This is Fred Penner. Among his classic children's songs is a ditty called "What A Day" which will be in my brain for the rest of my life. It was my son's favorite song for a two year period right after he discovered how to rewind a cassette tape and I probably heard it over 1,000 times a year for a time (my son now loves the band "Cake" who apparently are the anti-Fred Penner based on song lyrics).Today is a terrific day. The NHL draft. Jim Matheson says the Oilers have targeted Sam Gagner and that's alright with me. I'd be a little disappointed with Karl Alzner (I suspect Prendergast likes him most of all, he's been positively silly in his comments) and very disappointed if they dealt the pick at #6.
I'm also hearing Shawn Horcoff trade rumors which is also silly unless someone capable of doing the heavy lifting at center is coming in return. Jarret Stoll, Marc Pouliot, Marty Reasoner, Rob Schremp and Andrew Cogliano is a nice list of careers rolling out, but Stoll's concussion, Reasoner looking done and the inexperience of the others says Horcoff shouldn't be going anywhere.
My ideal day would see Lowe pick Voracek or Gagner at #6, grab David Perron or Ryan McDonagh at #15 and then deal the pick at 30 with Matt Greene for a veteran blueliner.
For some of us, draft day is like Christmas. Please God don't turn it into Friday the 13th.
Jim Matheson says the Oilers have targeted Sam Gagner and that's alright with me
ReplyDeleteHere's a list, anything stand out?
Andrew Cogliano 5'10" 178
Robert Nilsson 5'11" 185
Rob Schremp 5'11" 200
Taylor Chorney 5'11" 182
Sam Gagner 5’11” 190 lbs
What was the name of that Basketball league that played a season in Edmonton - it had a size limit on the players.
For some of us, draft day is like Christmas. Please God don't turn it into Friday the 13th.
ReplyDeleteYou mean like last year? Crazy to think it was a year ago already.
Everything you ask for sounds good to me. At 6 I would love one of Gagner and Voracek, at 15 McDonagh sounds just dandy and at 30 I am happy to deal.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited I couldn't sleep despite being up past 3am last night. Despite the size thing, Gagner is the best pick available after the top3 in this draft. He really reminds me a lot of Brad Richards. The knock on him thus far is skating, he's a superb playmaker who can still shoot, he's intelligent and heady, and capable of playing at both ends. Given that he's nearly 10 months younger than Kane, I'd say he has the ability to become a much better overall player. Sure the height is a minor concern but it's not unreasonable for him to grow an inch or two in the next couple of years and then he's a very average 6'.
ReplyDeleteI suspect McDonagh will be gone by 15, but he would be an absolute steal if available, I agree.
As a bit of a sidenote, my paranoia makes me think that something silly is going on with Esposito this year, involving Roy and the Canadiens. I think he's better than he's getting credit for and should be going closer to 5 than 15.
I don't understand why the Oilers wouldn't take Esposito at six. What the hell happened to make him drop off so much? And I know little about prospects, but isn't Gagner a set-up man? Wouldn't we rather get a goal-scorer? Please fill me in on this stuff.
ReplyDeleteAndy, there are a lot of questions about Esposito's heart, and there are a lot of question marks in regards to the part Radulov played in Esposito's massive point totals in his first year.
ReplyDeleteLT, don't be too harsh on Alzner. I suspect he could end up being the diamond in the rough of this draft 6 years down the road. Although I can't find any stats to back it up, I heard he was playing up to 40 minutes a game. Thats unbelievable in itself.
His heart? Forgive me, but what the heck does that mean? And won't he be playing with a chip on his shoulder, now that his stock has fallen so low?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Horcoff, this little gem from
ReplyDeletehttp://www.spectorshockey.net/rumors.html
The Sun meanwhile reports the latest rumour has the Edmonton Oilers offering up Shawn Horcoff and Jason Smith for Redden and Antoine Vermette, but the Sens apparently prefer Joffrey Lupul over Horcoff.
but the Sens apparently prefer Joffrey Lupul over Horcoff
ReplyDeleteAre they insane?
"Are they insane?"
ReplyDeleteHopefully, yes.
Toskala sounds like a decent move for the leafs, though.
His heart? Forgive me, but what the heck does that mean?
ReplyDeleteIt means they are worried that you spell Angelo Esposito
B-o-n-s-i-g-n-o-r-e
Toskala sounds like a decent move for the leafs, though.
ReplyDeleteWell he's better than Raycroft (but who isn't...)
Something in me says the Leafs should be coveting their draft picks, however.
The Sun meanwhile reports the latest rumour has the Edmonton Oilers offering up Shawn Horcoff and Jason Smith for Redden and Antoine Vermette, but the Sens apparently prefer Joffrey Lupul over Horcoff.
ReplyDeleteHoly shit, do that deal now!!!
That might be the dumbest thing I've ever heard.
ReplyDeleteWas Murray the Anaheim GM when Lupul was drafted?
AG: I don't put much stock in the heart thing re: Esposito, but the Radulov thing is a concern. Radulov was far and away the best player in the Q that year by the numbers anyway.
Was Murray the Anaheim GM when Lupul was drafted?
ReplyDeleteYes. Nice work, RiversQ. It all makes sense now. Oh, please God. Please.
Word is out that TSN has cancelled the NHL draft coverage now. It will now be replaced by discussion of the Leaf's current netminding situation.
ReplyDeleteMr Debakey,
Contray to all those spam emails we all get, size doesn't matter. Would you feel better if Gagner was 2" taller? I doubt that would really make any difference in his ability to play in the NHL or not.
Sending Lupul to Ottawa for Redden would probably work out nicely for both teams. I think Lupul would actually flourish playing in Ottawa in the NE, or the East in general.
ReplyDeleteI think Lupul would actually flourish playing in Ottawa in the NE, or the East in general.
ReplyDeleteThat's the most damning statement about the quality of play in the East that I've ever seen.
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ReplyDeleteI saw that bit about the Sens prefering Lupul to Horcoff on Spectors blog and gave a little giggle snort.
ReplyDeleteHow far would that go in making up for this last season eh? Not far enough obviously, but it'd make Draft Day a sucess even if the Oilers re-drafted Micheal Risen at #6.
I fully expect Horcoff to be gone this summer. Probably Torres too. It's the next logical step.
ReplyDeleteAnd maybe Lowe will actually have the brass to sell it as ... "they were after Lupul (Nilsson, Schremp) all along, be we refused. And eventually got the deal for Horcoff (Torres). Kudos to us!" We'll see.
Twenty Four Months To Tavares, Lowetide. It rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? :D
I was looking at old drafts and came across this gem :
ReplyDelete1996
6 C Boyd Devereaux
19 D Matthieu Descoteaux
32 D Chris Hajt
Those draft positions look familiar to anyone? Close enough I guess.
That Italian guy we got at #195 seems to have paid off though.
Would you feel better if Gagner was 2" taller?
ReplyDeleteIts not Gagner's size, or lack of, I was specifically commenting upon.
Let me use a simalarlie, or an anomolie, or whatever it’s called, to make my point:
Is it a bad thing to have L Smid on the roster - no.
How about M Greene - no
T Gilbert - uh-uh
D Grebs - Hope not
M Roy - luv that kid
All of them -
One hour to kickoff. I've got a hunch that Lowe might bite on the Philly's 2nd overall pick if the guy they really want is there (Turris?).
ReplyDeleteAlso, fire sale in Nashville continues, FLA picks up Vokoun.
Yeah if there's a trade to be made with Philly they'll wait until the 1st pick is settled, if CHI takes Turris or PHO trades up and takes him I doubt there's any interest in the 2nd at all.
ReplyDeleteSounds like PHX has traded up to land Turris. PHI will probably take Kane.
ReplyDeleteBe very interesting to see where Voracek goes.
LT (and anyone else) - I posted my pre-draft rankings at my old blog if you are interested, which is linked through a post I just put up at Vic's site.e
link on the PHX thing:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/hockeyblog
Watch the Oiler spin machine begin to twirl...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=8158
Looks like no highly anticipated trades today... possibly ever.
*weeps*
sounds like the deal may have fallen through, as that link has now added a question mark to the title, and changed the story a bit. Either that, or I initially misread it, lol.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable. Hickey 4th overall... got to say. I didn't see that one coming.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like it's down to Voracek/Gagner for the Oilers.
Gagner it is... been quite a few indicators for a while now. Next best thing after Turris I guess.
ReplyDeleteOilers grab Gagner...I was really hoping Voracek but that's not a bad consolation prize.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Leafs, if they hadn't blow Rask for Raycroft last year (shit Biron went for a 2nd round pick and is better than Andy) I would say that this was a so so move.
so, do the Oilers take a shot at Cherepanov if he's still there at 15??
ReplyDeleteIt would be very very hard to not take a chance on him at #15...I'm not sure if to hope for that or not.
ReplyDeleteGagner: good pick at #6. I would have been jubilant with Voracek, but I said I'd be happy with Voracek or Gagner. And I'm happy.
ReplyDeleteCherepanov at #15: I'd do it in a heartbeat, even though I wouldn't have touched him at #6. That said, I don't think there's any chance Kevin Prendergast is willing to touch Cherepanov even if he was available at #30.
Esposito or Cherry will fall to us.
ReplyDeleteIf we don't pick one of them I'll kill someone.
At 15 you take risks like this. You HAVE to. There's too much upside.
Oh God, if we take another top4 pucking moving Dman instead of Cherepanov or Esposito I'm going to find out where Lowe lives and I can't be held responsible for my actions. Anyone who would like to join me is welcome.
ReplyDeleteIf the choice was left to selecting Espo, I don't know if I would pull the trigger. But with Cherry still on the board.. I think I'd just have to take the chance here.
ReplyDeleteOh for FUCK'S SAKE
ReplyDeleteAlright who's with me?
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to say... I'm floored
ReplyDeleteMan. The Oilers REALLY hate the Russians.
ReplyDeleteWe evidently saw him good. Damn, another freaking young defenseman rather than a Russian messiah.
ReplyDeleteI don't care if it's Esposito or Cherry. It's 15th overall. How do you not take that risk?
ReplyDeleteThey took a risk last time in Schremp and we all know how that turned out. Maybe a little gunshy this time around?
ReplyDeleteWell, picking at 18 is suddenly much more interesting for the Flames.
ReplyDeleteHave you people been watching a different Angelo Esposito than me for the last two years? Getting Radulov to fling pucks onto his stick for one season and actually being pretty crummy this year, with mediocre offense and not enough defense to make up for it? Not to mention the laziness and lack of attitude? You're upset we didn't draft a bad Rob Schremp at #15. I just can't keep up with this.
ReplyDeleteThat said, we should have gone for Cherepanov, but if any of you seriously believed we would you haven't been paying enough attention. We might well regret the hell out of this, and I was in favour of taking the chance. But going nuts because Kevin Lowe didn't spend his second pick on a lottery ticket isn't the right move either.
Plante is big. He's skilled. He can move the puck and he can look after his own end. He ain't Dion Phaneuf, but there's no reason this guy can't play. Let's keep things together, guys.
Lord Bob:
ReplyDeleteNot a lot of love for Esposito here. But passing on Cherry for a guy like Plante is a little hard to swallow. The guy oozes talent and doesn't have the same concerns that Schremp did when they took a shot. The only problem is the IIHF agreement and nothing to do with his hockey ability.
The guy oozes talent and doesn't have the same concerns that Schremp did when they took a shot. The only problem is the IIHF agreement and nothing to do with his hockey ability.
ReplyDeleteWho's been telling you that a transfer agreement is the only problem? Punch them in the face for me.
Cherepanov's problems are similar to Schremp's, except worse: he is every bit a defensive catastrophy as Schremp was as a London Knight, and while Schremp is at least willing to work on some of his skills, Cherepanov makes Valeri Bure look like Mark Messier.
Then there's the general "he's in Russia" factor, which means that who the hell knows what's going to happen to this kid as long as he's in that bizarre hockey league. Then there's the Mikhnov Factor of coming to the NHL, probably not being happy in the least to be in the AHL, and getting absolutely destroyed on the ice by his inability to check his coat in the big leagues. Then there's the transfer agreement.
Well, by passing at 15th, there's at least 10 other teams that will be kicking themselves if Cherry becomes a goal machine, most especially Toronto.
ReplyDeleteI really hope the Oilers have a clue what their doing...
(cough)
Lord Bob:
ReplyDeleteNo offense. But you've got to be kidding me if you think that Schremp has the same weaknesses. Schremp was marked for poor skating ability and a lack of ability to create offense at ES. Those were all legitimate concerns in his draft year that were somewhat hidden by his gaudy pp numbers. Sure, he had defensive weaknesses but that's true of a lot of young players.
Cherepanov doesn't necessarily have to come over immediately. He can be stored away in Russia without losing his rights. Every pick is a lottery pick... even Plante - there are certainly questions about him as well. But aside from defense, that Cherry/Schremp comparison is wacky. Their offensive game does not hold the same weaknesses by far.
Strange that Lowe would trade up to take Nash.
ReplyDeleteAnd we trade up...to go off the board?
ReplyDeleteNash? Who? What?
ReplyDeleteThe Oilers traded up from #30?
ReplyDeleteMan, I'm hoping I wake up tommorow to good news.
Nash was on the board, just not until about 30-35... Doesn't make a lot of sense to trade a 30 and 36 for someone who possible would have gone in that range anyway. I really don't like this last trade.
ReplyDeleteSomething of note:
ReplyDeleteRiley Nash put up more pts at the same than Travis Zajac at Salmon Arm. That's not to say he'll develop the same way but it's promising to say the least, right?
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ReplyDeleteI saw Nash in Salmon Arm and I hardly remember him.
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly, the Zajac comparison is tempting. I would totally go for Zajac. But I'm a little dubious on this guy. I think this is the first gross mistake of the day.
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ReplyDeleteSo what are the chances we still make a deal for Redden or Pitkanen? Or are we just hoping for Tavares next year?
ReplyDeleteI fucking hate Lowe sometimes, like today. Not picking Cherepanov at 15...absolutley ridiculous. He is going to be an elite player. Mark my words. This is idotic. Lowe needs some balls. He really does. At 15? He could be Ovechkin like! At worst, he's Kovalev. For god's sake.
ReplyDeleteAnother dumb, big-footed, slow, so-so top 4 d-man with litte ELITE about him instead of a great talent.
God Lowe had dissapointed me. 18 goals in the Russian League as a Rookie!
I am another of the draft junkies and this was another terrible draft. Terrible.
ReplyDeleteNo trades of any use - the one they made was utterly dumb - and the picks were mediocre beyond belief. The thing that bothers me about Lowe and Co is that they had this draft mapped out and were not changing no matter what - no matter who was available. They tried to get Alzner and were too cheap obviously.
ReplyDeleteI'm watching on Versus and Lowe said before the start that he was using the #15 - and they had a jersey with Plante's name on it. They were picking Plante no matter who was available at #15. After the #15 pick Lowe was doing an interview and said that they will certainly see him later - but maybe not at #30. So they had the deal for Nash set up no matter who was available.
Which do you like better?
Voracek, Cherepanov and Backlund
or
Gagner, Plante and Nash
Fucking dolts make me want to heave - have fun watching 3 rookies in the top 6 dmen next year and Toby Petersen in the top 9 while EIG loads their pockets and the old boys continue to show that they took too many shots to head.
Asia is outta here......
Fucking dolts make me want to heave - have fun watching 3 rookies in the top 6 dmen next year and Toby Petersen in the top 9 while EIG loads their pockets and the old boys continue to show that they took too many shots to head.
ReplyDeleteThe alternative being "fire away picks and prospects to try and mortgage our future in hopes of maybe making the playoffs." Right?
Well, as a draft fan it was surely an eventful day. However, as an Edmonton Oiler fan, this has been a major disappointment. The draft is the one time that draft picks hold more value than any other time of the year. I would have rather Lowe had been looking to add to an already depleted roster veteran-wise.
ReplyDeleteThe way that it looks built right now is that it's too young and filled with too many players that can't play. Prospects are nice and all... but you can't hoard them all and try and develop them all at once. We have to convert some of that potential into present talent or this will be a lean couple of seasons upcoming. And I'm not sure if Lowe will be around to see it unfold.
I don't get it. You talk for months about needing to get more elite skill throughout the organization. You talk about getting a winger to play with Hemsky. The single most skilled player is still available to you at 15, after you've made your safe pick at 6. And who do you take? A defensmen whose upside will be Andy Sutton or (at best) Steven Staois.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a draft nut like some guys, and I know its a crapshoot. But based upon draft position and ranking alone, you can say that this first round was mismanaged.
It just seems like Lowe and Co. had some myopic plan to begin with, and no matter who was available, they were going to follow through with it. Cherepanov available? Who cares, we need another non-elite d-man with little puck posession skills! Yeah, right.
Look, Cherapanov could become the next busted prospect, and Plante and Nash might be huge forces in our lineup. But Choosing them when they were chosen- and not maxmizing the value of your draft poistion- is what hurts.
Can Lowe complain that elite players aren't available in the draft at the places where the oilers draft to season ticket holders who ask him why we don't have a crosby or ovechkin? That's his standard answer when asked that question, and I don't think he can do that anymore. We gave up on one elite talent today. That won't wash with most of his fanbase after today.
And where the hell were the trades? Where were they? I doubt Lowe's going to magically turn around tomorrow and pick up Redden or Pitkanen. Here's hoping he will. But LT, you were right: Lowe did nothing, because I doubt anything was out there.
Which means were are rebuilding. A rebuild that didn't have to happen, if Lowe hadn't fucked the Smyth and Pronger deals so badly. So so badly.
It's going to be a tough couple of years for oil fans who like to see winning hockey.
What happened to "competing after the cba"? We were told to just wait until the CBA and we would be a have and not a have-not, a team who had turned the corner and who was a legitimate contender. What the fuck? I feel lied to. I feel betrayed. I feel like if Lowe really wanted to win he would have gotten better value out of the Pronger deal, or made him sit on his ass until he started playing again. And I sure as hell feel like Lowe would have signed Smyth.
So here's hoping Lowe salvages this mess. But from the looks of it were rebuilding. And from the resignation on Lowe's face, it looks as if he know he wont be around to see the end of this thing.
Oh I forgot...the next in line just jumped ship to Columbus.