Lowetide

Oilers June Camp Invite List Released

2008-05-24T11:45:00.003-06:00

The Edmonton Oilers released their list of invitees to Prospect Development camp. It's on the Oilers site and there's a nice post on Coming Down the Pipe (prompt to the right).

I guess it's interesting that Taylor Chorney isn't on the list but that should be much ado about nothing. If the Oilers can't sign him because of money with the new world order and the new ownership about to come on board then there's really no hope and we might as well buy Kansas City Royals attire.

This camp is the "summer" camp which is not to be confused with the "rookie" camp in Yellowknife just before main camp last fall. An excellent set of posts on that camp can be found
here. Quoting Guy Flaming in regard to last year's summer camp "Last year's prospect camp was lame. There were, if I recall correctly, about 15 players two of which (Wild and O'Marra) were limited to rising the bike due to injuries.This is basically an orientation camp to make sure the guys have the training regiment down pat before they start their off season workouts on their own. The on ice stuff if largely power skating drills (sprints with parachutes and stuff like that)."

MacT on Gregor's Show

2008-05-23T07:34:00.002-06:00

The interview is here.

Interesting interview, sounds like the Oilers are going to try and make a deal to improve the club now and prune the forward group. Kevin Lowe had mentioned it before and this looks like a variation on the theme.
"It's up to him" in regard to Schremp and MacT detailed some of the issues that have held him back. Also mentioned he's surprised at how much attention Schremp gets which made me giggle. MacT said he needs to get stronger and faster. These MacT quotes are beginning to resemble the Jani Rita comedy clips that the coach was famous for a few years ago. Sounds like Schremp's a winger from here on out.
Looks like Buchberger will be announced as a coach in the next week or so, although you have to put two and two together.
Too many forwards and they'll have to figure it out in TC (although a trade would also make decisions easier).
Raved about Nilsson.
Sounded very positive about Pitkanen, which I think is the best news in the entire interview.

2008 Entry Draft

2008-05-22T19:17:00.003-06:00

This is Mitch Wahl. He's a quality prospect who you can see play this weekend for Spokane at the Memorial Cup. He scored 73 points in 67 WHL games this season, is listed as 6-0, 185 and everyone on Spokane's club appears to be aware defensively.

We're getting closer to the NHL draft (June 20 weekend) and there's more information available about each prospect now.

Many of the publications are readily available now so we can start talking about specific prospects and those who might be available when Edmonton picks in the first round.

Here's my top 22 list, please post opinions and those who have a better view on the draft (there are a bunch of Oilers fans who follow this closely each season) please join in. I'm hopeful that we can add Blue Bullet's list in the near future as we did a year ago and also post a link to speeds' list when he posts it.

Steve Stamkos
Zach Bogosian
Mikael Boedker
Drew Doughty
Luke Schenn
Colin Wilson
Zach Boychuk
Josh Bailey
Nikita Filatov
Alex Pietrangelo
Cody Hodgson
Joe Colbourne
Colby Robak
Kyle Beach
AJ Jenks
Jordan Eberle
Mattias Tedenby
Jake Gardiner
Ryan Ellis
Zach Dalpe
Michael Del Zotto
Tyler Myers

Darkness with Harkness

2008-05-21T19:19:00.004-06:00

This is Ned Harkness. It's important to know that he was a legendary college coach long before the Detroit Red Wings hired him. Harkness built exceptional programs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Cornell and won the NCAA title in 1954 (RPI), 1967 (Cornell with Ken Dryden) and 1970 (Cornell, 29-0-0 without Dryden).

On May 22 1970 the Detroit Red Wings hired Harkness to be their head coach. At first blush it must have seemed like a fine idea, a man with so much success in the college ranks moving up to the pro's with fresh strategy and a new voice.

There was a problem. Some of the veterans started grumbling about Ned's rules (he banned smoking in the dressing room, which pissed off Alex Delvecchio and "trainer" Lefty Wilson) and then there was the coaching which didn't sit well with the men of the winged wheel.

I can't possibly explain in 10,000 words what is detailed here. If you enjoy hockey history, prepare to be amazed.

Every Prospect In The System (Defense)

2008-05-20T17:16:00.007-06:00

Taylor Chorney (wearing the "A") is the most interesting name among the Oilers prospects bubbling under. Chorney is a little undersized for the NHL and doesn't play a punishing stye, but he has some real strengths that are extremely valuable in today's NHL.

Years ago, they would have called him a "mobile defender with a mastery of the head-man pass" but in today's world he's a puck mover who sees the ice well. He's also a wonderful skater, just terrific and I hope his Frozen Four injury doesn't impact his career.

Harlan Anderson: 25-year old Alberta Golden Bear who had a nice CIS career and capped it off with a PTO and a few games (9gp, 0-0-0 -7) in Springfield. I haven't a clue what will happen next in regard to his career.
Sebastien Bisaillon: Such an interesting player. A little raw and slightly undersized for the NHL, he has all kinds of positives. Monster shot, good defensive skills and he delivered in the AHL (21gp, 3-7-10) before an ugly injury. Returned after a long layoff and helped Stockton in the playoffs. Undrafted with all his arrows going in the right direction.
Taylor Chorney: I thought he'd be signed by now, that was the rumor. In the Sunday, April 27th EJ Journal Jim Matheson suggested the Oilers would sign him " in the next week or two" but we haven't gotten the news yet. Chorney did suffer an injury at the Frozen Four and that could impact his future but the early word was that it wasn't too severe. If healthy, he's probably the best player on this list. 43gp, 3-21-24 at UND.
Josef Hrabel: 56gp, 3-10-13 in the RSL and he's clearly a good player. The Oilers attempted to sign him recently but the agent blah blah blah. The math has been a fan of this guy from the start and I bet you he makes some noise somewhere. He'll be a free agent June 1. If I lived in Europe and the Oilers drafted my son I'd buy him a soccer ball and tell him not to answer the phone when the Oilers called.
Theo Peckham: There are some guys that just get it and Theo Peckham is one of them. HOW could he have passed all of the people he's passed in so little time? Has he hit a wall yet? I wouldn't bet on him staying behind Matt Greene on the depth chart for another calendar year. 59gp, 6-7-13 in the AHL and he played 1 NHL game. Consider the words of Coach MacT: "He's a big, strong guy with decent foot speed for a guy his size and has a good first pass coming out of his zone. He started off in the East Coast League, but he's established himself as one of the core guys in Springfield so it's a good accomplishment so far. To come from the East Coast League to the NHL in his first year is a pretty good indication of his progress."
Jeff Petry: Rip Van Winkle body (6-2, 176) and a reputation of being a good two-way defender. Went 42gp, 3-21-24 in college (Michigan State) but didn't get there until age 20. Guy Flaming loves him so much he has him rated as the #1 overall prospect in the system and Oiler scouts say extremely nice things about him. Bob Mancini: "Petry’s future is unlimited at his size, his mobility and he’s such a good passer. He’s very poised with the puck and he breaks his team out very well. He not only can make the 10-foot pass or the 20-foot pass coming around the back of his net but he can also look up ice and hit that guy who is 80 feet in front of him.”
Alex Plante: His season was an epic fail. Quoting Guy Flaming: A serious training camp charlie horse that morphed into long-term back pain led to several months on the sidelines. Shortly after he returned to action, Plante was hit from behind and suffered a concussion after going head first into the boards. Perhaps most unfortunate is that during his long absence from play, the Hitmen went out and replaced him with veteran players who did not relinquish the ice time they picked up. Including playoffs he went 51gp, 1-4-5 and is apparently working out with Oilers fitness guru Chad Moreau.
Mathieu Roy: Had almost as much bad luck as Plante this season. Went 20gp, 2-8-10 in Springfield and 13gp, 0-1-1 in Edmonton and missed a ton of time due to all kinds of things (Sportsnet says he missed 8 games this year because of "aches and pains" which sounds like a nickname to me). Signed to a nice $500k contract this season but may not clear waivers if sent out in the fall.
Danny Syvret: He was the Oilers loaner this season. They loaned him to Hershey, they loaned him to the Spengler Cup and now he's an RFA. Signing him would be cruel, but I think he can grab a job with an AHL team or in Europe and continue his career. 63gp, 2-18-20 for two AHL teams.
Cody Wild: Oilers signed Wild on the strength of his NCAA season for Providence (32gp, 4-18-22) and he arrived in time to have a nice run in Springfield (13gp, 1-2-3) which should give him a nice head start for next year. One of three recently drafted college defenders (Chorney, Petry, Wild) who have a nice combination of skills that are similar to each other.
Bryan Young: Crazy year for Young. He struggled so badly early on that he was a healthy scratch in Springfield over inexperienced options like Bisaillon. Through the end of December he was -14 for the Falcons and the organization implied he was trying to do too much. Things turned around in the new year and Young went +10 the rest of the way to finish up just over par. Young has an advantage in this group because he (along with Peckham) are the only pure defensive defenders and that has value. Looking into the future though, he's in tough among this group.

This is a really nice depth chart. The Oilers don't have an impact prospect but the three college kids are coming along and at least one of them should have a career. Theo Peckham has established himself quickly all down the line and he may end up being the best of the group.

I do a December and June top 20 list, but if there was a May list I'd include Chorney, Peckham, Petry and Wild inside the top 10 and all of Bisaillon, Hrabel, Plante and Roy in the top 20. And I like Young and Syvret too.

This is an area of strength for the organization and as crowded as the AHL is now with kids trying to establish themselves at the next level we could be looking at the same thing from the defensemen very soon.

It must be a nice problem to have for the Edmonton Oilers. The trick is keeping the right ones and sending away the rest for full value.

Red Wings Win Pennant

2008-05-19T21:25:00.002-06:00

This is Brad Park. For most of the expansion era the Detroit Red Wings were beyond horrible. From 1967-68 through 1982-83 (a period of 16 years) they made the playoffs exactly twice and went through so many coaches it boggles the mind.

Here, let's list them: Sid Abel, Bill Gadsby, Ned Harkness, Doug Barkley, Johnny Wilson, Ted Garvin, Alex Delvecchio, Larry Wilson, Bobby Kromm, Ted Lindsay, Wayne Maxner, Billy Dea, Nick Polano.

That's 13 in 16 years and believe me there were times when some of those guys were brought back to finish out the season.

Man they were bad.

Some examples:

Marcel Dionne's contract expired at the end of the 1974-75 season, and he refused to re-sign with Detroit, having played out his option year. The Red Wings traded him to Los Angeles for Terry Harper and Dan Maloney (among other things). Harper at first refused to report.
The Dale McCourt Case: A major legal battle erupted after NHL arbitrator Ed Houston ordered that Detroit transfer McCourt's NHL rights to Los Angeles as compensation for the signing of restricted free agent Rogie Vachon on Aug. 8, 1978. The Red Wings had been offering Jim Rutherford and Bill Lochead as compensation, but the Kings demanded McCourt, and the arbitrator sided with Los Angeles, which was offering McCourt a $3 million contract. Despite the big money, McCourt refused to go to Los Angeles, and sought legal protection. He got a temporary restraining order from U.S. District Court Judge Robert DeMascio on Sept. 18, 1978, overturning the arbitrator's decision and allowing him to remain with the Red Wings. The judge ruled that compensation requirements on NHL free agency were an illegal restraint of trade because they limited competition. McCourt's lawyer, Brian Smith, then sued the NHL, the NHLPA, the Red Wings and Kings in an effort to prevent McCourt from ever being sent to Los Angeles as part of any compensation package. While the cases were tied up in the courts, McCourt continued to play for Detroit, spending the entire 1978-79 season there along with Vachon. In the process, McCourt angered many fellow players, who thought his actions were undermining the NHLPA, which had agreed to the compensation requirements in its Collective Bargaining Agreement. McCourt appeared to have lost his legal battle at the end of the 1978-79 season, when the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati upheld the arbitrator's original decision, but McCourt immediately appealed the case to the United States Supreme Court. The situation was resolved, and the need for a Supreme Court ruling avoided, when Los Angeles traded McCourt's rights back to Detroit for Andre St. Laurent, 1980 first-round pick (Larry Murphy) and the option of having Detroit's 1980 second-round pick or 1981 first-round pick (Los Angeles chose the 1981 first-round pick -- Doug Smith) on Aug. 22, 1979. This was an alternate compensation package that Los Angeles had been willing to accept in 1978, but Detroit had rejected. Los Angeles' original request, before the McCourt request set off a legal battle, had been for Reed Larson, two No. 1 picks and $700,000 in cash. The McCourt case helped to eventually change the NHL's rules on compensation but the experience took its toll on McCourt. He later said he lost his love for being in the NHL as a result of the legal ordeal. (source: Hockey Draft Central).

The McCourt and Dionne examples are two of many train wrecks involving the organization (I could get into the best one, Ned Harkness, but it would take too long). Suffice to say that anyone not familiar with the 1970s Red Wings has a completely different view of the team than old-timers like me. If you're 25 years old, you look at the Red Wings and see the Boston Red Sox: two very successful teams who win often enough to be considered an annual power. Jimmy Devallano went to the 1983 Entry Draft and walked away with 6 future NHL players and it got better from there. The Red Wings won another pennant tonight, their 5th in the expanion era.

Montreal (11): '68, '69, '71, '73, '76-'79, '86, '89, '93
Boston (7): '70, '72, '74, '77, '78, '88, '90
Edmonton (7): '83, '84, '85, '87, '88, '90, '06
Philadephia (7): '74, '75, '76, '80, '85, '87, '97
Detroit (5): '95, '97, '98, '02, '08
New York Islanders (5): '80, '81, '82, '83, '84
Dallas (4): '81, '91, '99, '00
New Jersey (4): '95, '00, '01, '03
Calgary (3): '86, '89, '04
Chicago (3): '71, '73, '92
New York Rangers (3): '72, '79, '94
Pittsburgh (3): '91, '92, '08
St. Louis (3): '68, '69, '70
Anaheim (2): '03, '07
Buffalo (2): '75, '99
Carolina (2): '02, '06
Colorado (2): '96, '01
Vancouver (2): '82, '94
Florida (1): '96
Los Angeles (1): '93
Ottawa (1): '07
Tampa Bay (1): '04
Washington (1): '98
Atlanta
Columbus
Minnesota
Nashville
Phoenix
San Jose
Toronto

Every Prospect In The System (Forwards)

2008-05-19T10:00:00.001-06:00

This is Colin McDonald in a Springfield Falcons uniform. It'll probably be same Bat-time, same Bat-channel for McDonald in the fall as he continues his pro career.

The Edmonton Oilers have a ton of hockey players "in the system." As a fan, keeping track of them can be time consuming. At any given time there are probably 50 names that are bubbling under, some of them having been drafted 5 or 6 years ago.

I offer this as a public service, with the only request being that if someone is missing please point it out.

The following is an update on all of the Edmonton Oilers prospects I'm personally aware of, and I believe they are all still on the priority list of the parent club.

Jonas Almtorp: Played in North America this season. 37gp, 2-2-4 in Springfield and then 27gp, 7-10-17 in Stockton. He's apparently going back to the Swedish Elite League and will play for Brynas next season. One guesses his NHL dream is over.
Troy Bodie: He grabbed an AHL job in the fall and stayed with Springfield all year long. 9-6-15, -7 in 65gp isn't earth shattering but he survived. Bodie plays a simple game and is physical, and he could probably get a game or two in at the NHL level if he hangs around the minor leagues long enough.
Alexander Bumagin: Playing in the Russian Super League at age 20 is no small feat. Bumagin went 31gp, 8-7-15 for Mytishi Khimik in his 20 year old season, ranking 12th on his team in scoring. Mikhnov went 51gp, 7-9-16 in the RSL at the same age, as a point of reference. The Oilers treat their Russian prospects like lepers so getting him to North America will probably be like climbing Everest but there's something to like here.
Robby Dee: His college career began last fall (24gp, 1-2-3) with Maine. He had all kinds of injury (shoulder) problems after being drafted in 2004 and then stayed an extra year in the USHL because he wasn't going to play much with Maine. Another serious shoulder injury followed and then this year with Maine he didn't do much. Oilers retain his rights until he leaves college so they can keep him on their list for three more years but it doesn't look promising.
Matt Glasser: Winger went 40gp, 6-2-8 with Denver University in his sophomore season. After starting 17gp, 0-0-0 to start the year his numbers improved (23gp, 6-2-8) to the point where he's at least worth wondering about for next season.
Stephane Goulet: He's a prospect of interest. His AHL numbers (36gp, 9-5-14 at age 21) include a very nice final 20 games (8-2-10) and a period in March where he scored 5 goals in 5 games. I imagine he'll get a full season with Springfield in 08-09 but there seems to be some goal scoring talent there.
Jean-Francois Jacques: In 132 career AHL games, he's scored 45 goals. He's freaking huge and seems to have some idea about the rules of the game and how he can impact its outcome. He did some nice things during TC and the Oilers always say nice things about him but his inability to perform in the NHL added to injuries (a hyper-extended elbow and now a herniated disc) cast a bit of a shadow over his career. When healthy, he can do stuff. The Oilers are at a point where a decision needs to be made, as he'll need to clear waivers if sent out this fall. Big power forwards always get another chance
Fredrik Johansson: He went 24gp, 4-1-5 in Springfield and in Stockton was 37gp, 5-13-18, and the Oilers are unlikely to sign him to another contract. He apparently has nice skills and can play a two-way game, but not at a high enough level to be considered an NHL prospect.
Mikhail Joukov: Known by several different spellings, it no longer appears to matter. He's still playing in the Russian Super League (43gp, 3-8-11) and has played in 130 regular season games in what many call the second best league in the world. The Oilers will likely allow him to become a free agent this summer.
Milan Kytnar: ISS liked this player quite a bit: Reliable two-way center plays hard every shift. Great hand-eye, anticipates well, coachable. Strong skater with a minus first step, good hands and size. Accurate passer, can shadow his man. Good playmaker who sees the ice well. He played for the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season, scoring 62gp, 9-13-22 which in junior are not terrific results even for the checkers. It doesn't look like there's much here to get excited about at this time.
Bryan Lerg: Oilers signed the 22-year old to a 2-year entry level deal in the spring. Lerg went 20-19-39 in 42 games for Michigan (NCAA) and led the club in powerplay goals (10). He also led the team in goals last season and was a major part of the 2007 national championship team. He's a goal scorer and someone to follow through training camp and in Springfield for 08-09. He's listed at 5-10, 175.
Colin McDonald: He went 73gp, 12-11-23 in his AHL debut this past season, tying him for 48th overall among rookies in that league. His -22 sticks out as a pretty large negative and the one thing we can say for him is that he was a better scoring rookie than Brad Winchester. He's still a prospect but needs to show vast improvement to get his name in the mix of possible callups.
Jacob Micflikier: Undersized skill center who scored enough in Stockton (29gp, 10-27-37) to earn a shot in the AHL (he went 8gp, 1-4-5 with Springfield in March). He certainly has enough skill to help the minor league team.
Alexei Mikhnov: He had a decent playoffs this spring (16gp, 3-5-8) and a solid regular year (52gp, 14-20-34, +15) and with just one year remaining until he's UFA one would think the Oilers are going to think long and hard about bringing him over. There's a problem: he'd want a one-way deal and the Oilers have other, more proven options. Despite the nice numbers in the RSL there's no real evidence Mikhnov is clear of players like JF Jacques and Rob Schremp, two of many he'd have to beat out for a slot on the big club in the fall. There's a chance another NHL team might trade for him at the draft, maybe a team like Columbus.
Riley Nash: Nash went 36gp, 12-20-32 (.889) for Cornell who averaged 2.83 goals-per-game. His career is tracking in a similar fashion to Chris Higgins and as of this weekend he's on the radar for the World Junior camp. I think he's the best prospect on this list. .
Ryan O'Marra: Being named an ECHL All-Star wasn't in the plans but he made it anyway. His scouting report talks about two-way play and being the best OHL faceoff man but to say he hasn't delivered since coming to training camp would be an understatement. O'Marra scored 31gp, 2-7-9 in Springfield and 24gp, 11-9-20 in Stockton. He followed that up with a nice playoff run (6gp, 2-7-9) and would have to be considered a candidate for the AHL next season. The fact we're even talking about that shows just how far he has fallen since arriving in this organization.
Linus Omark: Omark was 20-years old the day he was drafted and overagers usually perform well after being selected by Edmonton. Certainly since Prendergast took over the scouting department, Jussi Markkanen, Ales Pisa, Mikko Luoma, Kari Haakana, Kyle Brodziak, Danny Syvret and Mathieu Roy have covered their draft number. Omark had a very nice SEL season (55gp, 11-21-32) but he's 5-9. I'd expect him to see North America at some point in time for a full season, and he's coming to prospect camp in June.
Geoff Paukovich: The Oilers signed him last August, a full year before he had to come out of college. They've done it a few times (Radunske) when it hasn't worked out and Paukovich was sent to the ECHL in the fall where he spent the entire year. He went 70gp, 13-13-26 and scored a goal in the post-season for Stockton. He's another of the Coke Machine picks.
Marc Pouliot: MAP went 55gp, 21-26-47 in Springfield and hung around the NHL for another 24 games (1-6-7). I'm a fan and hope he makes the top 12F in the fall and stays all season, but I think it's reasonable to suggest he could be playing in another organization come October.
William Quist: Raw skills. Size, speed and you hope he swings the bat better than Billy Ashley. Quist is coming to prospect camp June 1st. He played all over the place this season, mostly in Division 1 where he went 17gp, 6-7-13. There's talk of him coming over to Canada for his final year of junior.
Brock Radunske: Big winger spent the year in Germany (Augsburg Panthers, 37gp, 7-19-26) and there's no word about any return to North America. He's still listed on the Oilers website and he did score 38 goals in an ECHL season, but the fact remains he has managed only 28 AHL games since turning pro in 2004. As far away from the NHL as anyone on this list, I'd expect.
Liam Reddox: Pulled into Nazareth feeling about half past dead and left Dodge City golden. He did it all, PP, PK, checking line, scoring line and did it well across the board. Reddox went 65gp, 16-28-44, +10 for the season and he finished up at a point-per-game pace. All of his arrows are pointing in the right direction and it'll be even better if the Oilers follow through on their rumored plan to cull the herd of fringe NHL forwards.
David Rohlfs: Kevin Prendergast once said that Rohlfs is huge, an excellent skater and uses his size well in important places on the ice. Those are pretty important skills for hockey prospects but he played the entire season in the ECHL (65gp, 16-16-32) with only a cup of coffee in the AHL. He turns 24 in June and would appear to be behind a plethora of similar talents including Troy Bodie.
Rob Schremp: He has more arrows pointed in the right direction now than he's ever had, and this fall needs to be his showcase. Schremp had a very nice AHL season (78gp, 23-53-76, finished top 10 in points) and ended strong (last 20: 9-14-23) and healthy. There should be no Sam Gagner's or Andrew Cogliano's or Robert Nilsson's taking the spotlight away and should he have a strong TC he may force the Oilers hand in terms of making their decision on him. The problem remains a spot in the batting order.
Tim Sestito: He's already signed a 2-year deal this spring so Sestito is as secure as any minor leaguer in the system at this time. He went 77gp, 7-10-17, 175pims with Springfield and will no doubt fill the same role in 08-09.
Tyler Spurgeon: He's always hurt. I don't know if the organization can even count on him moving forward, as his latest injury (concussion) may be career threatening. Horrible luck for a guy who seemed to be able to handle the AHL (12gp, 1-7-8).
Slava Trukhno: Much heralded prospect struggled at the AHL level this season, especially at EV. He had a 9-game streak where he went 7-5-12, +3 and that appeared to have taken place about the time Pouliot was recalled and Trukhno enjoyed more skilled linemates and increased powerplay time. I still like him more than Schremp and suspect he'll have a breakout season in 08-09. Finished 64gp, 14-21-35 in Springfield.
Chris Vande Velde: Had a wonderful season, probably did more to advance his cause than any of the age 20+ prospects on this list in 08-09. It's important to remember though that despite the impressive year (43gp, 15-17-32) he did it at age 20 in his sophomore season in the NCAA. He was also on a terrific skill line quite often, with 06-07 Hobey Baker winner Ryan Duncan and former 1st rounder T.J. Oshie.

28 Players. The ones you need to keep track of are the fringe NHLers (Pouliot, Schremp, Jacques, Mikhnov, Reddox), the very talented college kid (Nash), the former Q scoring star (Trukhno) and the college man who found another gear (Vande Velde).

The rest of them have skill sets that are easily duplicated and therefore must rely on luck, hard work and endurance to survive another year and move up the ladder. The chances any of those 20 spending more than 25 games in the NHL are not high, but history is full of names that were in a similar spot at the same age.

Kessel?

2008-05-19T07:50:00.004-06:00

Boston Globe writer Fluto Shinzawa (would I make that up?) has suggested more than once that the Boston Bruins may trade Phil Kessel and his 2.2M cap hit during the summer.

The Bruins are looking for size and scoring in free agency and apparently would like another defenseman before training camp.

Kessel scored 1.57/60 at EVs in 07-08, which is about where Fernando Pisani and Marc Pouliot performed for the Oilers. The difference of course is that Kessel is 20 and has his future in front of him, a future that should involve 20 and 30 goal seasons.

Age 19 (BOS) 70gp, 11-18-29, -12, 1.78EV, 1.77PP 170 shots
Age 20 (BOS) 82gp, 19-18-37, -6, 1.62EV, 2.79PP 213 shots

"Phil the Thrill" has been benched a few times, most recently in the playoff series with Montreal this spring. At the time, Bruins GM Peter Chiarell said "You've seen the physicalness of this series. Skilled guys get scratched all the time. We wanted to add physical guys to our lineup. Maybe (Kessel) would have got a goal somewhere along the way, but we're happy with our decision and Phil will learn from it. He (Kessel) is young and good. He's only going to get better. I feel he made great strides this season. His offensive game can improve, and it has. He's got a good shot. We like his release and offensive intuition. He's only 20. Let's not forget about that." Kessel finished the playoffs this spring going 4gp, 3-1-4 for Boston.

Knowing that the Bruins may be dangling a young "first shot" scorer and that the Oilers have stated this is something they may pursue, is there interest in this talented but flawed player? If he cost this club Raffi Torres, is that something you could get behind? What about one of the 24-year old defensemen?

Could Phil Kessel be the centerpiece of a Joni Pitkanen trade?

Penguins Win Third Pennant

2008-05-18T15:30:00.001-06:00

This is Jean Pronovost as a Pittsburgh Penguin. When I was a kid the Penguins never won a damn thing but they had lots of interesting players like Syl Apps Jr, Lowell MacDonald, Rick Kehoe, Ron Stackhouse and Greg Polis. They might have won more if their goaltending had been better but the first 20 years of their history was a whole lot of "also-ran."

There is very little doubt that their fortunes began to change on June 9, 1984. That was the day the Penguins drafted Mario Lemieux and even that didn't go smoothly. Quoting Hockey Draft Central:

The sixth NHL Entry Draft was all about Mario Lemieux -- major junior hockey's 6-foot-4 superstar who was certainly head and shoulders above all other players in his draft class.In the months before the draft, it was clear that Lemieux would be the first overall pick.

At the end of the 1983-84 NHL regular season, the Pittsburgh Penguins gained the right to select Lemieux by finishing last overall in the league. Pittsburgh fans immediately began talking about the player they believed would turn their franchise into a winner. Although Lemieux would go on to make even the most skeptical Penguins fan's wildest dreams come true, at the time of the 1984 draft, there were questions about his attitude and whether he would ever be willing to play in Pittsburgh. Attitude was a legitimate concern, because of Lemieux's pattern of behavior. He had sat out the 1984 World Junior Championships because he didn't like Team Canada head coach Dave King's treatment of French-Canadian players.

He had also gone on the record in his hometown of Montreal saying that he did not want to play for the Montreal Canadiens because he felt it would be too much pressure. And in the days before the draft, Lemieux and agent Gus Badali had made it clear that they were not happy with the type of contract the Penguins were offering.

It all came to a head on draft day, when Lemieux's name was called by Penguins general manager Eddie Johnston. Upset over the contract talks, Lemieux refused to put on a Penguins sweater, although he said he'd be happy to play for the team once he could sign an acceptable contract -- which finally happened 10 days after the actual draft.

The photo of Mario is courtesy the Society for International Hockey Research and shows Mario in the uniform of the Laval Voisins. The Penguins won the Stanley in 1991 and 1992, the only other seasons they've won the pennant. I suspect they'll win a few more in the next decade.

Here are the numbers with Pittsburgh updated (since 1967):

Montreal (11): '68, '69, '71, '73, '76-'79, '86, '89, '93
Boston (7): '70, '72, '74, '77, '78, '88, '90
Edmonton (7): '83, '84, '85, '87, '88, '90, '06
Philadephia (7): '74, '75, '76, '80, '85, '87, '97
New York Islanders (5): '80, '81, '82, '83, '84
Dallas (4): '81, '91, '99, '00
Detroit (4): '95, '97, '98, '02
New Jersey (4): '95, '00, '01, '03
Calgary (3): '86, '89, '04
Chicago (3): '71, '73, '92
New York Rangers (3): '72, '79, '94
Pittsburgh (3): '91, '92, '08
St. Louis (3): '68, '69, '70
Anaheim (2): '03, '07
Buffalo (2): '75, '99
Carolina (2): '02, '06
Colorado (2): '96, '01
Vancouver (2): '82, '94
Florida (1): '96
Los Angeles (1): '93
Ottawa (1): '07
Tampa Bay (1): '04
Washington (1): '98
Atlanta
Columbus
Minnesota
Nashville
Phoenix
San Jose
Toronto

Nash Rambler to 2009 WJ's?

2008-05-18T09:08:00.004-06:00

Word today from Jim Matheson in the Edmonton Journal that Riley Nash may get an invite to Canada's world junior under-20 camp. Quoting the article and Hockey Canada Chief Scout Al Murray "He played at Cornell, a team that plays a defensive style and he put up some good numbers."

Here are a few select Edmonton Oilers and their career World Junior Championsip numbers:

Robert Nilsson 18gp, 7-10-17
Rob Schremp 14gp, 5-6-11
Joni Pitkanen 14gp, 2-8-10
Ales Hemsky 7gp, 3-6-9
Denis Grebeshkov 20gp, 3-5-8
Andrew Cogliano 12gp, 2-6-8
Jarret Stoll 14gp, 2-6-8
Ladislav Smid 19gp, 2-5-7
Raffi Torres 7gp, 3-2-5
Sam Gagner 6gp, 0-0-0

Broadway Joni?

2008-05-18T07:13:00.003-06:00

An item in today's New York Post (Larry Brooks) has the Rangers and Oilers talking trade at the deadline: "Kevin Lowe wasn't selling when Rangers inquired at deadline about Edmonton's puck-rushing and power playable defenseman Joni Pitkanen, but Sather is expected to go back after the 24-year-old restricted free agent who earned $2.4M last year. "

I think we can agree that even with the current roster the Oilers need to make a couple of changes before training camp. Aside from the RFA's and the UFA's and the draft (and sign Shawn Horcoff!) there's still the serious business of finding 12 forwards and 6 defensemen who can help you win every night.

Let's list the Oilers depth chart really quickly here without any regard to cost:

GOAL-Garon, Roloson, Deslauriers
DEFENSE-Pitkanen, Gilbert, Grebeshkov, Staios, Souray, Smid, Greene, Roy
CENTER-Horcoff, Cogliano, Stoll, Brodziak, Pouliot, Schremp
LEFT WING-Penner, Nilsson, Torres, Moreau, Jacques, Reddox
RIGHT WING-Hemsky, Gagner, Pisani, Stortini

We could list others but those 27 players would seem to be the favorites for most of the at bats in 08-09. I think it's reasonable to list a few specific needs for this roster:

Sniper. A first shot scorer.
Veteran defender who can eat EV minutes.
Some kind of LW/Moreau insurance.
Draft picks.

That's my list, but I think most Oilers fans would have a similar one. Here's the problem when dealing with the Rangers: it is not clear to me that they have any of these things I've listed to offer up in return. New York has a lot of money, what with free agency pending for Jagr, Shanahan, Straka and Avery up front as well as Paul Mara, Marek Malik, Mihal Rozsival and others on the blueline.

At forward, after you get past Gomez and Drury (both 7+M cap hits) we're talking about people like Petr Prucha, Brian Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan. On the blueline, I guess the Oilers could ask after Fedor Tyutin but the Rangers just signed him to a new 4-year deal at a pretty nice number considering what he delivers.

I really don't think these two teams match up.

Updating the First Rounders

2008-05-17T08:57:00.003-06:00

This is Michel Riesen in the uniform of the St. Louis Blues. No doubt he was thinking about spending the season in the town that invented Chuck Berry but it didn't work out that way.

Riesen never did play a game in anger for the St. Louis Blues, but he has had an impact in Switzerland since leaving the NHL/AHL loop. In 06-07 he 37 goals in 44 games for Davos while playing with Alexander Daigle and Reto Von Arx.

I thought it might be a fine idea to update you on the first round picks who are outside the NHL these days going back ten years or so. Although these men didn't find themselves playing at hockey's most elite level it's still fun to track their careers and see at what level they found the range.

2004: G Devan Dubnyk- The big man is trying to stay at par in the AHL these days and the organization considers him "on track" as a prospect. Our own blogosphere goalie expert (Asiaoil) says 08-09 is a pivotal "shyte or get off the pot" season which seems reasonable.

2004: C Rob Schremp- Sugartits had a real nice AHL season (7th in league scoring) and would be a lock for major league employment if the Oilers didn't have so many youngsters knocking on the door (and another litter that has just established themselves) of the NHL. I think it's reasonable to suggest he's going to get his 500 MLB at-bats soon no matter the logo on his sweater.

2002: Jesse Niinimaki- Injuries, chronic skinniness and maybe a little bit of youth helped keep this young man from being an NHL player, and of course he may not have been good enough either way. This past season saw him take the "Jason Bonsignore is playing here now---no he's not" tour that saw him play in Sweden, Finland and Switzerland in 07-08. That's a nice schedule if you're ABBA but for NHL prospects it sounds like a lot of failure.

2000: Alexei Mikhnov- See post below.

1999: Jani Rita- He scored a ton of goals in Finland in 06-07 (32 goals in 56gp) but was the man who fell to earth this season with only 10 in 37 games. He was on the Finnish World Championship team in 2005 and 2006 but is no longer a member of the team which would suggest he's fallen another rung on the ladder. He's not Jason Soules, but he's getting there.

1998: Michael Henrich- He's playing in Germany for the Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams. Seriously. Why would I lie to you? His signing was the last official point of business by Glen Sather as GM of the Edmonton Oilers. Thanks, Slats.

1997: Michel Riesen- Played for Davos again this season, he's now 28 years old. The most interesting thing about him now is the group of former NHLers on his team: Janne Niinimaa, Reto Von Arx, Alexander Daigle, Josef Marha, Jesse Niinimaki (on the ABBA tour) and Gerry Odrowski all played for Davos (well, not Gerry but he's 69 years old now).

Final note: Steve Kelly played 2 NHL games in 07-08 and has now played in 149 games.

Traktor Boy Can't Come Out to Play

2008-05-17T06:07:00.003-06:00

This is an old photo of Alexei Mikhnov. He isn't on the Russian World Hockey Championships team (if they had a Ukraine team he'd have made it) but he was on the 05-06 team (6gp, 3-2-5).

He had a decent playoffs this spring (16gp, 3-5-8) and a solid regular year (52gp, 14-20-34, +15) and with just one year remaining until he's UFA this might be the last chance Texaco for both team and player.

It isn't going to happen.

Guy Flaming's European update gives us this item from Kevin Lowe: “It’s highly unlikely that we’ll see Mikhnov next year, but he did show us enough that at least I have some intrigue in going forward.” Now I haven't dated in quite some time but it probably still holds true that if you've known someone 8 years and there's still no spark, no amount of Smirnoff is going to be enough to get it done.

Guy's article is well worth reading.

(Looks Like a) Double Glencross

2008-05-16T16:51:00.007-06:00

We have talked about Curtis Glencross and what he might cost to the Edmonton Oilers. When I posted a number (3 years, $1.8M a year) it was met with some resistance and in fact it looks to me like the Oilers will be able to sign him for slightly less.

In an Edmonton Journal article today Jim Matheson writes "The Oilers are likely pitching UFA winger Curtis Glencross a two-year deal in the $1.1M dollar range, but his Saskatoon based agent Dave Kaye may be looking in the $2M neighborhood, citing Glencross' goals-to-icetime ratio last year."

The goals to minutes argument is easily countered by "he's only done it in a very short period and has no history of success that would compare to his last 150 at-bats" which could be called the "Tuffy Rhodes" argument.

They could meet in the middle (2M + 1.1M divided by 2= $1.55M) and the Oilers will still come in under what I'd estimated (1.8M). There's also a chance the Glencross side holds out for more.

And chances are they get it, if not from the Oilers then a team badly in need of someone who has shown ability (in a very short term) to play with abandon and score goals. Is he proven? No.

Does it matter? Not this UFA season.

Strongest Drafts, Five Years Out

2008-05-15T17:17:00.005-06:00

This is Sam Gagner moments after the Oilers selected him at last summer's Entry Draft.

Each year I do a "Games Played" comparison of Entry Drafts by the Oilers, with a five year window as the "line in the sand." Five years isn't really enough to get a complete picture of a specific year, but it's a clear indicator of success, since everyone is 23 or older by that time.

Here are the seasons in order, with the years that are not yet complete listed below:

1980-1,056 (Paul Coffey-394, Jari Kurri-363, Walt Poddubny-157, Andy Moog-142)
1979-1,052 (Kevin Lowe-383, Mark Messier-375, Glenn Anderson-290, Mike Toal-3, Blair Barnes-1)
1993-602 (Jason Arnott-321, Miro Satan-217, Ilya Byakin-57, Alex Kerch-5, Nick Stajduhar-2)
2001-471 (Ales Hemsky-275, Jussi Markkanen-128, Ales Pisa-53, Kari Haakana-13, Doug Lynch-2)
1996-466 (Tom Poti-230, Boyd Devereaux-230, Matthieu Descoteaux-5, Chris Hajt-1)
1981-440 (Grant Fuhr-211, Gord Sherven-84, Marc Habscheid-80, Steve Smith-57, Todd Strueby-5, Paul Houck-3)
2002-440 (Jarret Stoll-286, Matt Greene-151, Mikko Luoma-3)
1994-439 (Ryan Smyth-269, Mike Watt-89, Jason Bonsignore-79, Ladislav Benysek-2)
1989-414 (Anatoli Semenov-240, Josef Beranek-146, Peter White-26, Darcy Martini-2)
1991-406 (Martin Rucinsky-241, David Oliver-124, Tyler Wright-41)
1999-361 (Mike Comrie-241, Alexei Semenov-92, Jani Rita-15, Tony Salmelainen-13)
2003-352 (Kyle Brodziak-96, Zack Stortini-95, Marc Pouliot-78, JF Jacques-53; Mathieu Roy-30) **one season left
1982-345 (Jaroslav Pouzar-186, Raimo Summanen-142, Steve Graves-14, Jim Playfair-2, Deane Clark-1)
1983-322 (Esa Tikkanen-191, Jeff Beukeboom-117, John Miner-14)
1992-286 (Kirk Maltby-236, Ralph Intranuovo-22, Joaquin Gage-18, Joe Hulbig-6, Marko Tuomainen-4)
1987-235 (Geoff Smith-207, Peter Eriksson-20, Igor Vyazmikin-4, Shaun Van Allen-2, Tomas Srsen-2)
1998-229 (Shawn Horcoff-188, Alex Henry-41)
1995-213 (Georges Laraque-126, Steve Kelly-86, Mike Minard-1)
1984-186 (Todd Ewen-121, Emanuel Viveiros-29, Selmar Odelein-18, Simon Wheeldon-11, Daryl Reaugh-7)
1985-164 (Kelly Buchberger-140, Scott Metcalfe-19, Mike Ware-5)
2000-153 (Matt Lombardi-134, Brad Winchester-19)
2005-108 (Andrew Cogliano-82, Danny Syvret-26) **two seasons left
2007-79 (Sam Gagner) **four seasons left
1988-63 (Shjon Podein-40, Francois Leroux-11, Len Barrie-9, Trevor Sim-3)
1986-31 (Ron Shudra-10, Dan Currie-5, David Haas-5, Jim Ennis-5, Kim Issel-4, Mike Greenlay-2)
2004-21 (Bryan Young-17, Rob Schremp-3, Liam Reddox-1)
1997-16 (Michel Riesen-12, Jason Chimera-4)
2006-1 (Theo Peckham) **three seasons left
1990-0

Here are the seasons that are not yet completed:

2007- 79 (Sam Gagner)
2006- 1 (Theo Peckham)
2005- 108 (Andrew Cogliano-82, Danny Syvret-26)
2004- 21 (Bryan Young-17; Rob Schremp-3; Liam Reddox-1)
2003-352** (Kyle Brodziak-96, Zack Stortini-95, Marc Pouliot-78, JF Jacques-53; Mathieu Roy-30) **one season left

A few notes on each season since Prendergast took over as lead man of the scouting staff:

2001: Ranks 4th overall and is one of the best draft seasons in Oiler history. You can nick the draft Edmonton had that season because of the overagers but Doug Lynch getting injured is also a consideration. Ales Hemsky carries the day in any argument and I think the 2001 draft represents a very good "starting point" for success that should roll out for this team well into the next decade.
2002: Ranks 7th overall and gave the Oilers two NHL regulars in Stoll & Greene. A little misleading in that Stoll was a draft re-entry and technically belongs to the 2000 group but this would appear to be solidly in the "average draft" window.
2003: Ranks 12th overall and there is one season's worth of games to add to this group. The 2003 draft was an extremely deep one and the Oilers didn't perform well at the top of the draft compared to other clubs. Still, measured against their own previous success this draft could rank #4 overall by this time next season.
2004: Ranks 26th overall and this season will be important to this draft group. The 2004 -05 season was the lockout year so there are 2 years left to add for the 2004 draft crop. So far no one has emerged as a regular and it appears to be the "weak sister" of the Prendergast group.
2005: Ranks 22nd overall already with 2 years left and Andrew Cogliano already more established than any of the 2004 kids. There's a very nice group bubbling under from this draft year but it is very unlikely to be a top 10 draft on this list after 5 seasons.
2006: Theo Peckham has had a cup of coffee and there are 3 seasons left for this group but without a first rounder it's unlikely to emerge as a top 10 draft 5 seasons after.
2007: Sam Gagner has already played one full season (79 games) with a possible 328 games straight ahead before the 5 year anniversary. Gagner alone could make this one of the 10 best Oiler drafts by this metric.

Draft Odds

2008-05-14T21:56:00.004-06:00

This is Shawn Van Allen. He was selected 105th overall in 1987 by Edmonton and delivered 794 NHL games. By any stretch that's covering a draft bet.

In 2004 a study of the 1979-1995 drafts showed:

1. 4,136 players were drafted by NHL teams.
2. 55% never played a game in the NHL.
3. 24% played less than 200 games.
4. 15% turned out to be average NHLers
5. 4% turned into impact players
6. 2% turned out to be a elite players

Oilers Sign Pitton

2008-05-14T17:18:00.005-06:00

The Edmonton Oilers signed goalie Bryan Pitton today, giving them 6 professional goaltenders: Garon & Roloson at the big league level, and minor leaguers Jeff Deslauriers, Devan Dubnyk and Glenn Fisher. Deslauriers and Fisher are RFA. Bjorn Burling plays pro in Europe but is not signed to a contract with the Oilers (although they control his rights).

Pitton had a nice regular season and a kick-ass playoffs. His season stats (2.54, .911 in 51 games) were solid and his tremendous post-season (1.80, .938) was out of this world. Pitton's SP was third in the OHL playoffs this spring despite his 1-4 record in the second season. His SP tied him for 9th during the regular year.

He's listed at 6-2, 176 and apparently enjoys fishing. That is the extent of the scouting report available to fans on Bryan Pitton. The Oilers drafted him in the 5th round and one would guess he'll play in Stockton in the fall.

He's 20 and has a chance to continue his hockey career with one of the 30 NHL clubs. I imagine he's pretty happy today.

Spokane in the Memorial Cup!

2008-05-14T07:14:00.002-06:00

This is Brantt Myhres as a Lowell Lock Monster. He was also a Spokane Chief, a Lethbridge Hurricane, a Portland Winterhawk and a Bonnyville Baron before that. Myhres had an NHL career and was an Edmonton Oiler for a very brief time:

1. Traded from Tampa Bay with a conditional pick to Edmonton for Vladimir Vujtek and a 3rd rd pick in the 1998 Entry Draft (July 15, 1997)

2. Traded from Edmonton Oilers to Philadelphia Flyers for Jason Bowen (October 15, 1997)

Myhres' old team (the Chiefs) have made it to the Memorial Cup this spring. Mirtle has it covered over on his site and it's worth following every year because it means so damn much. You'd think I'd be a little torn about which team to cheer for, since Spokane is in America and Kitchener, Belleville and Gatineau are in Canada.

But I've been to Spokane and love the place. If you're ever down that way make sure to take a few days and spend it at nearby Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. It's so pretty it should be an hour from Lake Louise.

Training Camp Survivor 07-08 (A Look Back)

2008-05-13T18:03:00.005-06:00

This is Anson Carter. He had a small part in the Oilers 07-08 season, beginning September 16 when he signed a tryout contract and ending October 1st when he was released with only a headache to show for two weeks work. He would sign HC Lugano (Swiss League) on November 5, 2007 and went 15gp, 3-5-8 for them.

I always like to look back at training camp to see who got voted off the island first and which players may have made the greatest impact during the season.

As an example, a player sent down on the first day of cuts (September 16) who eventually played in the show during the year would have to improve markedly during the year. Also, a player coming out of junior or college or attending their first pro training camp who played in the NHL during the year would have accomplished something rather amazing.

So with that said, here are the dates of assignment and players who made it back to the show are in bold:

September 16: Oilers assign G's Brian Pitton, Glenn Fisher, D's Theo Peckham, Rick Berry, TJ Reynolds, Allan Rourke, F's Stephane Goulet, Colin McDonald, Jacob Micflikier, Geoff Paukovich, David Rohlfs, Milan Kytnar, William Quist, Vitaly Karamnov. Notes: Rourke had a nice run in the show and certainly came in handy, but the player of interest here imo is Peckham who had a helluva year to even get a cup of coffee.
September 17: Send out Ryan Flinn.
September 24: Send out Adam Huxley and TJ Kemp.
September 26: Send out D's Sebastien Bisaillon, Danny Syvret, Bryan Young and F's Troy Bodie, Fredrik Johansson, Ryan O'Marra, Liam Reddox, Rob Schremp, Slava Trukhno. Notes: Looking back, this might appear to be a little early for Schremp to be sent out (they were at 35 after these cuts) but his injury probably set in stone that he was on the way to the Falcons. Reddox getting a callup is a reflection of a huge step forward season over season and Bryan Young is one of those stay-at-home defensemen who keep getting recalled because they are safe options. He's the new Tom Reid. Bisaillon is a guy who probably would have gotten the call if not for injury and I think he's the top "sleeper" prospect no one ever mentions among the Oiler group of kids.
September 27: Oilers assign G Devan Dubnyk, F's Tim Sestito, Jonas Almtorp and Ben Simon to the minors.
September 29: Oilers send out Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers.
October 1: Oilers release Anson Carter.
October 1: Oilers place Patrick Thoresen on waivers. Note: He clears and is sent to Springfield.
October 1: Oilers sign Sam Gagner. This is a terrific accomplishment. Kid arrives in camp, turns heads and makes the team. Out of junior. At age 18. Three months after the draft.
October 3: Oilers make their final cuts to get down to 23 players. D's Ladislav Smid, Mathieu Roy and Alex Plante, F's Zack Stortini, Patrick Thoresen and Tyler Spurgeon are sent away. Plante and Spurgeon survived until now because of injury, Smid and Roy would be up and Stortini had his final disappointment before winning an NHL job for what looks like it'll be some time. All of the cuts who weren't injured ended up playing in the NHL in 07-08.
October 3: This meant C Andrew Cogliano made the club straight out of college. Although not on the same level as the leap made by Sam Gagner, it doesn't happen every season with these Edmonton Oilers.

Wilson Fired

2008-05-12T17:49:00.002-06:00

This is Ron Wilson as a Minnesota North Star, maybe 1986. He was fired today after once again falling short of a pennant and trip to the Stanley Cup finals.

Wilson is a very famous coach for a man who hasn't won it all (three stops as head man so far, Washington, Anaheim and San Jose) but has one pennant (Washington, 1998) and I doubt he'll spend long out of the big league coaching loop.

He is known for bringing technology to the forefront in the National Hockey League and early this calendar year won his 500th NHL regular season game. He was the 11th man in the league's history to do it.

After losing in the second round for the third year in a row, the Sharks as an organization had enough of him. He also probably didn't help himself with a bizarre press conference right after the season.

If there is an ideal team for Wilson to coach, with his swagger and his laptop, it would most certainly be Toronto. It's the logical marriage and it would probably work.

Who by Numbers

2008-05-12T17:24:00.003-06:00

This is one of the great forgotten albums of days past, from what might be the best rock and roll band of all time (other contenders: The Band, Stones, Clash, Allmans, EW&F).

A fabulous new site has graced the Al Gore and if you're a fan of the NHL draft then you simply must see it.

Free Wheeler?

2008-05-11T12:34:00.004-06:00

The player to the left is Blake Wheeler, a top 5 pick by the Phoenix Coyotes the year Edmonton picked Dubnyk and Schremp later in the first round. Wheeler is turning pro and this article tells us he may not end up in Phoenix.

Since the Oilers spent much of the early part of the decade drafting every Coke Machine possible, is Blake Wheeler a possible target? Phoenix has 30 days and then it's a free-for-all. Wheeler is from Minnesota so one imagines a team like the Wild might have the inside track if Wheeler doesn't sign with the 99s.

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T09:13:00.002-06:00

It's 9:15 and my daughter is still in bed. My son got up awhile ago and gave his Mother her card (that I picked out) and wrote "Let my ranting forever be loved as much as thou loves me lol." Last year he came out of his room at about 9:15 wearing only underwear, scratched himself ala Reggie Jackson in the batter's box, muttered "Happy Mother's Day" and proceeded into the kitchen where he spilled chocolate milk in the fridge before stumbling back to bed.

She doesn't do it for the wages and she doesn't do it for the fringe benefits and God knows she doesn't do it because she gets to sleep with me.

I think I married better than she did. Happy Mother's Day.

What Are These Prospects Worth At the Draft?

2008-05-11T07:35:00.004-06:00

One of the fringe forwards to watch this summer will be Jean-Francois Jacques. With the LW depth chart full (Penner, Nilsson, Torres, Moreau) and possibly even more crowded by draft day (Glencross) the possibility exists that Jacques might be headed out of town for a draft choice.

But only if he's healthy.

A May 1st item from Jim Matheson mentioned he was "on the mend" from a disc problem in his back. If he is well enough to trade, does he have enough of a track record of success to get something useful in return? What about Schremp? Pouliot?

First, let's put together an approximate depth chart and include Glencross just for fun:

Hemsky
Horcoff
Penner
Gagner
Cogliano
Nilsson
Pisani
Stoll
Brodziak
Glencross
Torres
Moreau
Stortini
Pouliot
Schremp
Jacques

Let's take 14-16 one at a time.

JF JACQUES TRADE VALUE

The best "trade comp" I found for Jacques in the last 2 seasons was the deal from June of last year that sent Chris Thorburn from Pittsburgh to Atlanta for a 3rd rd pick (2007) that became D Robert Bortuzzo at the draft. It was the 78th overall selection.
Thorburn is a big winger who can play a physical game and scores goals when in the AHL. He's carved out a role that would fit JF Jacques pretty well.
Considering Jacques injury problems, the fact that he will be exposed to waivers and the impressive quality and depth of this draft I'd peg Jacques value as something south of slot #100. Fair?

ROB SCHREMP TRADE VALUE

The best "comp trade" for Schremp is the Pavol Demitra trade from June 2006: Los Angeles Kings traded Pavol Demitra to the Minnesota Wild for Patrick O'Sullivan and a 1st round selection in 2006. The pick became Trevor Lewis.
O'Sullivan is a better pro prospect than Schremp and has been since they turned pro in 2005(O'Sullivan) and 2006(Schremp). O'Sullivan's AHL points-per-game (at at 20 for each) number trumps Schremp (1.19 to .768) and he's now pretty much an established NHL player (22-31-53) at age 23.
Considering Schremp is a lesser prospect than O'Sullivan and that a first round pick was also included in the package for Demitra, I'd say the Oilers could deal Schremp and the pick at 22 for a slightly less impressive veteran player than Demitra (who is two years from UFA status). We also must include in this scenario the idea that the Wild may have been willing to overpay somewhat because Demitra was their target.
Considering all the numbers and equations in point #3, and because of the depth of this draft, and because he is unproven and does have issues, I'd peg Schremp's trade value in terms of draft slot at about #50. Fair?

MARC POULIOT TRADE VALUE

The best "comp trade" I could find is a trade involving Edmonton from Jun 26, 2004: Edmonton Oilers traded Jason Chimera and a 3rd round selection in 2004 to the Phoenix Coyotes for a 2nd (#57, Geoff Paukovich) and 4th round selections in 2004.
Chimera was more established at the NHL level at the time of his trade (he'd played 130 games and Pouliot has played 78 at this time) but Chimera had also played 5 pro seasons to Pouliot's 3 pro season. At the age Pouliot was last fall (22), Jason Chimera had played 4 NHL games compared to Pouliot's 54.
Considering all of these elements involved I'd peg Pouliot's value in terms of draft slot at #45. Fair?

Redden?

2008-05-10T08:46:00.006-06:00

Wade Redden is going to be a free agent this summer. The Oilers have apparently tried to deal for him a time or two and since he's from around here there's probably going to be some speculation about him in an Oilers uniform.

Redden is likely to make less than his previous ($6.5M) contract as he appears to have levelled off as an NHL player over the last 24 months.

Here's the Oilers current depth chart (based on salary) and their contract situation:

Sheldon Souray (31) 6.25M, 5.5M, 4.5M, 4.5M UFA 2012
Tom Gilbert (24) 3.5M, 3.5M, 5.5M, 5M, 3.5M, 3M UFA 2014
Joni Pitkanen (24) RFA 2008
Steve Staios (34) 2.9M, 2.8M, 2.2M, UFA 2011
Denis Grebeshkov (24) 1.5M, RFA 2009
Matt Greene (24) 1.25M RFA 2009
Ladislav Smid (21) .952M, RFA 2009

If the Oilers brought in Redden it would almost certainly mean Joni Pitkanen would be heading out of town. Possibly for picks or an inexpensive scoring winger and picks. Is that a trade that makes Edmonton better?