Draft Day Notes >>>

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

WOW!

The Edmonton Oilers have made a huge splash in restricted free agent pool.

Sources tell TSN that the team has signed forward Thomas Vanek to a seven-year, $50 million contract, a signing that carries a price tag of four first round picks as compensation to the Buffalo Sabres if the team chooses not to retain him.

The Sabres have called a news conference for 12:30pm et/9:30am pt to address the news.

Very interesting move by the Oilers...I guess they got sick of being ignored! Vanek is a future superstar...and I can just see the magic him and Hemsky would work on a line together. We'll see what Buffalo does...50 million (7.1 per) is alot, and I'm not sure they want to match that, but they have already been raped, losing Briere and Drury...they might be forced to match to stop a public outroar. Although...4 first round picks is not a bad compensation either. Because of his age and 50 goals per year potential, you gotta like this signing more than the Gomez, Briere, Drury contracts IMO.

Ineteresting

[FlyersFan]

WOW!

The Edmonton Oilers have made a huge splash in restricted free agent pool.

Sources tell TSN that the team has signed forward Thomas Vanek to a seven-year, $50 million contract, a signing that carries a price tag of four first round picks as compensation to the Buffalo Sabres if the team chooses not to retain him.

The Sabres have called a news conference for 12:30pm et/9:30am pt to address the news.

Very interesting move by the Oilers...I guess they got sick of being ignored! Vanek is a future superstar...and I can just see the magic him and Hemsky would work on a line together. We'll see what Buffalo does...50 million (7.1 per) is alot, and I'm not sure they want to match that, but they have already been raped, losing Briere and Drury...they might be forced to match to stop a public outroar. Although...4 first round picks is not a bad compensation either. Because of his age and 50 goals per year potential, you gotta like this signing more than the Gomez, Briere, Drury contracts IMO.

Ineteresting

i can't believe he is worth 7M a season. This is just out of hand right now. Yes he is a very good player, but he was also playing on a very talented team and he didn't have to face the best defensemen on the other team. He was usually going up against the other teams' 2nd or 3rd set of D-men. To me, he has yet to prove he can be the man, which is exactly what EDM is going to ask him to do. He is going to be going up against the Prongers/Lidstroms etc...every single night. Lot different than going up against some rookie or somebody marginally in the league. He played on BUF 3rd line for the most part. I personally think BUF should take the deal. You've had your chance to get there 2 years in a row and didn't do it. Now you've lost 2 key guys and arugably the best 2 guys on your team. If it were PHI i would be worried, but BUF has a great farm system and they seem very good at eyeing out talent. On the other hand, you hate to lose a guy like Vanek, but i think 7M is WAYYY too much for Vanek. But, JMO.

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

i can't believe he is worth 7M a season. This is just out of hand right now. Yes he is a very good player, but he was also playing on a very talented team and he didn't have to face the best defensemen on the other team. He was usually going up against the other teams' 2nd or 3rd set of D-men. To me, he has yet to prove he can be the man, which is exactly what EDM is going to ask him to do. He is going to be going up against the Prongers/Lidstroms etc...every single night. Lot different than going up against some rookie or somebody marginally in the league. He played on BUF 3rd line for the most part. I personally think BUF should take the deal. You've had your chance to get there 2 years in a row and didn't do it. Now you've lost 2 key guys and arugably the best 2 guys on your team. If it were PHI i would be worried, but BUF has a great farm system and they seem very good at eyeing out talent. On the other hand, you hate to lose a guy like Vanek, but i think 7M is WAYYY too much for Vanek. But, JMO.

Too much for him right now, very much so. Might be a bargain for him in 2/3 years. Much like the Flyers and Avs, after missing the playoffs EDM needed to make a splash, but were getting shutout, because UFA's didn't want to go there. They had to make something happen. I just think that with Gomez, Briere and Drury, you know what you are going to get...2nd line centre stats for 7 mil per (well in Gomez's case...13 goals is more like 4th line stats), those teams overpayed, and the contact will always be too much because you know they will not improve, and most likely decline....Vanek scored 43 goals as a 22 year old, (and if it was 3rd line, even more impressive!) and will most likely only get better...I'd rather pay HIM that much, put him with Hemsky and have a chance to really have a perennial 50+ goals per year, every year, kind of star. People are overpaying all over the place for guys that will never be superstars (see Hartnell, Drury)...Vanek has that potential.

Gotta give Lowe credit...he has balls to pull this off...

[FlyersFan]

I hear you. And i completely agree on Gomez. But i guess my point was that BUF 3rd line was pretty good and he wasn't playing against top caliber defensemen each night. I would like to see what he can do having to shoulder the load each night vs. the other teams' best D-men before shelling out 7M. Completely different story going up against Lidstrom, Pronger, etc.. vs. some stiff the kings just called up to fill in as a 5th D-man. But i agree, EDM had to do something. Briere and Drury are known quantities, though, so i can't knock those signings like i can giving Gomez 7M or Kariya 6+M. No way are either of those guys worth more than 5/year tops.

[Angelus]

Lowe is so pissed off from being ignored. Pronger, Spacek, Samsonov, Peca all leave without a thank you. He thinks he has Nylander signed, but Nylander decides to walk away and take less money elsewhere. Lowe said the other day that Gomez, Drury, Smyth, Briere all refused to even talk to him. Lowe had a couple trades lined up on draft day that all fell through.

Nobody wants to come to Edmonton and Lowe is sick of it.

I love this move. Good for him.

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

Yeah...good point FF...we'll see if he is ready for primetime. I guess on the other side of that point is that he will be getting 6-8 more minutes of icetime per game in Edmonton instead of the balanced Buffalo lineup where he only got a staggering 16:27 per game. That is huge...to score 43 getting that limited icetime is quite a feat, IMO. Him and Hemsky will see a hell of alot of ice as first liners.

I agree, Ang...he had to do something...nobody wants to go there. You could see in that interview last night Lowe was pissed about it...the Nylander thing, with his wife pulling a Mrs. Pronger, and nixing the deal because she doesn't want to move to the frozen tundra. EDM's definitely getting a bad rap league wide.

We'll see what Buffalo does....

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

Well, it's all moot...as Buffalo matches the offer...

[Angelus]

Too bad.

I wonder if this was a one-shot deal for KLowe or if he now turns his attention to Parise...

[FlyersFan]

What is so bad about playing in Edmonton? I thought it was supposed to be a pretty cool city. I actually would like to travel up to Edmonton and Calgary one of these days. And so what if the weather sucks and it's cold. You're playing hockey 11 months of the year and it's a cold weather sport anyhow.

[FlyersFan]

any truth to the rumor that Lowe is going to dress all 3 Hansons when the Caps meet the OilCan

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

What is so bad about playing in Edmonton? I thought it was supposed to be a pretty cool city. I actually would like to travel up to Edmonton and Calgary one of these days. And so what if the weather sucks and it's cold. You're playing hockey 11 months of the year and it's a cold weather sport anyhow.

11 months? LOL It's not the arctic! I can just see FF, getting off the plane in September with a parka and mitts. Or driving up in May with Skiis tied to his roof.

Edmonton is pretty much a ****hole IMO...LOL...sorry ANG.
Calgary is very nice though...

[Angelus]

11 months? LOL It's not the arctic! I can just see FF, getting off the plane in September with a parka and mitts. Or driving up in May with Skiis tied to his roof.

Edmonton is pretty much a ****hole IMO...LOL...sorry ANG.
Calgary is very nice though...

Based on what?

I think Calgary is gross. It offers very little IMO. Come down to the River Valley in the summer and tell me Edmonton is a ****hole. It's gorgeous IMO.

[JohnnyMapleLeaf]

Based on what?

I think Calgary is gross. It offers very little IMO. Come down to the River Valley in the summer and tell me Edmonton is a ****hole. It's gorgeous IMO.

Just the times I've been there for CFL games. I'm talking the city, not the River Valley. Just seemed kindy blah, and dirty. I could be wrong. The times I've been to Calgary, seemed a little more hip and vibrant, from my experiences. Plus...banff is great.

How is the River Valley during the hockey season when Mrs. Nylander would have been spending time in the area? LOL.

Hockey players really should want to play there however...great fans, great history, and great ice....what more could you want? **** Nylander....

[Angelus]

Just the times I've been there for CFL games. I'm talking the city, not the River Valley. Just seemed kindy blah, and dirty. I could be wrong. The times I've been to Calgary, seemed a little more hip and vibrant, from my experiences. Plus...banff is great.

How is the River Valley during the hockey season when Mrs. Nylander would have been spending time in the area? LOL.

Hockey players really should want to play there however...great fans, great history, and great ice....what more could you want? **** Nylander....

Commonwealth and Rexall aren't in the classiest parts of town. I think that's why a lot of visitors get bad impressions.

[FlyersFan]

11 months? LOL It's not the arctic! I can just see FF, getting off the plane in September with a parka and mitts. Or driving up in May with Skiis tied to his roof.

:beerbang: :beerbang:

Just the times I've been there for CFL games. I'm talking the city, not the River Valley. Just seemed kindy blah, and dirty.

LMAO...ever been to Detroit or Philadelphia......:blackeye: ....nobody lives in the city anyhow and unless you are in a town like Chicago or New York, nobody ever goes into the city except to see games. I think it was chicken **** of Nylander to not even have the class to call the EDM back and tell them he had a change of heart. I think it's funny that guys like Messier, Kurri, Gretz etc...played there for years and never had a problem with it and now all of a sudden it's like the whole town is infested with SARS and the bird flu. EDM has some good young players, too. Maybe Forsberg will sign there.......:glass: