July 1 Target-Andrej Meszaros

Before I begin, remember to check out all the other trade targets and UFA targets posts previously done. Some names that make you want to jump up and high five someone. But that’s not to hard when your team is picking in the bottom 5 again, for the hundredth time. It really builds a false belief that just about any other NHL player could help this team out. And why not? Bottom feeders need to be overhauled to become just respectable, never mind a perennial bottom feeder, like our Oilers.

Fact of the matter is, not every single name coming up in rumors or even on the radio make sense for this team. You only get 18 roster spots to put together a championship team on the ice (excluding the goalies of coarse). So if you acquire and sign every Tom, Dick and harry that comes up. Your probably going to have a bottom feeder of a team again. We’ve seen the extra long way of building a team, excruciatingly long way through the draft. Which you have to do in the modern NHL.

And then along the way you have to add some key pieces. Look at Hossa and Sharp in Chicago. Or what Gaborik, Stoll and Greene in LA. The Rangers picked up St.Louis at the deadline and haven’t looked back. All these key players were either acquired through trade or signed on free agency. As you would hope of you General Manager, they do their due diligence and find specific targets that will upgrade a hole the team has. Not just offer contracts to any and every decent player come July.1. Ask the Rangers now how signing Drury and Gomez worked out for them when they played in New York.

The brain trust of an NHL hockey team have to zone in on certain targets that will improve the team now. That’s hard enough. Now add to it, try and make an educated guess to a piece that will help now and 3-5 years down the road. That’s when things get dicey. Teams overpay when “Free Agent Frenzy” hits. That is what every single GM does. No matter how conservative. You have to, to add in that piece that will help your team out now(for a championship) or for future years (building a decent team).

There are so many factors that NHL minds have to factor in. Just so many. So while everyone and their dog can jump on the PS3 and make trades in “Be A GM” career mode. But truth of the matter is. It’s just not that easy. You cant trade a few draft picks and Sam Gagner to Nashville for Shea Weber. It’s just not that simple. All we can do as fans is look through microscope and try an figure out what they are thinking. Fans are a lot smarter today that they were even a year ago with all the information you can get now-a-days. Add in little scraps that some NHL staff throw out their to keep fans interested. All the clichés and ever so vague information.

We as Oiler fans are more lucky than previous years. We have a new GM who, even though he hasn’t really done much, is very forthcoming. That will keep some people interested a little longer, when a GM agrees with what they are saying. But only for a little while. He needs to take some action to show he believes what he’s saying. Some would want Malkin, Weber and Patty Kane brought here now. But that’s never going to happen. You have to bring in attainable targets when you get a chance. And we, as hockey fans, get one day this could very well happen. Hence “Free Agent Frenzy”.

So what are the things we have been missing for a little while now? Two way top nine players. Kind of a given when most of our top nine are kids still figuring out some of the most simple aspects. Competitive players. Kind of of hard to figure if a player is truly competitive when they have a new coach every year teaching them new things. Especially when Easkins changed his strategy on the fly a few times this year. Size in the top 6. Honestly, a player of two couple easily change that. But I’m a big believer in:

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog”.

Meaning, even though having a smaller team and a little size upgrade is needed. It’s no excuse for how many years as bottom feeders. Size helps, but competitiveness is more important. Patty Kane is a prime example of that. He has great support, don’t get me wrong. But he is as small as they come in the NHL. He has a higher skill level than our young guns. But he’s half even our midgets size. Yet he brings it against a team like the LA Kings. Will. All the skill in the world doesn’t matter if you don’t have the drive to use it.

So, while I do feel the Oilers need to bulk up a little up front. That’s not the teams most pressing need. You all know where this is going.

The biggest need the Oilers have had is on the back end. We put all of our eggs in one basket. That basket decided to throw them back at us ten fold. This last year, we had a defense full of bottom three guys. And some games, not a single NHL level guy in the house. That’s how bad things have come to in Oil Country. We are the butt end of jokes about how long rebuilds take. We are also being openly criticized by other teams GM’s. The state of the Edmonton Oilers is horrible.

Your not going to solve that problem over night. Top tier defensemen don’t just go become available. Plus, elite defenders almost never get moved. Sorry to burst your bubble. But you have to build up a defence, either through the draft, or free agency. The Oilers are on the SLOOOOOOW, but right track on the back end. With names like Nurse, Gernat, Marincin, Klefbom, Simpson and Musil in the ranks. Even if a few live up close to what they were projected to be, we are in good shape in a few years.

But for the moment, this team is in dire straights. Our top left defender was a rookie in Marincin. Honestly our best defender period. That should say how bad we have it here. We have to start bringing in higher level players to make our defence decent. When you have a broken back end, unless it’s a sure bet, spending big money on free agents isn’t the best idea. Niskanen is a great defender, but is coming off a career year. While a very good all around defender, he’s not going to be worth the money. To bring in a player like that, you will have to pay top pairing money. But it’s a risk. He could end up being a second pairing guy.

Same goes for guys like Orpik and Boyle who’s rights were recently traded. Orpik is on the wrong side of 30 for a shutdown guy with absolutely no offense. Boyle is coming to the end of a great career. But the speed he relies to greatly on is starting to show signs of slowing down. So you have to start looking at the second tier guys. Players that bring dimensions that will help out this defence. Attributes like speed, size, a hard shot and a good first pass. A plus would be physicality and being able to clear out the front of the net. But your not going to get the full package. But there is a player who has many of the needed attributes.

Andrej Meszaros-D

Shoots:Left

Height:6’2

Weight:223lbs.

Age:28

(MESZAROS VIDEO)

Born: Povazska Bystrica, Slovakia

2013/14 Boston:

GP:14 Pts:5 +4 TOI/GM: 18:54 Hits:13 Blocked Shots:15

2013/14 Philadelphia:

GP:38 Pts:17 +1 TOI/GM: 17:22 Hits:54 Blocked Shots:49

Meszaros is not a top pairing defender. Before we start I just want to get that out of the way. He is a definite second pairing defender. But he has the ability to jump up depth chart when injuries occur. But to play him top pairing minutes, with his style of play, will get worn out over the length of a season. He is however, a good choice for a number three defender.

On the defensive side of things, Meszaros is good. He’s big and has wheels. He’s strong enough to clear the net and does so. He has an active stick he uses well. He also is a pretty good positional player. The problem with him on this side of the puck is. He doesn’t always use his strength and can be pushed back by the bigger power forwards. Since he isn’t overly aggressive when the whistle sounds, he leaves some fans wanting. He is also known for throwing big open ice hits. While very exciting to fans, this can cause him to put himself out of position. Thus causing the team to become short handed if he missed the check, or by taking himself out of the play.

Another reason that Meszaros is only a number three is, while he has all the skills to be a top tier defender. But he has consistency problems. He usually goes through up and down stretches. You will get stretches that he is solid and a top defender on the team. Then for other stretches he can look like nothing more than a solid puck mover who can make mistakes in his own end. Before he was traded to Boston, Meszaros was arguably the Flyers strongest defender. While he can drop off in his play, he always plays a solid game.

Whether it’s good or bad, Meszaros is noticed each game. Which is usually what happens with defenders that play both ends of the ice. One aspect he never loses is the ability to make a crisp first pass. He can usually get it tape to tape. The thing that changes with him would be how crisp the passes are. When he’s on his game, he can hit guys in stride at the offensive line. When he is off his game he usually makes tape to tape passes, but doesn’t stretch them.

In the offensive zone it’s a different story. Meszaros has always been able to put up points. While he does have the ability to make a great first pass. He has the speed and skill to skate out the puck. He is also adept to jumping up in the play. For the most part keeping plays alive and adding another attacker to the play. He can occasionally make an ill advised pinch which would be a disadvantage in his game. But it’s the same for all players with offensive accruement. Just look at Doughty a few nights ago. You take the bad with the good.

Another weapon Meszaros owns is a howitzer of a shot. He gets it off quick and for the most part get’s his shots on net. He is prone to shooting the puck about waist height. Which is good for rebounds and deflections. His lateral skating might be a little weak, but he has the ability to walk the line to get off shots or get the puck behind the net to teammates. And while his shot has velocity behind it, his one timer is an absolute laser. While not quite as accurate and a tendency to go high, it is approaching the 100 mph speed. A very good asset to add to a power play.

Meszaros is also adept to chipping in the puck and chasing it down himself. He has the speed and size to get in on the for check. He has the strength to win battles in the corners and along the boards. He is also known to stand up guys at the opposing red line, which makes players take notice and can alter a players game.

He has a lot off aspects to his game that would be a major up grade to our back end. While on the inconsistent side, he can play in a top 4 role here in Edmonton. So ice time wont be a problem. Another asset by signing him this offseason is the mentor capabilities he could bring. he’s been in the NHL eight years already and has 585 games played already. The perfect kind of mentor for a fellow Slovak like Marincin. He has been given advice by Chara already, why not bring in a guy coming into his prime to help the sophomore player along. While Marincin played 19:09 a game this year, he could hover around the 20-22 minute mark. And if a player like Meszaros was brought in to help, he could also play that much as well.

When he played in Ottawa and Tampa Bay, Meszaros was a 22-24 minute a night guy. He might not get as much ice time, but would be getting more than he did this year. Which was actually a productive year for him. You can expect 35+ points from him (if healthy) and a solid two way game. Which in it’s self is an upgrade in Edmonton. While not the “Sexy” (Sorry Struds) name that many people are hoping for. Andrej Meszaros would be an immediate upgrade that would help the Oilers. So many aspects of his game, even though inconsistent, are non existent in our group of guys right now. Especially and howitzer shot, stretch pass and physical play. All things that would help.

One last thing. He is also adept to playing on the right side of the ice as well. So while at his best on his natural side, he can jump over to the right side and not skip a beat. Ability to play different sides is a definite asset to any player. So his stock is decent.

Since he has bounced around a little bit and plays an inconsistent game at times, the price to sign him will be lower. He could either go for a deal over a couple years to show he’s a top tier player still. let’s say in the $2-3M over two years range. But he could also be signed for a little longer than that. Let’s say a 3-4 year deal at about $3,5-$4M a year. I do not see anyone throwing a major amount of years and money at him. But stranger things have happened. A good upgrade at a decent price is all that I’m saying.

Thank you so much for reading! Don’t forget to add us @theoilersrig and myself @sharkyzeee on twitter! Have a great day!