It begins with options. The Oilers can sign MPS and either keep him with the big club, send him to Oklahoma City or back to the SEL. They can send Eberle to the AHL or keep him with the big club. They can sign Tyler Seguin/Taylor Hall and send them back to junior or keep them with the big club.
I think the smartest option is to let the coaching staff decide which players are NHL ready. This could mean that Paarjavi-Svensson makes the grade and that Eberle (a year older) and Seguin (barely 18) are sent away. However, if you're going to create a universe in which effort and skill are rewarded and the club option doesn't dictate the timeline (another item the Oilers have used a lot over the years) then it only makes sense that you keep the best players available.
The best option for the 2010-11 Edmonton Oilers is probably to send them all back to the farm (AHL, SEL, junior) and come back a year from now. If Eberle is leading the AHL in scoring after 6 weeks then hire the man, but backing up the depth chart makes certain he's ready and gives the team more options when the Mandelbaums' handy work begins taking its toll.
Let's start by making a "possible roster" for the Oklahoma City club (let's call them the Blazers).
- G Devan Dubnyk
- G Bryan Pitton
- D Chris Armstrong*
- D Jake Taylor*
- D Taylor Chorney
- D Theo Peckham
- D Dean Arsene
- D Alex Plante
- D Johan Motin
- D Jeff Petry
- D Matt Nickerson
- D Josef Hrabal
- C Ryan Potulny
- C Ryan O'Marra
- C Chris Vande Velde
- C Geoff Paukovich
- C Milan Kytnar
- C Linus Omark
- L Magnus Paarjavi-Svensson
- L Teemu Hartikainen (if signed)
- L JF Jacques
- L Charles Linglet
- L Slava Trukhno
- L Bryan Lerg
- L Philippe Cornet
- R Jordan Eberle
- R Liam Reddox
- R Ryan Stone
- R Colin McDonald
If those players are on the AHL roster (and in Sweden, etc) then what does the NHL roster look like and how many holes does Steve Tambellini need to fill?
- G Nikolai Khabibulin
- G Jeff Deslauriers
- D Sheldon Souray (likely gone)
- D Ryan Whitney
- D Tom Gilbert
- D Ladislav Smid
- #5D
- #6D
- #7D
- C Shawn Horcoff
- C Sam Gagner
- ##RH C for FO and PK
- C Andrew Colgiano
- L Dustin Penner
- L Patrick O'Sullivan
- L Ethan Moreau
- L Ryan Jones
- R Ales Hemsky
- R Gilbert Brule
- R Marc Pouliot
- R Robert Nilsson
- R Zack Stortini
- ###Knuckle-dragger
- WILD CARD: Seguin/Hall
This morning, I made a list of things "to do" for Tambellini (flush some of the smaller F's, RH C, big winger, flush Souray, etc) and it looks like we can one more item to his list:
- several NHL defensemen to replace Staios, Johnson and Strudwick while forcing Peckham, Chorney and others to earn it.
No Potulny on the main roster?
ReplyDeleteI would keep Johnson as a 7D (but I am wearily resigned to seeing our Masterton nominee return - seriously I can't even say his name).
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree that Potulny is missing, and likely NHL material (for next year).
it'll be interesting to see how Chorney does at the worlds, with a different coach and a potentially non-useless partner.
ReplyDeleteAny vet coming in should be on a 1-2 year deal.
ReplyDeleteThey need options / freedom in a year or two.
Mr Debakey: I answered your question in the previous post's comments.
ReplyDelete-----
Of the departing UFAs on the roster this season I'd be probably keep most of them (Johnson, Strudwick, Pisani) and send the kids back to the developmental leagues. The team is likely not going anywhere important next year and the longer we keep them out of the NHL, the less likely we are to stunt their development with injuries or team dysfunctionality. This is especially true for Seguin. 18 year olds are at such a greater risk for injury in the NHL that this is a huge concern. I can't see Seguin being strong enough to protect himself next season.
With that said, if any of them blow the doors off training camp I'd still consider them for a roster spot. This would have to be done keeping in mind that young guys coming right from the European leagues or NCAA are likely to wear down over the course of an 82 game pro schedule.
Management should look hard and long (teehee) at Michalek and Volchenkov as UFAs. If not, getting a defender back for Souray becomes even more crucial. I question whether we can afford the additional 3.75+ cap hit on the backend to sign those fellows if we have to take back salary on Souray's trade.
I think this offseason will be more interesting than the last to be honest. Tambellini doesn't have the option of sitting pat, at least not with the defense.
Potulny's listed on the AHL roster, if any of you missed that.
ReplyDeleteDid Tambellini give the impression of wanting a knuckle-dragger? What I heard was a response to that direct question emphasizing that he didn't want a guy who was going to get two minutes of ice time during which he'd skate around looking for somebody to fight. Elsewhere in the press conference, he adopted a definition of "tough guy" that included Pavel Datysuk.
I had the impression that he was saying that Stortini's as knuckle-dragging as we're going to get.
You're right Steve, sorry LT.
ReplyDeleteNo worries. I think Potulny is fine as a 4line guy, but was trying to back up the depth chart as far as it would go.
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean. In any case, that looks like the makings of a fine AHL team. And a far better place to develop than anywhere the Oil have had since the lockout.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe holes on the defense are looking more important than the holes at forward.
ReplyDeleteNo way Peckham plays for the Blazers.
ReplyDeleteHe'll get claimed if they waive him,
I think both goalies would pass.
As for Brule.
I'll just shaddup about him.
Danger Man: It's interesting, isn't it? Oilers lost a lot of experience when dealing Lubo, Grebs and Staios.
ReplyDeleteThe accounting firm of Moreau, O'Sullivan and Nilsson should be trade bait, if not, buyouts all around. Replaced by Eberle, MPS, and Wild Card (as long as they can contribute somehow). Bring back Comrie as insurance.
ReplyDeleteWhitney Gilbert are the top 2, Peckham Johnson as the bottom 2, Smid (Waterbug) as the middle 2. The Oilers need to find a Johnny Boychuk type #7 to roll in and out with Peckham Johnson.
Over on good ol' HF someone mentioned Olli Jokinen and promptly got flamed. But I do believe to Oilers need someone like that. They need a reclamation project of sorts, not to pay so much for what he has done, but what you project him to do under the Oilers logo. Someone who is a good pro and understand he'll be a tutor of sorts.
LT: Yeah, you start to get a feel of how much Tambo has done once you start making depth charts, its quite a whack that got moved out.
ReplyDeleteBut I feel the top 2 is stronger than it ever has been over the last 4 years.
Wait, where's Jagr?
ReplyDeleteNow how the heck is MacTavish going to turn all of those young kids into checkers in such a quick tournament?
ReplyDeleteThis year's pending UFA D-men seems to be chock-full of the kind of guys I'd like to see slotted into LT's roster. With K-Lowe's eye for D, Tambi should be able to put together a grumpy blueline. As per Jon K, both Volchenkov and Michalek would be nice fits...
ReplyDeleteAny oppositions to bringing Gator back to retire as an Oiler?
Off-topic, but...
ReplyDeleteBest of luck to the Vancouver Canucks this playoffs.
I'm back to this style of posting because the other thing is driving me crazy. Sorry, everyone.
ReplyDeleteAny chance Sportsnet West could carry that AHL Roster for a year while the NHL Roster pursues a lottery pick?
ReplyDeleteWorth noting that Potulny and not Cogliano was lining up at C for the final games of the season. I'd personally be penciling Cogs in as a winger going forward, both for accuracy's sake and our sanity.
ReplyDeleteMontreal with an OT stunner.
Habs beat Caps in OT. This is going to be a crazy playoff season, that's I believe 5 of the first 6 opening games that have ended in at least a small surprise.
ReplyDeleteFollowing up to Traktor's comment from the last thread-is it possible to just walk away from Souray's deal...ie:assign him to OKC,he refuses,the club suspends him,and the contract is voided.Can this actually happen under the CBA..?
ReplyDeleteBoth parties may be motivated to do this if it is possible-Souray would of course walk away from $9M guaranteed,but he would get to choose his next club and sign another contract elsewhere.The Oilers would get nothing-other than cap space-but this may be more valuable than being force fed a bad contract coming back.
Did anybody else catch a moment early in the Caps/Habs game where Ovechkin was driving wide around MAB down the left wing?
ReplyDeleteI had an 06 flashback and held my breath for Habs fans. Luckily MAB was able to get in front of OV and was able to knock him away from Halak. I couldn't believe what I was seeing as it developed. I wonder if the same thing was going through Bergeron's head.
Habs win!
OV is maybe playing hurt.... that makes things interesting.
Following up to Traktor's comment from the last thread-is it possible to just walk away from Souray's deal...ie:assign him to OKC,he refuses,the club suspends him,and the contract is voided.Can this actually happen under the CBA..?
ReplyDeleteI'd point out the Georges Laraque situation in Montreal this year as an example of what essentially happens.
If Souray were assigned to OKC but refuses to report, the team can suspend him indefinitely (this possibly happened with Comrie as well?) until he decides to report/we call him up/he gets claimed on waivers/we trade him. But because he's under team suspension, I'm positive he counts against our 23-man NHL roster.
We'd be free of his cap-hit, but he wouldn't be released from the contract.
That's my take on it at least.
Dorito: Does Souray possess a no movement clause?
ReplyDeleteOh and Tomas Jagr scores in OT to put the Habs in charge of the series.
Souray's no movement clause expires on July 1st.
ReplyDeleteIf Edmonton sends Souray to the minors and he refuses to report you can terminate the contract and release him if both parties agree.
ReplyDeleteSouray gets to sign wherever he wants and play for a retirement contract and Edmonton gets 5.4 in cap space.
The Wild did the same thing with this year with Sykora.
There is no way that Peckham clears waivers. He is #6 or #7 next year.
ReplyDeleteMichalek or Volchenkov would be nice, but it isn't going to happen. No way they come to a last place team, and the Oilers will have to take salary back for Souray.
I think Souray goes for Rosival in a deal, and Smid and Rosival are the second pairing.
Whitney Gilbert
Smid Rosival
Peckham Johnson
Strudwick
With Arsene, Chorney, Petry, Plante in Oklahoma.
Traktor:
ReplyDeleteCan you link to anything RE: Sykora as proof of this? I couldn't dig up anything from a quick and dirty google search as I'm supposed to be studying biochemistry.
Wolfie: Ovechkin had no official shot tonight.
ReplyDeleteGill played like a billion dollar man. If they can put up so much effort in driving Ovechkin nuts next game, we might just do it. He really seemed pissed towards the end of the game as he took bad decisions, shooting from impossible angles.
"The Wild is close to cutting all ties with Petr Sykora.
ReplyDeleteSykora, 33, who’s been away from the team since being placed on waivers Jan. 19, was officially assigned to the Houston Aeros today.
However, Sykora has officially declined to report. The two sides have mutually agreed to terminate his contract, and once approved by the NHL in the next day or two, Sykora will immediately become an unrestricted free agent .
In essence, Sykora will be free to sign with any team before the March 3 trade deadline and the Wild will be free of the remaining $600,000 or so of Sykora’s contract and salary-cap hit."
http://www.startribune.com/blogs/82792157.html?elr=KArks47cQiU17cQiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
thanks Traktor. That's quite the loophole you've uncovered there.
ReplyDeleteExcept that the process was subject to league approval and Sykora subsequently retired.
ReplyDeleteSouray and the Oilers conspiring to terminate his contract so he can play somewhere else on a new contract will not be approved by the league.
The whole Sykora contract termination process was unheard of at the time. The normal procedure where a player refuses to report to the minors doesn't terminate the contract. The player is suspended and the team holds the player's rights under the contract until it expires. The cap hit doesn't count but the player is not free to pursue another contract within the league.
All of this can be found in Article 26 of the CBA. My understanding is that the Sykora situation could be viewed as circumvention, but the league consented to it.
C Anton Lander
ReplyDeleteLT, Lander is negotiating with Timra for next season. I don't think he comes over.
I'm sorry my last post is misleading. All of that can't be found in Article 26. That article deals with circumvention of the CBA specifically. The Sykora situation would fall under that article.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure of the specific article stating what would happen if the player is suspended.
Coach: Lander has already signed with Timra I think. If someone could find the release that'd be good, but a Swedish poster on HF posted it at some point. 2-3 years they stated.
ReplyDeleteGood to know, guys. And thanks to speeds for the Hartikainen info.
ReplyDeleteWhitney Gilbert
ReplyDeleteSmid Rosival
Peckham Johnson
Strudwick
No, no, no Strudwick
They can't
They just can't
My understanding is that, with a transfer agreement between the NHL and SEL, it doesn't really matter if a player like Lander has signed in SWE. EDM can still sign him and bring him over for the upcoming season if they sign Lander to an ELC by June 15th. Is that not the case?
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2010/03/nhl_swedish_ice_hockey_federat.html
Hartikainen (if signed) is funny.
ReplyDeleteIt might help if they would have talked to him or Lander since the WJCs.
sigh
Speeds, given what he said in his interview with Jimmy Hamrin, I don't think he has any interest whatsoever in coming over.
ReplyDeletespeeds: I haven't looked at the transfer agreement. That would make sense though. From what I do know however it doesn't seem like Lander is interested in coming over for a few years.
ReplyDeleteThey still have to sign him by next June though.
ReplyDeleteMy assumption (and I could be wrong, guys going back to the SEL may be dealt with differently) is that if they sign Lander (and MPS for that matter, though I haven't checked either's birthdate) this summer and assign them to the SEL that their ELC contracts just extend a season because neither will have played 10 games in the NHL next season. Their ELC's would start the season after that, whether they come to NA or stay in Sweden, but since the alternative is losing their rights it doesn't really matter if they stay in SWE and burn an ELC year at age 20, better than losing them back into the draft.
What is this about hartikainen? I don't see apost by speeds regarding him. Can someone fill me in?
ReplyDeleteDG:
ReplyDeleteThe two sentences:
C&B: Are you willing to come to North America and play in Oklahoma City in the AHL, or are you intent on moving from the SEL to the NHL?
Lander: That's a tough question. It depends what Edmonton wants to do. Most importantly I want to feel ready before I'll go, IF I'll go. People in North America sometimes seems to take for granted that you want to go at all costs.
Ja, jag blir garanterat kvar Jimmy!
Ett kontrakt är på gång.
Roughly translated:
I'm guaranteed to be back. Contract negotiations are under way.
Maxim: speeds posted above that the Oilers have to sign Hartikainen this summer in order to retain his rights.
ReplyDeleteAnd he has no idea if they're interested. At all.
ReplyDeleteCoach: How long ago was that interview?
ReplyDeleteLander's? March 16th
ReplyDeleteNo, Hartikainen's.
ReplyDeleteLT:
ReplyDeleteNot to be a downer or anything, but you've got 53 contracts listed there.
dorito: Well, there are a few (Hrabal, Trukhno) that are extremely unlikely to be renewed. Lerg, too.
ReplyDeleteApril 9th.
ReplyDeleteWell, that seems a tad unreasonable based on the fact he needs to be signed in a couple of months. Is this a league-wide thing or just our guys?
ReplyDeleteIt's just us.
ReplyDeletePunch Imlach would love us. Of course, he's dead.
ReplyDeleteNo offense LT but if you honestly think Eberle won't be in the mix at the start of the reg season you're smoking the drapes. All the rest won't be. end of story.
ReplyDeleteNilsson better be gone. POS is exactly that and is a cancer this team needs to chop right fn now, and Strudwick is a middle tit. If those 3 aren't gone 100% before training camp this team is going to blow like a Lethbridge chinook again next year.
ReplyDeletespeeds:
ReplyDeleteIn the event that an 18 year old or 19 year old Player signs an SPC with a Club but does not play at least ten (10) NHL Games in the first season under that SPC, the term of his SPC and his number of years in the Entry Level System shall be extended for a period of one (1) year, except that this automatic extension will not apply to a Player who is 19 according to Section 9.2 by virtue of turning 20 between September 16 and December 31 in the year in which he first signs an SPC.
As used in this Article, "age," including "First SPC Signing
Age," means a Player's age on September 15 of the calendar year in which he signs an
SPC, regardless of his actual age on the date he signs such SPC.
So both Magnus and Lander would be 19 on Sept 15, 2010 and are 19 year olds for the purposes of the CBA.
So yeah, if they sign this year they wouldn't burn a year off of the ELC. AHL, Sweden, whatever.
derrick: The post is hopefully less about my opinion and more about which players are more qualified to play in the NHL in the fall.
ReplyDeleteIs Eberle's WHL season more impressive than MPS' SEL season?
As an example.
Is Eberle's WHL season more impressive than MPS' SEL season?
ReplyDeleteThreeve?
Punch Imlach would love us. Of course, he's dead.
ReplyDeleteGood call, LT. I evoked that exact same name in an email to the C&B crew yesterday on this very subject of communication within the organization. My comment was "Punch Imlach's management style went out of fashion last century, if not the one before."
If Steve Tambellini wants to effect culture change, he can start by looking in the damn mirror and working on his communication skills.
So, going by the alleged roster posted, then the additions of Blair Betts and three equivalents of Jason Strudwick equals...
ReplyDeleteAnother appearance by Tambellini on the TSN draft lottery.
I don't know how these young guys the Oilers have coming up the system can't make the team. Sure, it's probably bad idea,but it's not like they have to beat out Messier and Gretzky for NHL spots.
Eberle just has to beat out between two and five players that no one else in the NHL wanted to touch with a ten-foot pole at the trade deadline. That's how Gagner and Cogliano made the team... it's not like the Oilers were stocked with talent back then either.
Ok, the (Finnish) grammar nazi in me dies a little every time you try to write the last name of a certain Swedish prospect. It's "Pääjärvi". "Pää" is Finnish for "head" or, as in this case, "main". "Järvi" is Finnish for "lake" (we have a lot of them here).
ReplyDeleteAnd there should be absolutely no way the Oilers don't sign Hartikainen. It is not uncommon for NHL clubs not to "speak" with their European based prospect while their season is on the way. Let him finish the year with KalPa, then compete for a spot on the WC Team Finland. Even then, there's still almost a month left.
I think Souray goes for Rosival in a deal, and Smid and Rosival are the second pairing.
ReplyDeleteWhitney Gilbert
Smid Rosival
Peckham Johnson
Strudwick
I see this lining up too-the contracts match for the most part(5.0 vs 5.4 cap) for 2 more years,and the relationship with Slats.
We need a Michalek type for that #5 spot,with Johnson/Peckham/Strudwick for the 6/7/8 spot.I'd prefer to let Strudwick walk but they seem to like him,so I expect him to be offered another contract.
According to MacKinnon's article in the EJ yesterday signing the Euros was a priority this summer said Tambellini
ReplyDeleteAnd there should be absolutely no way the Oilers don't sign Hartikainen. It is not uncommon for NHL clubs not to "speak" with their European based prospect while their season is on the way.
ReplyDeleteNot speaking with prospects seems to be a club strength right now, signing good players, not so much.
IMO, Plante and Chorney have already surpassed Strudwick in everything but the fisticuffs. The Oilers may not want to throw them into the deep end yet but I think those two in particular have little to gain by being in OKC now.
ReplyDeleteEetu: Is Pää one syllable or two?
ReplyDeleteIt is extremely unprofessional to be hounding prospects during the hockey season while they are playing for other teams, and not under contract to you.
ReplyDeleteYou talk to their agent. If they are playing in Europe, if you want to talk to the player directly, you should ask for permission.
Pretty much ditto for college.
Lets get under 50 contracts, ID and keep the players we want and jettison the rest.If you were asking me the perfect trade for Souray..... Mark Fistric a very good but very very tough #5-6 d man
ReplyDeletecosts little but fills a need.
We gotta get away from $56 m for a payroll while we develop a young roster
It is extremely unprofessional to be hounding prospects during the hockey season while they are playing for other teams, and not under contract to you.
ReplyDeleteIn what sense? Phoning a kid every two or four weeks, seeing how they're doing, how they're playing, what they've been working on, what their coach has been saying, etc. is nothing more than taking an interest in the prospect's well-being and development. Other teams keep in contact with their prospects on a semi-regular basis. (PPP has interviewed Leafs prospects and found that they talk every couple of weeks.) And I've brought up this example a few times now, but the Coyotes were in Calgary to play the Flames two or three weeks ago, and their coaching and management staff turned up at a Hitmen practice to say hi to Michael Stone.
"Pää" is one syllable.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that the job of the director of player development... What was his name
ReplyDeleteSillinger! I'm not mad at tambo at all his job is delegation and follow up
ReplyDeleteI hope this thread isn't dead because Barnes provided some grist for this mill with today's column where he suggested that 18 will be bought out if he can't be traded.
ReplyDeleteHe also suggests that the Oilers favour DD over JDD and that 34 should be gone.
I personally think that 34's situation is being coloured by a bad contract and I don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Now if the guy overvalues himself in the FA market then fuck him and let him walk but I'd love to bring him back as a bargain and have him 4th line RW and PKer.
32-78-34 could be an excellent fourth line if the Oilers are serious about bringing in some real checkers for the 3rd line.
Hi dear
ReplyDeleteThis blog is very popular.So i like very much.......................
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