get ’em, bubba.

Such an absurd article out of Edmonton. Nice catch Bubba.

As far as I see it… Pitkanen has done exactly what he was brought here to do… We don’t miss Cole…. so who the hell cares???

Thanks for policing the internet for these idiotic comments Bubba. As an aspiring sports journalist, it gives me pointers on how not to write.

Ah, they’re just trying to pretend that they ended up with a player that can stand on his own two skates…
:)
Pitkanen is a decent player who has the occasional mental lapse… but who doesn’t?
And Ottawa is now lamenting the fact that they have no puck-moving defensemen…

I miss Cole but I still think we got the better end of this deal

I think that Cole might be a nice acquisition before the trade deadline if PK wanted to loosen up the purse strings and if Edmonton was out of the playoff picture.

It would be funny if Carolina ended up with both players at year end.

Bubba, he’s done stuff like that before…

I would not be surprised at all to see Cole back in Carolina next year. Look at Matt Cullen. I am not saying that I would love to see him back. There are a lot of teams that would probably go after him though for a playoff run.
I would have to say that if a defenseman has scored as many points as a forward, then offensively speaking, we won. Pitkanen’s first priority is to prevent scoring from the opposition while Cole can be focused on getting to the net in the offensive zone.

Great find Bubba.

Nice catch on this one B… In all I gotta say, What’s the point in the article from Staples??? First off- to be true regarding the team to win the cup position. Regarding who is the winner v loser on the Cole for Pitkanen deal-This like many other debates… pick a side. Both players have flaws to their respective games-It can be argued that Pitkanen brings little or no physical D-man presence to the ice, the counter point is that Cole is a single faceted winger. A true power skater for sure but his stretch to himself around the last man to beat move is tired!! But you add the positives and negatives and these guys bring more positives to the ice.
First off, Pitkanen (along with the other younger D men) the Canes have moved the puck out of their own end far better this year than the past 2. We now have better point presence with fewer poor pinches that in the past led to way too many break aways. He’s got some offensive skills to offer which in my book is a fair trade off for the lack of physical game. So when he pinches he has options opposed to just dumping it back deep. The Canes needed this guys especially given the Wesley-Hedican departures in the mix. He’s been an asset.
For all Cole brings to the ice, the full tilt skating that (ask Eric Staal) creates open ice for his line mates by pressing opposing D lines back has been missed here in Raleigh. No offense to LaRose and Ruutu. Look at Cole’s line mates over the past 4 seasons on plus minus and the proof is there. Now the Oil have him if for only a short while and time will tell the tale for Erik. I hate to say it, since his neck, the hitting he brought to the game has fallen way off. This may bring future concerns for any team of interest.
If I can draw a bottom line to this deal it’s this-both teams got something they needed badly. It just so happens that the Canes have gotten pretty darn good points production from a D man which is refreshing and the Oil got a small piece of the puzzle that remains disassembled since days gone by.. if only for a short while Cole’s a band aid for them. Sorry Oiler fan, the Canes have and will see more prosperity on this deal.

If anyone can remember back to the interview he had with Adam Gold after he was traded he made it pretty clear he did,nt want back here anytime soon. Miss him but we got the better end of it.

I wonder what Staples will say after the Sabres hung double digits on Edmonton last night…