Oilers Deadline Additions Poised for Key Roles

This episode of TORP sees Faiz and Greg discuss some new Oilers added at the deadline, big wins against top Western Conference competition, and the playoff push ahead.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

It just comes down to Darnous, must have the strongest neck in the world. That's that's all I'm getting out of this. As usual, I'm your host, Faze, along with my co-host Greg. Say hi, Greg. Hello, hello, hello. So uh yesterday was uh an interesting game for the Oilers uh beating the Colorado Avalanche. Um but there was uh an incident that occurred in Greg, as far as I know, you didn't actually you haven't fully seen it yet.

SPEAKER_03 0:58

So that's I missed uh I missed last night's game, or I missed the game against Colorado. Yeah. Um I missed the game against Colorado, but I'm just watching this McKinnon major penalty. Yeah. Wow, but what a game. I mean, I don't know. The Oilers, it feels like it's been really loud recently. Like the sky is falling every time a puck goes in their net. And the yet that was an impressive, like this is an impressive stretch here where you know they're they're beating some quality teams out of the break.

SPEAKER_01 1:32

I mean, yeah, I don't know if I necessarily have an impressive stretch per se. Like there's been it's been up and down play since the break for sure. Um you know, uh the the bad loss against Anaheim, but then Yeah. I mean, but to be fair, I guess Anaheim, they were in control of that game. It just was bad defense and bad goaltending. They don't they demolished the Kings and then the San Jose game was like a redux of the Anaheim game. Right.

SPEAKER_03 2:00

So really hot after that, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

Well, and then the count I mean the Carolina game was awful. You know, I think the last two games the I think the the uh the acquisitions in in Dickinson free game. I mean, you know, the Carolina game was their first game. But both Vegas and Colorado, I think you saw the value of them, and so that's a positive for sure.

SPEAKER_03 2:25

Yeah, no, I I do think that I mean you could argue about the price, but I do think it was two really, really solid additions, like before the deadline on our last episode we were talking about um adding some defensive identity, and like to see uh Dickinson so fired up to like be a jacking center. And like Murphy, I guess like I don't know, and especially more defensive players. I wonder if they just it they don't get the chance to uh make as much of a difference if they're on a bad team, you know.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

Totally yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:02

So especially you know, if you're on a bad team, you're maybe not trying to hold on to leads, you're probably not in like high-leverage defensive situations. So I think it's a decent gamble. I know like people laugh about how it's like always going back to his former team, Jim Stan Bowman. But I don't I don't mind the the additions for sure. Yeah. And you could see like their ice time after that first game, like is way out, like they're being relied upon pretty heavily already.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

No, I agree totally. I think I think the Connor Murphy trade overall, everyone thought was a good deal. Uh a top four, I mean, he's a number four defenseman, but defensively solid, good on the PK. Hey, they you pay maybe a little bit an extra round up to get 50% retention. I think everyone was fine with that trade. I think the Dickinson one, you know, you include the first round pick, and I think that that obviously sets off alarm brows when it's a guy who had 13 points or so. Like he's he's not an offensive guy, but then you remember that that's taking on 50% of a contract, um, and also getting rid of Manja Pani. And I think the big thing with getting rid of Manji Apani that a lot of people maybe don't remember is that he has another year in his contract. So it's not just getting rid of him for the rest of the season, it is getting rid of him for another season. And I think, you know, getting in addition, then getting Colton Doc thrown into that trade. Yeah. You know, it's yes, Dickinson's a UFA at the end of this year, but then you're getting Doc who you know you can have for, you know, he's a young guy. We've seen in the first couple games he's played as well. He's been physical, he's been, you know, bringing the energy and stuff. So I think I do think the trades, I think when you get over the sticker shock of it, and I think when people did get over the sticker shock, the initial sticker shock, and they looked more into Dickinson in his defensive play. And yes, I am one of those people, I'll admit.

SPEAKER_03 4:56

Uh winning you over.

SPEAKER_01 4:58

Winning you over already. Oh, yeah. And I mean just watching them play. It's he adds an element, like he's good defensively, but he also adds this an element of, like you said, his quotes of, you know, I don't have the quotes in front of me, but you know, he's raring to go as being that defensive guy and being hard to play against. And you watch him and he's doing that. And, you know, I think you've looked in the if you look at the last few games, Trent Frederick has been playing a lot better, and he's been playing, you know, at a lower role and I with either Doc or Dickinson. And I think I think that's rubbing up in him. And we know we and I have talked in the past about Frederick being a guy who seems like he needs someone with who's playing with him with that kind of intensity that he'll then ratchet it up, and we're seeing that. So this trade also, I guess, works in that sense too.

SPEAKER_03 5:42

Yeah. There's like I guess if you think about like a like the standard forward group, like seeing seeing like different skills in the bottom six that gives your team like an identity, like makes it harder to play against you, like especially in a seven-game playoff series, like um having like a a checking line that can play against the other teams, like shut down some better players, having a physical presence is like finding that balance has been elusive.

SPEAKER_01 6:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:12

And and the the heat is ratcheting up on Knoblock. Uh uh, there's more and more people kind of um asking themselves and each other a lot of questions about it. Um but yeah, there's still a lot to work with there, you know.

SPEAKER_01 6:29

Yeah, I mean I think the big thing is is I mean, there and Knoblock was still getting obviously uh some criticism after the Carolina game because the ice times were still lopsided. But you know, yesterday or sorry, the game against the Avalanche, for instance, Dickinson played 17 minutes. Uh which is is a good amount, and it's it's positive to see that that's that he's been brought in for the purpose of playing those harder minutes and taking away some of that load, and then that's that's being shown. I mean, you know, you still have you still have a little bit on the lower end, like Samansky and Frederick both playing only eight minutes. Uh McDavid still playing 20 minutes last on you know, the last game, but it it's an improvement at least. Um, and again, hopefully going forward with someone like Dickinson being able to anchor a third line, him moving Savoy down to the third line, uh, you know, you can look at it as a demotion, or you can look at it as let's have three lines that can go. Maybe that's part of that plan. The trade is it it's it's maybe is gonna be paying off. It looks like it's already gonna start to pay off, and it looks like it might be continuing to pay off more and more in the depth department in terms of actually allowing the depth to play.

SPEAKER_03 7:43

It's just it it really like having the center to like cement um the line. And like we'll see like some rotation um for the scoring wingers like Savoy and Roslovic kind of switching places or whatever to have someone that like you can depend on, you can put out there every shift, you're not gonna be tempted to put McDavid and or Dry Sidal out there again.

SPEAKER_01 8:08

Um I mean that yeah, and you've got like your middle your middle six wingers, you know, you've got Kapanin, but Coles and Savoy and Roslovik. So at any given point, that can be your second or third line wingers. But and now you have the you have Dickinson. So, you know, you've got you now have that third line center, and I mean I guess when Henrik when and if Henry comes back, how does that play into that fourth line center spot, right?

SPEAKER_03 8:30

Like Right Right. Because I think like when they acquired Henrique, it was like the same kind of philosophy for me where I thought it was really it's good to have like, yeah, uh a third center behind those two. And I guess Henrik it worked for a bit, but he's he's up there. So I I it'll be interesting. Maybe Henrik will kick to the wing or something. Um maybe he'll be in more of that fourth line center, we'll see. But I still yeah, it's still a good thing. It's still a good thing that he's around. I think that yeah, he can still be a nice piece here as we get towards the playoffs. Like he's gonna be a part of the winning formula, I think. Even if it's a smaller role than we're used to.

SPEAKER_01 9:15

But and I mean, and then Murphy, I mean, I've been really impressed with him, obviously. The interesting thing was in the Avalanche game after um after Emerson left, uh looked like uh Murphy and Nurse were playing together, and they actually had a pretty good stretch there, and so maybe maybe Murphy's the guy that maybe that unlocks Nurse and and then that's Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:35

Well Murphy's he's been up like 22 minutes both these games. Yeah, yeah. I mean he's it's part of it is just like the sheer size and like physical ability and yeah to to be able to handle like some of the best players. You have to be able to like move well and and physically block them. So yeah, and I guess like that's another thing that was just we saw like maybe Emerson or Regula like weren't quite ready for this role and to have like someone who's like here and now able-bodied, mind and body, ready to do it.

SPEAKER_01 10:14

Yeah, but yeah, like I think it's just if if Murphy like if that wasn't flashing the plan. So I'm looking at the the stats from the the fancies from the Colorado game. So Nurse and Murphy played 710 together, their chances for a percentage together was 66.67. Nurse's chances for without Murphy was 43%. Um so you know, and then even Murphy on his side, like his his chances for without nurse was 6.25%. Um kind of crazy. He played 11 minutes, he even played 11 minutes with Jake Wallman, and that so he had 6.9% with Wallman, 5050 55% without Wallman. So maybe that that experiment of Wallman and Murphy isn't gonna work. But if Nurse and Murphy can work, that's why does it matter?

SPEAKER_02 11:04

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 11:05

Why doesn't matter? No, I I gotta say, I'm just when I'm in my own world thinking about the oilers, and then a lot of the noise I feel like is sometimes conflicting. Like, I don't know, I guess nurse. I feel like is still a contributor. I just hear like people ragging him on him all the time. Maybe I'm just in a bubble of negativity.

SPEAKER_01 11:29

No, it's it is, and we've talked about it before. The expectations are high in Edmonton right now that everything is under the microscope. Every mistake is uh that player can't play in the NHL, that player needs to go, Bowman needs to be fired, Noblock needs to be fired.

SPEAKER_03 11:43

It's and then I come on here with you, and I'm so like, I'm oh yeah, everything looks great.

SPEAKER_00 11:48

Yeah, the truth is obviously somewhere in between.

SPEAKER_01 11:52

But no, I think I think that's and I mean like I said, Nurse has looked better the last couple games, um, other than the fact that he's now done three straight games with a puck going in off of him. But that aside, like I think he's been looking better. So I mean, I will say going back, I don't know if you've now had a chance to watch that video, but oh the McKinnon we're uh comparing nurse to uh uh Bergeron, and I'm looking at that. Okay, watch the video because I I would like to get you thought before I So Nurse.

SPEAKER_03 12:25

Well, I mean he's diving to make a play on the pack, he's not like pushing him into the goalie. Exactly. I mean that's yeah, I don't know. I think it's I understand what people was there controversy about this?

SPEAKER_01 12:40

No. The controversy is it being called uh I think a major. I think that's what the controversy it's well. So basically, if you the the position that I'm hearing from the Afranch, including Jared Bednar, who also made a pretty callous comment about the injury itself. But anyway, um it seems like the issue is they're saying that the collision with nurse changed McKinnon's trajectory that pushed, and that leads to him going into Ingram. Yeah, maybe like a little, but well, I think I think there's there's all these still frames that keep getting posted, and it's like look at McKinnon's skates, they're angled out of the crease, and it's like, okay, first of all, that's a still frame. If you're watching the video, he was his path was through the crease. So even if he doesn't get pushed, he's going through the crease and he's likely still hitting Ingram, who's falling for him.

SPEAKER_03 13:32

He's right in the blue paint. He's he's right in the blue paint.

SPEAKER_01 13:35

Like look at his feet, they're going around, he's going around the crease. No, his feet at that point are touching the crease. So how is he how is he gonna miss the crease?

SPEAKER_03 13:45

And so it was gonna be a pound.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

It's nurse's head that is the initial point of contact with so what I'm hearing is Darnell Nurse has the strongest head and neck in the world that he pushed Nathan McKinnon with his head into to completely change his trajectory to go into the crease. That's not what happened.

SPEAKER_03 14:08

That's full speed right to the middle of the crease. It's it's egregious.

SPEAKER_01 14:14

It's not, you know, no one's saying it's deliberate or anything. No, no, no, exactly. That's a different thing. But he was, and I think the reason why it's called the major is he's going that fast and he's going through the crease regardless of if nurse is there. So I think the way the refs are looking at it is that like he was gonna make a collision anyway. It's reckless, it's a huge hit at that point at that speed. So that's why they look at it and say it's it's a major.

SPEAKER_03 14:38

And I mean Well, the NHL has a blood rule and he draws that. So like I I mean, I'm not sure why we're surprised. Like he got yeah, that's a huge hit.

SPEAKER_01 14:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:49

So is Ingram okay?

SPEAKER_01 14:50

That's my Well, we don't know. We don't know yet. There's been no announcement yet.

SPEAKER_03 14:54

Because he left the game, right?

SPEAKER_01 14:55

Yeah. But like, yeah, so I mean, I can understand maybe saying because of the contact with nurse, it shouldn't be a major. I still don't disag I still disagree with that because of how fast he's going in there. And again, nurse doesn't push him, unless again, unless nurse has that strong of a head and neck, in which case maybe he should go do some strongman stuff.

SPEAKER_02 15:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:15

But like otherwise it's it's a collision with nurse. And nurse has his nurse is going for the puck, nurse is moving in his direction, like in his his straight direction, and McKinnon skates into him. So again, it's it's I don't understand the outrage necessarily.

SPEAKER_03 15:31

I can understand the Colorado side. Yeah. They're just they're just crying because they lost.

SPEAKER_01 15:37

Well, and I get that, but it's also like, first of all, you guys are still first of the league by like ridiculous amounts. You lose one game, whatever.

SPEAKER_03 15:44

They're not they're not used to it these days.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

Well, I think the best is the complaining about uh how the Oilers need the refs and are the league's favorites, and everyone's like, you guys realize Colorado has the most penal the most power plays in the last like five years, have like 30 more power plays than the Oilers this year. Like, like, no. This is yeah, like this isn't. I will say there was, I guess I missed this part of it because uh I missed the third period, but I guess there was a penalty being called against Colorado, and Jari left the net and just pushed Devin Taves almost down as he was leaving the net to go to the bench, and that wasn't called. And I'm like, you know what? Yeah, that one, sure, that should that that should maybe be called. But like, yeah, I I think it's I think there's a lot being made out of this because it's Nathan McKinnon. I think if it was any other player on the Avalanche, maybe other than McCarr, who gets ejected for that, I don't think it's nearly as big of a a stink, but it's you're you're ejecting the best player. And let's be real, if the shoe's on the opposite foot and that's McDavid going to.

SPEAKER_03 16:46

Yeah, you would be upset for sure.

SPEAKER_01 16:48

You'd be upset. I mean, I like to think it's hard, obviously, in an extra like this. I think I would have been maybe still pissed about the five. I maybe I probably would have been a little bit pissed, but I do think I'd have been like, I kinda understand, but I definitely wouldn't be going to the point of being like it's not even a penalty in the first place. Because I mean again, everyone's like he's one of the best skaters in the league. He was gonna avoid it. He you don't think he's going to the crease without it's like for first of all, again, physics dictates that when you're going that fast through towards the crease, you're gonna go through it, first of all. But then again, if you're saying that he's that good of a skater that on that much of a dime he'd be able to go around the crease, then Darnell Nest neck shouldn't prevent him from doing that. Unless again, Darnell Nurse has a really strong neck. This just comes down to Darnell Nurse must have the strongest neck in the world. That's that's all I'm getting out of this.

SPEAKER_03 17:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:43

I'm just saying that is so absurd that this is this big of an issue in my mind.

SPEAKER_03 17:47

Well, yeah, I mean it's Colorado at home. They've been so good there this season. Um but that's it, that's a really like it's a statement win in a way, and that's why it it bothers Colorado, because they've had this great season.

SPEAKER_01 18:04

But I mean, I think unfortunately they're like last eight games or ten games, they've they've lost like six of their last ten at home. So I guess the magic's maybe finding out as well.

SPEAKER_03 18:16

They're feeling the heat. They're feeling the heat, but yeah, we'll see. We'll see. It's these are two teams that are were really like they still have to take care of business in the regular season, obviously. But these are two teams that are measuring kind of themselves against each other because the Oilers have won the Western Conference the past two seasons. Um Colorado obviously had success once in the past, but it's a bit I mean in the past, I would say before the season started, the the probably the smart money was Colorado Edmonton in the Western Conference final, right?

SPEAKER_01 18:52

Like Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:53

And it's it's looking like a doozy, um, especially in the in the Central with those three teams there. Like if Colorado and that that's another reason they might be feeling the heat a little. If you do not want to let because Dallas is on fire.

SPEAKER_00 19:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:10

You don't want to get caught and then have to face like it's gonna be a tough first round series for whoever whoever ends up in it, you know.

SPEAKER_01 19:18

Exactly. You want first in that central for sure. That is that is the key for sure. So yeah, like I get it. But and also like to be frank, like watching that game, like the others definitely were on their heels for quite a bit, especially at the beginning. I think they slowly got it, but there was still it definitely looked like they were a step below. So like it's it's a good obviously we need the wins as well reminder, but it's still a good reminder that the team isn't quite there yet.

SPEAKER_03 19:44

It's not perfect, no. No, and I mean you have the rest of this season to kind of like we obviously drive saddle talked about it before the Olympic break, is like we haven't seen them best hockey from this group. They haven't really played to their capabilities. Obviously, that's where like the heat on the coach comes from, is just because the expectation, yeah, it they were supposed to be better than this, and there's still time, and the new additions are great. I feel like now is the time for it to start coming together, you know what I mean? To start building some confidence, and maybe all the like another thing that I guess we didn't talk about, but I'm sure you have a lot to say about is the Jari. Uh what is it, getting into it at practice, or it's like now's the time for I guess there's some of this noise going on. Now's the time to like come together and and like put on a good run and beat exactly like your tall competition. This is this is it. This is uh it's time to start doing it.

SPEAKER_01 20:38

And I think there's the there's like with the Jari thing, like so I mean Bob Stoffer, I think, put out like it's I think he might have been the first one to insinuate something like that, but then he puts out a a tweet later on being like that's it's not it's not as big of a deal. But there's also the fact that the team was like, you know, you're talking about everything's on fire and the sky is falling, and the team is probably feeling that too. Maybe it's kind of okay that the team is, you know, that they're not just rolling back, that they're having a bit of, you know, adversity. Adversity, like and you know, pushing each other. Like and like from what I heard, one of the things was like Jari got scored on and someone said, uh, you've got to be better or you s you gotta fight for that or something. Like it didn't you know, it's and I mean Jari played well yesterday then and he had a good quote saying the team played well in front of him. I think yeah, like I I don't we'll see. We'll see if that actually is a dressing room issue or not, or if it's just frustrations boiling over.

SPEAKER_03 21:34

Right. Well, it's like you gotta they're in it together and it's like it's just it's a super competitive environment. Like you know. But yeah, working through it in a healthy way, I think is gonna make you stronger on the other side. I think this is the point. So yeah, no. And I and I feel like it's one of the things that like maybe we we take for granted is like just um like it starts with McDavid, obviously, but the leadership of the group of his team is like they uh it seems like every year they're finding their way through some kind of like yeah crazy narrative like there was a year where the Leon was pissy or whatever it's like every season there's something there's some huge event and they they manage to find a way to like stay focused and kind of come together I mean for the most part.

SPEAKER_01 22:24

Would you agree on that or yeah no I no I totally agree. You don't make it to two Stanley Cup finals in a row and make it to uh uh an add on to that a Western conference appearance two years before that as well like what is it they've only lost to the cup champs in the last like five years so yeah so no like I think and they do have that adversity whether it's the slow starter yeah just random stuff I think it's a team that I do think it's an emotion based team and so they kind of do need that I think and especially during the regular season we talk about the success in the playoffs and I think you see it every year where they're they're thinking ahead to the playoffs and so sleep walking a bit or they sleep walk through it and it's like shoot we can't actually do that. We have to wake up a bit and yeah like they're an emotional they are I think they're at their best when they play an emotional game like I've always said if I was coaching against the Oilers the last thing I'd want to do is play them maybe in the playoffs it's different obviously because the intensity is always up but in the regular season on a Tuesday night game don't poke the bear like you're not yeah don't don't be taking too many shots like play you know play hard obviously but like and especially if you get the lead don't you know don't rile them up because you know generally speaking you rile up these guys you're you're poking them they all start to play a bit harder like that's been this team's issue has been laxadaisical in regular season games. Yeah. So if that's a if that's a team you're playing the issue sleepwalk them like or you know put them to sleep during the game.

SPEAKER_03 23:56

So I'll say I am reminded of um the series that they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights that got really chippy with like people getting suspended.

SPEAKER_01 24:09

That was that one was getting unraveled I mean I think if the Oilers play the Knights this year at any point in the playoffs it's going to be the same thing. Like looking at it like maybe I don't even think the Avalanche would get as as chippy and dirty. Like I really think for the Oilers this year the team that would be the most entertaining series would be Vegas for sure in terms of animosity.

SPEAKER_03 24:37

I mean this like obviously maybe the team shouldn't look ahead but maybe we should because there could be some really interesting matchups in the I mean the division is still up for grabs um you know the ducks the Kraken is my big surprise.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

Yeah I mean I think at the end of the day it's the same thing as it's not obviously to the same extent as the Central but I still think you want to win the Pacific this year because if you're looking at avoiding the knights the mammoth the Kraken maybe the Kings I don't know if you want like yeah you avoid the knights I don't think you really want to play Anaheim either. Yes like you'll have the experience factor over them but you know a young team that doesn't know any better can be dangerous and they've got Dostal as a really good goalie who can step up.

SPEAKER_03 25:25

The sharks might be dangerous for the same reason but they're slipping out now.

SPEAKER_01 25:29

Like realistically the ideal opponent if it somehow could work out which seems unlikely at this point our old friends I thought you were going to say the Kings again I mean yeah I guess I guess so they're not as good as they were but I I don't want to folks there with the Kings because it's close every year.

SPEAKER_03 25:48

Yeah no it's true. It's true. I mean yeah that's why yeah even the win again against Vegas that's a a a big important win.

SPEAKER_01 25:58

Well yeah now we're with that in the Colorado win we're second in the division we have a tie break over the nights like we went from being like oh are we gonna be out of the playoffs to okay we're looking decent enough we're five points out above the above Seattle um who is fourth in the Pacific right so and they have two games in hand sure which means we then have a point on them so we're in we're in a decent situation in that sense. So we played the Golden Knights two more times the Avalanche once more and the next game is against the stars so there's more more time to really test yourself in these in these games down the stretches that are obviously going to be like the ones that people are circling you know well there's yeah and like that's that's the thing is there's there's the the test games and then there's the games you have to win right so Dallas right test game you can say Tampa is a test game as well but like you've got San Jose Vegas Nahaim and Seattle all before the end of this month. Right. And they're gonna be hungry they're gonna be hungry you have win those and the thing is you win those games now because again in the in April you still have Vegas San Jose uh and LA I guess to a certain extent still coming up in terms of dealing with standings. So if you win those three sorry those four games or at least three games against Vegas Anaheim and I still think San Jose I'm still scared they're gonna turn it on. You just bought yourself a playoff spot in that sense. Like those are the games that are really going to be the swing I think but if you can in the meantime.

SPEAKER_03 27:30

Yeah I I yeah I remember like in years past coming down this stretch run and you have after the deadline like those handful of games against the top teams and there was a year like when they lost the Avalanche in the conference final that year it was like they maybe got them a couple of the times in the regular season but it was it didn't look that that close you know like yeah you could see there was a big I guess thing about oh how can we bridge this gap and stuff. And then like yeah in recent years like seeing the team is kind of even though you were saying Colorado kind of carried the plays like there's you should feel good about um about your chances if you're on the team I guess that should make you like focused.

SPEAKER_01 28:14

I'm sure they are well and I mean at the same time too it's it's a game that Colorado carries the play and both your goalies showed up to play. You know Ingram played well before he got taken out with injury and Jari came in made eleven of twelve saves you know that's that's another good and it's finding like different ways to win you know like yeah I I think yeah against different teams against different opponents even just on different nights it's like yeah I think the Oilers do have a lot in the toolbox that way.

SPEAKER_03 28:48

They're they're scratching and clawing a little bit dropping some big ones it's true it's true.

SPEAKER_01 28:54

It's not always pretty but yeah I'm feeling very optimistic rhymed that the last like stretch of the regular season is going to go yeah I mean I'm optimistic I don't think I'm as carefree as me as calm about it as you are okay I still think you know I'm feeling better after the last couple of games obviously wins help but also watching Murphy Dickinson seeing that there seems to be some ice i'm Savoy's another guy who's really come out let's go and like yeah I I wrote uh I wrote uh an article about uh a potential extension for him um and I guess the question is because he's got a year left still so you're not I don't think you're he's gonna agree to a bridge contract this early there's no reason for him to so the question is in the the comparables I looked at were seven and eight year contracts ranging between um five and I guess a new a new at what the cap percentage capital signs would be between at that point when it's 113 million capital it's like it'd be like between like five point eight and seven point two million right year for the long term contract.

SPEAKER_03 30:05

Right. Would you sign that you think um well like first of all I might just wait till the summer because that's the earliest you could get yeah that's what I mean yeah of course. Yeah but let's say in my optimistic brain as someone who um yeah I've been tracking Savoy it since his draft year even if he wasn't on the the Oilers so I've had lots of thoughts and at first I was kind of worried because he just might be like a power play specialist like it was how translatable is his game going to be and like as he's gone he's like added so much to his game. People talk about like what a good defensive presence it is like so for me I'm love the growth that he's had and he's done it in a really important way and I know that the skill in the mind is there um obviously he's a bit shorter or smaller let's say um but like I yeah I would do that like if you look at like Frank Nazar in Chicago or something like uh and I think with the cap going up so much so quickly getting it done sooner is gonna be better always um because you're negotiating I guess on the percentage of a cap even if you don't know it or something. I guess now we know ahead so but especially early on here where it's just starting to go up a lot after it was stagnant for a long time is like I think you're actually going to get some deals. The sticker shock for fans will be like 5.7 and he only scored like you know 15 goals or whatever.

SPEAKER_01 31:29

But like I think you're actually going to get deals because the players too might be like oh wow for like 5.7 that's a lot when really like they should be asking for more maybe their agents can yeah I mean they'll be on the ball but I mean what I mean what I would was thinking and I put this at my article too especially with the cap going up like you've talked about is you know maybe he trying to do it he tries and does does a little bit of a cash in, let's say sign a four year extension at like five million dollars or four and a half million dollars. Because I mean Nazar's contract was 6.6 for seven years but that's 6.3 of the cap, right? So that's 7.2 by the time Savoy's contract would kick in. You know the other one was uh so Jackson Blake was at 5.12 but that's 4.9% so that's uh that's going to be higher. Saint Cobin's contract was 5.77% of the cap so that's 6.5. So you know maybe there's that happy medium there instead of giving him a seven year contract at seven million you're like four for five and they both agree to it because it gives them both certainty. Like that's a decent contract for him to get right and play a few extra years.

SPEAKER_03 32:41

Right. I mean for me I I put him Savoy like firmly within that group definitely not last of all those comps in terms of like uh how much how good of a player I think he ultimately is so I'm really comfortable with um doing a long contract like that. I mean maybe you can try to get cute with it or something but um yeah like locking him up through his prime years if it keeps if the cap keeps going up it's like yeah it's I mean we'll see what happens but it's a completely fair it's a completely fair number. It's you know like maybe soon Darnell won't be overpaid anymore. Exactly. Everything changes yeah the real the real villain was the flat cap. Exactly it was actually imagine this like five years ago or whatever however long it was stagnant for. If it was going up like your our opinions on on contracts that were signed before that would be so different than they are now, you know?

SPEAKER_01 33:40

Well exactly yeah and I think you're starting you're gonna see that in a few years. I mean I think you saw that even like the last year or two with the contracts that were being signed with the when everyone knowing the cap was going up X amount and everyone's like okay seems high but we know the cap is going up. So yeah I think it was more in that situation especially when I was realizing just how long the flat cap was going to be that all of a sudden those contracts that were signed kind of in the hope that there would be an increase in cap didn't end up happening. And I think I was a victim of that.

SPEAKER_03 34:11

Yeah a little is part of it. No but I I like that for Savoy. I like that for Savoy. I mean I think there's still more there's still just scratching the surface here yeah um the two options really that worth seeing for him in the lineup is like kind of the uh the third for Dry Sidal and Pod Colson or like something on a checking line which I guess with Dickinson we'll see who else can kind of like grab hold of that spot. But he definitely it seems like it could be a good addition to either of those. I would want to see him with Dry Sidal but maybe maybe it's better to like him focus on the checking be like a maybe the offensive focal point of a third line instead of kind of deferring to the defensive especially since he is solid defensively. Yeah especially since he can like hold his own um defensively like it makes sense to have him on that checking line.

SPEAKER_01 35:14

Basically yeah he's the defensive conscience on a second line or the offensive part on the third line because either way he's good defensively which allows him to have that versatility. I mean I I'm with you I like to see him with Drysidal but again I go back to having these middle six wingers of him Kapan Puttholz and Roslovik who have all shown chemistry with Drysidal and with each other. So you kinda you know if someone's has a hot hand whether you can just throw them up there but if someone's struggling a bit you throw them down on the third line and all four of those wingers I mean Roslovic's maybe more the offensive guy than anything else but Kapan and Savoy and Pod Colson can all play a defensively responsible style on a third line as well. Yeah so I think you're gonna see them all moving every game every few games or whatever. The old blender of course of course uh how could I forget the one time I'm kind of okay with as long as it's just between those two lines but I think I don't know they've kept the same lines the last couple games that seem to have worked so yeah oh let's look again right I was saying I'm so optimistic so anything else phase I don't even know no not that I can think of we talked about the deadline we talked about upcoming periods and things and looking forward. I don't think there's anything else. All right well thanks everyone for listening to another episode of the Torp. Uh as always you can check out the articles and things that both myself Greg and everyone else at the oil rig write at the oilrig.ca and we'll catch you next time.