This is Don Stanhouse. Earl Weaver called him a "Top-Stepper" because he was so wild on the mound that poor old Earl spent most innings on the top step of the dugout. Usually with a righty and a lefty warming up in the bullpen. Much like Mitch Williams a generation later, Stanhouse was the kind of guy who started the 9th by getting two quick outs, then walked the bases loaded before giving up a deep fly the CF raced to and caught at the wall. Earl also called him "Full-pack" because, as legend had it, Earl would smoke a pack every time Stanhouse came into the game.
Goalies are a little like closers. If they let in too many easy chances they can create anxiety and suck the life out of a team. I think the Edmonton Oilers had some of that going on last season, along with the injuries and illness and Pat Quinn's "line matching."
Goal: Nikolai Khabibulin (.909) is the starter and he'll play as much as his health and other events in his life allow. Jeff Deslauriers (.901) spent much of last season as the starting goaltender and would have to be the most likely candidate for 2nd goalie status in a normal season. Devan Dubnyk (.889) is a big man whose technical skills are better than JDD's (from what we're told) and that might be enough to get him the second job. He played very well in March and April, possibly edging past Deslauriers on the depth chart.
Needs in Goal: The Oilers need one of these young men to move from "top-stepper" into the range where coach and team can count on them. It was painful to watch all of the soft goals against last season; these two young goalies are the most promising in the system and really there's no help coming anytime soon.
Khabibulin will clearly be the starter, and Steve Tambellini has suggested in the past that the club will be dealing one of the other two (both waiver eligible) during the summer. If he doesn't trade one of JDD and DD, we can assume the organization is very worried about the possibility that Khabibulin may have some real legal worries by the fall.
One final item: the Oilers will have a massive advantage in one important area if they run the young goalies out there once out of the playoffs. They have a very good chance of sinking like a stone. Again.
Whats the timeline on bulin's DUI? If he's guilty, would they arrest him mid season?
ReplyDeleteTrial's on July 7. If he's convicted of extreme DUI, it's at least 30 days in jail - I'd assume he gets the minimum given his lack of a record. He'll probably want to start serving it immediately. He'll then have to deal with getting into Canada, which might be problematic, particularly because I suspect he has to complete his jail sentence before he can apply.
ReplyDeleteI would assume that JDD was qualified with a two way deal and that the Oilers plan to waive him if Khabby shows up to camp.
Do you think JDD will submit an amicus curiae?
ReplyDelete"Khabi has been a great mentor to me. He rarely drinks and drives anymore. Honest."
No, I'd think that JDD would be the other way:
ReplyDelete"The first thing I learned from Khabby was that you should always claim to have physical problems that prevent you from taking roadside tests. The second thing I learned from him was that a glass of vodka before driving makes you sharp...really? This isn't helping. Huh."
Maybe we get lucky and Khabby threatens the judge (that's a felony isn't it?)
ReplyDeleteEven if Bulin is convicted I expect they would let him serve his sentence in a creative way to allow him to continue to pursue his career. I doubt he will have much of a problem getting into Canada (he is not a danger to Canada)- although there may be timing issues.
ReplyDeleteI expect he will have no choice but to wait on a DD/ JDD decision until the fall because of this.
Interesting/ surprising that his contract (pending a Souray move) is really the last of the deadwood left on this team. I expect that this time next year we will hearing about a his buyout (then $1.16 M over 4 years)
The true measure of Tambi as a GM is whether he takes on this type of contract again.
On one hand, Id like Kabi to return healthy and have a decent season to bring us up the standings. Obviously playoffs might be a little much to dream of, but at least off the bottom.
ReplyDeleteThen on the other hand, Id love for him to be injured/jailed/innebriated for a good chunk of the season so we can tank again, and get another top pick. Add that pick to the plethora we have aquired and thats a beauty team in 2-3 years :D
The org seems to be (correctly) backing DD.
ReplyDeleteDD)
He seemed to get much more comfortable in the last 10 games, he'll start in front of a team that won't given up until January (remember the effort in LA in game 81?), and he'll be one year wiser.
JDD)
He doesn't have the technical skills or temperament to be a #1.
Waiver wire bait.
Khabby? Well he's just this guy you know...
Late to the party again.
ReplyDeleteRe: Souray
His Olive branch today is likely motivated by Lowe's recent comments about Pronger "If I had to do it all over again, I would make Pronger play or sit out". This was a cannon across the bow of Team Souray. I suspect his agent advised him to open the door to the Oilers a little because as it stood before today there was the potential for Sheldon to have two options come training camp if the Oilers were unable to get fair value for him:
a)Play
b)Sit
And since he ripped management a new asshole in the media, he would look rather foolish playing without any public reconciliation. So this leaves sit as the only option. Seeing the writing in the wall (probably his agent, not him), he publicly opens the door to returning to the Oil, but this is not because he actually wants to play for the Oilers. Let's be perfectly honest, the Oilers are going to be almost as bad as they were last year especially with the tenuous goaltender situation Lowetide has outlined in this post. The management hasn't changed, and that was the thrust of Souray's issues with the organization in his tirade. But his move today does create more options for him:
a) His trade value increases making it more likely that he gets what he wants: the hell out of Edmonton.
b) If that fails, he can now play to start the season which will also increase his trade value, and he hopes he doesn't finish the year here.
It is win-win for both sides, but to assume that Souray suddenly likes what he sees because we drafted Hall or fired the cleaning staff is a stretch. At the end of the day, this is cold hard business for both parties, and always is in the NHL. In a player's list of priorities, honour, dedication, and commitment to the team that they hold a contract with has got to be 4th or 5th behind things like family, money, reputation/prestige, personal achievements. They hide this part of the business behind warm and fuzzy "all for one and one for all" team stuff for fans, since that pays the bills. I know I'm preaching to the choir since I'm writing to Lowetide posters.
I don't see a mystery here. I see self-interest from Team Souray, but we are fortunate that his self-interest is aligned with the Team's interests, and this could work in both parties' favour.
Ashley: Good post
ReplyDeleteLove the baseball nostalgia LT. You need to work one in the John "Tonight Let it Be" Lowenstein one time.
ReplyDeleteAs much as they need to deal a goalie it would not surprise me if that's one of the very last moves that happens in camp. Too many goalies in the free agency bin right now for their to realistically be a deal out there. But Tambellini has been pleasantly surprising all of us lately.
That is some wild-ass hair for a white guy.
ReplyDeleteFrom LeBrun: Leafs get Versteeg and the rights to winger Bill Sweatt in exchange for forwards Viktor Stalberg, Chris DiDomenico and Philippe Paradis
ReplyDeletehe is not a danger to Canada
ReplyDeleteUnless you ever venture out on a road where he may be driving.
@Ashley/Mc79: Great thoughts. It's always nice to get free legal advice too even if it's in regard to Khabibulin (MC79).
ReplyDeleteDumb question from me: What are the odds that the Oilers can wiggle out of his contract if his legal issues delay him from playing this season?
The bolts fell off the wheel on my own blog last year. :) I'm glad LT's a rock because he's built a great community here.
Regardless of how well this season pans out especially considering the goaltending issues, culling the herd as LT refers to of Patio Furniture/others, along with waiving Moreau/O'Sullivan are pleasant changes. :) No more watching the litany offensive zone penalties!
On the other hand, the tendency to learn from the success of last season and for fans to adopt some form of draft 'greed' can also come into play here...
Personally, I don't want to see anything resembling the stench of last season even if it meant drafting the next Great One.
Cheers everyone.
@mc79hockey - I thought the extreme DUI was a minimum of 10 days and a maximum of 30 days... no?
ReplyDeleteFirst time extreme DUI is 30 days to 6 months.
ReplyDeleteDetermining what is best for the team is hard.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that making him sit and trading him when his value is at its lowest point is the wisest thing to do.
He did not trash his team mates, or fans, he had an axe to grind with specific people in management.
He was one of the few to show up night after night and give his all.
The "Fall for Hall" hurt many of the players financially. The refusal to bring in another Keeper pretty much eliminated their performance bonuses and ensured the bottom finish.
Yes he aired dirty laundry and hurt the team. Could very well be too much damage for him to return?
Question is, are they a better team with him in the roster?
If Comrie can come back after Lowe tried ransoming him off (which is the strangest thing I’ve ever seen in hockey) I wouldn’t rule out a Souray return.
News conference, public apology, and then we have another Defensive piece solved.
Besides, you can always trade him come spring when he is at maximum value….
Hard to get mad at that TOR-CHI deal. Burke gets the player of his (wet) dreams and Stalberg should blossom in the sheltered depths of the Blackhawks/IceHogs system.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's easy to get mad at that deal.
On Souray: I'm pretty sure he said in the Spector interview that he didn't intend to sit out if the Oilers couldn't trade him. His position (self-contradictory as it may be) hasn't really changed. Maybe saying he'd be happy to come back is a little more optimistic than what he said before, but that's a difference in tone, not in substance.
ReplyDeleteIf we resign Souray then the sort of player we need to pair him with as the 4D is different that if Eric Brewer is in the 3 slot. For example Souray could probably be well paired with Mike Mottau out of Jersey. Brewer on the other hand needs to be paired with somebody much more active like Andy Sutton. So before we move in free agency it would be a very good idea to have resolved the Souray issue. I am guessing we will know early tomorrow about his future.
ReplyDeleteI'd argue that better D will mean better goaltending and less top stepping for our new head coach. Part of the problem this past year, which often gets ignored, is that we gave up way too many shots and took far too few. Increased experience and depth on the back end as well line matching will go along way to reducing the number of shots we give up and maybe, if we are lucky, reduce the quality of those shots a bit.
ReplyDeleteLinnaeus - I hope you're right and the Blues are not waiting on Volchenkov (like the Oilers used to do)
ReplyDeleteFuck that's a horrible picture LT.
ReplyDeleteI am glad however that athletes have come a LONG way in the last few decades. That pic is indisputable evidence.
Personally, I'm not too worried about the tender situation:
1. Like the contract or not, IF Khabby is healthy, the Oilers are closer to a playoff team. But like my old man says, "if my aunt had a dink she'd be my uncle", which leads us to...
2. Running the JDD/DD twin axe attack all or most of the year will get the Oilers closer to a lottery pick.
That's what they call a Win-Win folks.
Personally I'm hoping for #2.
2. Running the JDD/DD twin axe attack all or most of the year will get the Oilers closer to a lottery pick.
ReplyDeleteWon't happen, if the Oilers lose Khabi, I suspect that they try and come up with a long term solution.
Pretty easy this season with resect to the goalies:
ReplyDelete1) Bulin is either back and healthy which makes him a decent starter - or he goes down in flames after the trial and we need a new starter by Sept (there are lots of options)
2) backup is also an easy call - DD took a big step forward in the second half of his first year in the NHL. Who would you keep? The young first round pick who had a strong finish to his rookie season - or a guy who's been mediocre at every level and shows no signs of improvement. JDD's "potential" is cited endlessly by his boosters - but eventually it becomes obvious that guys like JDD, MAP, JFJ, Winchester will never take that next step - and you just move on. Trade, waiver, demote JDD - doesn't matter much - but please do not expose Oiler fans to his this soft goal machine any longer.
he is not a danger to Canada
ReplyDeleteUnless you ever venture out on a road where he may be driving.
Yes, I know what you mean, but you also know what I mean.
It seems to me that DD had about 10 or so good games near the season's end. The assumption around here is that this represented a major step forward in development for him. I fail to understand why this might not have just been some lucky (hot) streak.
ReplyDelete10 games doesn't show me much consistency (the supposed mark against JDD). Many goalies have a good season and then seem to peter out (Jim Carey, Mathieu Garon, Chris Mason, Tim Thomas).
While there may be an argument for DD having a better chance at becoming starting goaltender material, I think there's a very good chance that he might not even be as good as JDD.
I'd flip a 25 cents in the air, and the one who calls it right wins.
ReplyDeleteJust for the Lulz.
Jim Carrey's story doesn't really fit the storyline of a hot goalie that fades due to game factors.
ReplyDeleteThe guy just didn't love hockey that much. The moment he got his big contract, he started getting involved in business. He stopped pushing to be great and as soon as he stumbled, he just dropped out and shifted careers.
Its interesting that someone can be good enough to dominate the game, but not really be that passionate about it.
Bookie: He saw a quick and easy opportunity to get to his other goals. Probably what pushed him there.
ReplyDeleteHonestly i don't blame him. It's his choices.
Riley? Is that you?
ReplyDeleteNah. Riley didn't even get his big contract before he blew his career.
ReplyDeleteLT - ON has posted the news. I am glad that you will finally be getting some $$ for what you do. I hope you included the right to all GDTs in the contract!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteInteresting...Same deal as last time with the dual postings?
ReplyDeleteMan, the first time a commenter says "FISSST!" or "SQEEEE!" in a LT comment sectionit will be a sad, sad, day.
Good for them. Glad you're finally getting beer money out of all this, LT.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, LT, you are far too good at this to be doing it for free.
ReplyDeleteApropos of nothing I just thought this was hilarious:
ReplyDeleteExcellent post, inspired. I think that Ryan Smyth represents for this generation of Oiler fan what the Mark Messier trade represented 15 years ago: descent into the abyss.
Nice analogy, but I doubt we're going to see 4 straight years out of the playoffs.
Including last year, 3 maximum. And if Lowe is smart, they're back in the "sweet sixteen" in spring 2009.
# posted by Blogger HBomb : October 23, 2007 12:27 PM
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http://battleofalberta.blogspot.com/2007/10/smytty.html
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No offense intended, it's just...who could have imagined what a mess this team would become over the intervening years?
Man alive, I thought I was being pessimistic when I expected two more non-playoff seasons way back in fall 2007.
ReplyDeleteHow the hell did we get to where we are now exactly?
Kevin Lowe managed to ice a half assed decent product during the dark days when Oilers had a fraction of the big spending teams. Unfortunately after the lockout he proved that he had no idea about the value of money, tossing around like confetti to the Moreau's etc, as well as taking business too personally.
ReplyDeleteTambellini on the other hand did next to nothing until recently, but so far is acting pretty well the way everyone expects a real GM to act - he's cutting away the ties to the old boys club, both on and off the ice, and with the new generation of Oilers about to emerge, the future appears bright for a change.
I do not post often but I read multiple times a day.
ReplyDeleteI am shocked by the news on ON but not really. I knew this site was way to good to be without adds and syndication. The amount of effort that LT puts into this "Job" is way too much be be free forever I just hope that the culture of lowetide will not be lost.
Congratulations LT you deserve this position at ON more then anyone I just hope that the group here will continue. This is by a very long reach the best Oiler blog on the net...I hope it is not gone.
Thanks blackgold, I read somewhere it was 10-30 days... Clearly incorrectly.
ReplyDeleteI should have known better then question mc79 on legal matters.
And last but not least, I'm not exactly sure what this ON news means for this site LT but I'm happy for you, you deserve some compension for all the hardworking you put into this.
Thanks blackgold, I read somewhere it was 10-30 days... Clearly incorrectly.
ReplyDeleteI should have known better then question mc79 on legal matters.
And last but not least, I'm not exactly sure what this ON news means for this site LT but I'm happy for you, you deserve some compension for all the hardworking you put into this.
According to Bob Mackenzie, agents are allowed to solicit offer sheets for their RFA clients.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletereally hope it's worth Lain's while financially to make the move because from every other perspective it doesn't make sense.
ReplyDeleteLain doesn't need to move over there and if it isn't Brownlee talking down to posters over there then it's Gregor.
LT's site was an interesting take and idea because here was a guy who was obviously knowledgeable but you were allowed to disagree with him and lead to a back-and-forth that made his comments section the best around bar fucking none.
Over at ON the Wayne fellow lets Brownlee and Gregor call the shots and lets them talk down to posters and you must treat them as if they were deities.
This wasn't LT's way.
In any case we'll always have Ty and the Copper and Blue boys.
"Change is hard"
ReplyDeleteShe & Him
The Lowetide Blog and especially the comment threads are the best Oiler related reading on the interwebs. Copper&Blue, Black Dog,MC79 are also exceptional in their analysis of the team and their personal commentary. Oilers Nation is a completely different animal, it is basically sports radio in blog form. I enjoy all these sites and am excited that more people will be exposed to LT's fine writing and that he will see some financial gain for his efforts. I do hope that this site will remain unchanged and the comment threads should retain their integrity as long as we ignore any unwanted interlopers from ON. As someone who spends all day at a desk, I believe more is better when it comes to the Oilogosphere, even if it varies in quality.
ReplyDeleteIn the goal performance top steppers perform a very helpful role. So they must be active and need to participate actively.
ReplyDeleteThe issue with Nick will be if he can return to the states after his conviction/incarceration. If he played for the Rangers, they could work something out. The Oilers? Not so much.
ReplyDeleteIf he isn't able to play for legal reasons, the Oilers will likely face him down with a hefty non-performance lawsuit that will cause Nick and his agent to quickly renegotiate something that works better for both parties.
I'm hoping Souray stays - he'll play his heart out (not that he doesn't already) and draw a much better return in the Spring when someone needs him for a playoff run.