton Oilers coaching staff insane? I mean… What the hell is Matt Hendricks doing on the first line?!! Is Jordan Eberle the odd man out now that Nail Yakupov is clicking with Connor McDavid and the coaching staff going with a seemingly different look on the RW with Hall and Nugent-Hopkins?

I was on The Oilers Rig with Dave Gordon (@rustyknuckler), Alex Thomas (@alex_thomas14), and Lowetide (@lowetide)Podcast yesterday and we discussed these topics and many more including a visit to HFBoards trade rumors and a few special guests join us as well!

Check it out and let me us know what you think in the comments below!

I know this is a hockey site but it’s hard not to get come down with Blue Jays Fever! #ComeTogether folks and grab a shirt!
Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Sunday Night Pint

Beer League Heroes Sunday Night Pint #11: Ladies Night!

Welcome back to the Beer League Heroes Sunday Night Pint! Now, if you’ve never experienced the SNP then you’re in for a treat tonight. It’s Ladies Night and we’re talking puck with three of the brightest and best female bloggers in the the whole Oilogosphere! Jackie Dawson (@jackiedee16) and Meg Fowler (@mig14) from The Oilers Rig as well as Oil On Whyte‘s Sammi Silber (@sammisilber)!

So without further adieu, let’s get this SNP Ladies Night Edition started!

WHICH TEAMS WILL MAKE THE STANLEY CUP FINAL AND WHO’LL WIN IT ALL?

JD: First off…anyone who says the Oilers are going there is nuts. I’m an Oilers fan, and I’d love to see it but I’m also a realist. They’ll improve but they’re still going to have growing pains so don’t expect the world from them this year.

From the West, I think you’ll see Chicago in the mix again…they’re just a well oiled machine. St. Louis had such a great season last year it will be hard to count them out as well. However, I think we might see Anaheim pull it all together this year so I’m predicting the Ducks to come out of the West.
In the East…the Rangers and the Habs will likely be contenders, but never count out a team like Detroit… They somehow manage to make the impossible possible every now and then. In saying that though, I think this year belongs to Tampa Bay.
So I’m going to go out on a limb and predict a Ducks/Lightning final with Tampa taking home the Cup.

SS: The Capitals and the Blackhawks will be in the finals.  I think the Caps can win it in seven games.  Their team looks ready to take it all this year.

MF: SInce I can’t even jokingly say the Oilers without running the risk of being booed off the internet, I’m going to say that we’ll see a SCF between Montreal and *shudder* Anaheim. the Ducks have made some moves this offseason, and have long been competitive in a very competitive Western Conference. There’s only so long a team with a goalie like Price and a pretty strong D can go without winning it all; changes they’ve made up front will also help take them over the hump and into the finals.
I’m taking Montreal in 6.

WHO’LL BE THE FINALISTS FOR THE CALDER TROPHY FOR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR?

JD: There’s a very good rookie class this year, and I’d be crazy not to think Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel will be candidates…I mean, it kind of goes without saying.

Although I don’t think they’ll have these kinds of numbers, I hope it’s similar to the Crosby/Ovechkin battle of the rookies. When it comes to throwing in a 3rd choice…I’m going to go with Arizona’s Max Domi. The kid was a superstar at the World Juniors and I think he will have a seamless transition into the NHL.

SS: For the Calder trophy, it’ll be Eichel, McDavid and I’m going to throw Domi’s name in there.

MF: At the risk of coming across like a total homer, I’m going to guess McDavid, Eichel and some other guy. Honestly, unless one of those two has a season-ending injury early in the year, I can’t see the conversation going beyond them. Obviously, I’d like to think that McDavid will win, not necessarily because he’s the best rookie (even though he clearly will be) but because he will add the most to the team. (Apparently that’s how things are decided… remember the 2011-12 season, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins not winning the Calder despite being the better player AND doing more in 20 fewer games? I do too.)

WHAT DOES THIS YEAR’S BATTLE OF ALBERTA HAVE IN STORE FOR OILERS FANS?

JD: It may be safe to say that the Battle of Alberta will be an actual battle this season. The Oilers have made so many changes in coaching and lineup and have looked like they fixed their give-a-damn, which means an actual work ethic!

The Flames are a relentless hard working team that has a compete level that took them to the playoffs last year, so I think we’ll see an all out war between the two teams.

SS: The Oilers are going to SLAY the Flames in every game in this year’s Battle(s) of Alberta.  In fact, Oilers will win em all, but not by a dominant score. Two games to overtime. The rest? Regulation wins.

MF: Hopefully more wins. they’ve been woefully outplayed for the last hundred or so games against the Flames. I’m hoping they take their split squad preseason results to heart when they play the Flames this year. I think the teams are markedly different from years past, with a ton more talent on the ice. I’m expecting fast-paced, hopefully high-scoring games that will all end with Oilers Ws. There’s not much I enjoy more than watching the Flames get beat by the Oilers, so hopefully I’ll get to see that at least once. Or twice.

MUSICAL GUILTY PLEASURES

JD: I’m fairly eclectic but hands down Maroon 5 is my favorite band and has been for years. I will literally listen to anything by them!

I’m also a big fan of CCR, Metallica, Def Leppard, Daughtry and Bon Jovi when I need to rock out.
When it’s time to dance, Katy Perry, 80’s Madonna (not new Madonna) and Michael Jackson always get me on my feet. Basically any 80’s tune will do that really.

SS: I love Florence + The Machine. I can’t name a time when I’m NOT listening to them.

MF: I have Ace of Base – The Sign on my phone. I listen to it once in a while, totally shame free. I also REALLY love Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red White and Blue” because it’s the most singable country song ever (besides Chattahoochee by Alan Jackson), even if the subject matter is horrifyingly, well, horrifying.

Thanks for joining us this week! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below on today’s topics! And if you’re not following Jackie, Meg, or Sammi on Twitter then you’re a fool! Just kidding but I highly recommend giving them a follow, as you can see; they know their puck!

One more thing before I let you go though. This February on the 26th there’ll be the bestest Oilers shindig of the month at least. It’s The Oilers Rig’s 3rd Annual OilersRig Live4MS Charity Auction! The swag they get at these charity auctions is UNREAL! Not only that but you get to hang out with fine folks from the Rig and watch a hockey game together, maybe get on their live podcast and contribute to a worthy cause. Keep an eye over at The Oilers Rig’s website or their Twitter for more info as there should be some more on this by the end of the month!