I'm OK with the Barrie trade. He's having a super year and is the backline QB of the power play. But the Oilers' PP doesn't depend on him. Maybe this will spur Bouchard to develop into what some people think he can be.
The Oilers' biggest problem is defense. That's the weakest area of Barrie's game on the blue line. So, he was expendable, and Ekholm is a much better defender.
The Bison King? See ya. Won't miss you. For every game Puljaarvi looked good, there were two where he was clueless. I don't think Yamamoto -- the player to whom Puljaarvi was compared to most by Oilers' fans in the debate of whom to keep -- is much better. But at least in the games in which Yamamoto is invisible, he doesn't hurt the Oilers, unlike The Bison King.
Agree with you on the Oil needing another D man to compete, James. But the biggest problem may be the $5 million cap hit annually tied up into Jack Campbell in goal. He looks to be a bust at this point. Skinner is playing surprisingly well, but he's still too inconsistent to carry this team through two or three rounds of the playoffs.
Where's Rolie the Goalie when we need him? I still have such fond memories of Roloson, Pronger, Pisani and Samsonov carrying the Oil to Game 7 of the Cup Finals in 2006 against Carolina.
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