(Spoilers) The thread where CALIFORNIA LOOOOVE~!

[SeanDMan]

I dunno, far be it for me to disagree with Pommpie, but I don't really think this trade is that bad.

First, Edmonton is ahead of two teams in the standings: Buffalo and Philadelphia. This is not their Stanley Cup run. There isn't really a season to give up on at this point; it's pretty much done for them, they have no momentum.

Also, I'm sorry, but Edmonton doesn't need goaltending? Devan Dubnyk has an .898 save percentage. That's bad. It's like bottom ten in the league bad. There's only one goalie who has played more than ten games with a worse save percentage, and he plays for Florida, where he's been replaced by Tim The Spare Tire Thomas and the entire coaching staff was just jettisoned from a moving van into a ditch and pumped full of bullets. Devan Dubnyk may be the worst starter in the league. To say "goaltending isn't the problem" is like looking at a house where someone put a baseball through your window and saying "yeah, the inferior job they did caulking this window is probably where your moisture is coming from".

Smid is overrated. I don't really think Edmonton loses anything by trading Smid. Burke has a hardon for the guy because he's a Burke guy. It's like Sutter trying to trade for his sons at this point, if you played for Burke before, chances are there is a job for you in Calgary.

I think this trade was basically pointless except it made room for Bryz. And Bryz, I believe, makes the Oilers better. He might not make them a playoff team, but he makes them better. What does Smid do for Calgary? Does he make them measurably better?

[NobBe Nobbs]

To say "goaltending isn't the problem" is like looking at a house where someone put a baseball through your window and saying "yeah, the inferior job they did caulking this window is probably where your moisture is coming from".

If we're going to rank the list of problems the Oilers have, we're going to need a longer thread but if Edmonton's goaltending is somebody breaking your window with a baseball, then Edmonton's defense is your house being mistaken for a special animal-cruelty lab and being firebombed by PETA and the fur activists simultaneously and somehow, the Oilers have contrived to make that worse, possibly by donating some depleted uranium to the RSPCA and letting them exactly how many rabbits are killed every day by your magical house of animal hells.

[EndOfAnEra]

So I agree that Bryzgalov makes the Oilers better, but I also agree that this isn't our playoff season. So why get him for a 1 year contract? We didn't get a return for Smid, and we freed up cap space for someone who probably won't be here next year.

[Plubby]

My guess is 1 year for Bryz as a "show-me" - there's plenty of replacement-level veteran level goaltenders hitting UFA this year.

Plenty of Replacement-level goaltenders and Martin Brodeur, that is.

[Gabriel]

Oilers fans aren't happy about the deal, I get that.

If you look at it from the standpoint of, what is the immediate affect, then of course Calgary walks away with an NHL defenseman for nothing.

But you can't look at it that way. Flames fans don't. I'm not the only one. We're looking at this deal from the perspective of "Does this fill a hole?" Yes, it does. "Okay, now does it force at least one of our young guys out of valuable minutes?" Yes, it does. "Okay, are we supposed to be a contending team this year?" No, we aren't.

The Flames moved out two prospects. Horak could easily be our number three center this year, but with the logjam of questionables up the middle, he went to Abbotsford. We're still extremely questionable up the middle.

Laurent Brossoit, some say played for a powerhouse team and is overrated... but he's on par with Roy at the very worst.

So yes, in the immediate, Calgary walks away with a rival's NHL roster player... but they weakened two positions of uncertainty to do it... and when you're in the beginning of a rebuild, that's just not a good move.

EDIT: for the record, I do recognize that Smid makes our defense better right now. In short, what I'm upset about as a fan, is that he doesn't make us better enough to warrant the affect that it will have. The Flames, with this deal, are looking at the now, which is exactly what fucked us over in the first place and put us into the stagnant run we've had in recent years. They're also undercutting prospects and taking away the opportunity for growth. As a team that refused to rebuild for so long, who finally caved in last year, it's a very bitter pill to swallow, to see them making moves like this so quickly.

[The Buscher]

Disgraceful performance from the Islanders.

[Toe]

I don't think Calgary truly gave up anything, and I think they made this move because they think they can make the playoffs this season.

[Gabriel]

I don't think Calgary truly gave up anything, and I think they made this move because they think they can make the playoffs this season.

That's the thing that is upsetting most of the fans. There's been a turnaround in the last day or so, where the split is a little more even, maybe even leaning towards most of the fans thinking the trade was good.

But I still don't like the idea of making trades because they think they can win now. As I said before, it's the same philosophy that kept us out of the hunt since our Finals run against Tampa Bay.

For me, the pieces in the deal aren't what aggravated me so much as the deal itself. In typical Flames fashion, we've given up a young player who can play on an NHL team, and another goaltending prospect that we had high hopes for and hasn't been given a chance yet, for an opportunity to win now. It's just really irritating as a fan of the team, to see them falling into the same old habits after last season, where we had cautious optimism about a rebuild moving forward.

[Plubby]

If that's the reasoning then the timing is odd...like maybe this would have been better before Monahan fell off the proverbial cliff.

[Ruki]

Well...shit. Stamkos is out for 3 months....and the Olympics starts in 3 months.

[Plubby]

OHNOES THE REGRESSION HAS BEGUN~!

[SeanDMan]

Sabres make the Edmonton line change (fire their management and coaches and replace them from the old boys club).

[SeanDMan]

Cause they see how well it has worked for the Oilers.

[Toe]

It's the reunion of the Islanders from just a few years ago, though! And that organization was entirely successful!

[TGWL]

Oilers need some serious help. It's really getting sad, especially when they can't bury the chances they get early in the game. Some of these games would be completely different if they just put 2 goals in rather than hitting crossbar on an open net.

[Ruki]

I want to go back to the days where the Leafs had center depth.

Bozak injured, out until the 21st.

Bolland crippled, out for months.

Kadri suspended for 3 games (Give him a game, maybe two...not three).

Fuck.

At least we have two goalies who can steal a game. We just need to somehow score first.

[caucasianheat]

Oilers need some serious help. It's really getting sad, especially when they can't bury the chances they get early in the game. Some of these games would be completely different if they just put 2 goals in rather than hitting crossbar on an open net.

I like that Larionov is trying to help them out a bit on this one. Like, they refuse to bite the bullet and deal one of four or five young offensive snipers who all fit a very similar role, so maybe if one demands a trade they'll be backed into a situation where they have no choice but to improve.

[Plubby]

Oh jaysus.

[Plubby]

MATTY STAHP. STAHP DUCHY WAT ARE YOU DOING?!

[TGWL]

Well, Varly just lost me this weeks fantasy head to head.