I'm uncertain about the wisdom of either move but want to discuss Colin White's situation.
White is 33 years old, 6.05, 215 and a veteran of 743 NHL games. He's a year from free agency and comes at a cost of 3M large.
White's defensive stats aren't bad at all considering his age:
- Qual Comp: top pairing
- Qual Team: top pairing
- CorsiRel: 6th of 8 NJD D
- Plus minus: -2 (expected -6)
- Zone Start: toughest on team
- Zone Finish: +1.5 (2nd best on team)
I think Steve Tambellini should call Daryl Katz and have the conversation.
No chance they're interested in him. They added Sutton and Barker with Chorney having to clear waivers and Petry among the 4 best options on D (and 2nd best RD).
ReplyDeleteWhite is the guy they should've traded for instead of Sutton, but they made their bed, and I can't imagine the Oilers have any interest in adding yet another defenseman.
This, of course, doesn't mean they shouldn't claim him. They absolutely should...just don't expect Tambellini to go out and make 2 moves that improve the team in the same offseason.
Claim him yesterday and jettison Sutton to the pile.
ReplyDeleteThis is the type of signing that a smart Gm makes IMO. White is a veteran d-man who will be worth something at the trade deadline. He would be an upgrade on our current defencemen and then he can be turned into an asset in February. All it would cost the Oiler's is money. No brainer. I fully expect this not to happen.
ReplyDeleteWhitney - White
ReplyDeleteSmid - Gilbert
Peckham - Barker
Sutton
If they add White, and Dubnyk can get it done in goal the Oilers will push for a playoff spot. With Petry waiting in the wings in case of injury/ineffectivness i think they have a competitive group on D, with Barker being a real wildcard. Here is a link that i found to be a very good read on the matter: http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2011/1/29/1963073/a-close-look-at-colin-whites-performance-so-far-this-season
Even if the Oilers claim White, Petry will still likely spend at least 30-40 games in the NHL, more if injuries continue at their torrid pace. When he's not in the NHL, he'll be playing top-pairing AHL minutes and hopefully playing them well. There's nothing wrong with letting a young player grow hungry for a spot.
ReplyDeleteWhitney-White
Smid-Gilbert
Peckham-Barker
Sutton
That looks much better with White in the picture. I'd put in a claim.
Get White, dump Chorney (is this even a question???), send Petry down to be #1 in OKC.
ReplyDeleteA smart GM will be all over White.
ReplyDeleteTambellini won't.
Tambo is on vacation. Probably doesn't even realize they are on waivers. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't want to get too good too soon right ????
Whitney - White
ReplyDeleteSmid - Gilbert
Peckham - Barker
Sutton
First pick overall, come on down.
As far as I know, White plays LD, so I still don't see any way Petry stays off the NHL roster even if they do get him. Healthy team or not.
ReplyDeleteBut that's not even the issue. If they're going to send Gilbert out in defensive zone situations against the opposition's best every night, having a guy like White (someone who's shown they can cut it in the same role) out there with him instead of Sutton or Smid would help out a lot.
The problem with that is, it forces Tambellini to make a decision on roster players, and we all know how willing he is to do that.
White - Gilbert
Whitney - Petry
Smid - Barker
Sutton, Peckham
"A smart GM will be all over White.
ReplyDeleteTambellini won't."
what does that make Lou? a moron for waiving him?
No, it makes Lou a GM desperate to clear cap space.
ReplyDeleteStrange that White is on waivers rather than Salvador. Salvador missed all of last year with a concussion, so he should either be
ReplyDelete(a) Injured and on LTIR again, thus not counting against the cap
(b) Healthy and able to be bought out
There doesn't seem to be much in between. Considering White makes only $100,000 more than Salvador, and has had a long, healthy, successful career as a top-4 d-man with NJ, this move is peculiar.
"what does that make Lou? a moron for waiving him?"
ReplyDeleteNo, the Rolston, Zubrus, Clarkson, and Kovalchuk signings helped to do that. The fact that one of those signings looks like it could result in them losing their best player in the next 10 months doesn't help either. Losing 1st and 2nd draft picks because he broke the rules of the CBA, and having to give up a 1st round pick to the Sharks to take another horrible signing off his hands are a few more examples.
Since the lockout, the Devils have had 6 coaches in 6 years (and starting this coming year with another), 3 1st round exits, and missed this past offseason altogether. But hey...that's better than the Oilers, right?
Lou's shine is starting to wear off.
You don't claim him. You let Lou buy him out for $2 million, and if you want him then you sign him for $1 million. You don't pay $3 million for him.
ReplyDeleteFor $%^# sake, you don't help Lou by claiming him.
i don't think he signs here as a completely free agent.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with waiting until the buyout is that there will be more than one team interested in him. If we claim him now we pay a little more, but he's ours.
ReplyDelete//i don't think he signs here as a completely free agent.//
ReplyDeleteThen why would you want a aging player who doesn't want to play for you.
The ONLY way you want him is if he gets his $2 million from Lou, and then WANTS to play for you for $1 million
godot: You're kidding, right? If the Oilers pick up White now, he comes here and plays until the deadline. He makes his money, the Oilers get an upgrade and hey maybe if things break right they get a nice run for the first few months.
ReplyDeleteShould he get bought out, then he has 30 options. Surely this is obvious.
LT: But you also have to consider:
ReplyDelete1. A lot of teams don't give a "$(") for Colin White
2. A lot of teams might use him but already hired a guy like him
3. No one will go on a bidding war for him.
So if someone shows him so love ($$$) he might not be so reluctant to signing.
LT: But you also have to consider:
ReplyDelete1. A lot of teams don't give a "$(") for Colin White
2. A lot of teams might use him but already hired a guy like him
3. No one will go on a bidding war for him.
So if someone shows him so love ($$$) he might not be so reluctant to signing.
Wtf,
ReplyDeleteHe's a pro, if Edm will pay him 3M, he's going to take it happily and play towards his next contract. You think he's going to come here an pout? So you'll let 28 other GM's take a pass on him to make sure he's not, you know, Disappointed to be playing in Edm?
You pick him up, because that's the way it works in the pro leagues.
FPB: A lot of teams add defensemen at the deadline. A LOT. They may feel content with their current roster but come the deadline they'll want insurance.
ReplyDeleteAnd they CAN'T get White now because the Oilers have first option. Plus he'll be way more attractive when most of that 3M is burned at the deadline.
EVERY trade deadline has about 10 Colin White's heading somewhere. Honest.
I would only want White if he chooses Edmonton over the 29 other options.
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't want the $3 million dollar tag.
Plus the Oilers don't know if they are going to be stuck with Fraser's contract, and they are pretty close to 50.
LT: Yes that I know.
ReplyDeleteBut I think that what we'll have to pay to ''beat'' the deadline competition will certainly be lesser than 3M$.
I think it's rare 2M$ contracts pop up at the deadline.
godot10: For Christ sake. The Oilers have an advantage for finishing 30th and you don't want them to use it? This isn't dating, it's the hockey business!
ReplyDeleteFPV: Do you know how much is left on a 3M contract at the deadline?
"I would only want White if he chooses Edmonton over the 29 other options."
ReplyDeleteWe would have 1 (Smyth) or maybe 2 (Smyth, Eberle) players on our team if we only had players who fit that description.
LT: Ah nevermind. I got confused.
ReplyDeleteI tought it my head that White would simply get bought out if no one took him on waivers. Then assumed it would be cheaper.
If they don't I'd be okay with picking him up.
how is this even a discussion. Most of the regulars always talk about how no one will sign here, and now two of the staunchest "they won't sign here guys" say just sign him for cheap? I'm confused. White is a real NHL top 4 dman, who plays tough, kills penalties and is immediately our best stay at home dman. Petry will play due to injury, but if the idea is to not rush anyone then this is exactly the type of move a smart gm makes (as PBoy pointed out).
ReplyDeleteHe makes us better. he costs us no roster players, and I would venture to guess if asked a Colin White traded for Taylor chorney deal would make everyone happy. That is who you are essentially moving out to bring him in; Petry will not suffer to start in the minors, just like Lander, Haartikanen and other young guys. Let them win on the farm, move them up gradually. White is an upgrade. Just do it.
with Chorney having to clear waivers
ReplyDeleteNOT WAIVERS!!!
They'd hope someone would pick up Chorney for the contract space
I agree that picking up Colin White off of waivers is a no-brainer, for reasons already mentioned by yourself and commenters.
ReplyDeleteWere it me, I'd claim Trent Hunter as well, assuming they think he's healthy now.
Having said that, I don't think the Oilers will be interested. I'm pretty sure that the Oilers are neither interested in competing in 2011/12, nor are they interested in spending more money than they have to.
I mean they were willing to accept a lower draft pick in exchange for having L.A. taking on a larger buyout contract (Brule). That's essentially selling draft pick position for cash, no? Not the actions of a 'money is no object' team, methinks.
If they claim him maybe the Oilers are 4-6 points better. Then they will pick further down in the draft. Which is suppose to be very strong .Someone balances these consideration without speaking of it.
ReplyDeleteAs has been mentioned by others the Oilers likely have no real intentions of finishing out of the lottery again this year.
ReplyDeleteMost of the moves this year have been about protecting the youth or a reclamation project.
The only signing that speaks of wanting to win is Belanger, but that might of been more of a request from the Coach to the GM that was actually listened to. The talk about sending RNH back down to Junior as soon as he was drafted further alluded to the lottery pick coming our way in 2012.
The goal of this years team is to let the kids grow even further while not getting beat up, and then hopefully decide to actually try to win the following year.
PBoy mentioned it earlier. White is a 2nd rd pick at worst at the deadline. That is asset management. Sutton is a 4th rd pick. Those are smart moves to pick up picks for nothing. Look at the isles with nabokov. He will get them a decent pick or prospect
ReplyDeleteA team that actually wants to win would claim both guys - having Hunter and Belanger gives you 2/3rds of a real 3rd line - add Smyth and these guys can take on the toughs while Horcoff can mind Hall/Eberle. Gags can go with MPS and Hemmer and devour the softs - and we have lots of sandpaper for the bottom line who have to play hard to stay out of the PB (Eager, Hordichuk, Jones) and a bit of skill that needs to learn about playing a 2 way game (Omark). RNH goes back to the WHL. As for the defense - Petry can stay in the AHL until the inevitable injury occurs - and who gives a flying F about Taylor Chorney.
ReplyDeleteBut I honestly doubt the Oilers do anything and that will tell you all you need to know about competing this year - that and throwing away a free 2nd round pick which is what you would get for White at the deadline.
Trent Hunter would take the spot of Omark or Jones, is not clearly a better option than either (ok he's probably a bit better defensively than Jones, but given the minutes involved, age, salary, scoring and injuries, not a better option). And he's 31 coming off an MCL injury. He's recently been rejected by two teams.
ReplyDeleteI can pass on Hunter.
White is interesting. I don't think he'd improve the top end of the D that much, considering the left side of our D, and his lack of offense. His body has taken a real beating the last few years and he's lost a step. But the fact that he's worth a good pick at the deadline and that he would be such quality depth in the meantime, well I'd have to pick him up and dump a lesser contract somewhere.
White would've been a better choice than Sutton, but he's another D who shoots left. The Oil already have 5 of those + Chorney in the A. They've only got 2 right handers.
ReplyDeleteAlso the Oil are up to the limit on the number of players registered.
Ergo, White is not getting picked up.
I'd also rather have Trent Hunter than any of Hordichuk, Eager or Jones, but that won't happen either.
Colin White isn't going to be coming to the Oilers. For better or for worse (likely for worse) it seems that this year has been set up as the last big "evaluation" year. Tambellini and co. want to take a good look at this roster, identify the pieces that will make up the core in the long run and then figure out where replacements/additions are needed.
ReplyDeleteThat's why the Oilers are picking up a reclamation project like Barker over a more established top 4 D. They know that they're currently lacking a strong PP option on the backend and a top 2-3 D (outside of Whitney). Barker could flame out, and if so, they move on; but if he somehow puts it together, they've got another piece. Same thing in goal - I think they'd rather just run DD out there for 60 games and have Khabi limp along as backup rather than pay some new goalie.
This may or may not be a lottery team, but Tambellini is putting that question on the kids' shoulders.
Both White and Hunter have cleared waivers
ReplyDeleteyeah, Vic's second paragraph won the thread.
ReplyDelete......and let the angst over loosing taylor chorney to waivers begin - bloody pathetic
ReplyDeleteReally!?
ReplyDeleteThis is either proof that management wants another lottery pick (I hope), or evidence that Dithers can't pull a trigger unless given more than several months advanced notice to evaluate a given move.
Please let it be the former.
According to Copper and Blue, that would bring us to fifty contracts. We can't pick up Colin White, or we'd have no room for Taylor Fedun.
ReplyDelete28 other NHL GMs decided not to take White on waivers. A little to much hyperbole going on around here lately.
ReplyDelete