If you're an Oilers fan you've probably felt a mix of emotions over the past month. Everything from FUCK MY LIFE I WANT TO DIE!!! To Holy Shit that Dubnyk is pretty good, and if we didn't have all of these injuries we wouldn't be a lottery team.
Right now I am just totally fucking confused as to what I am seeing on a night to night basis.
Last Year UFA signings...
Belanger - I still like this signing. I don't like how he's been used on the Power Play but he's effective in the defensive zone, decent at shutting down 5 on 5 and he's still pretty solid in the dot.
If I was Tom Renney, Belanger would be my 3rd line center playing 15-16 mins a night, 1st or 2nd unit PK and he wouldn't even get a sniff at the PP... but maybe sniffing Renney's PP is what is giving him that ice time, who knows.
If I was Tambellini, Belanger would be on the block and I would take a 2nd rounder or a blue chip prospect for him at the deadline. If that isn't offered he can stay on the 3rd/4th line.
Eager - Well it only took him 30 games to figure his shit out and he gets hurt again. FUCK! Well, better luck next year I guess.
If Eager can continue playing like he had before he tweaked his back the Oilers will have a stellar 3rd line next year. Eager-Horcoff-Jones
Barker - The jury is still out. He wasn't flashy, he got the job done some nights and looked lost others. I wouldn't qualify him this summer and hopefully he finds a spot on a Western Conference team so that Hall/Ebs/Nuge/Jones/Eager et al. can expose him with their speed.
Sutton - If he isn't traded at the deadline this guy is a must to come back next year. Suspensions aside he calms the game down and can lay some massive bone-crushing hits.
Hordichuk - He knows his role and plays it well. Like the signing and I hope he is back next year.
Trade Deadline is looming...
Who should stay and who should go?
Going, going gone...
Hemsky - Playing with Hall lately has definitely increased his trade value. Let's just hope that the other GM's have only watched Ales recently. He can provide secondary scoring on any team that is in the hunt. If Nashville wasn't on such a tear I could see Hemsky being a perfect fit there.
Hemsky for Ellis or Blum would be a good place to start a trade. Not sure who would need to add what but if Nashville wants to go further than a first round upset they need a dynamic offensive presence and Hemsky would fill that need.
TSN's Dreger says Gagner could be shipped out... I sure hope not. I wrote at the beginning of the year he would either be a winger on the Oilers or he would be traded. Let's hope I'm wrong.
If he is traded there better be an overpayment coming back because he is still one of the best picks from the first round in 07.
Khabibulin is someone I think may actually have some trade value. I could see him going to Chicago to help bolster their goalie tandem. If the Hawks want to make another cup run and get by the Canucks, Wings, Bruins/Flyers they better hope Crawford is hot all the way through or they could be screwed. Khabi is just insurance and he played damn good when he was there before.
The future of Oilers Management...
I was told a couple weeks ago Tambellini was being extended. Terry Jones confirmed that with his article and I'm not so sure I'm sold on that move.
I believe Tambellini's future should be saved or cut short based on this trade deadline. If he fucks up with the all but surely Hemsky move he's gone. If he makes a steal of a trade give him one more year.
Next year the Oilers must push for the playoffs or Lowe, Tambellini, Renney, Kreuger and Bucky should all be let go.
Now on to Renney. The kids love him, he's saying the right things but I feel he is going to be Tambellini's scapegoat. If I were king of the world he would be getting a 1 year extension. Look at how well the young guys have developed under him. Specifically look at Smid, Hall, Eberle and Gilbert. Renney may not be the right coach to take them to the Stanley Cup but right now he is the right guy to lead them to a playoff push next season. If the Oilers keep losing, Renney will be gone the day after the season is finished.
And the next Captain of the Edmonton Oilers is...
Taylor Hall. The guy carved a C in his head, he wants it, the Oilers need it. This summer Renney(or whoever replaces him) needs to make it happen. The kid is a born leader and it is about time he is given the reigns to his team. Brownlee's piece at Oilersnation.com is absolutely bang on, that's why he's paid the big bucks and I still wear jeanshorts.
Let me clarify, I do not want Horcoff to be stripped I want him to offer up the 'C' to Hall. He's a classy guy and I think he will do it.
Finally, this is the first year in forever that I am not going to be watching the skills comp or the ASG so I apologize to you all for not doing another piece of shit mock draft.
Eat Shit Canucks
And follow me on Twitter
I disagree entirely about Hemmer. Trade him only if he isn't willing to talk about an extension. He can't seriously be expecting huge bucks either on an extension or on the open market given the last two years he's had.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that Nashville wants to rent a player and give up Ellis or Blum.
People aren't willing to give up anything decent for a short term rental unless they feel they are right there in terms of being a cup contender. Boston did it last year for Kaberle and probably regrets it even though they did win the cup (no thanks to him).
Trading Gagner now is a mistake regardless of what Dreger says. We need to keep NHL players not trade them away for prospects and magic beans.
Hemsky would have already signed an extension if he wanted to be an Oiler. The fact is his agent is probably working ST with comparables for his near point per game pace over the past 5 seasons. Since the lockout Hemsky's PPG is very similar to Rick Nash(7.8m), Patrick Marleau(6.9m), Ryan Getzlaf(5.3m) and Anze Kopitar(6.8m). If he wants that money it's not going to happen.
ReplyDeleteIf Nashville can get 2-3 more home playoff games those $$$ may be worth a rental in Hemsky and his negotiating rights until July 1.
Honestly at this point I'm assuming it would have to be Hemsky + for Ellis or Blum but it would definitely be worth a try.
I don't think that's the case. I suspect that both sides were waiting to see how he'd bounce back with the injury and he really hasn't been back all that long. If he won't sign then obviously they have to get rid of him but I don't think that it has been made abundantly clear that he doesn't want to stay. I actually think that a guy who doesn't really like the spotlight like Hemmer is content to let the negotiations take place in the background as opposed to the newspapers.
ReplyDeleteNash and Marleau are both overpays and if he uses them as comparables he's lost it. PPG is always a good stat for injured players. No way he gets that kind of money from anyone.
Kopitar is younger and healthier (and a C to boot) so again the comparable isn't quite there.
Nashville needs young cheap players if they want to fill out a decent roster after signing Weber and Suter (assuming they still intend to). Blum and Ellis are non-starters for a rental IMO