[Thread] OK, fine, let's for a moment ignore the Smith signing and focus on the positive, specifically the rest of Holland's UFA spree. 1/11

In OilerLand, where twatters and bloggers have for years harshly (and almost always, correctly) criticized so many bad Oilers moves, the positive tone now (sans Smith) is sunshine and light. And rightly so! 2/11

Because here's the thing: the four good UFA moves - JP, Ennis, Barrie, and Turris - are basically all opposite-Chiarelli. We can't help but like it. Hear me out: 3/11

OC1 - all four guys were brought in *because skill*. Hallelujah! They've all shown the ability to take a pass and make a pass and handle the puck and shoot the puck and, sadly, that hasn't always been the case! Thankfully, there is no reliance on grit and character and 4/11

leaderliness and other hard-to-define and impossible-to-objectively-measure traits that almost always become excuses for why you hired bad hockey players. Would Pistol Pete look at these four guys? Seems doubtful. 5/11

OC2 - the contracts fit the situation. All four guys have risk, in that we're either counting on them to blossom (JP), rebound (Barrie and Turris), or stay healthy (Ennis). And their contracts reflect that - they are short, modest dollar, show-me contracts, as befits the 6/11

risk. If Ol' Pete could bring himself to ignore Barrie's height, well I mean, "he scored 59 points a couple of years ago, that's worth at least 7 years x $8m, amirite?!?". 7/11

OC3 - and last but not least, the players fit the role. The big acquisition, Barrie, is coming in to be a PPQB and play the right side on the 2/3 pairings. That's his strong suit. He doesn't need to rebound very far to do that well. Turris just needs to be a decent 3C who 8/11

anchors a line that doesn't get outscored too much, or maybe a skill winger for some of the best centers in the game. JP just needs to attack well and concentrate on playing a full 200 feet and he'll be a'ight. And Ennis just has to keep Ennising and he too will be a'ight. 9/11

Contrast that with the days of Mac and Chiase, when Barrie no doubt would have been counted on to play 1RD and JP would be asked to carry a line manned with the dessicated corpses of two former NHLers. 10/11

So that's why we all like it. It's the opposite-Chiarelliness of it all. The players can play hockey. The contracts fit the situation. The players fit the role. It's almost like Holland knows how to GM. . . . . . . . and then came Mike Smith . . . . . *head falls off* 11/11