Comments on: Thrashers make qualifying offers

By: ranallo10 (in AT)

ranallo10 (in AT) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:36:09 +0000

I see Oystrick the exact same way I saw Popovic…a rounded defender with the ability to transition to offensive with the puck. Neither were flashy, and neither were studs in their own end, which is why they were (or will be) considered expendable by the franchise. McCarthy, Popovic, and Oystrick are all fine 7th defenders, but nothing more at this point.

I don’t think McCarthy is as deserving of the bad rap you give him…he was paired with Exelby and wasn’t good enough to compensate for Exelby’s shortcomings.

Too bad about Oduya, he would’ve been a good UFA pickup by any team. Good for New Jersey though, they would’ve been unwise to let him go.

By: Nikita

Nikita — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:36:05 +0000

I would be shocked if Havlat doesn’t go back to his team, but thrilled if we got him. I’d also like Rob Scuderi.

You think Gaborik is worth it, and will stay healthy?

By: Jarndyce

Jarndyce — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:04:14 +0000

Oduya always reminds me of Rushmore.

Oh, do ya?

By: Jarndyce

Jarndyce — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:03:09 +0000

I did not put that smiley in there!!! That’s an eight, you idiot computer!

By: Jarndyce

Jarndyce — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:02:15 +0000

Where to begin?

1) The moment DW signs Spacek is the moment the Uwe Krupp comments begin.

2) Cammelari? Yes, please.

3) Tanguay? Maybe, but frankly, that money could be better spent elsewhere.

4) Exelby? Servicable for the moment, but hopefully the tide will be rising around him.

5) Oystrick? Sure, for cheap. Not qualifying in no way signals anything about the teams desire to re-sign him. The RFA qualifying offer doesn’t apply, and free agency doesn’t begin until tomorrow…

6)Lang? No thank you.

7)Kovalev? I want players who want to play. That apparently doesn’t include Alexi.

Other UFAs not mentioned:

I’d take a shot at Martin Havlat. If he’s healthy, he’s one of the top scorers in the league.

The other Marian (Gaborik).

Brian Gionta.

John Madden.

Mikael Samuelsson

By: GaVaHokie

GaVaHokie — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:47:50 +0000

Oduya is off the market… re-uped with the Devils.

By: World Be Free

World Be Free — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:12:38 +0000

Brendan, Spud, Spacek is what we may end up with at a discounted price. He would be a good 1-2 year stop gap. I agree on McKee-we don’t need any more slow D-men.

Hokie-I am starting lean your way on Tanguay. I think he would be a great compliment for Kovy, as would Antropov. Sounds like Antropov is looking for the money.

I liked Oystrick too. Hope they can find a way to keep him around.

By: Nikita

Nikita — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:46:46 +0000

Additional unsolicited comments:

Oystrick’s not a bad fighter, either. Also, skipping ahead a little, I can’t wait for camp.

And, thinking about that Top 10 list…Cammaleri would be awesome. I know we’re not in line for either Alex Kovalev or Robert Lang, but I can’t imagine anyone putting a lot of scratch into Lang. Too old, too flukey. Kovalev is pretty healthy and dependable, but also older.

By: Nikita

Nikita — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:42:38 +0000

Yeah, ranallo…I agree with you sorta. But not. Because I really think Oystrick brings more to the team than either Popovic (who was o.k., just never quite good enough to be a permanent part of the team) or Stevie Mac (freakin’ hideous sack o’…oh, I’m sorry, this is a family-friendly blog. His attitude sucked, his play sucked, he was apparently a broken man, and in his last season he looked like he went to the ice straight from a meth bust). Oystrick played most of the season, sat patiently when he didn’t, played minutes on all pairings, and in general was a steady, dependable presence. I think he should come back — I think he’s better than Ex, and a good, calming companion who can be a steady stand-in for the flashier others (Valentine, Bogo, Hainsey) when they’re flukey or injured. Also, though he’s an unspectacular puck-handler and skater, he’s passable in both regards and plays much smarter than Ex or Val — his positioning is good, and as we all know it’s hard to teach/develop. Also, he was better than average on the PK. I know he’s not a RFA, but I’d like to see some indication that they plan to keep him. At least till camp.

Oh, forgot to mention..,I’m a little dissappointed regarding Crabbycakes. I think he’s a good asset, though of course we need room and I’d suspect we have some fresh assets ready to bring up.

By: ranallo10 (in AT)

ranallo10 (in AT) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:22:00 +0000

No offense intended toward Oystrick because I liked the little bit of him I saw, but he is not a player that I feel we should be worrying about due to him not being re-signed. Just like McCarthy or Popovic it’ll be unfortunate to see them move on, but the team will still be as good (or bad depending on how you look at it) with him gone as they were with him on the roster.

But as Alan said, he’s a UFA and could always be signed before or during the free agency period. I doubt it, but we’ll see. If I were in his position I’d want to test the UFA waters before agreeing to play more AHL time…I’d even ponder playing overseas.