LOWE'S QUOTES
"Not that we won't look and try to be active, but we won't go into free agency like we did last year, where we knew we had to bring players in," Lowe said Tuesday.
This is obvious.
"If a team comes around, like the situation we were in, which to me was very unique, then yes, absolutely there'll be an RFA offer," he said. "Am I concerned about our RFAs? Not one bit. We have lots of (salary) cap room. We know the players we like. If there was one, we'll match an offer, if we choose to. If we think the offer is too high, we'll let them go and take the picks.
"We're in a great position. We have lots of depth in the organization. Having said all that, we've had positive contract negotiations with all those players, so I don't think it's even going to get there."
I hope Lowe is planning to use team elected arbitration to some of his RFAs (to protect against RFA offersheets) if it gets to that point.
"I think if we'd have stayed healthy, we had a team that would have been in a position to challenge," Lowe said.
Yeah, and Grizzly Adams had a beard.
"Our goal going into the season was to try to make the playoffs, and to also be in a development year. We didn't accomplish the playoffs -- it was a good effort by the boys -- but we had probably our best development year in 12 or 15 years. I can't wait for next year."
Agree.
"We've said that every year and we've had a tough time," Lowe said of moving up in order. "I'd love the opportunity to move up into the top 10.
"We'll see what happens. I think we have the assets to do it. We've built them up over a number of years so, ideally, we'll try to utilize that asset base to improve upon the high-end aspect of our organization."
This is encouraging news for the Oilers. Though it probably does produce a lump in the throats of Schremp fanboys.
"We were ninth, so there's room for improvement," he said. "Depending on what happens with our numbers, if we end up making a package deal to bring in a player, that would be a new player.
I like where this is headed.
"There'll be a lot less changes. You need some continuity. Players need to play with one another for a while. We're in a position to do that now."
Sometimes, the status-quo does indeed beat the alternatives.
MIRTLE AGREES
And in other news, Robin Brownlee provides his connected opinions on Oilersnation
Posts
2 comments:
PJO, thanks for plugging the Nation. We appreciate it!
-- DJ Spin Cycle
Mirtle's Post:
I think its becoming increasingly clear that joining the UFA stampede July 1 is more likely to hurt than help.
Brownlee's Post:
- Someone on HF Boards recalls Brownlee dissing Pitkanen before the trade - when the rumours were flying. So, take what he says with a grain of salt?
- I'd hate for the Oilers to trade their only top-pairing defenceman.
- Equating Pitkanen with Souray - two offensive defenceman.
Souray isn't - think Jason Smith with a slapshot.
Pitkanen is - think Paul Coffey with wanderlust.
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