Ban Price trades
Joined: Oct. 2017
Posts: 6,482
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There were a ton of warning signs when he was booted out of BeanTown. Oilers fans were desperate for a change that didn't involve a member of the OBC. At the time, I even thought Chiarelli was a godsend. The Reinhart trade was unspectacular, and I was disappointed but I had a bit of faith: maybe the organization knew something I didn't (spoiler, they didn't).
I remember being very upset about the Hall trade. I was annoyed by the Eberle trade because I could see it coming from a mile away and wanted to be wrong. Schultz needed to go, and not because he was a wreck, but so he could get away from this town's media and generally-stupid fanbase (most of the ones here are part of the intelligent group - it's the average knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing Edmonton Oiler fans that make cheering for this team unbearable). The Montoya trade was stupid - he had to do something to address the goaltending and completely whiffed - but I'm not sure if that's on him or the pro scouting. The Letestu/Aberg swap was strange, and I felt a late pick could have been added, but I'm content with the return. Why he felt the need to pay to acquire Vesey is beyond me, but because that call comes from the half-decent group of amateur scouts the Oilers employ, I have a feeling they might know what they're up to with that one.
The Sekera signing, at the time, was a necessity, and was only a year or two too long in my opinion. Had he not gotten hurt, he wouldn't be the financial burden he is currently looking to be. His WC performance has me optimistic, and I'm hoping with additional rehab time and limited minutes he can pull some value. I wasn't a fan of the term attached to Lucic. I'm eager to see him bounce back next year because it's pretty much the only option this team has for managing his anchor of a contract. The Russell signing was moronic in all senses, but if he's paid $1M less, I doubt anybody really gripes about him (save for his signature starfish move, useless f*ck). The Koskinen, Caggiula, and Kassian signings are baffling, but I can can sort of see why they cost as much as they do. They aren't perfect in any means, and the combined amount that they've been overpaid by could afford another quality roster player or be the difference in having been able to afford Nurse at >4M.
Why he bought out Pouliot when he did was mystifying. As is the recent Gryba buyout. Another $1.6M wasted.
Not everything he's done has been flat-out awful though - and hear me when I say I'm not defending him. Talbot for the price he paid was a steal (read: gift from Slats to the Oilers faithful). Maroon was an absolute hosing of the Ducks. The Scrivens/Kassian swap was a win. Both Davidson trades were actually pretty good. Acquiring Nilsson was a decent move and didn't cost the organization anything substantial. Benning, despite the odd wart, is looking to be a really good acquisition. If Rattie works alongside McDavid, he's more free money. There's a lot working against Chiarelli in terms of what he inherited vs what he's left with. Personally, I can't wait until Keith Gretzky is the GM. His work with scouting has been fantastic, and he's actually earned the position he's in. I really think the professional scouting department needs a drastic and immediate overhaul. If I had to grade Chiarelli on his work, he's probably looking at a C or C-. His work has been largely unacceptable, but those shouldn't take away from the good he has done.
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