I always chuckle when non-Oiler fans attempt to identify the darkest, most uncomfortable worries for the true Oiler fan.
Would-be trolls say things like "what makes you think they'll be any better next year?" or "what if Ethan Moreau is here in the fall?"
Those are low level worries, not worth the time it takes to think of them. Here, from "most worrisome" to "it still makes me worry a whole lot" are the 10 things Oiler fans are fretting over right now.
- Pat Quinn is named GM.
- Somewhere on planet earth the Oilers braintrust is talking about Hall, Seguin, Fowler and some guy they heard New Jersey liked a whole lot. Like a WHOLE lot. Oilers heard that he wouldn't be around for the 31st pick and are mulling over using the top pick on him. You laugh, but there's some part of the Oiler nation that believes the Niinimaki pick came about (at least partly) this way.
- Daryl Katz signs Kevin Lowe to a lifetime contract.
- There is someone with a similar name to Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin in the draft and Stu Macgregor asks Kevin Prendergast to make the pick. I've looked over the Central Scouting list and there's no obvious candidates for this error, but we must be watchful.
- The Oilers trade the first round pick and instead of the world ending at the exact moment when Bettman is about to name the return (which would be the moral thing for the world to do), Bettman rambles on a list of 6's and 7's and 9's.
- The Oilers make some crazy deal with the Islanders to move down to #3 because New Jersey is whispering the Bruins are taking Fowler at #2. Islanders take Hall, Lou's information is wrong (who knew?) and the Oilers are left with Fowler.
- Pat Quinn brings in Rick Ley.
- The Oilers (in a panic) sign another veteran 3rd line player to a multi-year contract on day 13 of free agency.
- Jaromir Jagr signs a 4-year "Khabby" deal.
- The Oilers pull a Robin Kovar and enter an invalid name into the computer, thus voiding the pick.
If you don't like these, chime in. PJ Oil will be by soon with at least 10 more. :-)
The Oilers bring Hall and Eberle to the "big team" next year and play them with Stortini.
ReplyDeleteAfter a late season surge, the braintrust decides that we are really close to the playoffs and does not deal anyone off the roster since they want to "see" what we can do with a healthy roster.
ReplyDeleteAnd to add insult to injury, being that they are on the cusp of greatness they deal the top pick for help right now since they don't want to wait 3 years evaluating Hall/Seguin, So they deal the pick to the Senators for Spezza.
being that they are on the cusp of greatness they deal the top pick for help right now
ReplyDeleteClose thread, we have a winner.
It makes my stomach churn knowing that they probably have considered it.
It wouldn't hurt Hall and Eberle to play with Stortini and have some sheltered minutes while he both protects them and lets his "can-do" attitude rub off on them.
ReplyDeleteNever knew you could void your pick by spelling it wrong lol.
ReplyDeleteIsn't your 3rd liner named Radek Dvorak LT?
He played okay last night. Had a goal, but was pretty much unoticable until then. (Was at the Habs game). Looks like a solid hire for 3rd line. If you do want a shutdown line.
Tambellini, after 'evaluating' all the UFA's this summer, only signs a knuckle-dragger who can't hold a hockey stick and tells Quinn to put him on the first line with JFJ.
ReplyDeleteFollowed by an announcement from Katz-land that despite the team's pace for a 32nd place finish, there is full confidence in management so don't even think about suggesting a new GM.
DBO
ReplyDeleteNot to the Senators for Spezza, to Calgary for Iginla...
Haha that was DGB-esque
ReplyDeleteI commented on number 4 in a thread just last week...Tyler Stahl sends shivers down my spine.
ReplyDeleteOf those items listed, I am much less afraid of bringing Jagr in for more than 2 years. Even if they somehow manage to pay him 5 M per, while I wouldn't be thrilled, I could live with that.
ReplyDeleteOverpaying for the 2nd overall in actual NHL assets concerns me much more right now. THat Penner & Gilbert to Boston rumour scares me a hell of a lot more than anything but Quinn being named GM.
Tambellini realizes after evaluating the club that we're only one Jim Dowd and a veteran blue away from being a contender.
ReplyDeleteTambellini claims most of the teams' struggles can be attributed to puck luck.
Moreau on this team in the fall is still on my top worries list.
ReplyDeleteLowe going whale hunting is another.
FYI, Coach MacT mentioned in an interview that Eberle is a good bet to make the WC team.
ReplyDeleteHow about that we don't manage to sell high on Penner this summer before he reports to camp in at 280?
ReplyDeleteQuinn as GM sends chills down my spine but having Hall/Seguin become a completly disasterous bust tops the worries on my list.
ReplyDeleteJagr! Staples has an article up saying it's pretty much a done deal that he's coming back to North America next season.
Jagr: http://www.russianhockeyfans.com/khl/jaromir-jagr-i-would-like-to-stay-in-omsk-167.html
ReplyDeleteI guess he could go either way...
The Oilers offer the first pick to NJ in exchange for Kovalchuck, if only for the "opportunity" to sign him before he becomes a free agent.
ReplyDeleteKovalchuck uses the Oilers to leverage a deal somewhere else, and Katz immediately has the Kovy statue removed from the plans of the winter garden.
So enraged, Katz listens to Quinn and replaces the GM, but decideds to go "outside the box" and hires Bob Stauffer a la John Davidson.
Stauffer signs Laraque to a five year, $15 million dollar deal to protect the young players, and fills out the roster with former CIS players.
I just threw up in my mouth a little.
If we end up with a player other than Seguin or Hall with our first pick I will froth at the mouth. Froth. I will froth first, then I will do something drastic at an ugly brick office near Kingsway mall before the day ends.
ReplyDelete---
The one executive whom I have no patience for whatsoever is Prendergrast. That guy should be nowhere near any decisions regarding drafting or player procurement.
froth at the mouth
ReplyDeleteA good title for a blog and fun to say.
The Oilers roll out a line up for the next 4 years with MPS, Eberle, Hall, Gagner, Omark, Cogliano, Pouliot,POS, Nilsson and Brule.
ReplyDeleteThere is no where to hide and Pat Quinn keeps rolling lines to the delight of Joe Thornton and the Sedins.
The rookies / young players never seem to develop and get their confidence shot playing against the vaunt every night.
Oiler management trades off the "bust" draft picks to another team who gives them some AHL time and sheltered NHL minutes. They rectify their careers and the Oilers become the Florida Panthers / Atlanta Thrashers.
You want a real Oiler worry? How about watching over the summer the Oilers giving its entire list of RFAs raises after the team finished last - more than 10 points behind the 29th place club.
ReplyDeleteThe big difference between this summer and last summer is that now we know how terrible the Oilers are as a franchise whereas last year we only suspected they were terrible.
Nennog - Translation: "I'm not staying if no one shows up to my house with a truckload of money."
ReplyDeleteStu Macgregor is fired for not picking "crusty" players.
ReplyDeleteAlso, not as much a worry for the offseason, but...
Ales Hemsky returns for the final 5 games of the current NHL season, just to prove to everyone he's good to go next year.
I'm pretty sure Katz and Lowe have at least a handshake deal regarding point #3. I mean, c'mon. If I did my job as poorly as Lowe did his, I would've been fired years ago.
ReplyDeleteRealistically, one big worry for me is that our "braintrust" will build a solid core of good young players, and waste it all by continuing to use a dog and pony show for goaltending. It very nearly tanked the '05-'06 season, and has gotten worse since.
After this year's evaluation, the Oilers RFA's are either a) determined to be core and given contracts that are 5 years too long and $2 million too high, or b) convinced that they're not core, are traded for peanuts.
ReplyDeleteNilsson, O'Sullivan, Jacques in the former and Gagner, Pouliot in the latter.
Tencer Parrot...
ReplyDeleteOilers prospect defenseman Jeff Petry has officially signed a pro contract, leaving MSU prior to his final year. He's on his way to AHL now.
Ribs:
ReplyDeleteThey've got three games in three nights. what do you think the chances are he plays in at least two of those?
Katz is finally convinced that upper management are off track. Fires Tambellini and since he's familiar with TSN broadcasts hires Pierre McGuire to be the new GM.
ReplyDeletePierre is flabbergasted as to why his new line of Eberle, Hall, and MPS have the team in last place and all 3 players have lost all confidence. Meanwhile Eberle grows increasingly uncomfortable as Pierre makes him wear short shorts in practice and is constantly calling him into the coach's office for long private talks about strong muscular legs.
Uni wins. Thread over. Time to pass out the suicide machines.
ReplyDeleteI don't know - that would at least get McGuire off the broadcasts for a while...
ReplyDeleteAs one of "those guys," I'd suggest the biggest worry Oilers fans should have is that Oilers management doesn't let go of the fact that the Cup run was an aberration, a blip amidst a 20-year decline into cr@pitude.
ReplyDeleteA team full of tragic over-pays only slightly alleviated by the deadline dumps.
Wirtz/Pulford-level old-boys-network incompetence in the owner/management front for decades now, with no franchise-saving demises on the horizon.
An uncanny ability to draft badly.
No stability with the minor league system.
One of the least attractive places to sign as an UFA.
dorito - I'd bet on it. Their defensemen are hurting right now and they only let Motin play every other game for some reason. There's definitely room for him.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see Petry in Oilers silks before the season is through. Book it.
ReplyDeleteWell, this would qualify as a worst fear: Tencer tweet:
ReplyDeleteGoing to get an injury update on Gagner in a few minutes...hearing it won't be great news...
Gagner goes for hip and knee surgery and a 6 month recovery time.
ReplyDeleteCould've been avoided by sitting the remainder of 09-10 season.
To clarify, that was another fear for the list, not an actual fact.
ReplyDeleteWhew. Thanks Bar Qu. Nearly found out if the office defribrillator really worked. ;o)
ReplyDeleteWell, this would qualify as a worst fear: Tencer tweet:
ReplyDeleteGoing to get an injury update on Gagner in a few minutes...hearing it won't be great news...
Sounds like its about time to cure the trumpets and scantily clad women with flower pettles, for surely with Gagner's fall to injury, Jordan Eberle will be arriving soon to save the franchise.
Huzzah...
Still want to give that Gagner guy 4.5 x 7?
ReplyDeleteFun fact about Jeff Petry from the press release: he's a criminal justice major. No wimpy "communications" degree for this scholar. Maybe he'll clean up the on-ice product?
ReplyDeleteAlso, due to his age it's a two year entry level deal in case anyone didn't already know.
Sign Gagner to a Dipietro-like contract.
ReplyDeleteGagner "day to day" with a nagging hip injury, O'Sullivan will draw in for him tonight.
ReplyDeleteQuinn Tweets: Gagner out 20-65 months with pubic problems.
ReplyDelete*Pictures Quinn carving letters into a slab of rock ala Fred Flinstone*
ReplyDeleteActually nothing this team can/will do is capable of suprising me.
ReplyDeleteHow about:
Trading their first pick to New Jersey for Brodeur and watching Lowe at the press conference saying he woke up and realized he had created a 4 head goalie monster, weird eh?
or
Not only is Moreau back in the fall he gets 3 years added to his contract making him the highest paid player on the team.
Lowe announcing a blockbuster trade with Calgary bringing us Kotalik and Bouwmeester.
Kelly Buchberger gets promoted to head coach because he has 2 Stanley Cup rings and the lamers Renney and Quinn having none. Renney is then asked to assume Joey Moss's job.
Katz announcing that Lowe is appointed Caesar Emeritus God Emperor Pope with Six Rings of the Oilers for life...
Theory of the day:
ReplyDeleteThe reason Gagner hasn't shut it down for the season is because of the advice of his dad to grit it out.
Considering that Dave Gagner pushed Hodgson to the point where he lost a season due to back injury, I'm starting to wonder.
There is nothing this management group could do that would astound me. Here is what we KNOW they will not do:
ReplyDelete1)Come up with a long term plan re Salary Cap management;
2) Address their excessive payroll with a view to getting down to a cap hit of $45 million dollars in 2010-11;
3). Sign a veteran RH 3rd line center to kill penalties and play difficult minutes;
4) resign Pisani at realistic $$$$ for his current production
5) fix the nightmare that is the Oiler goaltending situation;
6) sign Jagr for a short term contract for 2 years or, preferably, less time
I could actually see the Oiler "braintrust" wasting 2 weeks pursuing Kovalchuk at the start of free agency and not filling 3-4 year old needs
Other John,
ReplyDeleteI'm happy about number 6, and I assume 2 covers doing something about Moreau, Nilsson, and POS. But you forgot,
7. Improve the PK.
8. Trade Souray for someone younger
9. Send Prendergast on Gulag (lose a deal, face the wheel...)
10. Sign Gagner long term
11. Resign in shame
Oh and this will be controversial:
ReplyDelete12. See if you can fool Quinn into walking into a tar pit.
Ok, I fall into the chuckle category, but... Really? Your *number one* fear is OTC over the current crew in the GM chair(s)? Colour me surprised. I think at least a case could be made that he's a better manager than coach (or a lesser coach than manager!). His supposed disdain for youth doesn't really match his track record as a manager... Yes, it's been a while, but how about: Jyrki Lumme for a second (Craig Darby); Kirk McLean and Greg (Gus) Adams for a declining Patrick Sundstrom; Gerald Diduck for a fourth; Geoff Courtnall, Cliff Ronning, Sergio Momesso and Robert Dirk for a washed up Dan Quinn and Garth Butcher; Martin Gelinas (waivers); Markus Naslund for Alex Stojanov? That's a lot of youth for mediocre or aging veterans (or useless prospects). If anything, he showed a willingness to listen to his scouts while recognizing that he worked for a franchise that couldn't develop its own talent. Yes, he had the Nolan debacle in T.O. (although I can understand the trade), and gave up on Steve Sullivan (but I can understand why he didn't value a 5'8" 3rd line center), but he also got McCabe for nothing and who really knows what the hell went on in Leaf land (hello John Ferguson!). And other than Boyes and McCauley -- what youth did he mistakenly send away? An added plus: he can read a contract and has more than a high school education. Yes, there are better options out there, but that's your number one fear?
ReplyDeletePJO must have full on paranoia now. Ducks to start McElhinney in net. We haven't had the advantage on paper in goal in a game since about October.
ReplyDeleteHey, can anyone tell me what is happening with JW? I can't access his twitter feed at work (its blocked - apparently we don't want our students accessing it. Dunno why.)
ReplyDeleteIf it is too sensitive, you can put it in a comment on my blog page.
@ Bar Qu
ReplyDeleteI beleive the issue with JW is work related.
OK. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI was worried it was something even more serious.
Ethan Moreau hired as player-general manager.
ReplyDeleteKhabibulin starts dating Lindsay Lohan.
ReplyDeleteNot one single comment on Katz pressuring for a new rink to the point of giving Edm city council an ultimatum... new rink deal or its off to Kansas City in 2012.
ReplyDeleteNot a real worry?
Council going to give Katz what he wants?
Taxpayers ready to roll over?
Offtopic Alert:
ReplyDeleteHas anyone seen Pat Burns lately? You can barely recognize the man. I had no idea his health had deteriorated to this level. Last I heard he'd beaten the colon cancer. Apparently he was later diagnosed with liver cancer, and while fighting that developed lung cancer and opted to against treatment (no point really).
He doesn't have long to live apparently and it's just sad to see him like that. He had a maximum shelf life of 3 years or so, but he was a helluva coach.
Not a real worry?
ReplyDeleteCouncil going to give Katz what he wants?
Taxpayers ready to roll over?
If Katz wants to move the Oilers, there are 10 teams that would want to move to Edmonton, old building or not.
The Edmonton Thrashers?
ReplyDeleteSweet.
I'd love to see the Oilers boot themselves out of town. Let them go somewhere else, far away from 16,000 guaranteed paying customers, into some nebulous new market, where they can really have all the time in the universe to talk about the glory days.
ReplyDeleteAs Woodguy says, there must be at least half a dozen NHL teams who would be falling all over themselves to relocate to Edmonton, asa fucking p.
I don't know, does anyone really think Cleveland Browns fans are truly happy with their fake team?
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize fans are so ready to let the Oilers franchise walk away and start the wait for a new team.
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't believe it for a second.
But, as I don't live in Edmonton anymore, perhaps I am not seeing this from 'City of Champions' perspective.
I don't know why Moreau staying is such a major concern for everyone. I mean, I want him gone too, but worst case scenario, he's an Oiler until deadline day. It's not as if the guy's got 2-3 years left on his contract that includes a NMC.
ReplyDeletePouliot centering Stortini and Comrie tonight. Seems like a bizarre combination.
ReplyDeleteThe fourth line has been a bizarre combination all season. They haven't replaced Brodziak, let alone Glencross, so they just cycle who ever is left over through Zorg's line. Somehow, said line rarely seems to bleed to death.
ReplyDeleteWasn't it Gagner between Comrie and Stortini last couple of games? Gagner gets replaced on the roster by a winger so Pouliot shifts back into the middle and switches up lines. Thus the powerhouse Nilsson-Potulny-Pouliot line gets broken up.
The other option I suppose was 46 at C between 19 and 91. I don't mind 78 in the middle myself, and anticipate that the new trio will do alright.
@Bendelson: It's not that anyone's willing to let the team walk, it's that they don't think they'll have the balls to do it. So many of the American sunbelt teams are struggling despite being in larger metro areas while the six Canadian teams rake in money relative to the American teams. There aren't that many US hockey cities of comparable size or larger that don't have a team, and some of those struggling teams are already the subject of rumours regarding moves back to hockey crazy Canadian cities that lost their teams (or the GTA, which could probably support as many hockey teams as the London metro area supports soccer teams). The Oilers' attendance is struggling relative to previous years, but the tickets are still sold and it took four seasons of failure, including possibly the worst year in the team's history, for attendance to dip to sunbelt levels. Even a modest improvement next year will bring people screaming back. Things may not be rosy at the moment here, but it's likely to get better and moving elsewhere is a big gamble. Unless the idea is to move the Oilers to Hamilton, this team isn't going anywhere.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't mean a new arena wouldn't be nice, it just means the situation isn't urgent and it can be built on our terms, not Katz's. And if the on-ice product improves even marginally (12th place, here we come!), expect support for the arena district to start going up too.
The Oilers can bluster all they want about moving but there is NO WAY that they would move. Canadian dollar is at par, 16,000 paid customers, nice ancillary revenue (radio, TV, jerseys, etc) and zero competition from other sports.
ReplyDeleteNO WAY
That is the real problem with the new arena debate: Really, you want to move....great: someone buys Phoenix for $140 million and move a real playoff contending team here
I don't want to cheer for the Jets.
ReplyDeleteIt does put a hop in my step everytime I see one of those gloriously ugly old jerserys somewhere though.
ReplyDeleteWhy the 'Yotes haven't busted those old beauties out for a retro night is beyond me.
There is no way the Oilers will move.
ReplyDeleteRight... agreed.
There is also no way that Katz doesn't get a 'fancy pants' new arena either - sometime soon.
So... something has to give.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be interesting to watch Visnovsky and Whitney skating on the same plane, so to speak, this evening. I always find it hard to compare, but who will make the greater impact on the game? Something to watch for, at least. I hope Lubo brings his A+ game, that always has been fun to watch. And of course I hope Whitney does likewise.
ReplyDeleteThere's an old saying, though, when comparing guys of disparate age that from today forward one of those guys is getting older and better, the other is just getting older. So if Whitney holds his own tonight that's a tell.
Pouliot centering Stortini and Comrie tonight. Seems like a bizarre combination.
ReplyDeleteRibs, you say that as if this entire team isn't a bizarre combination.
Khabi's contract and management keeping their jobs is a bizarre combination.
ReplyDeleteI'm at a point where it'll be okay if the Oilers go. I suffered through it with Pocklington but am not willing to worry over it again. Teams move, the Expos are dead.
ReplyDeleteI'd probably have more time to, you know, do stuff. :-)
I don't mind 78 in the middle myself, and anticipate that the new trio will do alright.
ReplyDeleteI imagine they will as well. It's hard to screw up 8-10 minutes of ice time too badly.
Phil - Good call.
ReplyDeleteLT - that is the answer that still surprises me a little - though I was also around during the Pocklington mess and to some extent can understand your opinion.
ReplyDeleteCan Edmontonians really walk away from the Oilers?
Is another team replacing the Oilers in Edmonton an acceptable solution?
All jokes about the quality of the franchise today aside... I would predict the answer is still NO.
I could delve into 'tradition' and 'fabric of the city' diatribes but will spare your readers the BS.
Great blog LT.
Bendelson: Thanks, and yes I think that Edmonton could walk away from the Oilers. Katz is taking on some very powerful people at this point (Northlands is basically Edmonton) and putting himself in a difficult position (it is hard to get back to level after you ruffle feathers).
ReplyDeleteAdd that to the fact that guys like me--despite our high regard for the town team--have other things we hold more dear (family, kids education and keeping taxes at a level that doesn't impose even more than it alread does) and there will come a time when a local politician is able to "frame the issue" in a way that rings true to the public.
The smart politician will wait until Daryl Katz makes a threat that cannot be misunderstood and then go directly to the public with a measured, mature argument for not giving away our children's future to the hockey team.
LT: So your wife is REALLY hoping the Oilers stay then, right? lol
ReplyDeleteJust teasing.
Spot the Loon: lol. She bought me center ice this season, maybe there's something to this. :-)
ReplyDeletePerhaps a preemptive measure on her part. Best to cover the bases. lol
ReplyDeleteI lived through the Pocklington situation as well. As much as I enjoy the Oilers and hope they never leave, I also recognize the sun will still come up the following morning and it really doesn't impact me from the point of view concerning the things I love the most.
Petry in the lineup for Springfield tonight. Interesting. Cornell up 1-0 midway through their game tonight.
ReplyDelete..And Motin is a healthy scratch.
ReplyDeleteF*** Oilers losing their identity when Smyth left. For me they could have left town the day they "traded" Messier.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, it's not like the Oilers have anywhere to go. This isn't the heady 90's with Wayne Gretzky's American Kings swanning around with glamorous LA types, with the sky the limit for cokeheads running the NHL.
Those days aren't coming back, Mister Katz. No matter how many rings Kevin Lowe lets you try on.
While I think that is important that the city make a good deal, the 'not one tax dollar' is an argument that fails on a lot of fronts.
ReplyDeleteEntertainment/tourism type things are frequently supported by tax dollars because there are quite a few positive spillovers, some sheer financial, some economic development, some public amenity, and some essentially emotional. Its because of this that places like the waterpark at West Ed gets taxes less than the stores do. If the waterpark was taxed at the same level, it would likely not be viable and would never have been built. Other places would exist, but none as good at the waterpark. As a result, each of our kids gets to have a birthday party or two there. People who visit our city have one extra fun day in town, etc. Yes, we could leave it fully to the market and treat the waterpark like any other business (a bar), but then we live in a city without it and there is no net benefit pricewise because the Gramizians may have just invested that cash in another community.
Secondly, most urban infill development is already subsidized. Every apartment building built downtown has a per door subsidy. The current numbers for the new 'Quarters' plan is $10,000 per unit(each single apartment). So, a single tower like the ICON tower would be subsidized about $2.5 million. Why? Because it lowers the cost of construction at with the goal of reaching a critical mass of residents in the area to make it attractive as an area for retail and residential development (without subsidy eventually).
So, in my mind, project that align well with city goals and that have positive spillovers should be subsidized, those that have negative spillovers and and go against city priorities (South Edmonton Common for example!) should actually face extra fees.
Now, with that said, I am not advocating passing over $400million to build Katz an arena. However, I do think that there is a reasonable subsidy, or perhaps better would be some form of City ownership. A model with a local development levey, a ticket tax, and a public subsidy would be fine by me.
That's just me though, I happily pay my taxes and think that they help build the city that I live in. Our Parents and/or Grandparents built the Coliseum, the stadium and the LRT. I am ok with our generation stepping up to build LRTII and a New Sports venue.
F*** Oilers losing their identity when Smyth left. For me they could have left town the day they "traded" Messier.
ReplyDeleteHunter, you are so full of hate for everything Oiler, why do you bother paying attention? Wouldn't you be better picking another team or city or sport or something?
I don't get why people are beating up on Katz so much on the arena. He is going to have to have most of the $1 billion in private funds committed before he ever sees a dime of public money.
ReplyDeleteAs for Northlands, it is an issue of "show me the money". Northlands dollars are essentially public dollars.
Did South Edmonton Common have to fork over any special levies for that overpass, or was that just all public dollars to assist efffing-ugly-big-square-box-land make obscene profits on the main thoroughfare into the city?
I'm not sure why anyone is expecting Katz to threaten to move the team. I mean, I understand that both Pocklington and EIG did it, so it's only a matter of time, in some people's minds, but I thought Katz buying the team was a good thing precisely because he'd never move it.
ReplyDeleteThis would be an apt GDT picture
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/yld2nkb
Eberle with an assist so far...
ReplyDeleteMadeski Martin and Wood click for the opening goal. The Pouliot line handled those guys just fine, but Nilsson-Cogliano-O'Sullivan sure weren't up to the task.
ReplyDeleteNilsson looked pretty foolish there. You just have to more aware than that.
ReplyDeletebe
ReplyDeleteEberle scores in the shootout...
ReplyDeleteOilers redefine "goaltender interference"
ReplyDelete"Explain that to me in 10 words or less."
ReplyDelete-- Kevin Quinn going on about home road splits on the PP.
How about 5 words or less, Kevin: random distribution, small sample size
Fuck, Anaheim is as bad as we are.
ReplyDeleteIs it just me, or do Principe's lame puns get just a little bit more irritating with every game? Maybe we can get a new broadcast team, a new coach, new management, and better players for next year?!
ReplyDeleteAgreed. That was a pretty horrid powerplay.
ReplyDeleteSo it appears Timra was eliminated today in the SEL playoffs. Do the Oilers try to sign MPS and bring him over for a look in the AHL. Or maybe even give him a game or two taste of the NHL?
ReplyDeleteIf I understand correctly, the new agreement the NHL has with Sweden means he doesn't have to commit to North America if he comes to camp and doesn't make the NHL club next year.
Great awareness by POS to put himself offside. The guy isn't what I'd call an elite thinker of the game.
ReplyDelete"Hunter... Wouldn't you be better picking another team or city or sport or something?"
ReplyDeleteLOL sure I would be bookie. Sorry not to be a fanboy in any way shape or form that you recognise, but that's just the way the wind blows.
Better yet, how about if the team starts running itself like it used to, back when it...like...won more than it lost? Is it my fault that was 20 years ago?
"I hate everything about the Oilers, but they're my team, dammit".
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if that's insane or admirable.
So Eberle only has 7 points now in 4 AHL games? Bust.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a dart by Arsene. I love it.
ReplyDeleteI think I would hate to play with O'Sullivan. He just shoots the thing no matter what. Kills the play completely dead.
ReplyDeleteI don't see too well but was that the Ducks netminder using Brownlee-Deslauries glove??
ReplyDelete/Matt Foley-d
Brule seems to have a little pop on that fastball. That's not the first time I've seen a goalie get tied up by him.
ReplyDeleteMind you, it is Curtis McElhinney, isn't it?
After Brule scored, they showed a young adult cheering with a foam finger.
ReplyDeleteHilarious.
Weak goal by Brule. Too bad Anaheim started McElhinney. Anaheim is dominating us.
It's quite sad, actually.
Heh, Poo wa slooking for Gagner there I think.
ReplyDeleteScore 1-1. Hit count 7-7. Anaheim outshooting 15-14. Ergo, "Anaheim is dominating us."
ReplyDeleteWake up Nilsson! Wake up!
ReplyDeleteYea, it's been pretty equal suckage so far.
ReplyDeleteYeah, pretty horrid stuff. Both powerplays were pure shit, if that's not an oxymoron.
ReplyDeleteThe 12-16-19 trio is hide-your-eyes bad.
Hehe, never heard the "Large Human" moniker before for Penner.
ReplyDeleteThe 12-16-19 trio is hide-your-eyes bad.
ReplyDeleteDammit, I just cut eyeholes in the brown bag over my head.
Moreau just got out hockey'd by Parros.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what to say.
There's that glove hand again, Dennis. I think JDD and McElhinney get their "catching" gloves (sic) from the same foundry.
ReplyDeleteShingen: Turn it around backwards.
ReplyDeleteBlack Gold: I do. He sucks.
OT: can someone help me out with a flames question. what would the buyout/cap implications be for the flames to get rid of kotalik.
ReplyDeletethanks.
EV shots on net with Chorney on the ice: Ducks 13, Oilers 3.
ReplyDeleteEV shots on net with Chorney on the bench: Ducks 8, Oilers 15.
i found it at cap geek...sorry.
ReplyDeletedid anyone see petry play tonight? any "saw him goods or bads"?
Jfry: I believe it's 2/3 of the cap hit spread out over double the period, so 1/3 per year. I believe Kotalik has two years left at $3 MM, so that's a $1 MM hit for four years.
ReplyDeleteJfry - Capgeek is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWell, nevermind then, heh.
ReplyDeleteI have the chances at 10-15 but it was pretty much dead even when Quinn or Debrusk proclaimed that the Oilers were getting dominated.
ReplyDeleteDennis: That was PJ Oil, actually.
ReplyDeleteQuiet building, the hockey sucks, the beer is warmish and a woman with the largest thighs in the world is sitting next to me.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, due to the Home and Garden show I paid $12 to park next to 111 ave.
Love supporting my team.
Bruce, you gotta show me that parking spot.
I was just following the score in the Falcons game, Jfry. Petry ended up with a +1 on the night, if that means anything to you.
ReplyDeleteWoodguy: Would be happy to, but not in an open forum. I haven't paid a dime to park since 1976.
ReplyDeleteWings two points out of fifth.
ReplyDeleteThey're not dead yet. I'm sure Chicago is glad they're making this run, my guess is they get that fifth seed and its either Phoenix or the Sharks who get them, lucky guys.
Bruce drives the Zamboni, he just parks behind whoever is badmouthing the Oilers that night.
ReplyDeleteFun with Capgeek... Lecavaliers buyout cap hit in 2019-2020: $9,227,273
ReplyDeleteHey see that summary? Gilbert from Gilbert
ReplyDeleteUgh. O'Sullivan and Nilsson shouldn't be in the same lineup, let alone the same line.
ReplyDeleteThis has been a dog of a game thus far. The good news is that the Oilers defensively is waaaaaaaaaay better now than it was pre-trade deadline.
Hehe... Ducks guys trying to pump Selannes stats with his 35 playoff goals. Didn't mention Kurris 106.
ReplyDeletePOS with the gaping 5 by 4. Of course he tries to put the puck in the one foot of net the goalie can cover.
ReplyDeleteI thought midget wrestling was a Calgary thing.
ReplyDeleteHow come goaltender interference is only a penalty at one end of the rink?
ReplyDeleteWhatever else you can say about Gilbert Brule, you can't say he's not involved.
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be interesting to see Souray and Whitney in the same lineup.
ReplyDeleteI like the way Arsene plays hockey.
ReplyDeleteI'm unsure about the way he plays hockey, but the heart he plays with is tip-top.
ReplyDeleteSo is it pronounced Arseen or Arsini? For some reason I don't like the way the latter sounds.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree on Eberle, he's a bust, bum can't even crack 2PPG =).
I hate the way Chorney plays hockey.
ReplyDeleteYES!
ReplyDeletePlease hold on Ducks so that I can start my weekend off in peace.
3 defensemen in the box. Sounds like a plan.
ReplyDeleteGreat goal by Johnston
ReplyDeleteSo is it pronounced Arseen or Arsini? For some reason I don't like the way the latter sounds.
ReplyDeleteTo quote The Rock, "IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR NAME IS!!!"
He..almost..had..it...with...his...glove..
ReplyDeleteTwo crap penalties and a crap goal by CFP II.
ReplyDeleteUni: Arseni. They had a cheesy graphic explaining the family exodus from Austria and his name.
ReplyDeleteBruce: YOU ARE WRONG.
ReplyDeleteIt's two crap goals.
Arsene could use some hugging lessons.
ReplyDeleteAww, and I had all these 'een rhyming words I was going to use to describe him.
ReplyDeleteAlso I know the Oilers should sew up 30th, but I don't want Perry to have the GWG. And I want the Oilers to cram it down the Anaheim commenters' gullets.
I don't like the way Arsene fights.
ReplyDeleteThis game was vital in powerful season efforts in securing a top 2 pick.
ReplyDelete11 back, with 8 games left, should the Ducks hold on. Oilers would have to go 5-2-1 and hope the Leafs go 0-8 to finish 29th. That's with 6 out of 8 remaining games on the road.
Two crap penalties and two crap goals by CFP II.
ReplyDeleteI knew I was wasting my Friday night for a reason.
I know the Oilers have been pretty putrid this year, but this third period is about as bad a period I have seen all year. Lack of discipline and a lack of muscle.
ReplyDeleteWho knew taking out Gagner and putting in O'Sullivan makes the offense go from popgun to extremely popgun.
PJ Oil: Please stop. We are DFL by 11 points. We are going to stay DFL. Rest easy, man.
ReplyDeleteGilbert needs to find a way to get a little greasy in the crease. He just has to. A few playoff games would probably teach him, but we need a different approach.
ReplyDelete"The Oilers organization has been in rebuilding now for a few seasons..."
ReplyDeleteObviously someone forgot to tell management. That statement had me confused on whether to scream in anguish or laugh hysterically.
We should have fired MacT the day we traded CFP. Quinn knows how to lose. Think of the picks we'd have! AAH!
ReplyDeleteIsn't the last 2 minutes of the game the point where the team that's down two goals pulls their goalie and presses the opposing team in a desperate attempt to tie the game?
ReplyDeleteUni - Only if Bettman isn't looking.
ReplyDeleteIf McElhinney keeps playing the Oilers, he'll be in the hall of fame in no time.
ReplyDeleteThis whole third period, I've been begging for Jordan Eberle to come running down the entrance and hit someone with a steel folding chair.
Saw Buffalo pull it off the other night, 2 goals with the goalie out to tie it. Don't think I've seen that 5 times in all the years.
ReplyDeleteNice of the zebras to give us out own 2-man advantage with <30 seconds left.
ReplyDeleteHuh, it's 3-2.
I've seen it twice with the Los Angeles Kings when Murray was the coach.
ReplyDelete6-on-4 and one (1) guy chases the shoot-in? Great game plan on the time out, Quinn.
ReplyDeleteNow would be a good time for that steel folding chair.
ReplyDeleteI knew I was wasting my Friday night for a reason.
ReplyDeleteYou can boast when all the 'fans' jump on the bandwagon in a few years that you were there through the thick and thin.
I like this Whitney guy, he cracks me up.
ReplyDeleteWhitney obviously took out some pent up frusteration in that game. I don't mind seeing it, but right now the offense can't bailout those types of shenanigans. But all in all it was a mean nothing game, so good for Whitney. One more game left against Anaheim to get more of that frusteration out.
ReplyDeleteTonight marked the 27th game of the season for 78 so it's an easy time to extrapolate the numbers for a full season.
ReplyDeletehe'd have 18 goals and 36 points - not sure about his real plus/minus - so what has he proven?
Anything at all?
All Pouliot has proven to me is that he'd be a nice depth forward, but not exactly someone that I'd want to play in the top 6 full time. Pouliot is slowly rounding out his game to become useful, but he doesn't particularly stand out at anything.
ReplyDeleteDennis: He's proven that he is a decent bottom 6 option. He's also proven he isn't Mike Richards or Ryan Kesler.
ReplyDeleteBut I think overall he's made positive steps since he finally got in the lineup.
That he'd be in a race for second in goals on the team? And among the top 5 in points?
ReplyDeletePouliot - Hall - Whoever might put up some decent numbers next season. He clearly needs skilled linemates to be effective.
ReplyDeleteThat's where I see the guy as well. I think he's a top niner who has the ability to step into the top six for a few games without really hurting you but if you are depending on him then it doesn't bode well for the overall fortunes of your club.
ReplyDeleteHe's probably Gil Heredia at this point.
I love how Cogliano created 2 or 3 PP opportunities and the pansy with 4 fingernails gets rewarded with the PP time. Just disgusting.
ReplyDeleteQuinn is worse than MacT.
Gil Heredia? I was thinking more Tom Foley.
ReplyDeleteIf he can ever put together 82 games, I figure Stajan is a pretty good comp for Pouliot.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that Pouliot is a big RH center who can kil penalties for under 1M/yr.
ReplyDeleteI am convinced that the management has been waiting for him to take that role and make it his own.
Stajan is far beyond Pouliot as a comp...
ReplyDeleteNo Katz tonight in the box, but Lowe was there for a while.
Pretty interesting game overall. Duff was in attendance cheering Comrie on.
:)
1 assist for Eberle tonight...and two more games on Saturday and Sunday.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDangerMan: Tom Fucking Foley? You're kidding right? I don't know how that guy ever got a fucking job because I know he couldn't hit and fuck if I ever remember him having much range at 2B and being any hell at turning the double.
ReplyDeleteHe hit .293 in the juiced ball year of '87 and fooled the Expos forevermore as far as I'm concerned.
I was so scarred by his performance at the plate in '89 that I forgot he came back to the club in '95 and retired.
LT can go back further than me but from the time I was a kid there was Flynn-Law-Foley-Bop-Lansing at 2B and the guy's beginning with F absolutely killed me.
Note: I know I forgot Bret Barberie but he had a helluva finish to the '91 season and then that was it.
And I know that finding batters at the keystone positions in those days was hard to do but we struggled at SS as well; unless you don't count Hubie Brooks being able to hit like a fucker but having all the range of a zombie.
WG: I know he's been killing penalties more and more - I know he did that down the stretch in '07 as well - but how has he looked in that role? And what's his faceoff pct?
I still think he can be a winger on a third line if he has two guys alongside him who are also dependable.
Note: I checked Gabe's site and the GAOFF and On are practically the same for 78 while the GFON is a nice bit higher for him when he's on the ice so I think that speaks to progress.
Tom Foley was the human GIDP, and Doug Flynn could waste 300 at-bats a season without trying. God the Expos had some shitty regulars.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying Tom Foley was a fantastic player, I'm just saying thats what MAP will become, a useful player in a smaller role.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, better days occurred when BOP took over for Tom Foley.
The Oilers are stuck in the same time frame when the Expos were lead by Andres Galarraga, Tim Wallach and Dennis Martinez. But the likes of Larry Walker, Marquis Grissom and Pedro Martinez are just lurking around the corner.