You can probably tell from my previous posts that I wasn't the biggest Hamilton fan, but this is all just so surreal. That is such a horrible return. And then to sign an injury prone average bottom-pairing guy to a long term deal worth nearly $3 million a year? Awful.

I feel like something else is coming but I have no idea what. I don't want Sweeney/Neely to dig themselves an even bigger hole now.

Just have to say I just witnessed the worst single day for a sports franchise I have ever seen. The Lucic trade is good at face value (especially considering Zboril was a solid enough pick), but when you **** up 2 of your 3 1st rounders THAT badly, it's tough to swallow. That was like watching a comedy of errors. It just kept getting worse as the picks went along. Connor and Barzal there and you pass on both of them 3 times?!?!

I am absolutely terrified of what Sweeney and Neely are going to do next. Like, all bets are off the table. I could wake up tomorrow and find that Bergeron and Rask were shipped out for a ****load of picks that they'd in turn use to take players that are huge reaches, and then Campbell and Paille will be resigned to 5 year contracts; that's the level of unease I feel about this management group right now.

ya holy hell that was awful. such an obviously terrible Hamilton trade (cmon how could the oilers not do the same deal with a little extra ie not nurse). lucic trade seemed like good return, but ya exactly as you say they botched those picks it seems. astounding turn of events.

and well we got mcjesus which is nice but then went back into true oiler form by fucking it all up and trading away barzal AND the 33rd pick, which somehow could be Jeremy roy or kylington for god damn former oil king and future bust reinhart. so mad. this is going to be looked at in the same light as when we traded the parise draft pick to draft marc antoine pouliot. garth snow fleeced us. they better have a plan here to actually make their d better or fire chiarelli into the sun already (tho this trade reeks of howson/mact/boys club syndrome).

Of course, I'm late for this, but congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks!! I had a feeling that they would dominate the series in Game 6...

After settling down a bit, I still hate the world, but I actually really like what the Bruins did in the draft this year overall. They completely stocked the prospect cupboard with talent at every position, and Senyshyn is someone whose stock could rise dramatically next year. DeBrusk, I'm not so sure about. Everyone else taken in the first 4 rounds I'm really happy with. Doesn't excuse the Hamilton trade, but I'll take that as a consolation right now, I guess.

The defense is just absurdly bad right now though, but I still hope they don't overpay for a UFA. At least Tuukka won't have an aneurysm from playing behind that group this year as Jones should be able to take nearly 30 games.

I dunno, something has to give with the Oilers at some point, and Chiarelli addressed some huge needs with defensive stability and grit going forward. I agree that the value wasn't there for that type of trade (hell, I would have accepted that for Hamilton looking at what the Bruins got), but the Oilers are in the unique spot of just having to address needs surrounding their core at this point.

As for Barzal on the Oilers, yeah, there's always the "take the best player available" argument, but where in the world would Barzal fit in? His game is remarkably similar to RNH and he's a player that needs that center spot to be truly effective, and that is completely locked up in Edmonton long-term.

ya you guys have solid goaltending and in the east that alone could get you into the playoffs but I still wouldn't bank on it tbh. tank battles in btown?

I don't really know what you mean by addressing the d needs. we don't need more defensemen we need more good defensemen. reinhart is far from proven and ya he was drafted 4th overall but he looks like hes much closer of being a cam barker than a pietrangelo. it was terrible overpayment in a deep draft. gryba is fine but again hes a bottom pairing guy. and we have too many of those as it is. unless we're buying out nikitin or ference it makes no sense. heard the oilers are talking to sekera which would be nice so hopefully that happens.

ya im big on take the best available player. barzal is 2 years at best away from the nhl so who knows where the oil are at that point. if he turned out to be great then I don't see the problem in shipping off eberle for a dman and keeping barzal (assuming the same problems remain). draft good players and worry about where they fit later. having a ton of talent isn't a bad thing. and even if they didn't want a forward, draft roy at 16. I would've taken that as well. id take roy+kylington over reinhart

My Everett Silvertips open their '15-'16 WHL season in Prince George on Friday night. I'm so excited I could just shit all over myself.


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Came here to let you all know that Max Pacioretty came to me in a dream last week and told me that the Montreal Canadiens were going to win the cup this year.

Nope go Ducks.

Special ceremony tonight for the Blues facing off with the Carolina Hurricanes, with members of the Blues and the baseball St Louis Cardinals, in a display of solidarity with the St Louis fans. What wasn't announced but was totally understood by all at the full house in Scottrade Center was that the Rams are picking up what was once the "Greatest Show On Turf" and moving to LA. They were celebrating what remained in major league sports in St Louis.

I feel for the St Louis fans, even though I completely understand the move. It's a shame for the terrific Blues fans (and even more so for the Cardinals), but the Edwards Jones Dome SUCKED. But there was a billion dollar proposal that wasn't as strong at the LA proposal. I don't blame the St Louis fans either.

This is a hard post to categorize.