Edmonton Oilers Blog - STAZE's Oilers Rant

I'm An Oilers Addict

2012-05-16T20:11:00.000-06:00

Not a decision that came to me easily and one that I have been thinking about for over a week. I have decided to shut down STAZE's Oilers Rant and take my "talents" over to Oilers Addict to join Swin, Mo and the rest of the crew.

The commitment required to run a blog, as a single blogger, was about to become too much for me to handle. Writing 4, 5, or even 6 blogs a week is extremely time consuming. I would spend upwards of 12 to 15 hours a week writing blogs. It has come to a point where I no longer have 12 plus hours a week to blog. Between work, family life and other activities about to begin in my life, I have to cut down on how much time I commit to blogging about the Edmonton Oilers.

I still enjoy putting my thoughts and opinions out there for Oilers' fans to read and I will now be doing so at Oilers Addict.

Thanks for following me on STAZE's Oilers Rant. Please follow me to another great blogging site, Oilers Addict

He's The Top Player .... Drama

2012-05-12T09:18:00.001-06:00

Ryan Murray - Rated #2 by Central Scouting. Could he go #1 overall?

Not often will you see me come to the defense of main stream media, and certainly not those who will snub their nose at bloggers while at the same time writing blogs themselves. But, one certain MSM member has taken a bit of a beating over the last day or so for supposedly mis-quoting Kevin Lowe and I do not think it was justified.

Recently, on Oilers Now and while being interviewed by Bob Stauffer, Kevin Lowe was asked about Ryan Murray's participation in this years IIHF Mens World Hockey Championships. At one point in the interview, Lowe stated that Ryan Murray was the second rated player by Central Scouting in this year's NHL Entry Draft. Soon after informing us where Murray was rated, Kevin Lowe then said these words about Ryan Murray ... "he's the top player and uh often with the top players". *see edit below

To no surprise, these words set Oilers Nation into a frenzy. "The Oilers are going to take Murray?" ... "Who is making the pick, Tambellini or Lowe?" ... "No Yakupov?"

Also came the reporting of what was said and what followed was an onslaught of criticism of the writer who "penned" the article. Accusations of mis-quoting, spinning his own web and causing alarm when there was no justification to do so.

The reporter did what his job entails. Report a story, state what was said, provide some background information and insight, and then leave it up to you to think and ponder.

It is very possible that the statement was taking out of context and it was a slip of the tongue on Kevin Lowe's part. In any regard, who cares? Lowe's statement gives us Oilers fans something to discuss.

I still believe that the Edmonton Oilers will draft Nail Yakupov. Because of what was said and eventually reported, I would not be surprised to see the Oilers draft Ryan Murray, only disappointed.

EDIT: I have listened to the recording a few more times, concentrating more thoroughly on the pronunciation of "a" and what I hear is "he's a top player". Regardless of my new stance, I am certain that the reporter heard "the" and it was not his intent to fool Oilers' fans, increase his hit counts to his article or fabricate a story. He heard "the" and as such wrote an article on the possibility of Ryan Murray being the first overall draft pick. His reporting on this story was nothing more than keeping his readers informed.

The Interview (8 minute mark, Lowe's quote on Murray) - Lowe/Murray

Previous Blog Posting ---> Hell No, They Won't Go!

Hell No, They Won't Go!

2012-05-10T17:12:00.000-06:00

As days turned into weeks and as weeks turn into a month, many are puzzled as to what is happening, or not happening, with the Edmonton Oilers lack of signings with regards to Steve Tambellini and Tom Renney.

I think at this point, with Tambellini's presence at the World Hockey Championships alongside Kevin Lowe, that Tambellini will be signed shortly after the completion of the championships.

This is yet, another, vital draft for the Edmonton Oilers and maybe even a much more important off-season with respects to trades and free agent signings. So important is this off-season, that if Tambellini was not going to be retained as GM of the Edmonton Oilers, he certainly would have been relieved of his duties by now.

In not re-signing Tambellini, Kevin Lowe would need time to hire a new GM, hard to do when you are attending the World Hockey Championships. The new GM would need plenty of time to get himself acquainted with his roster, scouting staff, and all the scouting reports. In other words, the new GM would need the necessary time required to get ready for an important off-season. An off-season that has already begun and one that gets into high gear with the NHL Entry Draft in six weeks.

Steve Tambellini will be the Edmonton Oilers GM next season. It is not a question of will Tambellini be back, but a question of how long of a term will the Edmonton Oilers sign Tambellini for?

This now leaves us with Tom Renney. My gut tells me that he will be back. Much like Tambellini, the question then becomes, how long of a term will the Edmonton Oilers re-sign Renney for? Is Renney only a short-term solution? If so, is Renney willing to be a short-term solution?

Tom Renney loves to coach, we are all aware of this. If it was clearly indicated to Renney that the Edmonton Oilers were not interested in re-signing him, would it not make sense for Renney to make this decision public?

If Tom Renney is indeed out of a job, and unless this is what he wants because he wants to retire, why wouldn't Renney want to pursue another job elsewhere? Why wouldn't Renney want to get his name and resume out there so that he can be considered for other head coaching jobs around the NHL? Why would Renney keep his "dismissal" a secret? If he is not to be retained, he owes the Edmonton Oilers nothing and should be taking care of his affairs.

Another theory is that the Edmonton Oilers were holding off on signing Tom Renney because of potential firings of/free agent availabilities of coaches during and after the playoffs. I do not buy this theory and neither should you. Renney is a smart man and would see this play a mile away. Like most in the NHL, Renney is a competitor and such a ploy by the Edmonton Oilers would be so insulting that Renney would not return under any circumstance. So again, why would Renney not announce his departure from the Edmonton Oilers?

A cases scenario to consider. Maybe it is Tom Renney who is holding up the contract renewal. Maybe it is that the Edmonton Oilers want Renney back but it is Renney who is assessing the situation to determine whether or not he wants to return.

My thoughts is that the Edmonton Oilers want both Steve Tambellini and Tom Renney back and both want to be back. With this known by all parties involved, what's the rush? It will get done when it gets done. If it does not get done, and I am referring to Renney re-signing, I think it would be more about the length of the deal offered rather than the ability of the coach.

An excerpt from a January 8th Blog Posting of mine:

Credibility: The Edmonton Oilers do not want to go through another change within their front office. Two coaching changes and a GM change since 2009 will wreak of failure and instability. Everybody mocks those teams who constantly go through personal changes, the Oilers do not want to be one of those teams. Steve Tambellini will be given at least one more season. Something you will have to deal with Oilers' fans, so no need to start the chants of fire Tambellini after each loss.

Time will tell if I am right or wrong. And, if I am wrong, I will surprised by how this whole situation played out.

PREVIOUS BLOG POSTING ---> Lemaire's Devils, No More.

Lemaire's Devils, No More

2012-05-08T20:30:00.000-06:00

Jacques Lemaire first burst onto the NHL head coaching scene with the Montreal Canadiens, back in 1984, and would remain the coach of the Canadiens for a season and a quarter. As the coach of the Montreal Canadiens, Lemaire would enjoy moderate success. In 97 games, Lemaire's Canadiens would win 48 games and during Lemaire's first season (17 games and playoffs), he would guide the Canadiens to the conference finals.

The NHL in the 1980's was a game of free-wheeling play highlighted with explosive offenses and consisted of very little structure or system play, not necessarily Jacques Lemaire's cup of tea. You see, even though Lemaire was capable of putting up points during his playing career, he was known for his exceptional defensive play. Often regarded as the defensive conscious of the Guy Lafleur, Steve Shutt and Lemaire line. Great in the faceoff circle, a sound checker and a solid player along the boards, Lemaire did the dirty work while his two line-mates tallied up the points and garnered most of the accolades. And maybe it was the type of player that Lemaire was that pushed him to the decision to relieve himself of his Montreal Canadiens coaching duties at the conclusion of the 1985 playoffs.

Jacques Lemaire would resurface in 1993 as the coach of the New Jersey Devils and with him he brought a revolutionary method of playing hockey. It was in 1993 that the NHL would be introduced to The Trap.

The Trap was a defensive system that relied heavily on a defense first mentality. It required patience, discipline and fed off of the opponents carelessness and lack of patience. One player forechecks, forces the play, while his team-mates clogged up the neutral zone. Very little is generated through the neutral zone and as a result, scoring chances off of the rush are limited and a clean entry into the offensive zone, by the opposition, is seldom. To score, the Devils would take advantage of mistakes caused by the other team and often win games by scores of 2-1 or 3-2. It was a boring brand of hockey. Perfected by the New Jersey Devils, The Trap enabled them to play in four Stanley Cup Finals in a ten year span, winning three of those Stanley Cup Finals.

Because of the introduction of The Trap, by Lemaire and the Devils, the Devils to this day are still regarded as a team that relies heavily on The Trap. Sure, every team employs some form of The Trap and/or systems play to reduce scoring. But, to this day, the Devils are still regarded as the best of the bunch. Is this assessment of how the New Jersey Devils play accurate? No, it is not and definitely no where near the extent that many have thought.

The New Jersey Devils still employ a defensive system, but this system is not like anything that we have grown accustom to seeing from this franchise. The Devils still back-check hard, take care of their own end and play responsibly in the neutral zone. But, this is no longer a boring team that stays back and waits for errors to be caused by its opposition. This is a team that will attack, skate and create.

New Jersey Devils' captain, Zach Parise

The New Jersey Devils of 2012 are a fast-skating, talented, and imaginative team. With the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk, Travis Zajac and Zach Parise, the Devils can score with the best of them, create scoring opportunities with the best of them, and play an exciting brand of hockey. No longer do the Devils win strictly because of a defensive game and a great goaltender. The Devils now win with puck possession and goals, while still playing a strong defensive game.

Without the benefit of playing a wide-open game with below average goaltending, as per the Penguins/Flyers series, the Devils are currently averaging three goals per game, good enough for third best in these playoffs. Among those teams remaining, the Devils 32.4 shots-per-game is the highest in the playoffs.

We are seeing a different New Jersey Devils team winning, one that we are not familiar with. Gone is Jacques Lemaire's New Jersey Devils' blue-print.

PREVIOUS BLOG POSTING ---> Doug Weight - The Forgotten Star?

Doug Weight - The Forgotten Star?

2012-05-06T19:55:00.002-06:00

It began in 1987, with the trading of Paul Coffey and ended with the trading of Craig Simpson to the Buffalo Sabres in 1993. Slowly and methodically, over a six year span a great dynasty was dismantled, star players were traded away.

Would Edmonton, while experiencing ownership concerns, a poor Canadian dollar and deep pocket American franchises see a star play in Oilers silks any time soon?

Well, Edmonton would see a star player emerge during the 1995/96 season. Thing is, were the Oilers faithful aware that one of the better players in the NHL was playing for their team?

When Oilers fans reminisce, they first discuss the dynasty years and then seem to proceed to talk about Ryan Smyth, the Todd Marchant goal, and the Curtis Joseph save.

What about Doug Weight? Why is Doug Weight rarely mentioned as among one of the Edmonton Oilers' greats of yesteryear?

Weight discussing strategy with Luke Richardson

The resume is impressive and should not be ignored, especially considering what Doug Weight had to play with.

Doug Weight joined the Edmonton Oilers near the end of the second half of the 1992/93 NHL regular season. Weight was traded to the Oilers, by the New York Rangers, for Esa Tikkanen.

Doug Weight's first full season with the Edmonton Oilers, 1993/94, was a success. In 84 games played, the young center would tally 74 points. Weight would follow up his 1993/94 campaign with a 40 point effort in a lockout-shortened 48 game season.

Doug Weight had a breakthrough season in 1995/96. By season's end, Weight would find himself among the NHL's elite point-producers. Weight's 104 points was good enough for eleventh best in the NHL. Weights productivity even placed him ahead of Edmonton Oilers legends, Wayne Gretzky (102 pts) and Mark Messier (99 pts).

Doug Weight would follow up his breakthrough season with another solid effort. 1996/97 saw Weight finish seventeenth in the NHL in points with 82 points. Weight's 82 points placed him ahead of Brett Hull, Adam Oates and Doug Gimour.

The next three seasons would see Doug Weight finish out of the NHL's top twenty point producers by a single point on two occasions. The one season, out of the three, that would see Weight finish well out of the top twenty was a season that had Weight play only 43 games and tally 37 points.

Weight would return to NHL point-producing supremacy in 2000/01, his last season with the Edmonton Oilers. Weight would finish ahead of such players as Peter Forsberg and Luc Robitaille while finishing the season just two points behind Pavel Bure. Weight's 90 points was good enough for eighth best in the NHL.

Doug Weight would never again experience the individual success that he had in Edmonton. Weight's best season, not in an Oilers uniform, was a 67 point campaign in 2002/03.

Doug Weight was a smooth-skating magician. Pin-point passer, great imagination and a smart hockey player are adjectives that best describe Weight. He was easily the best Oilers player each and every season that he played in Edmonton.

Doug Weight sits in seventh place among Edmonton Oilers team leaders in points. Weight recorded 577 points while playing 588 games as an Edmonton Oiler.

When talking about great Edmonton Oilers and potential numbers to one day be retired, Weight should be in the conversation more often than he currently is.

PREVIOUS BLOG POSTING ---> Trading The Pick - Toronto Maple Leafs

Trading The Pick - Toronto Maple Leafs

2012-05-03T18:00:00.000-06:00

The final installment of this series will explore what possibilities might present themselves in dealing the first overall pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs. I saved the Maple Leafs for last because they are the team that intrigued me the most. In addition, the Maple Leafs might be the most logical team to deal with in that they have plenty of players who might interest the Edmonton Oilers.

Up until the morning of February 24th, the Toronto Maple Leafs were a playoff contending team. February 25th and beyond, the wheels fell off and the Maple Leafs limped into the off-season. In the Maple Leafs final twenty-one games, the team went 6-12-3 and were outscored by a staggering 33 goals. Once as high as 6th place in the Eastern Conference, as late as January 11th, the Maple Leafs would finish the NHL regular season well out of the playoffs and in 26th place in the NHL overall standings.

So close, but yet so far away ... the Toronto Maple Leafs motto for 2011/12. A franchise that has not been to the playoffs for 7 seasons. You would think, for Brian Burke's sake, that next season must be a season where the Maple Leafs make the playoffs.

I have three case scenarios for a trade between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers. One will involve a swapping of first round picks. Another will involve the Oilers pick going to the Maple Leafs in exchange for a second round pick. The final scenario will involve no picks coming the Oilers way. But, first let us take a look at what players might interest the Edmonton Oilers.

Nazem Khadri - A player who might fit in well with the Edmonton Oilers top six. Not as seasoned as Sam Gagner, but a bigger body and a better skater. Khadri be 22 at the beginning of next season and he has yet to make the Toronto Maple Leafs everyday roster. Last season, while playing with the Maple Leafs, he tallied 5 goals, 7 points and was a plus 2 in 21 games. In the minors, he played 44 games and had 41 points. Khadri is 6' and weighs in 188 lbs. A highly skilled forward with quick hands and a smooth skating stride, he is a player who will venture into the tough areas of the offensive zone. He has second line center potential and will be a RFA at the conclusion of the 2012/13 season.

Cody Franson - Represents what the Edmonton Oilers desperately need, an offensive minded defensemen who shoots right. Franson compliments the Oilers Jeff Petry quite well as a one-two punch on the right side of the back-end. Not the stud defensemen the Oilers are looking for, one has to realize that that type of defensemen may not be in the Oilers immediate future. Build strength with depth, Franson would help in this format. In 57 games played last season, Franson tallied 5 goals, 21 points and was a minus 1. Standing in at 6' 5", weighing 213 lbs, and 24 years of age. Franson is still young by defensemen standards and there is still plenty of potential to be realized. Franson is a RFA come July 1st and given the rocky season that he had in Toronto, the Edmonton Oilers in acquiring him, should be able to sign Franson to a reasonable contract.

Luke Schenn - Schenn could serve as a shut-down defensemen while playing second fiddle to Ladislav Smid or even vise-versa. While playing a shut-down and rugged role in Toronto, Schenn did produce 22 points in 79 games played. The 22 year old is 6' 2" and weighs 229 lbs, a good size for the role that he plays. Schenn is another right-handed defensemen who would make the Edmonton Oilers roster and be an impact, immediately. Schenn would grow and mature into a very good top four defensemen with the Oilers. Could easily be considered on par with Ladislav Smid and does have the potential to be a superior defensemen to Smid. Some may suggest that Schenn is already a better defensemen than Smid. Schenn is a good skater and a heavy hitter. Schenn recorded 270 hits (7th in the NHL), 115 blocked shots (75th in the NHL) while playing only 16:02 of ice-time per game (203rd among defensemen), this past season. Schenn is under contract for another four seasons and at a cap hit of 3.6 million.

Tyler Bozak - What? Just hear me out. Bozak, at 26 years of age, just completed his second full season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. This past season, in 73 games played, Bozak recorded 18 goals and 47 points ... a 15 point improvement over the previous season and while playing 9 less games. Bozak is 6' 1" and 195 lbs, he would provide the Edmonton Oilers with much needed size within their top six. Bozak is a good two-way player who possesses a lot of hockey sense. Bozak will never be a number one center, but his hockey smarts along with good offensive instincts make him a good candidate for a second line role. Last season saw Bozak win 52.7% of the 1198 face-offs that he had taken. In addition to performing well in the dot, Bozak had 117 hits. Bozak's hit count would have placed him third on the Oilers, just a few hits behind Lennart Petrell and Ryan Jones. Ask yourself, would Bozak be a significant improvement over Sam Gagner?

In the fifth spot in the NHL Entry Draft, these following prospects could be available:

Mikhail Grigorenko - Center - 6' 3" / 200 lbs - QMJHL - 59gp / 40 goals / 85 points
Alex Galchenyuk - Center - 6" 1" / 198lbs - OHL - Injured for all but 2 games
Morgan Reilly - Defense - 6' / 190 lbs - WHL - 18gp / 3 goal / 18 points
Cody Cecil - Defense - 6' 2" / 207 lbs - OHL - 64gp / 17 goals / 60 points

The trade scenarios:

Tyler Bozak, Cody Franson, and the 5th overall pick.
Luke Schenn, Cody Franson, and Nazem Khadri.
Tyler Bozak, Luke Schenn, and Toronto's second round pick.

Any of these deals will solves some issues. Any of these deals will keep the Edmonton Oilers within their plan of growing a team that will one day compete for a Stanley Cup. Any of these deals will open the door for other deals involving Ryan Whitney and/or Sam Gagner. Any of these deals will fill holes and improve the team immediately.

To conclude the series. Do I think the Edmonton Oilers will trade the first overall pick? No, and here is why: Fail For Nail, A Success ... Now What?

PREVIOUS BLOG ENTRY ---> Jordan Staal for "Nail Yakupov" ... ?

Trading The Pick - Winnipeg Jets

Trading The Pick - Anaheim Ducks

Trading The Pick - Carolina Hurricanes

Trading The Pick - Montreal Canadiens

Trading The Pick - Tampa Bay Lightning

Trading The Pick - Minnesota Wild

Jordan Staal for "Nail Yakupov" ... ?

2012-05-01T07:00:00.007-06:00

There has been a lot of speculation over the possibility of Jordan Staal's availability this off-season.

After a disappointing first round exit at the hands of inter-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, many pundits started questioning the viability of having three stud center-men. I was one of these who suggested that it might be time to trade Jordan Staal. My reasoning behind such a move, the building of depth on the wings.

Did it become evident, during Penguins/Flyers series, that the Penguins' model could not handle the relentless and consistency of the Flyers four lines. Were the Penguins wingers no match for the Flyers wingers. Beyond lines one and two, the Penguins did not match-up well against the Flyers? I don't think so. A lot of that playoff series did not make a lot of sense. Chalk it up to the unusual.

Of the Pittsburgh Penguins 64 million payroll, 33% of it is tied up in three centers. Is that too much money to have tied up down the middle? Yes, if all three centers do nothing but play center. But, this is not the case with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Quite often, as a trio, we have seen either Staal or Evgeni Malkin play the wing.

In looking at the depth chart, the only true right winger that possesses above average hockey skill/smarts would be Pascal Dupuis. Granted, other players have played the right wing for the Pittsburgh Penguins and filled in admirable to a job well done. Could a player like Staal land a bona-fide number one or number two right winger? Maybe, details to follow.

I was wrong and so are many others. Jordan Staal should not be traded because of a weird and wacky playoff round against the Philadelphia Flyers. Jordan Staal should not be traded because too many dollars are tied up with the centers. Jordan Staal should be traded because he is in the final year of his contract and the notion of playing with one of his brothers might just be enough for Staal to sign in Carolina or New York.

Aside from playing with one of his siblings, I am certain that a player of Jordan Staal's drive and skill-set would like nothing more than to move up the ladder, so to speak. Get out from behind the shadows of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

A few factors work against any potential deal between the Edmonton Oilers and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Jordan Staal is an UFA at the conclusion of next season, There is absolutely no guarantee that he would re-up with the Edmonton Oilers.
I fully expect Jordan Staal to do one of two things. 1.) Test the UFA market and hope that either Carolina or New York come in with big offers. 2.) Re-sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins for a generous raise on his current 4 million a year contract.
Why have Jordan Staal, potentially for only one season, when you have have Nail Yakupov for seven seasons.
Given the value of a number one overall pick, could the Edmonton Oilers not find a more favorable deal, one that is not such a gamble? Absolutely.
With pending UFA status, Jordan Staal is not worth the number one overall pick and not worth a good top six forward from any team other than the two who may have a shot of landing him next summer. Trade for him now and have a full season to show him that he belongs in your town and with your team. Who knows, for Carolina he might be the missing piece of the puzzle needed for a playoff berth next season. For the New York Rangers, he might be that player that helps you win a Stanley Cup next season.

I like Jordan Staal. I think Jordan Staal would fit in great with the Edmonton Oilers. Jordan Staal would solve a lot of problems for the Edmonton Oilers. Jordan Staal will not be coming to Edmonton, sorry.

PREVIOUS BLOG POSTING --- > Trading The Pick - Minnesota Wild

The Trading The Pick series will resume on Thursday. Next up, the series finale looks at the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Trading The Pick - Minnesota Wild

2012-04-29T16:02:00.003-06:00

The Edmonton Oilers would not deal with a divisional rival. Perhaps, but the Minnesota Wild and the Edmonton Oilers did come together on the Schultz/Gilbert trade and the two teams may not divisional rivals come the 2013/14 NHL season. Once the CBA has been renegotiated, I am certain that NHL realignment will be revisited.

Back to the topic at hand, the Minnesota Wild and whether or not there is a deal to be made.

Quite a strange season for the Minnesota Wild. If you recall, on December 17th, this was a team that lead the entire NHL in points. And now, the Minnesota Wild pick seventh in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. What happened?

The injury bug did plague the Minnesota Wild and the injury bug hit the Wild the most within their top two lines. Mikko Koivu would miss 27 games, Pierre-Marc Bouchard would miss 45 games, Devin Setoguchi would miss 13 games and Guillaume Latendresse would miss 66 games. The Wild, from December 17th to the end of the season, went from having the 10th most goals in the NHL to having the least amount of goals in the NHL. At one point, the Wild scored 2.56 goals a game. By seasons end, the Wild scored 2.15 goal a game. During 2012, the Wild scored only 1.79 goals per game.

Sure, all teams go through adversity at some point during a season and all teams suffer injuries. Those teams who have depth and are truly good teams, seem to find a way to fight through the injuries. Teams lacking depth, teams playing over their heads, teams that are average at best will always get eaten alive when their roster is decimated by injuries. The Minnesota Wild are an average team.

Along with the injuries to the top two lines, the Minnesota Wild also came crashing down to earth and had a hit of reality. The Wild were never a top-tier team, despite their record. Even healthy, this team was not considered a playoff team. The Hockey News pre-season predictions had the Minnesota Wild finishing in eleventh place in the Western Conference. Much like the Edmonton Oilers and their great start, the Wild relied heavily on timely goal scoring and even more so on great goaltending.

Heavily outshot for most games, during their 20-8-4, The Minnesota Wild's playing with fire would eventually catch up with the team and its goaltending. The Wild's goals against average would increase from 2.13 to 2.76 by seasons end. Over the final fifty games of the season, the Wild would go 15-28-7 and post a goals against average of 3.16.

Take the injuries, the harsh reality check and the decreased efficiency in goal and you have a recipe for disaster.

Depending on which direction the Minnesota Wild feel that they need to take their franchise, they would greatly benefit from having either Nail Yakupov or Ryan Murray on their team. Is there a deal to be made with the Edmonton Oilers?

I don't think there is. There is nothing on the current roster that should interest the Edmonton Oilers enough to trade the first overall pick. There is also nothing within the system that should greatly peak their interest.

On the current roster, only Cal Clutterbuck and Devin Setoguchi are players that I would pursue, if I were GM of the Edmonton Oilers . Clutterbuck is a great third line player who provides physical play, is a good penalty killer and capable of producing thirty point seasons. Setoguchi is a second line, twenty goal scoring left winger who has not played a full season in three years and be counted on for forty points a season. These two, as potential highlights of a deal, should be no where near enough to pry away the first overall pick. With either one of these two coming back as the NHL-established player in the deal, I do not make this deal.

Why no mention of Mikko Koivo? Would he not look great down the middle playing just behind Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? Have you seen his contract numbers? No thank-you.

How about on the back-end? When the Shultz/Gilbert trade was made, Tom Gilbert became the Wild's best defensemen. Not to diminish the fine season that Tom Gilbert had in Edmonton, but if Tom Gilbert is your best defesnemen then you have no defensemen worthy enough to be included in a deal of this magnitude.

Forget about goaltender, Niklas Backstrom. The 34 year old back-stopper is set to become a UFA at the conclusion of next season. Although still a good goaltender, Backstrom's play over the past three seasons is not what it once was. A goals-against-average of 2.62 and a save percentage of .912 over the past three seasons are not Backstrom-like numbers, when he was among one of the NHL's elite goaltenders. It has also been recognized by the Minnesota Wild that Backstrom is not the goalie that he once was. Backstrom's work load has steadily decreased as each season passes. During the last three seasons, Backstrom has also missed 28 games due to injury/illness with the groin being the most prominent and most reoccurring injury. And if there is interest in Josh Harding, well he is a UFA this off-season so there will obviously be no trade involving him.

The Minnesota Wild do have three prospects that stood out to me. G-Matt Hackett, RW-Charlie Coyle, and C-Zack Philips. The problem with these prospects are that they are much-needed by a Minnesota Wild organization that does not particularly have a lot in the form of mid-range to high-end prospects and at least two of the three would have to be involved in the deal. Hackett, given the goaltending situation in Minnesota, would more than likely not be offered in the deal. This leaves the Edmonton Oilers with Phillips and Coyle and this would not enough as there are too many doubts about these players ability to be productive NHLers.

Is there really any point about discussing the Minnesota Wild's seventh overall pick? In looking at the Wild's current roster and their prospects, there should not be enough to interest the Edmonton Oilers to not only trade the first overall pick to the Minnesota Wild, but to even discuss it. No deal.

Trading The Pick - Winnipeg Jets

Trading The Pick - Anaheim Ducks

Trading The Pick - Carolina Hurricanes

Trading The Pick - Montreal Canadiens

Trading The Pick - Tampa Bay Lightning

MEMBER OF: OILERS ARMY

Trading The Pick - Tampa Bay Lightning

2012-04-28T12:07:00.003-06:00

I am going to start of this edition of Trading The Pick by reminding my readers that I do not think the Edmonton Oilers will trade the first overall pick, as stated by this blog entry ... Fail For Nail, A Success ... Now What? I wanted to speculate with this series. I wanted to look at those teams who have a pick within the top ten as potential trading partners. So without further adieu, I examine a deal between the Edmonton Oilers and Tampa Bay Lighting.

Despite having Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman on their roster, the Tampa Bay Lightning are not heading in the right direction.

Not too long ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning were playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. A four game sweep at the hands of the Boston Bruins gave this franchise false hope and a false sense of security. This team was not emerging, this team just had its swan song.

In 2010/11, the Tampa Bay Lightning had a very competitive team. The Lightning finished the season with 103 points, good enough for fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. This accomplishment was a significant one for the Lightning franchise because the three seasons prior, the team had failed to make the playoffs.

In conjunction with a very good regular season and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, this team was delusional if they felt as though they did not have significant problems heading into the off-season and the subsequent 2011/12 NHL regular season.

Last summer, changes should have been made.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are an aging team. Aside from a 34 year old Mathieu Garon and a 42 year old Dwyane Roloson, the Tampa Bay Lightning ended the season with a roster that featured nine players who were 31 years old and older. Within this group of veterans are some of the Lightning's better players. Martin St. Louis is 36. Vincent Lecavalier is 32. Ryan Malone is 32. Eric Brewer is 33. Mattias Ohlund is 35.

The 2011/12 season saw the Lightning drop from a fifth place finish the previous season to just six points out of being dead-last in the Eastern Conference standings. The Lightning went from 103 points down to 84 points. The Lightning scored 12 less goals from the previous season and with the current roster, I could see another drop in 2012/13. The defense allowed a staggering 281 goals, worst in the NHL. The previous season, the Lightning allowed 240 goals against.

Offensively, this team will be in as much trouble as they are in net. As each games passes, more pressure will be put on Steven Stamkos to carry the load. Martin St. Louis will be 37 in June and as he gets older, his point production will decrease. Just this past season alone, St. Louis had a decrease in production by 25 points.

Much cannot be expected from Vincent Lecavalier and Ryan Malone. Lecavalier has had a steady decline in his point production (108 - 92 - 67 - 70 - 54 - 49) and over the past two seasons has had injury concerns. Lecavalier has missed 35 games in the last two seasons, 18 in 2011/12 and 17 in 2010/11.

Ryan Malone has always been a complimentary player. 33 in December and no sign of ever reaching his career high of 51 points. Malone has spent four seasons in Tampa Bay and during that time has averaged 65 games played a season and 45 points a season.

Unfortunately for Steve Yzerman, he will have to rely on these three players for a very long time. Ryan Malone has three years remaining on his deal. Martin St. Louis has three years remaining on his deal. And the most ridiculous contract of them all, sees Vincent Lecavalier with another fours years at 10 million per season, a single season at 8.5 million, a season at 4 million and two seasons to end the term of the contract at 1.5 and 1 million dollars.

Needless to say, none of these forwards would interest me if I am the Edmonton Oilers.

Can there be a deal with Tampa Bay? Given what they have available and the state of the franchise with regards to the age of some of its better players, can the Lighting afford to trade younger assets to acquire just one young asset in return?

I don't think so, there is no deal here.

The Edmonton Oilers will not want what the Tampa Bay Lightning is willing to give up and what the Oilers want, the Lightning should not be willing to give up.

If anything, the Lightning may look to bolster their roster with a better quality of veteran(s), for another shot at the playoffs in 2012/13.

Now ask yourself, does the Tampa Bay Lightning fit the criteria that would be required to pull of the trade that I suggested in this blog entry, Is There A Market For Luongo?

Trading The Pick - Winnipeg Jets

Trading The Pick - Anaheim Ducks

Trading The Pick - Carolina Hurricanes

Trading The Pick - Montreal Canadiens

MEMBER OF: OILERS ARMY

Is There A Market For Luongo?

2012-04-26T07:15:00.000-06:00

Sure there is. But, fans of the Vancouver Canucks may not like the return.

As most of you know, Roberto Luongo expressed his willingness to waive his no-trade clause. When asked by the media if he would waive his no-trade clause, Luongo answered:

“Yeah, of course, if they ask me to. I don't want to be one of those guys who is going to stand in the way of anything. I always want to put the team ahead of me. I don't want to be one of those selfish guys."

“Obviously they have a guy here who is going to be a superstar in this league for the next 10, 12, 15 years so I'm okay with it. It is a business and that's the way it goes. I've loved being here the last six years. If I'm here in the future, then great. If I'm not, that's good also.”

What complicates a movement of Roberto Luongo is not that he is no longer good enough, he would be a welcome addition to most NHL franchises. Luongo's no-trade clause, in that he will have a preferred choice of teams to be moved to, and his contract will not only confound the possibility of a trade, but will also diminish the return to the Vancouver Canucks.

Many teams would value the services of Roberto Luongo. When speculating about which teams would be interested in Luongo and which teams Luongo might consider going to, the list becomes very small. My thoughts are that the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs are the only teams that meet the criteria that has already been laid out and the criteria that is still to be presented.

Roberto Luongo still has ten years remaining on his current contract. Luongo's cap hit during the ten years is a reasonable 5.33 million dollars. Where the deal becomes less desirable is that over the next six seasons, Luongo's annual salary will be 6.714 million dollars. Forget the final four years of the contract (3.38, 1.16, 1 and 1 million) as it is unlikely that Luongo will fulfill the final four years of this deal. It is the 40.28 million owed over the next six years that makes any trade not anywhere near as favorable for the Vancouver Canucks if the Canucks were just dealing with talent alone.

In trading Roberto Luongo, there will be minimal cap relief in the immediate future for the Vancouver Canucks. Very few teams can afford to or are even willing to take on Luongo's contract without having the ability to trade-off one of their cap problems. Now the term being traded to the Canucks will not be as long as the term that the Canucks are trading away, but the cap dollars will be similar.

Pure speculation on my part. The Vancouver Canucks would be fortunate to get a current NHL player, with moderate term remaining on his contract and a cap hit of 4 to 5 million in return for Roberto Loungo. There should be no draft picks or prospects coming Vancouver's way.

The silver lining for Canuck's fans? The Canucks will solve a goaltender issue. The Canucks will get some minor and immediate cap relief that could then be used to sign RFA goaltender, Cory Schneider. In two, three or four seasons, the Canucks will get addition cap room when the contract that they inherited in the Luongo deal is off of the books. And who knows, maybe the return becomes more favorable if a bidding war, between Steve Yzerman and Brian Burke, should arise.

PREVIOUS BLOG POSTING ---> Trading The Pick - Montreal Canadiens

Edmonton Oilers Blog Consortium ---> OILERS ARMY

Trading The Pick - Montreal Canadiens

2012-04-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

Still a proud organization, but it has not been as glorious as it once was with the Montreal Canadiens. The Montreal Canadiens last won the Stanley Cup in 1993. Seventeen seasons have passed since the Montreal Canadiens captured their 24th Stanley Cup with a 4-1 victory, on June 9th/1993, to defeat the Los Angeles Kings in five games. Seventeen seasons represents the Canadiens longest stretch without a Stanley Cup win, the next longest streak is twelve seasons and you have to go back to the 1930s and early 1940s for that streak of futility.

During the last seventeen seasons, the Canadiens have not only failed to win a Stanley Cup, they have also failed to resemble any Canadiens' teams prior to 1993, going all the way back to the NHL's first expansion (1967). In the last seventeen seasons, the Canadiens have surpassed the 100 point plateau on only one occasion. The twenty-six seasons prior to 1993, the Canadiens surpassed the 100 point plateau on fourteen occasions, played in eleven Stanley Cup Finals and won ten Stanley Cups. Sure, times have changed and it is now harder to win the Stanley Cup. But, the "loser" point has made it easier for more teams to reach the 100 point plateau and Canadiens' fans do not except anything but a championship team. Expectations are high in Montreal, a legacy must continue and be protected.

Not since the late 1990s and early 2000's has a Montreal Canadiens team faltered so terribly. From 1998 until 2000/01 and again during the 2002/03 NHL regular season, the Canadiens were not only missing the playoffs, but over those four seasons they averaged 76 points a season.

There was so much hope in Montreal that their Canadiens would not only make the playoffs, but would be contenders in the Eastern Conference. A healthy Andrei Markov, an emerging PK Subban, a UFA signed power-forward in Eric Cole, plenty of speed and scoring throughout the line-up and Carey Price in net. How could anything go wrong? Why wouldn't this team improve on it's 96 points and sixth place finish in the Eastern Conference?

It all went wrong. The Montreal Canadiens did not improve on last season, they missed the playoffs, dropped 18 points from the previous season, and finished in 28th spot in the overall NHL standings.

Looking at the numbers, last season to this season, one might be puzzled as to how this team dropped so far in the standings. The Montreal Canadiens scored only four less goals and allowed seventeen more goal, this shouldn't be enough of a change to drop 18 points from the previous season. There was not a drop-off with individual player points, near the top on the Canadiens leader board. This past season, the team had three 60+ point players and one 50+ point player. Last season, the team had two 50+ point players. The Canadiens had two 30 goal scorers. Carey Price's numbers were not as good as they were in 2010/11, but they were not off by much (2.43 gaa & .916 savepct - 2.35 gaa & .923 savepct)

Injuries cannot be an excuse. The Montreal Canadiens had their fare share of injuries and then some, as they did the previous season.

Three reasons stare glaringly back at me, a lack of production from the defense, and a smaller as well as less experienced defense. Even with Andrei Markov inured for 75 games during the 2010/11 NHL season, this defense still produced. With players like James Wisniewski (51 points) and Roman Hamrlik (34 points) out of the picture, there was no Canadiens' defensemen who could replace that lost production. The Montreal faithful figured a healthy Andrei Markov and an older PK Subban were the answers. Markov played all but thirteen games and Subban's point production dropped from 38 points, in 2010/11, to 36 points in 2011/12. The loss of Hamrlik, Jarolsav Spacek, and Brent Sopel took size and experience away from the Canadiens back-end. I did not include Hal Gill's movement as a reason as to why this team struggled on the back-end because he was a Canadien up until February 17th. At season's end, the Canadiens lost an average player size of two inches and five pounds on their defense.

In addition to a review of last season, why the history lesson? Because I think the Montreal Canadiens have an opportunity to set things right, move towards being a very good franchise for a very long time with this draft, if they can pry the first overall pick from the Edmonton Oilers.

Even though Nail Yakupov is not the answer for the defense, directly, his acquisition could provide the Montreal Canadiens with a better offense and more puck control. Also, the Canadiens will bank on Markov's healthy return to the line-up, once again, and could be active in the free agent or trade market to acquire some help on the back-end.

With the state of the Montreal Canadiens defense, the defense lack of offensive punch and size, and a constantly injured number one defensemen; I do not think that the Montreal Canadiens have any interest in trading a young defensemen who has the potential to be a number one and at the very least, a number two rear-guard. PK Subban is off of the table, despite "rumours" that said he was in the market this past season.

With PK Subban being off-limits, there is only one player that should interest the Edmonton Oilers ... Max Pacioretty.

Max Pacioretty is a 23 year old power-forward who stands 6' 2" and weighs in at 196 pounds. This past season, the left-winger lead the Montreal Canadiens in goals (33) and points (65). Pacoiretty is blessed with the attributes that can propel him to top-level power-forwards status. Pacoiretty is a physical presence with very good skating skills and a deadly wrist-shot.

A hefty price to be paid by Montreal, but one that will give them two picks within the top three in this year's draft. With these two picks, and by the time that Subban matures into the role of one of the better defensemen in the league, Montreal could very well have one of the better number one lines in the NHL and a deadly power-play.

With the pick, acquired from the Edmonton Oilers, and with their own pick, the Montreal Canadiens could draft a combination of forwards. Along with Nail Yakupov, the Canadiens could draft Filip Forsberg or Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens might lean more towards the drafting of Forsberg because of a emerging center by the name of David Desharnais.

Obviously, Max Pacoiretty alone will not be enough to acquire the first overall pick. And unlike other editions of Trading The Pick, I have eliminated the option of drafting down. What else would the Edmonton Oilers require to make this deal a possibility? In looking at the Canadiens' roster and prospect list, defensemen Nathan Beaulieu interest me. Beaulieu will not be enough. Remember, the Oilers do not acquire the Canadiens first round pick in this deal. Draft picks must accompany Pacoiretty and Beaulieu. The Edmonton Oilers would also require the Canadiens second round pick, this year, and not the draft pick that the Canadiens acquired in the Hal Gill trade. In addition to the second round pick, I would also request Montreal's second round pick for next season. With these picks, the Edmonton Oilers can draft some rugged and pain-in-the-ass forwards to play against or use these picks in future trades.

Do I Think The Oilers Will Trade The Pick? Fail For Nail, A Success ... Now What?

Trading The Pick - Winnipeg Jets
Trading The Pick - Anaheim Ducks
Trading The Pick - Carolina Hurricanes

Trading The Pick - Carolina Hurricanes

2012-04-23T18:23:00.009-06:00

Much like the Edmonton Oilers, but not to the same extent, things have not gone well for the Carolina Hurricanes' organization since the Stanley Cup run of 2006. A team that does not have to consider a rebuild, but should consider adding an impact player or two.

The Carolina Hurricanes have made the post-season once in the last six years, only once since winning the Stanley Cup. Also, the Carolina Hurricanes have now missed the post-season for three consecutive years.

This past season the Carolina Hurricanes missed the playoffs by ten points. The previous season, the Hurricanes missed the playoffs by two points. In 2009/10, the Hurricanes missed the playoffs by five points. With the exception of this season, the Hurricanes are usually involved in the playoff race up until the final week or even days of the NHL regular season.

This past season was not a good season for the Carolina Hurricanes in a lot of aspects. Eric Staal was a minus 20 and registered only 70 points, while being a 8.25 million dollar cap hit. After Staal, you plummet all the way down to 46 points to find the number two point-producer for the Carolina Hurricanes, Jussi Jokinen.

2011 NHL Calder Trophy winner, Jeff Skinner, had an off season. Skinner missed a significant period of time, 16 games, due to a concussion and as a result he would finish with 44 points.

In addition to the offensive woes that the Carolina Hurricanes endured in 2011/12, their defense was one of the worst in the NHL. Although the Hurricanes scored 23 less goals from the previous season, their 213 goals still ranked them in the middle of the pack in goals scored. The Hurricanes 243 goals against ranked them as the 6th worst defensive team in the NHL.

A few holes, but by filling just one hole it might be enough for the Carolina Hurricanes to compete for and maybe make the playoffs in 2012/13. A step in the right direction and a brighter future if the Hurricanes can move up in the draft. If the Hurricanes drafted Nail Yakupov, along with Jeff Skinner, the Hurricanes would have a very good and dangerous one-two punch on the left wing.

What do the Carolina Hurricanes have that might interest the Edmonton Oilers enough to trade the rights to the first overall pick in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft?

First, let me tell you what they have that the Edmonton Oilers do not want and quite possibly what the Hurricanes are not willing to give up anyways.

Eric Staal. Aside from the fact that his production was the lowest that it has been since his rookie campaign, it is hard to get around his contract.

Staal had an average season, his 70 points and minus 20 rating are not the numbers of a star number one center. Outside of one spectacular season and his rookie season, Staal averages 74 points a season. Take into account the four years remaining at a cap hit of 8.25 million dollars, this would not be a good acquisition for the Edmonton Oilers.

Quite frankly, I do not think that the Carolina Hurricanes would be willing to trade their number one center and the face of their franchise for anything but a bona-fide and NHL established star player. The Hurricanes are not in need of a rebuild, they are in need of some help, a final piece of the puzzle to get them back into the playoffs.

Let's take a look at what the Edmonton Oilers might be interested in and what the Carolina Hurricanes might consider dealing for the first overall pick.

When I think of potential players to be acquired in such a trade, my attention immediate drifts to defensemen Jamie McBain. The 24 year old right handed defensemen stands 6' 2" and weighs 200 lbs. McBain does have an offensive upside to his game. In his first two full seasons in the NHL, McBain has played 76 games in each season. Over the past two seasons, McBain has scored 15 goals and accounted for 57 points.

Outside of Jamie McBain, there is no other roster player on the Carolina Hurricanes' roster that would interest me. A deal hinges on McBain's availability. No McBain, no deal.

In addition to Jamie McBain, a prospect and the Carolina Hurricanes first round pick are still in play.

In acquiring Nail Yakupov, the Carolina Hurricanes will either need a center to play with him or to play with Jeff Skinner and because of this, the Hurricanes would not deal prospect Zac Dalpe. I also considered that defensemen Ryan Murphy would be a long shot as well.

I turned my attention to a defensive prospect by the name of Brian Dumoulin. Dumoulin is 20 year old left-handed defensemen who stands 6' 3" tall and weighs 205 lbs. Dumoulin was drafted in 2009 and 51st overall. Over the past three years, Dumoulin has been a member of the Boston College Eagles, where he played a total of 123 games and recorded 83 points. Dumoulin's is a smooth skating play-making defensemen who is also very reliable in his own end of the ice.

With the Edmonton Oilers acquiring two defensemen in the deal thus far, my attention now turns to acquiring a forward in the draft.

The Edmonton Oilers will picked eighth overall. At eighth overall it is extremely unlikely that Filip Forsberg or Alex Galchenyuk will be available. There will be one of three centers available and it is one of these three that I would look to draft.

Mikhail Grigorenko, Mark Jankowski, and Radek Faksa; three talented centers who all stand 6' 2" and taller with Grigorenko and Faksa weighing in at 200 lbs. Grigorenko and Jankowski, at this stage of their development, are more offensively gifted than Faksa. What Faksa lacks in offense, compared to the other two, he makes up with a more complete and all-around game.

My disclaimer: Fail For Nail, A Success ... Now What?

Trading The Pick - Winnipeg Jets
Trading The Pick - Anaheim Ducks

Raffi Torres Gets 25 Games!

2012-04-21T11:15:00.007-06:00

STAZE's Oilers Rant

Raffi Torres has been suspended by the NHL for 25 games for his hit on Marian Hossa. As a repeat offender and a player who has, whenever disciplined for his hits, claimed that he will not change his style of play, this length of suspension was warranted.

Even though I feel that the NHL got this one right, should it have taken five incidents to get to this point? Why not suspend a player heavily upon his first violation, four to eight games? Second violation, eight to twelve games. Third violation, twenty games.

Who would you rather see out of the game? Concussed stars or even average players, or those players who are a danger to the rest of the players in the NHL?

Responses from the world of Twitter:

Dan Tencer - 630 Ched: "25 games for Torres. Well done, NHL."

Mark Spector - SportsNet: "The only "statement" here is NHL has had it with Torres. Like Cooke, predators not welcome. Keith, Rome, Asham, don't have same history."

Darren Dreger - TSN: "As much as the Torres suspension is about Hossa's injury, it's about the 5 prior incidents and very similar acts requiring discipline."

Bob Stauffer - 630 Ched: "Raffi Torres got what he deserved. Congrats to the NHL for getting it right!"

Nick Kypreos - SportsNet: "Don't be fooled with "this sends a strong message" theorists. 1 or 25 doesn't change a thing on how guys will continue to play."

PREVIOUS BLOG POSTING ---> Trading The Pick - Anaheim Ducks

Trading The Pick - Anaheim Ducks

2012-04-21T09:12:00.004-06:00

STAZE's Oilers Rant

Not a flattering photo of Ryan Getzlaf and Shawn Horcoff

In the second addition of Trading The Pick, I am going to keep it in the Western Conference. This time around, let's look at the Anaheim Ducks.

An odd season for the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks struggled out of the gate, found their game in the middle portion of the schedule and then faltered during the the final month of the season.

The Anaheim Ducks struggled offensively. 2011/12 saw the Anaheim Ducks goal production drop by 35 goals from the previous season. Not to diminish an impressive season from Teemu Selanne, but a 41 year old should not lead your team in points. Corey Perry had 13 less goals and had 38 less points in 2011/12 when compared to 2010/11. Ryan Getzlaf had 8 less goals and had 19 less points in 2011/12 when compared to 2010/11. Bobby Ryan had 3 less goals and 14 less points in 2011/12 when compared to 2010/11. Teemu Selanne had 5 less goals and 14 less points in 2011/12 when compared to 2010/11.

The drop-off in offensive production was not just limited to the forwards, the defense played their part. Lubomir Visnovsky had a 41 point dip in production. Cam Fowler had an 11 point dip in production. Toni Lydman had a 12 point dip in production and failed to score a single goal.

Looking at the offensive woes, the Anahiem Ducks could be one of those teams who may contact the Edmonton Oilers to gauge what the possibility might be that these two teams come together and pull of a trade. A trade that would enable the Ducks to beef up their offense by drafting Nail Yakupov.

These two have pulled of a blockbuster trade before, the Chris Pronger deal. Prior to the Pronger deal, the Edmonton Oilers almost pulled of a Mike Comrie for Corey Perry deal. Foolishness, stubbornness, greed and pride killed the Comrie/Perry trade.

What the Edmonton Oilers want the most, the Anaheim Ducks should not be willing to give up. The most wanted player on the Ducks roster should be Corey Perry. Although the one-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner had an sub-par season, by Hart Trophy standards, I think it would be foolish for the Ducks to trade Corey Perry. Hart Trophy winning, 50 goal scoring, top-end right wingers are hard to come by and when you have one, you should hold onto him.

Bobby Ryan

I do not know what to think about the security that Bobby Ryan may or may not have in Anaheim. Rumored to be on the trading block, during the season, was this just a tactic employed by management to try and get Ryan back to playing the way he did during the previous season? In other-words, did Bobby Ryan become too complacent in Anaheim? Either way, I find it unlikely that the Ducks would be willing to part with a 25 year old power-forward that has three years remaining on a very reasonable contract.

Ryan Getzlaf is a player that I think the Anaheim Ducks would look at moving. At one-time, Getzlaf was a great number one center. But, over the past three seasons his production has not matched the production that put him among the conversation of best centers in the NHL. Point totals of 69, 76 and 57 along with UFA status at the end of the upcoming season might be enough for the Anaheim Ducks to entertain offers for the 6' 4" and 221 lb center. Only 26, Getzlaf would fit in nicely within the Edmonton Oilers roster and could be the second line center that this team desperately needs. But, the trading for Getzlaf should only be considered an option if Getzlaf signed an extension, My guess, he would prefer to test the open market.

Hard to believe that there were also whispers about Cam Fowler being available this past season. 2011/12 was not a good season for Fowler. Like many sophomores before him, Fowler had his struggles. A team worst -28 (14 lower than the next Duck player) and an 11 point drop in point production lead to a season that Fowler could not have been happy with. Is this reason enough to give up on Fowler, a player who was a steal at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft? No, not a chance.

This now leaves me with the only 2011/12 roster player that I think the Edmonton Oilers would want and could pry away from the Anaheim Ducks, Luca Sbisa. 6' 2", 202 lbs and 22 years of age. 24 points and a minus 5 in 80 games played. 166 hits, 99 blocked shots while playing 17:55 per game. Quite possibly a younger version of Ladislav Smid but with a bit of an offensive touch. Signed for another three seasons, a 2.175 million dollar cap hit and a RFA at the end of his current deal. Not the #1 defensemen that the Edmonton Oilers covet, but a top four defensemen who, if acquired, gives the Oilers options. Take into account that any trade made will have a ripple effect, it will open many doors for other deals.

So the Edmonton Oilers start the trade negotiations with Luca Sbisa, what else will be required to make this deal happen?

Another player that has caught my interest, when watching the Ducks play, is Nick Bonino. The scouting report on Bonino: A talented playmaker, he has excellent vision, hockey sense, passing skills and imagination. His feet do not quite catch up to his hands and eyes, but his speed is adequate. Hampered by nagging injuries, Bonino could benefit immensely from an uninterrupted stretch with a well-defined role. Bonino appears to be ready to be stick at the NHL level sooner than later, although his role there remains unclear. Most likely he will be a supplemental scorer who sees time on the No. 2 power-play unit.

Alex Galchenyuk

If the Anaheim Ducks scoff at the idea of adding Nick Bonino to this deal, then the Edmonton Oilers could look at another prospect. I like what I have read about Peter Holland. Holland is another center, a big center and the Oilers' system is lacking centers who have a legitimate shot at being centers at the NHL level.

The Edmonton Oilers have the players they want, now comes the decision of what to do with the 6th overall pick acquired in this treade? The Edmonton Oilers have a new defensemen and a prospect who plays center. There could be two players available that I think the Edmonton Oilers should take, Alex Galchenyuk (Center - 6' 1" - 197 lbs) and Griffin Reinhart (Defense - 6' 3" - 202 lbs). Because of the depth in prospects among the defense, I would take Galchenyuk before I would take Reinhart.

The Edmonton Oilers should ask for one more asset, another draft pick. The Oilers should request the Anaheim Ducks' 2nd round pick in 2014. Why? Moving forward, for the Edmonton Oilers it should be about acquiring trade-able assets, assets that assist the Oilers in acquiring that final piece of the puzzle in a playoff berth run or a Stanley Cup run. The Oilers already have two second round picks in 2013, grab another one for 2014. The more easily moveable assets a team has, the more options a team has.

My disclaimer: Fail For Nail, A Success ... Now What?

Trading The Pick - Winnipeg Jets

Trading The Pick - Winnipeg Jets

2012-04-19T13:30:00.004-06:00

To start things off, I do not think that the Edmonton Oilers will trade the pick. After much thought, I came to this conclusion in this blog entry Fail For Nail, A Success ... Now What?. But, let's consider that the pick was in play, the Oilers had no intention or desire to pick first overall. What then? What do the Oilers want in return? What are teams willing to part with? Which teams would be in the running?

I am going to narrow down the field a bit. I am certain that all but a few teams in the NHL would like to trade for the first overall pick. Let's assume that the Edmonton Oilers feel as though they must get a 2012 top ten pick in return. The field now consist of nine teams rather than twenty-nine teams.

Also, I am going to present all trade proposals with the stipulation that only the Edmonton Oilers first overall draft pick is in play. There will be no additions of current Oilers players, prospects or additional draft choices.

In addition to a lower draft pick, what would the Edmonton Oilers be looking for in return? When looking at the possibility of acquiring assets from another franchise, we must take into account what the Edmonton Oilers need. Opinions vary of what the most glaring weaknesses are with the Edmonton Oilers. Some will point to defense. Others will say size up front. Some may say center. A few may say secondary scoring. Goaltending is a concern to some. Let's face it, the Oilers can use improvement in a lot of areas.

Before I look at trade possibilities, I think the group of teams, picking within the top ten at this year's draft and potential trade partners, can be dwindled down to a handful of teams.

I am going to remove the Columbus Blue Jackets from the list. The Blue Jackets are a mess. There is nothing that the Edmonton Oilers would want from the Blue Jackets in a deal for the first overall pick. No, Rick Nash is not of interest to the Oilers. The Blue Jackets want a boat load of players in return for Rick Nash and any deal involving the big and talented forward would have to involve one of the Oilers big three, Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. I know if I am Scott Howson, I am asking for one of the three kids. There is also the complication of contract re-negotiations, not Nash's, but Hall's, Nugent-Hopkins' and Eberle's. Nash is a 7.8 million dollar cap hit and for another six seasons. If Nash is an Oilers, what type of dollars might be requested by Hall, Nugent-Hopkins and Eberle when it is time for their re-negotiations?

I am also going to eliminate the New York Islanders from the group. The Islanders are in the same situation as the Edmonton Oilers, rebuilding and are only a player or two away from making the playoffs. If the Islanders do acquire any players this off-season, more likely via free agency, they will be looking to add some desperately needed veteran presence that can contribute in both ends of the ice, while playing within the top nine. I think the New York Islanders would only be willing to part with value if the top-rated player in this year's draft was a defensemen.

We are now left with seven teams. I will comment on one of those teams in this blog entry and over the upcoming weeks, and in six additional blogs, I will comment on the other six teams.

Nail Yakupov

The Winnipeg Jets are in desperate need of a go-to player, a player who can be relied on for a big goal, a big night, or be considered a game-changer.

Although the Winnipeg Jets finished the regular season with the twelve most goals in the NHL, they didn't scare too many teams with their offensive prowess. The Jets were a team that followed their three leading scorers (Kane 30, Ladd 28, and Little 24) with scoring by committee. Beyond these three players, there was a significant drop-off in goal production throughout the line-up.

Blake Wheeler lead the team in points with 64, good enough for 43rd in the NHL. Among the 100 top point-producers in the NHL, the Winnipeg Jets had four players and one of them was a defenseman.

The Winnipeg Jets, with their young and growing team, could definitely use a player with Nail Yakupov's attributes.

The question now becomes, what might be available and what would the Edmonton Oilers be looking for?

Up front, the only players who might interest the Edmonton Oilers would be Blake Wheeler, Evander Kane and Andrew Ladd. Three players who are NHL-established and have size on their side to go along with their skill.

When looking at the Winnipeg Jets' defense, two defensemen would be of interest to the Edmonton Oilers. Dustin Byfuglien and Zach Bogosian. Both players have grit, toughness, size and talent. The Oilers need what these two bring to each and every game. Unfortunately, the Jets also need what these two bring to each and every game and because of this, the Oilers will not get what they need from the Jets in this department.

What might be available to the Edmonton Oilers with the Winnipeg Jets first round pick? There should be options for the Edmonton Oilers to land a forward with skill and size. There is Brendan Gaunce (6' 2" - 215 lbs - C), and Radek Faksa (6' 3" - 202 lbs - C). A possibility, but an unlikely one, that either Alexander Galchenyuk (6' - 198 lbs - C) or Mikhail Grigorenko (6' 3" - 200 lbs - C) could drop to as low as ninth. We already know that the Oilers, if they choose to pick a defensemen with the Jets' pick, will have plenty of options on whom they can select. There is a bevy of defensemen available in the first round of this year's draft and they are all good. The choice that the Oilers make on draft day could very well be determined by which player they would choose with the Jets pick.

Evander Kane and Blake Wheeler

So given the notion that it is unlikely that the Jets will part with either Dustin Byfuglien or Zach Bogosian, a forward it is. The Edmonton Oilers will not want a small forward. The Oilers will also not want the primary player in return to still be two to three years away. Off of the everyday roster and while being realistic, I would hope the Edmonton Oilers would request that either Blake Wheeler or Andrew Ladd be included in the deal. I think requesting Evander Kane would be a sure-fire deal breaker. In addition to a NHL-established forward, I would like to fill the cupboards by acquiring prospect, Carl Klingberg. Anything less than the Jets' pick, Klingberg and one of Wheeler or Ladd would be a sure-fire deal breaker if I were the GM of the Edmonton Oilers. In acquiring a forward, the Oilers can now look at drafting a defensemen.

Am I asking for too much? Am I asking for too little?

Previous Blog Entry ---> Whatever Happened to the Match Penalty?

Whatever Happened to the Match Penalty?

2012-04-18T14:29:00.017-06:00

21.1 Match Penalty - A match penalty involves the suspension of a player for the balance of the game and the offender shall be ordered to the dressing room immediately.

A match penalty shall be imposed on any player who deliberately attempts to injure or who deliberately injures an opponent in any manner.

21.2 Short-handed - A substitute player is permitted to replace the penalized player after five (5) minutes playing time has elapsed.

The match penalty, plus any additional penalties, shall be served by a player (excluding a goalkeeper) to be designated by the Manager or Coach of the offending team through the playing Captain, such player to take his place in the penalty box immediately.

For all match penalties, regardless of when imposed, or prescribed additional penalties, a total of ten minutes shall be charged in the records against the offending player.

In addition to the match penalty, the player shall be automatically suspended from further competition until the Commissioner has ruled on the issue.

When did the match penalty become irrelevant in the NHL's policing of the game? After reading the official description of what warrants the calling of a match penalty, should it not seem as though this penalty should have been called on numerous occasions over the past few seasons?

Should Raffi Torres have not received a match penalty for his hit on Marian Hossa?

Let's be blunt here, call a spade a spade. Raffi Torres' modus operandi is that of a predator. Torres looks for vulnerability. Torres takes advantage of vulnerability. Torres does not hit to remove another player from the puck, Torres hits to hurt. Torres had all but one intent when he lined up Marian Hossa in his cross-hairs, the intent was to demolish and hurt another player. I do not need to be in Torres' head to determine that his intentions were more than the separating of another player from the puck.

To show that I am not picking on Raffi Torres, another example of a hit that had intent to injure, did injure the victim, and was malicious in nature.

How does Duncan Keith escape the receiving of a match penalty on this play?

The NHL has a serious problem with head shots and other forms of questionable hits. These problems are not going to go away without some form of intervention. Many might suggest that the safety of the NHL player is worsening as time goes on.

The NHL instituted the instigator penalty in 1992, to reduce the violence in the game. The primary purpose of this new rule was to garner more respect and viewership in the U.S.A.. It was often stated that the NHL had a WWE feel to it because of fighting.

What kind of feel does the NHL have now when head shots are prevalent and players are being carted off of the ice? Are the casual fans, the ones that the NHL so desperately wanted, respecting the game more so than they did pre-instigator rule? I know many die-hard fans are embarrassed by what they have seen over the past several years from their beloved sport of choice.

So, what can be done? What is the solution?

The instigator rule is not going anywhere. If you want to decrease the frequency of head shots and hits that are of one purpose, to hurt/injure another player, then you must use the rule that will hurt the offending player and his team the most. It is time to start calling match penalties with much more regularity and to make them more severe, ten minute penalty is a ten minute shorthanded situation. Serious problems require serious solutions. Employing this rule just a few times over the past several seasons, when it should have been called a few dozens times, is not enough. A hard stance needs to be taken. Nothing stings more than costing your team a game. A ten minute power-play, followed by a lengthy suspension is a significant deterrent. Who knows? This course of action may not solve anything? But, what does the NHL have to lose? If this method does not work, at least the NHL can say that they tried.

Previous Blog Entry ---> Oilers Thoughts of the Week

Oilers Thoughts of the Week

2012-04-15T12:35:00.004-06:00

The Edmonton Oilers' regular season ended just over a week ago. The NHL Lottery Draft was just under a week ago. The NHL playoffs have begun and there is still plenty to discuss regarding the Oilers. Is there such a thing as an off-season in Edmonton?

First, I would like to quickly touch on the Linus Omark situation. This past Wednesday, thanks to fellow Oilers Army member and Oil on Whyte blogger realoilfan, it was revealed by Linus Omark that he would like to try his hand at the NHL with another team. realoilfan had tweeted Omark and wished him the best during the IIHF World Hockey Championships. Omark replied with the following:

Previous published thoughts of mine about Linus Omark:

The Oilers needs size, the Oilers need better all around players and the Oilers need consistency in their top six. My opinion, Linus Omark brings none of the three.

Omark has talent, of this there is no doubt. But, does his talent work in today's NHL? Is Omark another Robert Nilsson or Robbie Schremp? He might be, he definitely is as an Edmonton Oiler. In today's game, talent is not enough. You must know how to play in each zone. If you are an average skater, like Omark, then you better excel in another aspect of the game. Unfortunately, for Omark, all he brings is an imagination and a set of good hands. Neither will serve him well on a team that has four, maybe five, players who are superior with the same attributes. The Oilers do not need another small player who brings nothing more than a 1/2 point-per-game to the table.

I am not a fan of Linus Omark, I see more flash than substance. With this being stated, I do not wish upon him a career in the NHL that fizzles before it gets a chance to establish itself. Omark's career never had a chance in Edmonton, it was never a good fit and it is time to move on for both parties involved.

A lot of talk about Taylor Hall playing center, if the Edmonton Oilers draft Nail Yakupov. I asked the question myself throughout the season with the most recent time being in this blog entry Fail For Nail, A Success ... Now What?.

I am going to back to another suggestion that I had, regarding the the second line center postion. What about Magnuss Paajarvi? I have also asked this question in a few blog entries. Back on January 26th, I asked ... Should the Oilers maybe look at attempting to convert Magnus Paajarvi to center? Possibly playing Paajarvi for the remainder of the season in Oklahoma City and experimenting with him at center might be a good idea.

Going back even further (Dec. 20th/2011), I dedicated an entire blog entry to the state of the Edmonton Oilers future depth down the middle and the notion of Magnus Paajarvi playing center. My final comments in that blog entry ... This now takes us to Magnuss Paajarvi. He has size, 6' 2" and 204 lbs. He has has speed, among one of the fastest players on the team. He is good with the puck and can handle the puck while on the rush. He plays a good positional game in his own end. He is a better passer than he is a shooter. I think it is worth a shot, why not? He is in the AHL working on his game, why not have him work on a new position while he is at it?

Whether it is Taylor Hall or Magnus Paajarvi, if no deal to acquire a second line center is completed this off-season, then I would prefer either one of these two players play and learn the position next season rather than having Sam Gagner playing on the second line or even on this team.

Word around the Edmonton Oilers, and unless it comes directly from the Ryan Smyth camp or the Edmonton Oilers; it is pure speculation, is that Ryan Smyth was offered a two year deal that would pay him similar dollars to that of Todd Bertuzzi.

Todd Bertuzzi signed a two year deal worth 2.075 million per season on February 23rd, 2012. In addition to adding depth, size and strength to the Detroit Red Wings line-up, Bertuzzi also tallied 14 goals, 38 points and was a plus 23 in 71 games played.

Ryan Smyth adds leadership and a solid work ethic to the young Edmonton Oilers. Statistically, Smyth scored 19 goals, added 27 assists, had 46 points and was a minus 5 in 82 games played.

I, as well as others, were somewhat mystified at the possibility of Ryan Smyth turning down the Edmonton Oilers contract offer.

If Smyth is playing the negotiation game, then fine, it is his right. But, if he expects more than a two year contract worth 2.51 million plus; I hope the Edmonton Oilers walk away from the negotiations and part ways with Ryan Smyth. Anything more than a two year deal and 2.5 million is a lot to pay for a player who I think should be slotted no higher than a third line winger and second penalty-kill unit. The Oilers already have a 5.5 million cap hit on the third line in Shawn Horcoff, even with Ryan Smyth at 2.0 to 2.5 million, that has to be one the most expensive third lines in the NHL.

Sure, it is not Ryan Smyth's fault that Shawn Horcoff makes as much money as he does. But the reality of the situation is that Horcoff does and the Edmonton Oilers have to work around that contract and take into account the players who are due for re-negotiations at the conclusion of the 2012/13 NHL season. Again though, even with that being said, I do not think Ryan Smyth is worth more than 2.5 million.

My thoughts on Ryan Smyth dating back to a blog entry published on February 18th, Is Re-Signing Ryan Smyth The Right Move?.

Previous Blog Entry ---> Am I Jealous of the Vancouver Canucks?

A shout out to Oiler Hockey, thanks for your support.

Am I Jealous of the Vancouver Canucks?

2012-04-13T19:42:00.000-06:00

More so than all season long and not since last year's playoffs, the Vancouver Canucks are being labelled as the most despised team in Canada and by Canadian hockey fans.

Some theories as to why this is the case have surfaced. The one thrown out the most by the main stream media, in Edmonton, is jealousy. Mark Spector even went as far as putting a percentage on this theory, via Twitter. Spector claimed that the hatred for Vancouver was 90% based on jealousy. I like Mark Spector. Even though I may not always agree with Spector, he says what he means and never waffles. But, 90%? Come on Spector. Don't paint 90% of the Edmonton Oilers fan base with one brush.

I despise the Vancouver Canucks, as I do the Calgary Flames, the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild. I might be considered old school, I grew up watching the old Smythe Divisional battles. Back then and it still applies today, I hate the divisional rivals for the Edmonton Oilers and under no circumstances do I ever cheer them on or show them any leniency in my utter hatred of them.

But, I do have a special hate-on for the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames. This hate-on has grown for the Canucks to the point where I consider them to be my most hated team in the NHL.

Am I jealous of the Vancouver Canucks? Is this why I hate them? No. In fact, I admire what the Canucks' franchise has accomplished and I hope the Edmonton Oilers build a similar model. I like the that the Canucks have a self-imposed salary scale with the hometown discount signings of the Sedin twins back in 2009. I have blogged, on a few occasions, that I hope the Edmonton Oilers create a similar salary structure.

Do I despise the Vancouver Canucks because they are winners? Really, should this be reason enough? If this is the case, why do I not dislike the Detroit Red Wings, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Chicago Blackhawks?

The reasons why I hate the Vancouver Canucks stems from the way the team plays the game, conducts themselves on and off the ice and their fan-base.

I am not a fan of teams that embellish, teams that dive, teams that play with very little sportsmanship. The Canucks have earned the label of the most hated team in the NHL because they are guilty of all three traits that I cannot stand in a team or a player. I am not saying that other teams in the NHL do not carry-out the same tactics as the Vancouver Canucks. What I am saying is that no other team does it anywhere near as much as the Canucks and these faults have been recognized universally throughout the NHL and its fans.

I am also not fan of "pretend tough guys". If you are going to go nose-to-nose with another player, then shut your yap and drop the gloves. I have never witnessed another team that instigates, provokes and then backs away from as many altercation like I have witnessed with the Vancouver Canucks. I find it cowardly and the names that often come to mind to describe players such as these are rats and weasels.

Sticking with the label of rat and weasel. The incidents involving Alexandre Burrows/Stephane Auger, Alexander Burrows/Ladislav Smid and Alexander Burrows/Patrice Bergeron have never sat well with me. Those incidents revealed to me that Burrows is not only a liar but a class-A jerk.

Alexandre Burrows publicly put, Referee, Stephane Auger's career in jeopardy and credibility on trial when he stated that that Auger claimed the Canuck "made him look bad in Nashville on the Smithson hit" by feigning injury, and that Auger was going to "get him back" in the game against the Nashville Predators. Of course, this accusation was never proven to be truthful.

We all recall the surprise punch from Sean Avery than concussed Ladilsav Smid. When asked about the incident, Alexandre Burrows was quoted as saying "Good, I don't like Smid., I'm glad somebody nailed him". A public comment like that certainly does not help a player's popularity, nor the popularity of the team that he plays for.

And let's not forget the infamous biting incident that involved Alexandre Burrows and Patrice Bergeron. Canucks' fan tried justifying this act by saying that Bergeron should not have placed his finger near or in Burrow's mouth. In a scrum, with countless players, do you really think that Bergeron intentionally put the tip of his finger in Burrows' mouth? And then for Burrows to bite Bergeron's finger, c'mon, really? Based on that logic, Bergeron should have bitten Burrows thumb and would been in the right in doing so.

I will not even go into the Todd Bertuzzi incident. I will just remind everybody reading this blog that many Vancouver Canucks' fans stated that Steve Moore had it coming and that most fans defended the actions of Bertuzzi.

Has anybody ever had a good experience with a Vancouver Canucks' fan? A fan base that is as arrogant as it is obnoxious. Whether is it sitting next to one at an Edmonton Oilers game or trying to converse with one, it is an unbearable situation that most of wish we did not have to endure. I have read through countless post game report posts from Vancouver Canucks' fans on TSN. The lack of respect shown towards other fans is appalling. And, the Canucks' fans do not stick just to Vancouver Canucks' post game articles. Canucks' fans will actually find their way to post game reports that do not involve their team and start chiming in/ trolling their way through the post game report thread.

I hate the Vancouver Canucks and make no mistake about it, it is not because I am jealous of them.

Relying On The Shootout

2012-04-12T06:30:00.007-06:00

I wanted to take a look at this year's competitors for Lord Stanley's mug and play around with some numbers.

At the conclusion of the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, 82 games had been played and 22 of the outcomes were determined in overtime. 27% of all NHL playoff games made their way to overtime. If we did not know by now, we now know that overtime plays an essential role in the playoffs.

In looking at these statistics from the previous playoff year. I wanted to take a look at those teams who are participating in this years playoffs and get an idea as to which teams did not rely as heavily on shootout victories as some other playoff participants might have.

Really, a useless stat when it comes to the playoffs. But, a stat that peaked my interest and a stat that might reveal different things to different observers. For instance. Is one team really superior to another after the shootout is taken out of the mix? Or, is one series potentially a tighter match-up than first thought? Take into account, you do not win playoff games in a shootout.

So, what does it all mean? Nothing really, just me goofing around with some numbers. Some teams points-percentage either came closer to their opponents or moved further away. Two numbers really stood out for me. The St. Louis Blues were the only team to have an increase in their point-percentage upon removal of the shootout outcomes. And, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia percentages, upon removal of the shootout outcomes, were separated by the most miniscule of percentage points (.02%).

So, while I am at it, I might as well pick my first round winners. Here we go:

Vancouver Canucks in 6
St. Louis Blues in 5
Chicago Blackhawks in 6
Nashville Predators in 7
New York Rangers in 5
Boston Bruins in 6
New Jersey Devils in 5
Pittsburgh Penguins in 6

No upsets, I just can't see any of the lower seed teams having a shot at up-ending a higher seed team. If I had to pick which team I thought had the best opportunity of a series upset, I am going to go with the easiest choice available, the Detroit Red Wings. Wouldn't it be nice if the Los Angeles Kings could accomplish a series win against the Vancouver Canucks? If the Kings can find some scoring, it could happen.

PREVIOUS BLOG ---> FAIL FOR NAIL, A SUCCESS ....NOW WHAT?

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Fail For Nail, A Success ... Now What?

2012-04-11T16:15:00.008-06:00

The Edmonton Oilers took their 29th place finish and 18.8% probability to the NHL Draft Lottery and emerged as the overwhelming winners of the night. As a result, the Edmonton Oilers have first dibs on the consensus number one pick overall, Nail Yakupov. This year, there is undoubtably one player who stands above the rest. This year, there is no question as to who is the best player available in the draft. So, why am I so conflicted as to what Steve Tambellini should do with the pick?

By winning the NHL Draft Lottery, so many doors have opened for the Edmonton Oilers. Do the Oilers trade the pick? If the Oilers keep the pick, what does this mean for Ales Hemsky's and Sam Gagner's future? What is the best move now and moving forward? There is little doubt that Steve Tambellini will have a much busier off-season now than he would have had if the Oilers had not won the NHL Draft Lottery. The trade offers will pour in. Teams around the NHL know full well that the Edmonton Oilers are open for business. The Edmonton Oilers should be significant players this off-season. This is not were my conflict lies. I like the idea of the Edmonton Oilers being in the driver's seats and with a plethora of options. I am very pleased and anxious with what the off-season will produce for the team. My conflict lies in the player, the structure of the team and the future.

I am going to start with the negative, the thumbs down side of the Nail Yakupov pick.

One complaint from many Edmonton Oilers fans, and those who cover the team, is that the Oilers are too small, too easy to play against. If the Oilers are to choose Nail Yakupov, another small forward will be added to the mix. This will now leave the Edmonton Oilers with a potential top six whose biggest player is Taylor Hall at 6' 1" and 194 lbs. Currently and with the addition of Nail Yakupov (5' 11" - 190 lbs), the remainder of the Edmonton Oilers top six looks like this: Sam Gagner (5' 11" - 195 lbs), Ales Hemsky (6' - 185 lbs), Jordan Eberle (5' 11" - 184 lbs) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (6' 1" - 175 lbs). Is this a line-up that can take you deep into the playoffs? Can this line-up defeat the likes of a bigger St. Louis team or Vancouver team?

Unfortunately, the "Russian" issue has to be addressed. If the Edmonton Oilers choose to select Nail Yakupov, there is no guarantee that he will sign in the NHL. Sure, it has been mentioned that it is his desire to play in the NHL. It is also Yakupov's agents desire to make sure his client gets paid. There will always be a cloud of wonder and discomfort hanging above the young Russian's head. This cloud will remain there until he signs his entry level contract and will reappear when Yakupov approaches his second contract. Let's suppose that Yakupov signs his entry level contract and is very successful during this three year tenure as an Edmonton Oiler. What's to stop the KHL from signing the young star to a extremely lucrative and tax friendly contract? A case scenario: The big three (Eberle, Hall and RNH) sign team-friendly contracts, let's say at six million each. Yakupov has completed his third season, time for a new contract. Yakupov is offered seven, or eight million dollars to play in the KHL. More money, a chance to play at home, superior tax situation. Do the Oilers match the offer and then some to take care of the tax deduction difference? If the Oilers match such a deal, how will that sit with those who took less to build a consistent winner? Or, what if Yakupov has no interest in a Edmonton Oilers' counter offer? No Crystal Ball is present, hard to predict the future, but know full well that this path does exist.

My final thought with the "thumbs down" portion of this blog entry. Not really a thumbs down per-say, unless you are Nail Yakupov and you relish the idea of being chosen by the Edmonton Oilers and playing with the likes of Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers decide to trade the pick. How many holes within the line-up could be filled by trading the right to the first overall pick in this year's draft? I am sure a few problem areas could be solved. Hard to determine, especially now at the beginning of the NHL playoffs, who would be interest in acquiring Nail Yakupov and what would be offered? Certainly, early eliminations and below-par performances will have a few teams inquire about the first overall pick and the Edmonton Oilers will listen to any reasonable offers.

Time for the good, the thumbs up.

All of the experts have slated Nail Yakupov as a star in the making. Forget his size, ignore the "Russian" factor. This kid has a chance to be part of something special and to be among a group of four players that could very well, in the near future, be considered the best quartet in the NHL. Winning is all that matters to Nail Yakupov. One day he will be part of winning organization that will be considered Stanley Cup contenders year-in and year-out. How could any General Manager, in his right mind, even contemplate trading Nail Yakupov knowing full-well that his team is on the brink of something special? For this reason, the Edmonton Oilers must draft Nail Yakupov. Years of futility, the city and the fans deserve a winner and Yakupov is a tremendous piece of the puzzle.

So, the Edmonton Oilers draft Nail Yakupov. It has been stated that Yakupov is NHL ready and if this is the case, there should be no reason as to why he could not start within the top six at the beginning of next season. Nail Yakupov will give the Edmonton Oilers a top six that will be comparable to any of the NHL's elite top six. No longer will teams be able to focus on the duo of Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, not when the following duo is Taylor Hall and Nail Yakupov. With skill like that, within a team's top two lines, the need for further skill is reduced. Players like Magnus Paajarvi (6' 2" - 204 lbs) and/or Teemu Hartikainan (6' 1" - 215 lbs) can be supplementary players, players that are not relied on too heavily for offensive output. With Yakupov on the wing, maybe it is taken under consideration to move Taylor Hall to center. One draft pick can solve three very important problems. The Edmonton Oilers could have their second line center in Taylor Hall while providing exceptional secondary scoring and much needed size.

With Nail Yakupov as a member of the Edmonton Oilers, does it not seem somewhat redundant to have Ales Hemsky and Sam Gagner in the mix? Along with Linus Omark, these three players future as Edmonton Oilers no longer appear certain. Another door has opened. With the Edmonton Oilers solidifying their top two lines, offensively minded only players become expendable. These three players, along with a prospect or two, will help the Edmonton Oilers with their exploration into the trade market. What will these players bring back in return? It is too early to speculate. But, nonetheless, the Oilers will be entering the summer months with respectable NHL assets to work with and can allow the market to dictate their value.

I like to think the game, on the ice and off of the ice. I see every angle and I speculate. I required an evening and part of a morning to think this situation through. After constructing this blog entry, I have convinced myself of which direction I hope the Edmonton Oilers pursue. Draft Nail Yakupov.

Fellow Oilers' Army Member Blogs On the Subject At Hand:

Oilers Addict - Can You Pass On The Consensus First Overall Pick?

Oilers Addict - Don't Even Bother With The Rumours ...........

Oilers Addict - Oilers Win 2012 Entry Draft Lottery ............

Oil On Whyte - What To Do? What To Do?

PREVIOUS BLOG ---> SOME OILERS' STATS

Want To Blog? STAZE's Oilers Rant is looking for a contributor or two. A enjoyable hobby, we all love talking about the Edmonton Oilers. If you are interested, contact me at stazesoilersrant@yahoo.ca

Some Oilers Stats

2012-04-10T18:58:00.001-06:00

Statistically, how did the Edmonton Oilers fair when compared to the previous season?

Let's start with total points. When you have a 62 point season, you would hope that there would be some form of improvement. If there is not, then there is something broken, terribly broken. In the case of the 2011/12 Edmonton Oilers, the team improved from 62 points to 74 points. For many, not improvement enough. I guess I could be one of those many who felt as though the Edmonton Oilers should have done better. But, given this team's injury problems, 4 points off of my predicted 78 points seems about right. There were moments of brilliance, there were moments of despair and in the end the Edmonton Oilers finished about where I thought they would. My biggest disappointment this season, the inconsistency of this team. There could have been a less radical way to reach 74 points. The kids were not the primary reason behind the inconsistency, the veterans were.

The statistics that we see every day, aside from wins and losses, goals for and goals against. How did the Edmonton Oilers do in scoring goals and preventing them? The Oilers improved in both areas, one more so than the other. The Oilers accomplished a 14 goal for increase over the previous season as well as a 37 goals against decrease. When all the numbers are taken into consideration, the Edmonton Oilers were a minus 27 this season. Last season the Oilers were a minus 76. A 49 goal swing to the good, an impressive statistic.

A vast majority of a game is played five-on-five. Successful teams can get away with average special teams if they can be on the plus side of the ledger when it comes to five-on-five goals for and against. Almost every time, non-playoff teams will be on the wrong side of the ledger when it comes to even strength scoring. In the case of the Edmonton Oilers, 2011/12 saw them on the wrong side of the ledger by 14 goals (139 GF & 153 GA). Even though the Oilers were a negative team while five-on-five, one has to be impressed with their improvement over the previous season. 2010/11, the Oilers were negative 44 (127 GF & 171 GA). The Edmonton Oilers managed to score 12 more goals and allowed 28 less goals en route to becoming a better five-on-five team with a 30 goal swing to the good.

Sticking with goals for and goals against, how did the Edmonton Oilers fair with their special teams play? One of the team highlights this season was the play of the Edmonton Oilers' special teams. Special teams were a very weak aspect of the game for the 2010/11 Edmonton Oilers. The team finished near the bottom in both power-play percentage (27th) and penalty-kill percentage (29th). This season, the Oilers power-play jumped all the way up to 3rd best in the NHL while the penalty-kill improved to 14th best in the NHL. Percentage wise, the power-play went from 14.5% up to 20.6% while the penalty-kill improved from 77% to 82.4%. With respect to goals, the power-play improved by 10 goals for and the penalty-kill saw its goals against decrease by 22 goals.

Staying with the power-play and the penalty-kill. In 2010/11, the Edmonton Oilers finished the season with the seventh most power-plays (304) and the third most penalty-kills (321). Combined, power-play and penalty-kill opportunities, the Oilers were involved in 625 odd-man situations due to penalties. During the 2011/12 NHL season, did you have a feeling that power-plays were down from previous season? Well, if you did, these numbers will confirm your suspicions. In 2011/12, the Edmonton Oilers were on the power-play 262 times, 19th most in the NHL. In 2011/12, the Edmonton Oilers were on the penalty-kill 296 times, 5th most in the NHL. Combined, the Edmonton Oilers were involved in 558 odd-man situations due to penalties, a whopping decrease of 67 from the previous season. The Edmonton Oilers saw 42 less power-plays while they attempted to kill 25 less penalties. The differential, in 2010/11, was minus 17. In 2011/12, the differential doubled. No doubt that the increase in differential, during 2011/12, was due to the puzzling officiating during the last 20 or so games for the Edmonton Oilers.

Not much really changed for the Edmonton Oilers with respect to shots for and against. When looking at the entire picture, one shot per game was the difference between 2010/11 and 2011/12. The Oilers maintained their 2010/11 shots-per-game average of 26.7, during the 2011/12 season. Defensively, the Edmonton Oilers allowed one less shot-against-per-game in 2011/12 when compared to the previous season. In 2010/11, the Oilers allowed 31.7 shots per-game. One might assume that the one less shot-per-game might be due to an increase in blocked shots, mostly by Ladislav Smid. Well, that assumption would be wrong. Hard to believe, but the Edmonton Oilers actually blocked more shots during the 2010/11 season. In 2011/12, the Oilers saw a decrease in blocked shots by 20. Even with a decrease of 20, the Edmonton Oilers, as they did in 2010/11, finished the season ranked 10th in the NHL.

Did you feel as though the Edmonton Oilers were a more physical team this season? Ladislav Smid hit more, Colten Teubert was a nice addition when he played, Lennart Petrell liked to throw his body around. Within the NHL rankings for hits, the Edmonton Oilers jumped 7 spots from the previous season, 18th to 11th. But, the Edmonton Oilers had 162 less hits from the previous season. A new mandate was brought forth this season, one that would try to limit the amount of hits to the head to go along with the previously introduced elimination of blindside hits. Obviously, with these new guidelines, came less body contact. Numbers related, the Edmonton Oilers were not more physical. But, when compared to their counterparts they were more physical.

Eric Belanger was brought in to assist Shawn Horcoff with face-offs, to take some of the burden off of the Edmonton Oilers captain while at the same time, improve the face-off numbers. Funny thing happened, Shawn Horcoff took more face-offs this season than he has since the 2008/09 season. Even pro-rated seasons, since 2008/09, still show that Shawn Horcoff took more face-offs this season that he did the previous two seasons. With that being said, the face-off numbers did improve. The Edmonton Oilers jumped up 3.5%, 44.2% to 44.7%. Not a bad number considering the fact that two rookie center-man took 949 draws this season and had a winning percentage of 39.6.

I am going to end this blog, because it has to end sometime and I could go on and on about statistics, with win-loss numbers. The achilles heel for the Edmonton Oilers, road games. The Edmonton Oilers saw the most marginal of improvements on the road, when discussing wins, losses and points. An improvement of two points. The Oilers ended up winning two more games this season, while staying put at 23 losses. The difference, last season the Oilers won 12 road games and garnered 6 "loser" points. This season, the Oilers won 14 road games while picking up 4 "loser" points.

The Edmonton Oilers biggest improvement was realized at home and in overall overtime/shootout numbers. The Oilers improved their home record by 10 points, 5 wins to be exact, and finished the 2011/12 season with a home record of 18-17-6. Last season the Oilers had won only 4 overtime/shootout games, out of a possible 16 games. This season, the Oilers participated in 17 overtime/shootout games and won 7 of them.

On a final note, if you have not already heard, the Edmonton Oilers won the NHL Draft Lottery and now have an opportunity to select Nail Yakupov. I will comment further of this tomorrow evening.

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Oh Canada, Not For This Oilers' Fan

2012-04-09T17:52:00.000-06:00

Another season has concluded and once again the Edmonton Oilers are not in the playoffs. Like so many other Edmonton Oilers' fans, I look for a team to cheer on during the post-season. From the Eastern Conference, I will cheer on the Ottawa Senators. Aside from the Senators being a Canadian team, I have decided to cheer them on because they are a team that was not suppose to make the post-season, a team that proved the experts wrong. From the Western Conference, I am undecided between two teams, therefore it would satisfy me to see either of them succeed. The two teams from the West, the St. Louis Blues and the Nashville Predators. The Blues, I like Ken Hitchock and the Blues are a team that have been rebuilding for several years. The Predators, one reason and one reason only, Barry Trotz.

Hold on a second, why not the Vancouver Canucks?

A simple answer, I DO NOT CHEER FOR RIVALS.

I despise the Vancouver Canucks, I despise the Calgary Flames. I did not cheer for the Flames in 2004 and I did not cheer for the Canucks last year. Nothing would upset more me, in relation to hockey, to see either one of these teams (as well as the Colorado Avalanche or Minnesota Wild) succeed.

But, we need to bring the Stanley Cup home?

Sure, I agree. But, let Ottawa, Winnipeg or Edmonton do it. I can wait.

I am an Edmonton Oilers fan, through and through. I refuse to cheer on a rival, even if that rival has an opportunity to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada. I am perfectly content with the Stanley Cup remaining on U.S.A soil if it means that the Vancouver Canucks do not win it. I would cheer on the Florida Panthers rather than the Vancouver Canucks if both should meet in this year's Stanley Cup Final.

I will not tarnish my allegiance to the Edmonton Oilers by cheering on the Vancouver Canucks. I will not cheer on the likes of Ryan Kesler, Maxim LaPierre. Alexander Edler, Kevin Bieksa and Alexandre Burrows. The Stanley Cup can stay in the U.S.A until the Edmonton Oilers are ready to bring the old mug back home.

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Some Oilers Randomness III

2012-04-07T09:51:00.001-06:00

As Oilers Army continues to take off, some of you are new to STAZE's Oilers Rant. I thought I would highlight some of my thoughts of Oilers' players, management and the direction of the team. Here is the third and final installment of Some Oilers Randomness.

On Ryan Nugent-Hopkins vs Gabriel Landeskog: From a Post Game Rant on March 10th/2012: A lot of talk of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins vs Gabriel Landeskog this game. Landeskog is a bigger and more complete player than Nugent-Hopkins, at this point in their carer and it could very well be that way for their entire careers. Beyond this season, what would you prefer to have? Nugent-Hopkins hockey smarts and his eventual 90 point plus seasons or Landeskog's size, all-around game and eventual 60 point plus seasons? I will take Nugent-Hopkins.

On Jeff Petry: From a Post Game Rant on March 12th/2012: Twenty-four year old, Jeff Petry, has now played 97 career NHL games. Watching Petry excel as each games passes, you would be hard-pressed to not find an Oilers' fan who is excited about just how good this defensemen is going to be next season and beyond. It is easy to see how Jeff Petry surpassed Tom Gilbert on the depth chart and made it so that the Edmonton Oilers could deal Gilbert. A smart defensemen who is extremely reliable in the defensive zone and creative in the offensive zone, Petry has it all and he will only get better.

On Jordan Eberle's Point-Per-Game Pace: From a blog posted on March 19th/2012: Anticipation surrounds Jordan Eberle. There is a realistic possibility that Eberle, in just his second season, will finish the 2011/12 NHL regular season campaign as a point-per-game player.

Prior to the start of the season, I predicted that Jordan Eberle would score twenty-five goals and collect thirty-five assists, for a total of sixty points. He has not only exceeded my expectations, he is on his way to obliterating them. As of today, Eberle has seventy points in sixty-eight games played. With ten games remaining in the season, Eberle is on pace for eighty points.

There are may reasons as to why the Edmonton Oilers' fans are excited about Jordan Eberle's breakout season. For one, he is among the NHL's elite with regards to points. At the time that this blog was published, Eberle was ninth in the NHL in points. Another reason, the Oilers' fans see a star-player in Eberle. Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are not quite there yet. Hall's injuries have kept him from star-player status as has Nugent-Hopkins' injuries and the fact that this is his rookie season.

Not since the 2000/01 season, have the Edmonton Oilers finished a season with a point-per-game player. That season it was Doug Weight with ninety points in eighty-two games.

2012 - The stage shortly after Ryan Nugent-Hopkin's selection

The NHL Entry Draft: From a blog posted on March 11/2012: I have touched on it before and will do so again, but in more depth this time around. In this upcoming NHL Entry Draft, unless a center-man clearly emerges as a front-runner along with Nail Yakupov, I would prefer that the Edmonton Oilers entertain offers to trade down. Or, in other words, please do not draft another defenseman.

This years draft is littered with defensemen within the top the ten, there could be as many as six taken in the among the first ten players chosen and as many as three within the top five players chosen.

Entering this draft, the Edmonton Oilers should be focused on acquiring a big forward who can one day play within thier top six. Preferably a center and there are two that I have my eye on. Mikhail Grigorenko and Radek Faksa. But if for some reason, Grigorenko is not available to the Oilers ... trade down and take Faksa in the sixth, seventh or eight position. In doing so, the Oilers can earn themselves another draft pick, player or prospect.

Player/asset management. The Edmonton Oilers have a handful of good prospects who are defensemen. The Oilers also have Jeff Petry (24) and Ladislav Smid (26) just coming into their own. If your player is not there at two or three, get your player at six, seven or eight and acquire another asset in doing so.

On Anton Lander: From a blog posted on February 26th/2012: Speaking of talented Swedes, Anton Lander was reassigned to the Oklahoma City Barons. A good move, a move that will give Lander significant ice-time. Lander will be put into a position where he will play a style of hockey that he has not had the opportunity to play while up with the Edmonton Oilers. No longer will Lander will relegated to the fourth line and penalty-kill duties. Lander will now be given a role of offensive center-men. Along the way, Lander will be playing on a winning team and will participate in the playoffs. I could see this potentially being an assignment that last into next season. Lander has third line center-men written all over him, next season he may not have a spot with the big club and will be better served to play good minutes with the Barons than to languish on the fourth line for another season.

The re-signing of Ryan Smyth: From a blog published on February 18th/2012. For the full blog, go to Is Re-signing Ryan Smyth The Right Move? ... Let us put this season behind us and look to next season. Let us suppose that Ryan Smyth is used accordingly, does he fit with this team? Accordingly, to me, would be third line duty and playing the second unit of the penalty-kill. In playing on the third line, especially in those games where the Oilers are lacking discipline, Smyth occasionally misses a shift in favour of rest and Ben Eager. As the season progresses, Smyth is slowly weaned off of the penalty-kill as a younger player starts to take his role on the penalty-kill. By the time the season has concluded, Smyth has an average of less than 15 minutes per game. How does that sound? Sound about right, sounds reasonable? ......

..... I have little skepticism that the Edmonton Oilers will re-sign Ryan Smyth. I do however concern myself over the term and dollar amount. My hope, one last kick at the can, the Ryan Smyth farewell tour. Meaning? One year deal, 2 to 2.5 million dollars.

Ryan Smyth will be an Oiler next season, but somebody will have to go to make room for the aging and beloved veteran. Is it the right decision? Public relations, yes. On the ice, only if played properly and time will tell.

There will be no Post Game Rant tonight. Happy Easter and enjoy the game.

Some Oilers Randomness II

2012-04-06T11:13:00.002-06:00

As Oilers Army continues to take off, some of you are new to STAZE's Oilers Rant. I thought I would highlight some of my thoughts of Oilers' players, management and the direction of the team. Here is the second installment of Some Oilers Randomness.

On Ladislav Smid: From a blog published on March 26th/2012: This time last year, we all wondered if Ladislav Smid had a future with the Edmonton Oilers. How so much can change in one year? The change, all contributed to a new dedication to his craft by Ladislav Smid.

No doubt, during the off-season, Ladislav Smid look long and hard in the mirror and asked himself, "what kind of defensemen do I want to be?" He obviously made the right choice and committed himself to being a stay-at-home, shot-blocking, take no crap type of defensemen.

A look at Ladilsav Smid's accomplishments and it is clear that Smid's transformation has been a success. Smid currently has 182 hits, good enough for 12th among all defensemen. Smid has 182 blocks shots, good enough for 3rd in the NHL. While excelling at these attributes, Smid has also set a career high with 5 goals and 15 points. Smid has also been able to post a plus 6 while playing on a 28th place team.

On Lennart Petrell: Isn't Lennart Petrell the perfect player to patrol one of the wings on the fourth line, on a bad and even good hockey team? Petrell will not provide your team with offense. But, what Petrell lacks in offense, he makes up in every other aspect of the game. Sound defensively, a good body-checker, a good shot-blocker and a smart hockey player, these are the qualities that Petrell will bring to your hockey team. 28 years of age, this off-season, and a UFA, this is one player that I hope the Edmonton Oilers re-sign.

What Qualities I like in a Coach: Accountability is a must and it must be fair. If a veteran makes a mistake and the same mistake is made by a younger player, both should suffer the same consequences, receive the same talk. Why should a veteran player get a pass? Because he has earned the it? No. If anything, that veteran player should have know better because of his experience.

A coach should know who can do what and who will succeed in certain situations. Never should a forward with three goals in seventy games play on the power-play, play in overtime, play in the final minutes when a goal is needed to tie a game. Know your bench and use it appropriately.

The Edmonton Oilers either lack an efficient system or the players simply refuse to employ it or maybe they cannot because it is not conducive to the talent level or hockey smarts that are present on the ice. Either way, hire a coach that can rectify this problem and develop a system that works for this team.

On Colten Teubert: From a blog published on April 1/2012: I like Colten Teubert, I appreciate his physical game. Teubert has the tools to be a good NHLer. Still, there is a lot for Teubert to learn. What I see in Teubert is a future Robyn Regher type of player. A good stay-at-home defensemen who is a jerk to play against. Teubert has now played in twenty-one games for the Edmonton Oilers. In those twenty-one games, Teubert has 55 hits and 24 blocked shots. Over 82 games, that would equate to 215 hits and 94 blocked shots. To put that into perspective, the NHL's leading defensmen in hits (Luke Schenn) has 261 hits and the Edmonton Oilers leader in blocked shots (Ladislav Smid) has 184 blocked shots.

On Andy Sutton: From a blog published from a previous San Jose Sharks game: Watching Andy Sutton this season, it is hard to believe that this is a player who I thought of nothing more than a third pairing defensemen who eats minutes, lands a good body-check and will drop the gloves from time-to-time. I have been thoroughly impressed with the big guy this season. He has demonstrated to me that he has a good sense of the game, knows his limits and makes the simple play more often than not. His journey deep into the Sharks' zone, during the first period, was a display of patience with the puck and an eventual smart and safe play followed.

On Taylor Hall's Surgery: Taylor Hall is out, five to six months. My take on the situation, why was the surgery not done earlier? We have heard that Hall played through the pain and knew full-well that surgery would be required at seasons end. Why wait? Why jeopardy a lost summer of strength training? Why come into training camp, hopefully Hall is back by then, a step behind everybody else due to inadequate training time? There was nothing to gained this season by having Hall play through the pain and delay the inevitable. There is so much to lose by having Hall lose a summer in which he could have added more upper body strength. There is so much to lose if Hall misses training camp.

Some Oilers Randomness.

2012-04-05T16:24:00.000-06:00

A bloggers-block type of day. I want to blog about something Oilers related as it has been few days since my last entry and I have no plans on blogging a Post Game Rant tonight.

As Oilers Army continues to take off, some of you are new to STAZE's Oilers Rant. I thought I would highlight some of my thoughts of Oilers' players, management and the direction of the team.

On Linus Omark: Omark has talent, of this there is no doubt. But, does his talent work in today's NHL? Is Omark another Robert Nilsson or Robbie Schremp? He might be, he definitely is as an Edmonton Oiler. In today's game, talent is not enough. You must know how to play in each zone. If you are an average skater, like Omark, then you better excel in another aspect of the game. Unfortunately, for Omark, all he brings is an imagination and a set of good hands. Neither will serve him well on a team that has four, maybe five, players who are superior with the same attributes. The Oilers do not need another small player who brings nothing more than a 1/2 point-per-game to the table.

On Devan Dubnyk: I often criticized Devan Dubnyk, during the first 30 games of the season. I could not understand how a big goaltender could allow so many pucks to go through him en route to becoming a goal. I often stated that Dubnyk needs to use his size to his advantage, play better positional goaltending and learn his angles. I saw the potential, I felt he could be a starting goaltender. In 2012, Dubnyk emerged with a new attitude and a confidence that has seen him take his game to the next level. The next step, do it for an entire season while being the number one goaltender.

On Sam Gagner: I have blogged a lot about Sam Gagner and I think this tidbit from a February 4th/2012 blog sums up my thoughts on Gagner: I don't think Sam Gagner is the second line center than can help this team reach new heights. I look at the centers around the Western Conference and I see second line centers like Ryan Kesler, Paul Stastny or Matt Duchene, Valtteri Flippula, Mike Richards, Craig Smith and Logan Couture; I think to myself, Gagner is not as good as these players and brings a lot less to the table with regards to size, face-off prowess and other intangibles. I still feel the same way today. If Sam Gagner is your second line center, your team will not contend.

On Steve Tambellini: I am going to go back to a blog that I had written on January 8th/2012: The Edmonton Oilers do not want to go through another change within their front office. Two coaching changes and a GM change since 2009 will wreak of failure and instability. Everybody mocks those teams who constantly go through personal changes, the Oilers do not want to be one of those teams. Steve Tambellini will be given at least one more season. Something you will have to deal with Oilers' fans, so no need to start the chants of fire Tambellini after each loss. ..... Now, don't get me wrong. I am not a Steve Tambebilli supporter, in fact I think he has done a poor job. But, we all need to relax, look at the bigger picture and put away the pitch-forks. We all love our Oilers, are passionate about them and want them to succeed. Let's all take a deep breath and see how things unfold the rest of this season, in the off-season and next season, If after year three there is no significant improvement and a realistic push for a playoff spot, then the Edmonton Oilers have to consider relieving Steve Tambellini of his duties.

The Top Six: I have a belief of what I think a top six should look like. I wanted to share this belief with you as I have stated that neither Sam Gagner or Linus Omark are good top six players on this team. The Oilers needs size, the Oilers need better all around players and the Oilers need consistency in their top six. To meet all three requirements, the Oilers need to make changes. Each of the top two lines should consist of a shooter, a passer and a player with average offensive skills to be the forechecker, the mucker, the grinder, a player who does the dirty work. If you have a duo of Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, then you need a winger who can compliment both players offensively while providing strength, grit and a workman's mentality. This player does not have to get you a point-per-game, nor should they be counted on for anything higher than 60 points. Leave the point-per-game to the stars and let the Alexandre Burrows type of player do the dirty work.

I may do this again, within the next week. Until then, enjoy the game and enjoy the long weekend.

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