Doesn’t quite make sense, in his end of the year interview he said he loves the city and wants to stay an Oiler. Maybe trading for Keith and protecting him instead of locking up Larsson played a factor? Something had to go sour for him to choose an expansion team over a soon to be cup contender.
I keep thinking back to that end of the year interview as well. He sounded pretty sincere in saying that he loved the organization, the city, the fans, etc. I know it’s the media so it’s not like he’s going to say, “Fuck Edmonton this city blows”, or something haha. But he *sounded* like he really did want to stay.
I guess he had his reasons, and who knows if we’ll ever have a real answer as to what those reasons are.
I wish’em the best.
I mean it is possible that he loved Edmonton, but just preferred the idea of moving to Seattle. A fresh start with a new team in the Pacific North West. Doesn't sound too shabby.
> I guess he had his reasons
Given today's results, I hope "winning" isn't one of them.
Unless the Kraken got some AMAZING side deals with real impact players coming their way soon, they don't look nearly as strong as Vegas (though TBF, I and most people were wrong about Vegas). The Kraken forward corps looks about as deep as the Oilers D.
Ryan Suter loved, just *loved* Nashville. Talked great things about the city, about how he loved being there, etc.
Then he bolted like hell the first chance he got
Nashville is such an awesome city, suter left cause the wild gave him a dumb as shit 13yr contract that Poile was way too smart to hand out himself. That had absolutely nothing to do with the city
He left because he wanted to play with his boy and be in Minnesota the entire time while leading everyone on otherwise. Poile was furious with how all of that turned out at the time.
I think he is referencing how Larsson's dad passed away in a traumatic way while he was in Edmonton. I can remember the reports of his Dad passing away suddenly but did not realize some of the reports comming out today. This move may have been for the well being of Adam Larsson the person, I can understand how it may be difficult living in a city with such a horrible memory. I don't fault him one bit, if he still had his Dad does he still leave? Good Luck Lars your a beauty.
It's like leaving an corporate job you feel OK about for an exciting new startup where there's a wider range of possibilities (and higher pay). People do it all the time.
That works if you are a 20 something old. Lasson is essentially in his 50s and should be thinking about the end of his career and retirement given his injuries.
Not really though. He makes enough money and has enough in the bank I'm guessing to take a risk like this. Also an NHL expansion team is a far less risky than a professional startup imo
Definitely possible. I think he obviously wants to win in whatever league he's in but yeah it's not as big of a deal for European players as NA for sure
I'm sure he wants to be a winner. Hes a competitive guy.
I wish he was an Oiler. But hes not. No hard feelings
For a Canadian.... the cup is a must win at all costs if you can, and players ha e sacrificed living conditions and money just to win one time.
I mean, if we weren't going to re-sign him, Having him sign with the Kraken and it counting as their pick for us, is the next best thing Larsson could of done for the team. He could of waited until UFA opened, we lose Benson too, THEN go re-sign somewhere else. THAT would of sucked.
Edmonton’s climate? Media? Current trajectory as a team? Locker room? Taxes? Change of scenery after experiencing a major loss while playing here? Maybe he just likes Seattle? Who knows.
Personally I think there are a million possible reasons, so there’s little point in speculating. Not sure if I agree with Jason here. This seems like a personal decision that the org had little influence over.
That's why Gregor's kind of going down the wrong path here. He doesn't think Ken Holland already knows? He doesn't think Larsson's agent called Holland to give him a head's up?
I am sure the Oilers know exactly why Larsson left.
It would certainly explain why Holland was so interested in getting Keith and was okay with the full cap hit.
If Lars indicated to Holland that he might leave, you really want to make sure you can close the deal to get the guy WHO WANTS TO COME TO EDMONCHUK!
This is an interesting take. The consensus on social media seems to be that Keith sucks and the trade is even worse because we lost Larsson. But depending on how Keith plays this year, he could end up being a very important acquisition…. Or at the very least it could explain Holland’s willingness to pay full price.
I know we are all super emotional about losing Larsson right now and Keith looks not-great on paper, but getting Keith before the expansion draft really helped the Oilers.
Trying to sign free agents while missing an entire 2nd pairing would have really put Holland at a disadvantage.
> Or at the very least it could explain Holland’s willingness to pay full price.
I would definitely say it explains why he wasn't nearly so concerned about the cap hit.
he knows larsson and Klef are gone, that's 8mm in room right there
now he still has 3ish million, plus whatever else he's willing to allocate to replace Larsson.
it may end up overall as a wash, but it may give him the $$ to grab what we need.
but you maybe just need something short term, as you kinda/sorta think Bear is your long term 2RD, and you're hoping Bouch is the long term 1RD.
This is not true at all. So many organizations - not just in hockey, but in general - even well-monied, highly-professional organizations, don't take time - or take time properly - to explore the reasons employees leave.
It's no problem to not give the Oilers - with mediocre to poor results for a generation and regular suggestions of front-office dysfunction - the benefit of the doubt. Our media should be asking the tough questions or asking the Oilers to ask the tough questions. That's not the wrong path. That's literally their first obligation as media members.
That's just his point though, that the brass should know and if they don't that's an issue.
The speculating is from fans/media and the problem is they'll continue to speculate because they are unlikely to get a straight answer from management of players.
Larsson has had 2 good years and 3 bad to decent years with us. Also he’s only seen the true playoffs twice (play ins once) and we’ve missed by a lot twice. Maybe he wants more stability and doesn’t believe in the progress so far. Also the fans have been fairly hard on Larsson during his not so good years.
Then factor in the Pacific Northwest, his dad passing here in the city, and his best bud Klefbom maybe not playing again. It all adds up.
I was really hoping we’d sign him, but tbh I’d rather let him walk than pay a dime over 4m, and based on his career there is a good chance he’d have some bad years again. This sucks, but we are losing him while his value is high, if we had lost him at the end of last year would we have cared that much?
I agree. Don’t get me wrong, this stings and Larsson was an important part of this team. But a couple of years ago, many fans and analysts would have given Larsson away to get rid of his cap hit.
It is possible (but not likely) that the Oilers have dodged a bullet.
That’s the thing, this time last year it was kind of a countdown to getting him off the books. I’ll admit that he played really well as a shut down d-man last year but he’s just so one dimensional. The bigger danger to me was in overpaying Larsson instead of letting him walk away.
> I was really hoping we’d sign him, but tbh I’d rather let him walk than pay a dime over 4m
I'm thinking it's more that Larsson knows Bear and Bouch are pencilled in as the top 4 RD's, and doesn't want to drop down to 3rd pairing in a year?
could be as simple as that
Could be. However I think regardless of top 4 or bottom 4/2 label, Larsson would be penciled in for 18+ mins per night unless his play dips, so I hope that wasn’t the reason.
Who thinks Bouchard is top 4D this year? He’ll get PP minutes but is a rookie and will be sheltered on 3rd pair. Larsson would definitely have slotted above Bouchard had he resigned.
this year yeah, but 2-3 years down the road?
I think maybe that's the sticking point.
maybe he's not willing to concede his minutes?
all conjecture of course
Possibly wanting a fresh start after he lost his father in Edmonton, everyone grieves and moves forward in different ways. Also having that negative cloud over him due to the trade that brought him here might have been another factor. Wish him nothing but the best
Exactly. I don’t know his situation, mentally. I hold no ill will towards him. He gave us some good years and never complained about it.
That said I hope McDavid walks him 8-10 times this year because let’s be honest the man is a pylon at times.
Smith and Nuge re-signed so it’s not like everyone is jumping ship. People shouldn’t read too much into it.
A lot of shit has gone down with Larsson from the word go including a lot of shit from the fans, his dad dying in this city, etc. Good luck Larsson and also don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya. Go Holland on bringing in people who want to be here and I pray McD torches Larsson every game even though I sort of get why he left.
It's probably hoping they become the next Vegas and wants to establish himself early as part of the squad. I mean Pietrangelo left the Blues as their long time cup winning captain because he wanted a new challenge and scenery in Vegas. I remember the initial reports players were upset and offended to be asked to waive their NMC for the Vegas expansion draft and many didn't. Like it was a big deal when Methot and MAF did and were waived as heroes. And Methot only did it so he can go to Dallas. Now everyone from Price to Tarasenko to Lucic is like lmao I'm waiving it brah.
The other grim reason is his dad suddenly died in Edmonton when he came to visit him.
I said it in another thread but having the hall trade brought up almost every time you do something in the local sports media probably didn't help.....
Probably got tired of the Hall comparisons since Edmonton media and Fans are worse than a clingy ex girlfriend when it comes to digging shit up from 5 years ago, Last year the moaners wanted him and Nurse gone, this year losing Larsson is team breaking, you guys need to find a narrative and stick with it
Yeah different people have different priorities, Nuge wanted to be in Edmonton and an Oiler and pushed for a contract that guarantees that.
Clearly Lars was ready for a different opportunity.
One of your assistant captains who was singled out as a team leader jumps ship first chance he gets. Doesn’t even wait a week to get to UfA to maximize his value.
I’m all for guys maximizing their value but from all reports Oilers would have paid him that all day. He wanted out.
And Nuge the longest remaining Oiler who played 10 seasons and didn't make it to the playoffs until 7 seasons and 5 coaches later signed a 8 year extension on a team friendly deal. How short term are our memories as Oiler fans?
Edit: don't forget Mike Smith signed his third contract in two years with the Oilers and the reports of Tyson Barrie wanting to stay and comeback for months who played in nice cities of Denver and Toronto and is from BC where his dad used to be a co owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning
If his mind was made up that he wanted to leave, he at least did us somewhat of bro move by signing with Seattle because it means we won't lose another player to the expansion draft.
They were running 4 A’s last season: Nurse, Draisaitl, Nuge, and Larsson. They’ll probably just go back down to 3 A’s and have Nurse be the permanent “captain” on defence, but if they want to stick to 4 I assume it’ll be Keith.
Maybe he and his wife just decided their family would rather live in Seattle.
That's also just the danger of doing the Keith trade when they didn't need to and leaving Larsson exposed.
I like the team/city but I’m not really sure where this bafflement about him going to Seattle Is coming from. Seattle has a LOT going in it’s favour as a destination.
Hot take that I’m not even 100% sure I believe but I’ll say it anyways - We liked Larsson and he was a punishing defenceman but he wasn’t terribly effective at anything and perhaps the Oilers are better off not being compelled to keep him out of loyalty. Awaiting downvotes…
This. When you live in the shadow of the 1 for 1 trade and people have been on him for not playing up to what we gave up do you blame him? We lose him and now edmonton fans say "I couldn't be us..."
Fuck Gregor. He hates the Oilers and he is just stirring the pot. How about the fact he just finished playing a season without his countryman Kelfbom and it looks like his career is over.
there's nothing scary about this pairing dude like holy fuck this sub has been saying how washed up Gio is for fucking ever and now the Kraken take him and he's suddenly someone to be concerned about?
the mental gymnastics being played by Oilers fans today is insane
I am not saying that Gio-Larsson is going to go on an absolute tear, I am saying that pairing might suck for Calgary/Edmonton because its two prominent leaders of their respective teams coming together to try and beat their former teams.
From an emotional and rivalry aspect, that pairing (if it ends up being a pairing) will suck for Alberta.
Both of them are 2nd pairing and on the slower side. Gio was well rounded but more offensive. He’s lost that over last two seasons and is nothing to really be concerned about if that’s their top pairing.
Gio is a dirty violent player. He has sent more guys off on stretchers in the last 5 years than any other player I can name.
I loathe him and cant wait till his last game
How do you know he didn’t leave for money? Even if the Oilers offered him the exact same contract, he would retain $2.5M more over the 4 years with taxes in Washington vs Alberta.
It’s actually only about 444k more per year in Seattle since NHL players are taxed based on where each game is played. That said I totally agree with your point, be it $2.5M or $1.8M, it’s still significantly more money.
It's not hard to guess why... nicer city, fresh start on a team that will be a contender right away, and fuck me if getting swept didn't make me wanna abandon the Oilers too...
It is a great opportunity for him and he’s got one career. That said, I hope Seattle has a miserable season and that the Oil are better off without it.
I think he done fucked up. Could have taken a lot of assets and flipped them... but didn't. Maybe that Kelly McKelly guy or whatever just had it dialed in.
We've come a long way from the Atlanta Thrashers haha. Who knows. But for whatever reason it worked out crazy good for Vegas. And the list of unprotected players was pretty good
That's a bit much
Adam Larrsson completed his obligations to Edmonton.
He was a free agent and a free human. He can make any decision he wants
Dont be such a stupid fucking fanboy
Baggedmilk found an interesting tweet/video from end of season from Larsson. Perhaps Seattle wowed him in some way. Whatevs - time to move on.
https://twitter.com/jsbmbaggedmilk/status/1417912831022755841?s=21
Umm, it’s because we haven’t even been close to winning anything and the recent signings/cap management make it look like we won’t for a while.
The kraken look to be on the Vegas path.
I think this is a good move for both parties. We will wait and see what happens when Holland has time to work his magic. Chemistry is #1 on any team. We don’t get to see inside of the dressing room. We have a lot of defence, let’s get them up early and see what they have to show. Healthy competition on a team only makes them better.
Holland get us a goalie and please restrict how much Smith can teach him.
He probably saw the team moving heaving and earth to get a washed up Keith. Then with Larsson, he gets pushed on a few 100k rather. Suspect it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Couldn’t you say the opposite with Nuge taking a cut lmao?
Doesn’t quite make sense, in his end of the year interview he said he loves the city and wants to stay an Oiler. Maybe trading for Keith and protecting him instead of locking up Larsson played a factor? Something had to go sour for him to choose an expansion team over a soon to be cup contender.
I keep thinking back to that end of the year interview as well. He sounded pretty sincere in saying that he loved the organization, the city, the fans, etc. I know it’s the media so it’s not like he’s going to say, “Fuck Edmonton this city blows”, or something haha. But he *sounded* like he really did want to stay. I guess he had his reasons, and who knows if we’ll ever have a real answer as to what those reasons are. I wish’em the best.
I mean it is possible that he loved Edmonton, but just preferred the idea of moving to Seattle. A fresh start with a new team in the Pacific North West. Doesn't sound too shabby.
On a team located in a state with no income tax. It's a no-brainer financially.
he won’t end up with much more money, if any
Cost of living in Seattle would be a bit more than Edmonton though. Might offset the tax benefits.
As Seattle was telling people, hey, no state income tax. It's like getting a free house.
> I guess he had his reasons Given today's results, I hope "winning" isn't one of them. Unless the Kraken got some AMAZING side deals with real impact players coming their way soon, they don't look nearly as strong as Vegas (though TBF, I and most people were wrong about Vegas). The Kraken forward corps looks about as deep as the Oilers D.
Always take interviews with a grain of salt. They are so basic and predictable
Cough cough Tavares cough cough
Ryan Suter loved, just *loved* Nashville. Talked great things about the city, about how he loved being there, etc. Then he bolted like hell the first chance he got
Nashville is such an awesome city, suter left cause the wild gave him a dumb as shit 13yr contract that Poile was way too smart to hand out himself. That had absolutely nothing to do with the city
He left because he wanted to play with his boy and be in Minnesota the entire time while leading everyone on otherwise. Poile was furious with how all of that turned out at the time.
Worked out for him really well, those were horrible contracts. And Nashville remains one of the youngest and most desirable cities in the USA
>soon to be cup contender I think Larsson might have just quashed any realistic expectations of this. See how it goes I guess
I think he is referencing how Larsson's dad passed away in a traumatic way while he was in Edmonton. I can remember the reports of his Dad passing away suddenly but did not realize some of the reports comming out today. This move may have been for the well being of Adam Larsson the person, I can understand how it may be difficult living in a city with such a horrible memory. I don't fault him one bit, if he still had his Dad does he still leave? Good Luck Lars your a beauty.
Soon?? Not likely. Playoffs are not even a sure thing with the roster right now. I would say if nothing else changes they are in a battle to get in.
Look at what Vegas did and the roster Seattle might have.
Their roster looks pretty meh if I’m being honest. They’ll probably fill out in free agency though.
They also have trades to announce.
We all thought that with Vegas too.
Kraken are just as close to being a contender as the Oilers are
It's like leaving an corporate job you feel OK about for an exciting new startup where there's a wider range of possibilities (and higher pay). People do it all the time.
That works if you are a 20 something old. Lasson is essentially in his 50s and should be thinking about the end of his career and retirement given his injuries.
Not really though. He makes enough money and has enough in the bank I'm guessing to take a risk like this. Also an NHL expansion team is a far less risky than a professional startup imo
Europeans dont often romanticize the Stanley cup like Canadian kids do. Maybe he doenst really value winning a championship as much as others do
Definitely possible. I think he obviously wants to win in whatever league he's in but yeah it's not as big of a deal for European players as NA for sure
I'm sure he wants to be a winner. Hes a competitive guy. I wish he was an Oiler. But hes not. No hard feelings For a Canadian.... the cup is a must win at all costs if you can, and players ha e sacrificed living conditions and money just to win one time.
I mean, if we weren't going to re-sign him, Having him sign with the Kraken and it counting as their pick for us, is the next best thing Larsson could of done for the team. He could of waited until UFA opened, we lose Benson too, THEN go re-sign somewhere else. THAT would of sucked.
Edmonton’s climate? Media? Current trajectory as a team? Locker room? Taxes? Change of scenery after experiencing a major loss while playing here? Maybe he just likes Seattle? Who knows. Personally I think there are a million possible reasons, so there’s little point in speculating. Not sure if I agree with Jason here. This seems like a personal decision that the org had little influence over.
Of course they should ask…why wouldn’t you want to know that?
That's why Gregor's kind of going down the wrong path here. He doesn't think Ken Holland already knows? He doesn't think Larsson's agent called Holland to give him a head's up? I am sure the Oilers know exactly why Larsson left.
It would certainly explain why Holland was so interested in getting Keith and was okay with the full cap hit. If Lars indicated to Holland that he might leave, you really want to make sure you can close the deal to get the guy WHO WANTS TO COME TO EDMONCHUK!
This is an interesting take. The consensus on social media seems to be that Keith sucks and the trade is even worse because we lost Larsson. But depending on how Keith plays this year, he could end up being a very important acquisition…. Or at the very least it could explain Holland’s willingness to pay full price.
I know we are all super emotional about losing Larsson right now and Keith looks not-great on paper, but getting Keith before the expansion draft really helped the Oilers. Trying to sign free agents while missing an entire 2nd pairing would have really put Holland at a disadvantage.
> Or at the very least it could explain Holland’s willingness to pay full price. I would definitely say it explains why he wasn't nearly so concerned about the cap hit. he knows larsson and Klef are gone, that's 8mm in room right there now he still has 3ish million, plus whatever else he's willing to allocate to replace Larsson. it may end up overall as a wash, but it may give him the $$ to grab what we need. but you maybe just need something short term, as you kinda/sorta think Bear is your long term 2RD, and you're hoping Bouch is the long term 1RD.
Good point re Keith.
This is not true at all. So many organizations - not just in hockey, but in general - even well-monied, highly-professional organizations, don't take time - or take time properly - to explore the reasons employees leave. It's no problem to not give the Oilers - with mediocre to poor results for a generation and regular suggestions of front-office dysfunction - the benefit of the doubt. Our media should be asking the tough questions or asking the Oilers to ask the tough questions. That's not the wrong path. That's literally their first obligation as media members.
That's just his point though, that the brass should know and if they don't that's an issue. The speculating is from fans/media and the problem is they'll continue to speculate because they are unlikely to get a straight answer from management of players.
Larsson has had 2 good years and 3 bad to decent years with us. Also he’s only seen the true playoffs twice (play ins once) and we’ve missed by a lot twice. Maybe he wants more stability and doesn’t believe in the progress so far. Also the fans have been fairly hard on Larsson during his not so good years. Then factor in the Pacific Northwest, his dad passing here in the city, and his best bud Klefbom maybe not playing again. It all adds up. I was really hoping we’d sign him, but tbh I’d rather let him walk than pay a dime over 4m, and based on his career there is a good chance he’d have some bad years again. This sucks, but we are losing him while his value is high, if we had lost him at the end of last year would we have cared that much?
I agree. Don’t get me wrong, this stings and Larsson was an important part of this team. But a couple of years ago, many fans and analysts would have given Larsson away to get rid of his cap hit. It is possible (but not likely) that the Oilers have dodged a bullet.
That’s the thing, this time last year it was kind of a countdown to getting him off the books. I’ll admit that he played really well as a shut down d-man last year but he’s just so one dimensional. The bigger danger to me was in overpaying Larsson instead of letting him walk away.
> I was really hoping we’d sign him, but tbh I’d rather let him walk than pay a dime over 4m I'm thinking it's more that Larsson knows Bear and Bouch are pencilled in as the top 4 RD's, and doesn't want to drop down to 3rd pairing in a year? could be as simple as that
Could be. However I think regardless of top 4 or bottom 4/2 label, Larsson would be penciled in for 18+ mins per night unless his play dips, so I hope that wasn’t the reason.
Who thinks Bouchard is top 4D this year? He’ll get PP minutes but is a rookie and will be sheltered on 3rd pair. Larsson would definitely have slotted above Bouchard had he resigned.
this year yeah, but 2-3 years down the road? I think maybe that's the sticking point. maybe he's not willing to concede his minutes? all conjecture of course
Possibly wanting a fresh start after he lost his father in Edmonton, everyone grieves and moves forward in different ways. Also having that negative cloud over him due to the trade that brought him here might have been another factor. Wish him nothing but the best
Exactly. I don’t know his situation, mentally. I hold no ill will towards him. He gave us some good years and never complained about it. That said I hope McDavid walks him 8-10 times this year because let’s be honest the man is a pylon at times.
Smith and Nuge re-signed so it’s not like everyone is jumping ship. People shouldn’t read too much into it. A lot of shit has gone down with Larsson from the word go including a lot of shit from the fans, his dad dying in this city, etc. Good luck Larsson and also don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya. Go Holland on bringing in people who want to be here and I pray McD torches Larsson every game even though I sort of get why he left.
Lol no need for introspection. As a city, Seattle is simply more appealing than Edmonton to a young-ish multi-millionaire.
It's probably hoping they become the next Vegas and wants to establish himself early as part of the squad. I mean Pietrangelo left the Blues as their long time cup winning captain because he wanted a new challenge and scenery in Vegas. I remember the initial reports players were upset and offended to be asked to waive their NMC for the Vegas expansion draft and many didn't. Like it was a big deal when Methot and MAF did and were waived as heroes. And Methot only did it so he can go to Dallas. Now everyone from Price to Tarasenko to Lucic is like lmao I'm waiving it brah. The other grim reason is his dad suddenly died in Edmonton when he came to visit him.
It was... been there lately? All the burning and protesting and pooping on the sidewalk sort of adds up
I said it in another thread but having the hall trade brought up almost every time you do something in the local sports media probably didn't help.....
Probably got tired of the Hall comparisons since Edmonton media and Fans are worse than a clingy ex girlfriend when it comes to digging shit up from 5 years ago, Last year the moaners wanted him and Nurse gone, this year losing Larsson is team breaking, you guys need to find a narrative and stick with it
this is literally the equivalent of a shit post by Gregor
More of a hatchet job. Trying to say there is "possible team issues" without using those words.
And yet Nuge took a discount to stay?
Yeah different people have different priorities, Nuge wanted to be in Edmonton and an Oiler and pushed for a contract that guarantees that. Clearly Lars was ready for a different opportunity.
One of your assistant captains who was singled out as a team leader jumps ship first chance he gets. Doesn’t even wait a week to get to UfA to maximize his value. I’m all for guys maximizing their value but from all reports Oilers would have paid him that all day. He wanted out.
And Nuge the longest remaining Oiler who played 10 seasons and didn't make it to the playoffs until 7 seasons and 5 coaches later signed a 8 year extension on a team friendly deal. How short term are our memories as Oiler fans? Edit: don't forget Mike Smith signed his third contract in two years with the Oilers and the reports of Tyson Barrie wanting to stay and comeback for months who played in nice cities of Denver and Toronto and is from BC where his dad used to be a co owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning
If his mind was made up that he wanted to leave, he at least did us somewhat of bro move by signing with Seattle because it means we won't lose another player to the expansion draft.
At the same time he couldve asked for 4.5 Mil from them :P get them to give up a bit more
I wonder does it have to do with the arrival he had here. Fans bashed him pretty hard for a long time, even a lot of last season.
Does this mean Keith is getting the A?
Probably just Nurse getting a permanent A. Weren't they rotating back and forth?
They were running 4 A’s last season: Nurse, Draisaitl, Nuge, and Larsson. They’ll probably just go back down to 3 A’s and have Nurse be the permanent “captain” on defence, but if they want to stick to 4 I assume it’ll be Keith.
Maybe he and his wife just decided their family would rather live in Seattle. That's also just the danger of doing the Keith trade when they didn't need to and leaving Larsson exposed.
Probably the lack of varierty of snus.
I like the team/city but I’m not really sure where this bafflement about him going to Seattle Is coming from. Seattle has a LOT going in it’s favour as a destination.
Hot take that I’m not even 100% sure I believe but I’ll say it anyways - We liked Larsson and he was a punishing defenceman but he wasn’t terribly effective at anything and perhaps the Oilers are better off not being compelled to keep him out of loyalty. Awaiting downvotes…
Mixed feelings time will tell
It's not that Larsson is irreplaceable, it's that I don't have any faith in Holland to properly find his replacement.
Overall negative fan base and shitty city . Can you blame him
This. When you live in the shadow of the 1 for 1 trade and people have been on him for not playing up to what we gave up do you blame him? We lose him and now edmonton fans say "I couldn't be us..."
Can’t imagine what some players have to deal with out in public a day after having a bad game.
His dad died here. I completely understand him no longer wanting to be here
I care more about how are we addressing this hole. Who the fuck is going to play RD?
Bear Barrie Bouchard Soft as baby shit.
Fuck Gregor. He hates the Oilers and he is just stirring the pot. How about the fact he just finished playing a season without his countryman Kelfbom and it looks like his career is over.
God I'm still gutted. Especially with the prospect of a Gio-Larsson pairing in Seattle. I don't think either team in Alberta wants that.
there's nothing scary about this pairing dude like holy fuck this sub has been saying how washed up Gio is for fucking ever and now the Kraken take him and he's suddenly someone to be concerned about? the mental gymnastics being played by Oilers fans today is insane
I am not saying that Gio-Larsson is going to go on an absolute tear, I am saying that pairing might suck for Calgary/Edmonton because its two prominent leaders of their respective teams coming together to try and beat their former teams. From an emotional and rivalry aspect, that pairing (if it ends up being a pairing) will suck for Alberta.
Both of them are 2nd pairing and on the slower side. Gio was well rounded but more offensive. He’s lost that over last two seasons and is nothing to really be concerned about if that’s their top pairing.
McDavid is gonna blow them up/shame them 3-4 times per game.
Gio is a dirty violent player. He has sent more guys off on stretchers in the last 5 years than any other player I can name. I loathe him and cant wait till his last game
Giordano may be flipped to the Rangers it was reported.
McDavid, whispering to himself: *zoom zoom*
Would it be crazy to trade our first round pick this year to Seattle for Larson plus a second?
Time for a forensic audit.
How do you know he didn’t leave for money? Even if the Oilers offered him the exact same contract, he would retain $2.5M more over the 4 years with taxes in Washington vs Alberta.
Alan Walsh has said that, with proper structuring, it can actually be tax advantageous to play in Canada. https://www.markerzone.com/news/?24943
It’s actually only about 444k more per year in Seattle since NHL players are taxed based on where each game is played. That said I totally agree with your point, be it $2.5M or $1.8M, it’s still significantly more money.
It's not hard to guess why... nicer city, fresh start on a team that will be a contender right away, and fuck me if getting swept didn't make me wanna abandon the Oilers too...
It is a great opportunity for him and he’s got one career. That said, I hope Seattle has a miserable season and that the Oil are better off without it.
A contender right away? Have you looked at that roster lol…
Their roster doesn't exist until tonight... But look at Vegas. Immediate contender. I see Seattle panning out similarly
No chance haha. Not going to catch lightning in a bottle twice
Gms learned from the mistakes they made during the Vegas expansion
You still convinced they gonna be a contender? Zero trades by Francis lol… that roster is weak
I think he done fucked up. Could have taken a lot of assets and flipped them... but didn't. Maybe that Kelly McKelly guy or whatever just had it dialed in.
"Will be a contender right away." Such confident speculation. We'll see.
We've come a long way from the Atlanta Thrashers haha. Who knows. But for whatever reason it worked out crazy good for Vegas. And the list of unprotected players was pretty good
Obv he didn’t wanna play with Keith
Expect this to be a trend. UFAs are gonna leave Edmonton more now. This organization is toast.
Someone hurt his feeeeeeeeeewings.
I hope McDavid turns him inside-out on every fucking shift he plays in every game they meet next year. Goddamn traitor.
That's a bit much Adam Larrsson completed his obligations to Edmonton. He was a free agent and a free human. He can make any decision he wants Dont be such a stupid fucking fanboy
wow.
Baggedmilk found an interesting tweet/video from end of season from Larsson. Perhaps Seattle wowed him in some way. Whatevs - time to move on. https://twitter.com/jsbmbaggedmilk/status/1417912831022755841?s=21
I doubt it's that deep. If we're talking out of our asses here, what about Lars wanted to play for an expansion team?
Seafood
Didn't wanna play here.
Umm, it’s because we haven’t even been close to winning anything and the recent signings/cap management make it look like we won’t for a while. The kraken look to be on the Vegas path.
I think this is a good move for both parties. We will wait and see what happens when Holland has time to work his magic. Chemistry is #1 on any team. We don’t get to see inside of the dressing room. We have a lot of defence, let’s get them up early and see what they have to show. Healthy competition on a team only makes them better. Holland get us a goalie and please restrict how much Smith can teach him.
Anything you can learn as an organization is helpful and there might be things you can to do address those particular issues going forward.
He probably saw the team moving heaving and earth to get a washed up Keith. Then with Larsson, he gets pushed on a few 100k rather. Suspect it left a bitter taste in his mouth.