Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Next Stop, Pottersville!

Corey Potter won an NHL job today, without having to do a thing. The Oilers had to make a decision on which defender to send down (Ben Eager or Ryan Whitney will come off the IR and OKC needs a defender) and the organization decided on flushing Taylor Chorney.

Chorney never could establish himself as an NHL player, although his AHL performance improved markedly last year.

Potter may eventually find his way into the top 6D as early as Thursday night. Oilers top 6D and their EV numbers from G1:
  1. Tom Gibert 17:20
  2. Cam Barker 15:53
  3. Jeff Petry 15:47
  4. Andy Sutton 14:22
  5. Ladislav Smid 11:05
  6. Theo Peckham 7:02
Smid and Peckham both played over 9 minutes (!!!) on the PK. I'm not certain which player would come out if Potter or Whitney draw in, but a guess would be Peckham.

58 comments:

  1. Omark is apparently in the dog house early per Matheson

    http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2011/10/11/renneys-not-wild-about-linus/

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  2. Well, you can't keep Ryan Jones on the 4line forever!

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  3. This doghouse stuff is nonsense.

    Minnesota has Clutterbuck, Staubitz, and Latendresse. Three guys who run around laying cheap shots.

    So are you going to dress Omark over Eager or Petrell or Hordichuk?

    Not likely.

    Omark cannot be average and stay in he lineup. He has to be better than average to not be sat for extra protection for Nugent-Hopkins and the rest of the Oilers small forwards.

    Is it fair that he doesn't have as much rope as RNH or Eberle or Hemsky? No. But life isn't fair.

    Omark cannot have merely average games.

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  4. they're still looking for the puck that Omark tried to flip over Johnson vs. the Pens ;-p

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  5. If Peckham is killing penalties, I don't think he comes out when Whitney comes back. They are going to have to manage Whitney's minutes, and I think you limit his PK minutes first (when shots from the point are likely to hit his feet),

    If Barker and Petry aren't killing penalties, one of them will come out.

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  6. Next Stop, Pottersville

    Great! Now where are the cabarets, the neon bars, "the hard drinks for men who want to get drunk fast"?

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  7. Are the Oilers doing this NHL gig full time or do they just fill in for no-shows?

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  8. If Omark ever becomes as good as HE thinks he is, we'll have a helluva player.

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  9. I like Omark but that flip shot in the SO showed me the guy is willing to take a low percentage shot that will get him more youtube exposure instead of a higher percentage shot for the good of the team. Especially since Eberle and Hemmer beat Johnson so easily with straight up shots top shelf. Selfish play.

    We got rid of Cogs and Brule - but one more small guy from a list of Gags, Eberle and OMark needs to go as well.

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  10. @asiaoil, I'm shocked you included Eberle in that trio. I would think the kid is almost an untouchable for the time being.

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  12. Omark cannot have merely average games.

    Yeah!!! He can't be average when the Oilers have several well below average players waiting in the wings. That makes total sense to me.

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  13. bly@asiaoil....Eberle is smallish, sure, but you just don't get rid of what may turn out to be the Oilers best natural goal scorer because of his size!

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  14. LT, I believe spOiler was making a Bedford Falls vs Pottersville reference. That said, he may well be off his nut.

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  15. Doug: I was too! Clarence, are you off your nut?

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  16. Sorry, LT. Thought Pottersville was a "It's a Wonderful Life" reference where Potter re-names the town after himself, opens the floodgates to unbridled capitalism, and the barman cum owner makes the hard drinks comment. So yes, I am living my life through movies and am unquestionably nuts, lol.

    The only reason I watch for this stuff is because every now then you'll throw up a pic of Andy Dufresne's poster and make "Fussy Britches" comments.
    ;o)

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  17. Oh crap!

    See you got me with the Clarence one. Winning....

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  18. I'm waving at you spOILer!! I got the reference, but was too obscure with him.

    How about this: I don't know you from Adam's OFF OX!

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  19. Ha! Same Nick. This is tough. I've seen about 5 minutes of that movie in the past twenty years.

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  20. Omark cannot have merely average games.

    So all of his games have to be above average? I do not think that "average" means what you think that it means.

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  21. Considering the number of runners Detroit has stranded this post-season, they really don't deserve a trip to the Series.

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  22. //So all of his games have to be above average?//

    Compared to offensive production of a replacement level big 3rd line RW who can PK, hit, and fight. Yes. Omark has to be above average almost all the time
    (as long as he is the low man on the RNH-Eberle-Hemsky-Gagner-Omark totem pole).

    So-so isn't good enough.

    Is this fair? No. Life isn't fair.

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  23. Oilers as bad as they might be overall. They do have a lot of depth on the wings both on the big squad and the prospect pool.

    I get what Godot is saying about Omark having to be better then guys like Paajarvi, Hall and Eberle while not getting the leeway they do.

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  24. Maybe not better then those guys as that's unreasonable but he has to be very good otherwise he's better trade bait then playing.

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  25. Ahhh, forget it.

    Youth is wasted on the wrong people!

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  26. Well, you can't keep Ryan Jones on the 4line forever!

    I feel baited.

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  27. LT, spOILer, caught me. Far more of an Allister Sim's Christmas Carol than Wonderful Life fan. As soon as you mentioned it, though I couldn't help falling into my Jimmy Stewart impersonation.

    "Well, well, ... I don't have your defenseman. Your defenseman is in the Sutter house..."

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  28. Sorry I guess I should have made it clear that while Eberle is one of the smaller guys - he's going nowhere. At some point within the next 12 months one of Gags or Omark is probably gone. My choice would be Omark - centers are worth more - and the trade timing would be the day after they sign Hemsky - if they sign Hemsky.

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  29. Jim Thomson interview. Well worth the listen. You have to select the Jim Thomson one.

    Jim Thomson

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  30. Watching Minnesota v Ottawa.

    Ottawa's D looks so mistake prone (they are young I guess) Lots of horrible giveaways.

    On thursday the Oilers have to watch out for Brett Bullmer. He's a 19 year old Clutterbuck clone. In the first three games he's leveled Nash, Tavares and tonight, Spezza.

    RNH and the boys better keep their heads up

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  31. Get over this smallish forward crap! Ebs is 5-ll 185 lbs. & when I last looked there are a ton of players in the NHL that size who are doing quite well! Simple fact of the matter is Eberle plays like he's 6-1 or 6-2 & gets the job done! I say Laddy comes out when Whitney's ready to go. Teddy's numbers will improve with play & he has a natural mean streak. Teddy over Laddy!

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  32. Also, Jones is lucky to be in the lineup! Didn't see much body work against the Pens & he might be thinking it was the 18 goals that got him the 2 year contract! Jonesy has got to get more physical or else dress Petrell.

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  33. Players at OKC with the size & skill set like Hartikainen, Hamilton & Pitlick to name a few will spell the end of Omark & Gagner in Oil Country! It's just a question of when?

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  34. "Smid and Peckham both played over 9 minutes (!!!) on the PK. I'm not certain which player would come out if Potter or Whitney draw in, but a guess would be Peckham"

    I love you Lowetide, been reeding you for years. But (BIG BUT), sometimes you make me shake my head. After stating that Peckham and Smid spent 9 mins on a PK that virtually stopped one of the best PP of 10-11. You "guess" that Theo will be scratched. Sorry, but our PK is noted, league wide, as poor. Stick with the hot hand, Don't you think?

    In my opinion you have to Sit Petry. I know that there is a Petry love in going on here, but, if you are dressing Whitney you can't take out defensive Dmen. You have to take out the green kids who are inexpierenced playing D in the NHL. Peckham (more so Smid) are finally looking like they can handle som extra time on the PK. Why sit him?

    Even if Potter starts your still down man games on the defensive side of the puck. 300 AHL games does not equall +/- 200NHL games.

    Sitting Petrey is not a demotion, its a due players of his talent level must pay.

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  35. //That said, he needs to play over dusters like Hordichuk.//

    Not again a team full of "headless chickens" like Minnesota.

    We need guns at a gunfight.

    The NHL still is what it is, as much as one might want it to be different or have evolved.

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  36. My guess is either Barker or Sutton would sit.

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  37. re:Eberle

    He is not 5' 11", he is 5' 9" at best.

    I have a picture last March at an Oiler season ticket holder with me in the picture. I am 5' 9 1/2" on my tippy toes and I am taller than he is.

    Simple as that, it's a lie on the Oiler website.

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  38. Re: Gagner, Omark and Ebs

    I used to wonder how a fine Alberta team could trade away obvious talents like Savard and St. Louis and then I'm reminded of our patience for the hobbits.

    For Christ's sakes people they carried the ring, excuse me, The Ring(!) into Mordor.

    Not like this guy.

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  39. Crap, why can't I post a link with my freakin phone?

    Gimme a sec.

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  40. Brock: Peckham's still my guess. He struggled some and he's had a tough fall. But it's a guess.

    As for Eberle, I think he's a guy you don't worry about in terms of size. he might break down as time goes on but there's no fear, he's extremely smart and effective in all three zones.

    He's not perfect, but he can see it. :-)

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  41. Send Peckham.

    No one with a brain will fight Hordichuk, exept if he's a fighter himself, who will probably have done nothing.

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  42. Totally agree with others comments on Omark's stupidity in the shootout. Takes a special kind of player to miss the net completely one on one with the goalie and last I looked it had to hit somewhere within a 24 sq ft area to register a point. "JACKASS"

    I might be one of Omark's biggest fans, and I loved the chemistry between he and MP at the tail end of last year but something tells me we'd be a lot harder to play against with Hartikainen in the lineup and it's been a long time since the Oilers have been close to being that.

    If a Dman sits it HAS to be Peckham imo. Despite the heavens opening up and raining down good fortune on the PK last game I couldn't shake that feeling of impending doom every time Schmeeb and Teddy were paired. On the PK no less. wtf? If this isn't an accident looking for a place to happen I don't know what is. It'll all settle out soon anyways, as Laddy's destined to take himself out running face first into immoveable objects in or around game 11. He's already above quota in the nicked dept. anyways.

    Peckham's got some fans among the other management types and God willing if Omark does as well that pair could be the foundation of a solid D aquisition. We finally have the luxury of having some interchangeable parts at forward so the pressure to perform on a game to game basis should be a strong reality.

    I want to see Hartikainen and Petrell in for Jones and Omark while theres still time to do some "assessing." It's a solid meat injection with a little hunger built in.

    bacen Kevin's French brother

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  43. Omark getting the Nilsson treatment.

    Worked trough a lot of shit, does a little bad thing and hell fucks over.

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  45. @brocktw

    In my opinion you have to Sit Petry. I know that there is a Petry love in going on here, but, if you are dressing Whitney you can't take out defensive Dmen. You have to take out the green kids who are inexpierenced playing D in the NHL. Peckham (more so Smid) are finally looking like they can handle som extra time on the PK. Why sit him?

    you do realize that Petry is the only right dman other than Gilbert?

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  46. I have no problem with Omark trying his trademark move in the shootout. 24 square feet? Yeah if the goalie is completely not there. Omark made his move, the goalie bit, and Omark stuck to his plan, his visualization. That's how it's done.

    That said, and previous halfling comment aside, I think Omark is on the trading block. Sooner rather than later. The Oil have a guy in Hartski who is real close... out of Eberle, Hemsky and Omark, who would go? Woodguy's answer is Jones, but Jones isn't enough to bring back what we need and at least he fills a role on the PK. Omark, a 2nd and a top prospect brings what?

    What I do have problems with though is the lack of a Hemsky signing. Trade Omark first and you have less bargaining strength. Get the mofo signed for Pete Mahovlich's sake, what the hell are they waiting for? I'm with WG on that issue... Tambelline Man ain't v4.0 till Hemmer is signed.

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  47. I wonder if beating the goaltender clean then missing the net has a similar psychological sting as fouling off a closer's best pitch.

    When the next guy comes to the plate, is the closer quite so confident as he was before?

    Omark is a curious fellow. He's not dumb, yet seems driven to do things the hard way. He knows he hasn't got much rope, but jumps anyway. Upside is that it might not break his neck. Downside is that it doesn't give you a whole lot of time for sawing away with your pocket knife.

    With a much longer rope, maybe you land on your feet. "Nah, they don't give long ropes to small people like me. Last year, JFJ told me that when he retires, he's going to rappel K2. When I retire, I'm going to become a cowboy and calf-tie centipedes."

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  48. I'm with Spoiler on this one. Omark went into the shootout with a plan and executed it. From what I've heard on interviews, most guys go into the shootout with that approach.

    IMO that seems to be the approach that works best, and I know that's what I do on soccer penalty shots, pick my spot and fire. Albeit it's much more complicated in a hockey penalty shot.

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  49. I'm not too worried that Omark missed the net in the SO. Considering that Gagner and Hemsky are our SO attempt leaders (I'm guessing here but I'm pretty sure it's accurate), I know that there have been multiple occasions where they haven't even gotten a shot off, let alone one that missed. It's the shootout and creativity shouldn't be a detriment here. We could have a Coke Machine drive pucks into the goalies chest, if that would please the masses but I would prefer try to put the puck in the net myself.

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  50. Omark is a curious fellow. He's not dumb, yet seems driven to do things the hard way. He knows he hasn't got much rope, but jumps anyway. Upside is that it might not break his neck. Downside is that it doesn't give you a whole lot of time for sawing away with your pocket knife.

    Well put.

    When asked last year about how he comes up with his moves on the shootout, he said something along the lines that he has no plan, he just kind of makes it up as he goes.

    It seems likely that he is going to have moments of brillance punctuated by times of WTF?

    I expect that unless he can get a little more predictable in his defensive assignments, he will be handed the short rope.

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  51. I think that was the most direct the Deadman's ever been.

    And, yes, a decision has to be made on 83 in conjunction with who we deal for a real dman.

    In other news, that's some nice fuckery by the Oilers to move their regular start times back to 11pm NST.

    Christ

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