Some of the best stories surrounding those Oiler teams involved those second chance guys and escapades in training camp. It was a tight ship, but these were kids. Hilarity ensued.
This fall is serious business for Cam Barker. A good season could mean a long term contract and real security for a young man trying to get back; a poor season could mean a trip to the minors or Europe in order to re-set his career and earn another chance in the NHL.
NHL prediction for 11-12: 66, 7-16-23
- What kind of player should we expect? Barker displayed a nice range of skills in junior. Solid defender who could be physical, mobile puck mover and an able shooter. We don't know what kind of player he'll be in October, but the tools are there.
- So you have him getting PP minutes? Yes. I think the only way Barker makes sense is if he gets lots of PP time and posts high numbers. It is an "across the board" item for everyone involved: if Barker posts good boxcars, it reflects well on him and Tambellini's signing of him. I think he'll get a lot of chances.
- If that's the case, shouldn't the numbers be higher? The numbers are similar to Foster a year ago. The idea of RE is to estimate his PP opportunities and what he'll do with them. Defensemen don't have as much to do with the PP as forwards, and many times Barker will be the second assist or shoot the puck the gets deflected. So I think the numbers are fair.
- Why did they sign him? Same reason they signed Souray and Foster: they need an answer on the blueline for the powerplay. The three names are not identical player types but do have things in common.
- How good is Barker's shot? You never know about a player the way you know about a player when he's played for your team for a year. However, I'd say he has a hard shot but not in the range of Souray or Foster. I'd also say that he hits the target more often than the other two.
- So it's a good thing they signed him? It's a reasonable bet for powerplay help, like Foster and certainly a better bet than Souray with that contract they signed him to back in the 00's.
- Are there advantages to signing him over Souray? Yes, i think so. The term and dollars are better, they hold his rights with this contract and because of the way he's sliding into town there will be an enormous will to succeed. Also, the PP doesn't have to be so focused on Barker that other options are passed up during execution. Souray was the Oilers' Willie Davis.
- Will he be another injury issue? He had a back problem at the tail end of last season, it's something to be aware of but I'm not certain it's an issue. Backs are always flaring up, I guess we could count that as a concern.
- Are you warming to this signing? No, I feel the same way now. It's a risky signing, and there were/are options. If you can honestly say there were no alternatives then proceeding with Barker is a solid way to go. If you could say that a PP shooter was the number one need, then the deal makes sense. However, I don't think either of those things were true at the time of the deal.
- Okay, what was the alternative? Well, the Oilers do have some options for PP defense. They could run Hemsky or Omark back there along with Whitney; or they could give Whitney and Gilbert the PP pairing (a little risky as the team is now set up I'd suggest) and then there is the young man Petry. It's true rookies are generally not going to have a positive impact, but Petry isn't 20 or anything.
- What was the number one need? A top 4 defender at even strength who could also help the PK.
- You're not happy with the choice of Barker for top 4D? I don't think he'll keep it. Based on the information available (and it is covered here) he hasn't been able to keep the job in Chicago and Minnesota.
- I'm too lazy to click through, what does it say? He never played tough minutes in Chicago or Minnesota, the teams always had a better option--terrible sign for a top pick like Barker.
- What's the best case scenario? He has a strong season, showing a complete set of skills. He makes it difficult for the Oilers to consider letting him go; and that will be tough because next year's rfa Oilers include Sam Gagner, Linus Omark, Theo Peckham and Devan Dubnyk. I think it's too much to ask of him to suggest a successful season against tough opponents in a top 4 role.
- Is this really his last chance Texaco? If he posted another miserable season? I think he'd need to follow that up with a strong showing in a good Euro league to get another one way deal. Defensemen are extremely valuable--witness the contract for Barker after the season he had--but teams are shy about signing people who are coming off two poor seasons in a row. No matter their pedigree.
- Are you cheering for him? Hell yes. Even though he's in Petry's way and he's going to force Peckham into a top 4 role I can't see one good reason to cheer against the guy.
- PECKHAM in a top 4 role? Stay tuned.
Barker will be fine in oiler colors..
ReplyDeleteThe stats certainly don't make him look like a reasonable top 4 option, but that said, we've all heard it reiterated how defensemen don't develop in a straight line. He's young enough that he may still develop into 3-4 defenseman. Whethe he earns it or not, those are the situations he'll be thrown into in Edmonton this fall. Let's hope he can keep his head above water!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if Barker is happy to be in EDM? ....and is he healthy and ready for the season?
ReplyDeleteOff topic hey Zimmer that's my last name where you from?
ReplyDeletePeckham was in a top four role last year, even when Whitney was healthy. He didn't do terribly well at it, mind you.
ReplyDeleteone thing about Barker he doesnt turn the puck over only 4 all year and at .33/60 near the lowest rate in NHL.The oil had 5 of the worst turnover players in Penner with 59,Gilbert 66,Peckham53,Brule3.2/60 and Omark3.05/60
ReplyDeleteken:
ReplyDeleteHave you adjusted that for rink bias?
good point.Stats are from Scott Cullen at tsn.Not surprised that oil had 5 of the worst turnover players in NHL but when i saw Barker at one of the lowest i found it interesting
ReplyDeleteHey LT, can you recall some of the names of the old Oilers reclamation projects?
ReplyDeleteI recall Craig Mactavish. My brain is drawing a blank otherwise, but I know there's been a ton.
A big difference between the mid-80's Oilers reclamation projects and early 2010's Oilers reclamation projects is that on the mid-80's Oilers, if you had any will to be a good player, you had every resource available to help you as you likely had a future HHOF player on any line you stepped onto, and if you didn't have the most brilliant of line-mates, you were stepping onto the ice after either the Gretzky line or the Messier line crushed the opposition. You've got to earn everything on this Oilers team.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your thoughts about the Oilers d and Barker for the most part, possibly, with one exception...
ReplyDeleteIf you could say that a PP shooter was the number one need, then the deal makes sense
Might not be the number one need at d, but couldn't one reasonably argue that the Oilers outside of Foster, had absolutely no dmen who could fire the puck on the PP or evens last season? :p
Foster had a hard shot and a surprisingly quick release, but he couldn't handle the puck, make smart plays, or play defense at evens.
Barker's unlikely to be a solution for much, but it will be interesting to see how he works out.
Who were the better options at the time? Hannan?
ReplyDeletezimmer: Barker was out in Lloydminster for a charity golf tournament and from those that talked to him, he seemed really excited for the upcoming season.
ReplyDeleteAs for the injuries, that is what his is blaming last year on, felt that he was not given enough time to recover. Not sure to make of this line of thinking, but time will tell.
The signing of Cam Barker reminds me of the old timey Glen Sather reclamation signings. Slats was always finding players from somewhere, if you went back and found where some of those 80s Oilers came from it would blow your mind. A few of them came straight from hell--not quite, but close.
ReplyDeleteIronically enough, my word verification is "cousn." As in cousin of Mark Messier, Don Murdoch, the reclamation project from the Rangers. Only a few years removed from a terrific rookie season and a less-terrific airport cocaine bust, he was given the revolving door treatment by Sather when he saw what kind of influence the reclamation project had on the kids.
Murdoch wore #47 with the Oilers. Popular rumour of the day was he chose that number cuz it was 4700 miles from Edmonton to the Colombian border.
ReplyDeleteMurdoch suffered from way-too-much-way-too-soon syndrome, with a career curve that resembled to some degree that of Derek Sanderson. It may well be that his greatest value to the Oilers was his departure, which reportedly went a long way to getting his cousin's head on straight.
Murdoch was a talented sniper who remains one of just two guys to score five goals in a game as an NHL rookie. The other? Howie Meeker.
Barker is an interesting acquisition. I have a friend* who sees himas a calculated gamble, signed at least partially if not primarily as a candidate to help "tank" for next season.
ReplyDeleteBarker's was one of the most "famous" D available, and one of the worst performers, but he's seen as a good gamble that will appease a certain segment of the fan base, with little fallout even if it desn't work. Similarly, he thinks the acquisitions of Eager, Sutton, and Hordichuk were done to placate the segment of the fanbase craves physical hockey, with little concern about whether they actually improve the team. Anyways, the theory is Barker's more likely to cost you games than help you, and if he happens to turn it around, great, you've found a D. If, as you expect, he doesn't, costing you points and games (relative to other D they may have been able to sign), that's great too if the idea is to find another top pick in 2012.
* Not saying I agree with him, just throwing the viewpoint out for discussion.
The only story I heard about Murdoch during his rookie season was that Don Cherry was not too happy about Murdoch hot dogging after the goals, so he sent word over to the Rangers bench that the next time he did it, he would pay. Kid wasn't smart enough to realize this, so he goes out, scores another and hot dogs once again, before Rick Smith tore him a new one. Murdoch's shoulder and season were done, and along with it, the Calder trophy.
ReplyDeleteThat story may be partially true, but I believe his shoulder injury was in his second season, he ripped his achilles tendons in February of his rookie year.
ReplyDeleteSpeeds - wouldn't surprise me.
ReplyDeleteTambellini discussed before the draft that these are the few years in which the draft is so important to the organization, to set them up for the future. He indicated the next few drafts (2011 and 2012) were the time to acquire those pieces. That article suggested, in a thinly veiled manner, the Oilers were not adverse to tanking.
The Oilers had a chance (and cap space) to sign a better, more proven defenceman (such as Hamerlik) that could help the team win - yet, they wasted a roster spot on Barker. Keep in mind NJ wanted to move Colin White and the Oilers opted for Sutton instead.
This is a roster, that is in my opinion bottom 10. While I'm not sure they want to finish in the bottom 5 again, I think it's fair to assert they're not actively trying to improve the team as quickly as they have the capacity to do so. While Smyth and Belanger addressed the need for veterans upfront, the defence has far too many holes, and goaltending was not addressed. I think the Oilers would be content with seeing progress, but yet another top 10 pick in what is suggested to be a highly talented draft would also be welcome. In other words, circa New York Islanders 2010-2011.
One wonders whether the Oilers would have acquired Smyth had Bob McKenzie not broken his report? It took several months for the deal to come down - the Oilers apparently had lukewarm interest initially. In the end, I supsect, the desire for strong leadership for the forseeable future overcame the desire to tank for another first overall pick.
As a fan of the Oilers, I would like to see the team challenge for the playoffs. A lot has to go right for that to happen, so it's not out of realm of possibility that I'll be cheering for losses commencing in October and November like the last few years. Lets hope it doesn't come to that.
We wait.