When You See A Chance

Stand up in a clear blue morning
Until you see what can be
Alone in a cold day dawning
Are you still free can you be
When some cold tomorrow finds you
When some sad old dream reminds you
How the endless road unwinds you
While you see a chance take it
Because it's all on you
-Steve Winwood, Will Jennings

Five years from now, Taylor Hall and a plethora of young men will still be Edmonton Oilers (barring insanity or injury). Those 5 seasons are not promised to Steve Tambellini, and his decision-making in the next few weeks will go a long way to determining just how long he'll be an Oiler manager. Here are 10 things you could see today:

1. Andrew Cogliano traded to a second organization. He isn't progressing, but he had a solid resume coming in and a change of scenery might be just what is needed for this player.
2. Oilers acquiring a faceoff man, a penalty killer, someone capable of posting 30 points and outplaying the opposition. Someone like Martin Hanzal.
3. Sheldon Souray dealt for an NHL defenseman, someone who can step right into the lineup and deliver quality minutes on the 1st or 2nd pairing.
4. JDD traded for a pick or a prospect. It is time for ST to make a decision on the goaltending. Should Khabibulin be unavailable in the fall, there will still be other options out there.
5. Oilers acquire a physical left-winger. With Moreau gone, the club can offer only Ryan Jones as a possible 3line solution. Andrew Ladd is apparently in play, he would be a quality solution and is still young enough (24) to grow with this team.
6. Oilers acquire a veteran right-winger. This is the Pisani spot, and there are some free agents available for the position. This is a slot where the Oilers could have used Pouliot, but that bird has flown.
7. Enforcer. Bob Stauffer has been on this for awhile, and he's connected so chances are the first free agent signing will be an intimidator.
8. An NHL defenseman to go with Whitney-Gilbert, Smid-Souray replacement, Vandermeer-Peckham. This would force all of the prospect defensemen down the depth chart and make Peckham a 6-7, meaning the club could withstand injury and ineffectiveness without calling Okla City. This has been an ongoing problem for the farm team for many years.
9. Find a stud D prospect of the future. If someone comes calling for Gilbert Brule, consider it if the offer includes a high end prospect who could become a cornerstone for the blue. Oilers lack a solution in this area.
10. Fix the farm team. Sign some mid-level AHL free agents in the next few weeks, giving them the chance to be this year's Ryan Potulny. Oilers really need some help on the farm.

NOTE: Many of you have emailed me this morning (and posted on this blog) in regard to my signing a free agent deal with Oilers Nation. It is true. There are some details to be ironed out (I posted 71 times in June and have agreed to deliver 20 items to ON each month) but this is the beginning of a transition period. I will still be posting at this blog for the forseeable future, so please stop by when you get a chance.

My reasons for joining ON are both public and private. Oilers Nation wasn't the first to come calling with financial opportunity, but they were the most persistent and lucrative. I have been having many issues with blogger, and can't devote the time and energy required to move it. I suspect this would have happened sooner or later, and one usually goes with what they know; I've known Jason Gregor for a long time now and he was certainly a huge part of the process.

I am smart enough to know that the real appeal of Lowetide is in the quality of comments from the reader/posters. I am hopeful you will try Oilers Nation on for size (I suspect my first post will be tomorrow, have some things to do and need to figure out how to post) and can promise to deliver the same prose as you've seen here for these years.

I have enjoyed your comments and insight, and feel that we've become friends along the way. Here's hoping that continues down the dial. All the best,

LT.