Tuesday, September 25, 2007

 

Smelly Hands

Jes Golbez Hates The Oilers. ATTACK!

Actually, don't. I'm totally joking. But I do think Jes is more than a little off in his evaluation of both the Oilers off-season and their handling of Master Sam Gagner. I think most would agree that the Penner deal was an overpay, but they had the money and needed to inject some offence (never mind appease an irritated fanbase). Far worse overpayments have been made (the Vanek deal would have been a disaster, for example). But there was nothing wrong with the fact that they pursued a RFA, no matter how much Brian Burke whines about it. Yet that's the only reason the Penner signing was/is a story. Players all around the league are signing big deals. Another NHL GM giving a relatively untested kid a big contract? Ho hum. Bringing up Geoff Sanderson as an example of bad management is purposely misleading, as the deal with the Flyers was really about acquiring Joni Pitkanen. Does Pitkanen's name even appear in the post? No. As for Anson Carter, it cost the Oilers nothing to invite him to to camp, he's out with a concussion (see him in the lineup? I didn't think so), and wherever he ends up, he'll probably score more goals than fifteen players on the Canucks roster. As for rushing Gagner, I really don't believe that is happening, or going to happen. He's not being forced into anything. The team is deep at centre, and there were a bunch of other prospects expected to make the team in front of Gagner before camp started. He's gotten more ice time this year because he's earned it. It's that simple. He's not being forced into a role he's not yet ready for. To say anything else is disingenuous. Or smelly, as the case may be.

Comments:

All the whining about Kevin Lowe destroying the league is really getting stupid. Overpaying for an RFA has exactly one negative consequence: the overpaying team will have less money to make itself better in the future. Kevin Lowe may be destroying the Oilers' near future, but he's not destroying the league.

If signing RFAs was such a catastrophe, the league wouldn't allow it. It's allowed for a reason.

- Mustafa Hirji
 


To be fair, Golbez doesn't bring up the RFA point, but it's the only reason why the Penner deal made so much noise. He complains about the overpay, but if Penner is an UFA, it's just one overpay amongst a hundred others.
 


In all of their commentary, Luongo and Golbez at the Fanhouse seem to be quite biased towards their respective favorite teams. Everything they say has to be taken with a grain of salt as a result.
 


I do appreciate the maturity a guy like Golbez brings to the discourse.
 


I rarely read anything at Fanhouse that doesnt have Mirtle's name signed to it, but this post irritated me.

The whole premise of rushing a prospect and having a negative impact on the development curve probably holds water, but the way it was presented was comical at best.

I think this:

The team is deep at centre, and there were a bunch of other prospects expected to make the team in front of Gagner before camp started. He's gotten more ice time this year because he's earned it. It's that simple. He's not being forced into a role he's not yet ready for. To say anything else is disingenuous. Or smelly, as the case may be.

Pretty much sums it up, the kid has earned any audition he might get.
 


I don't know if that guy gets paid to write but if he does..he shouldn't. Guys like that chap my azz. They are the reason their is no journalistic integrity left. I had to post a long comment just because such one sided comments are usually done by small timers like fever4falmes and not anyone credible. Brutal, just brutal.
 


Calling the Oilers "deep," at any position, especially Centre, is like saying the Canucks are an offensive powerhouse.
 

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