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 Adam
Messages: 7757
Registered: August 2005
Location: Edmonton, AB
6 Cups
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| smyth260 wrote on Fri, 31 January 2025 16:48 |
The annual Smyth hater post by Adam! I welcome it.
Let’s break this down then. Considering all their time as Oilers.
Smyth led the team in goals 7 times.
Smyth led the team in points 4 times.
Highest NHL finish in goals: 13th (39 goals in 96-97)
Highest NHL finish in points: 46th (70 pts in 03-04)
Hall led the team in goals 2 times.
Hall led the team in points 3 times.
Highest NHL finish in goals: 33rd (13-14)
Highest NHL finish in points: 7th (80 pts in 13-14)
You are wrong that Smyth was never the best player on his team. Smyth was the best player on the team in the 3 years post-Weight and pre-Pronger (2001-2004). Those were not great teams, but better finishes than any team Hall played for. Unless you want to make a case for Salo or Brewer or something.
Hall had higher peaks, obviously more talent, and was the better overall player at his best. There is a good argument for him for sure, but probably suffers from injuries, longevity , and consistency. At the end of his career, he looks on track to be one of the few players to win a hart trophy and not make the hall of fame because he couldn’t stay elite.
Smyth undoubtedly was the better goal scorer, the best on the team for a long time, and certainly not just flow and “awe schucks” vibes as you say. You have a good memory for things and usually care to look stuff up…but it always surprises me your thoughts of Smyth. He was THE guy to score goals for the Oilers a long time.
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I will say, I lost a lot of respect for Smyth over his departure and return and then how things played out in his final years, as well as his use of the media to beat the drum for him to get a post-career gig with the team, only to then refuse to travel at all and to eventually quit to move to Nashville.
He was super insistent that he wouldn't take "any more" team discounts after previously holding out, I believe twice. He never was a team discount guy, that was always super revisionist. He then continued to grind for every possible penny to the 11th hour, forcing the Oilers to make a choice as if they hadn't traded him when they did.
He then forced his way back to Edmonton in the weirdest possible way and seemed to insist upon a certain role on his return, including going in to sulk again when he was healthy scratched.
It definitely left a bad taste in my mouth.
There was a lot I liked about his game. But he's not the guy you ever would build a team around.
I think we could have built around Hall (w/ Nuge & Eberle) if we'd had competent management at the time. Injuries definitely held Hall back both with Edmonton and after, but he was a better player than Ryan Smyth, no question about it. I also would have loved to see a season where we had Hall and McDavid for the full year together...
"Thinking that a bad team's best players are the reason the team is bad is the "Tambellini re-signing Lennart Petrell" of sports opinions." @Woodguy55
#FireBobbyNicks
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Oilers' quarter century team |
By: benv on Thu, 30 January 2025 15:49 |
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Re: Oilers' quarter century team |
By: Adam on Thu, 30 January 2025 15:50 |
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Re: Oilers' quarter century team |
By: nullterm on Thu, 30 January 2025 16:48 |
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Re: Oilers' quarter century team |
By: benv on Thu, 30 January 2025 16:58 |
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Re: Oilers' quarter century team |
By: Adam on Thu, 30 January 2025 18:53 |
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Re: Oilers' quarter century team |
By: smyth260 on Fri, 31 January 2025 16:48 |
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Re: Oilers' quarter century team |
By: Adam on Fri, 31 January 2025 17:15 |
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Re: Oilers' quarter century team |
By: nullterm on Fri, 31 January 2025 19:45 |
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Re: Oilers' quarter century team |
By: oilfan94 on Thu, 30 January 2025 15:55 |
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Re: Oilers' quarter century team |
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Re: Oilers' quarter century team |
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Re: Oilers' quarter century team |
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Re: Oilers' quarter century team |
By: benv on Tue, 11 February 2025 10:11 |
