"Sifting through the Edmonton Oiler trade rumours"

With a trade just recently completed again by MacT, I figured a blog to discuss trade rumours would be interesting. Now these rumours I am about to post come from a variety of sources. Some are absolutely terrible and throw stuff out there hoping something will stick , while others are somewhat credible and yet a couple others have good merit. So before you read on, no need to crucify me and act like I am trying to get hits on this blog and throwing garbage to the wind. It is just tossing out rumours (and they are only that) and walking through even remote possibilities.

Here are rumours that have been floating around by over 15 sources in one way or another, just take it all with a grain of salt;

1)RUMOUR:Sam Gagner and Oscar Klefbom for Jack Johnson:
MY THOUGHTS: Scott Howson is the one who brought him to Columbus and has now returned with Edmonton. Don't be mistaken with the bad rap Scott got in Columbus. Most the players they have doing well and their current success has more to do with what Scott was putting together then the newly appointed President and new GM. The Blue Jackets do a great job in development of other d-men (See Jan Hedja) They also have bigger players so Gagner is not just another of the same kind of player. Fans are split on Jackson, some think he brings what we need while others think he is utterly terrible and slow. It's a mixed bag but I am one who thinks as a second pairing defensemen he would fit perfect into what we need but that is me.

Jack Johnson salary is about $4.36 million/year and after this year has 4 years left on his contract at that rate. He averages about 35-40 points a year on the back end. Is 6'1 and 231 pounds of bruising defensemen and is 27 years old. Gagner has about $4.8 million per year hit for the next 2 seasons, averages about 45 points per year playing in the top 6 for forwards. Stands 5'11 and is around 198 pounds. I actually think this trade could work well for CBJ as they get potential in a good draft pick that is developing and big with Klefbom but far from a NHL player yet. Gagner who could fit well if playing with bigger, heavier players on a team that is not all about run and gun hockey. Salary is a wash pretty much but if needed they can exchange a small deal in this to help send another player CBJ way and one more player with a additional 1 million extra to the Oilers. CBJ are close to the cap so it may need sweetened on that part. This deal could be something that could have some wheels if the parties both like it.  (P.S. I would rather keep Klefbom and throw in another player but he may be the player they want)

2)RUMOUR: Ales Hemsky to the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and/or the Columbus Blue Jackets.
MY THOUGHTS: Ales Hemsky is a $5 million salary and a UFA. That means he is a rental player but his next contract will likely be more in the 3.5-4 million mark. There is also discussion that Hemsky could be resigned, unless its a 2 year $3.25 million/year deal, the Oilers will not be wise to resign Hemsky. He is young enough still to serve on a few teams as a complimentary 2nd line player. I see Detroit as a good possible landing spot and/or CBJ. I do not see Hemsky a fit whatsoever in Toronto though. If they could trade Hemsky to Detroit I would push for Thomas Jurco or Martin Frk in the prospects department. We could use some higher skill forward prospects in the system.

3)RUMOUR: Gagner and Ryan Smyth, and defenseman Nick Schultz, are also on the trade block.
MY THOUGHTS:We already know Gagner's name is out there and with N.Schultz becoming a UFA at year end may be a great bet for a depth defenseman to a team looking to make a long playoff push. My best guess would be Chicago, Detroit,Anaheim, St.Louis, San Jose or Montreal. In regards to Smyth, unless he gets a opportunity with a team like Pittsburgh, Boston, Chicago or San Jose I highly doubt he is moving. I think you are looking at Ryan playing out the year in Edmonton and maybe signing a 1 year contract for less then this years $2.25 million he finishes this year at.

4)RUMOUR:Sam Gagner. Ales Hemsky and Ryan Smyth are expected to be possibly moving out before the trade deadline day expires.  
MY THOUGHTS:From some reports there’s been no dialog between Craig MacTavish and Ryan Smyth. Those same reports say their belief is that Smyth wants one more crack with a winning team to see if he can win the Stanley Cup. They believe he’s still effective, at least in the offensive zone, so they expect his name will heat up as we get closer to the deadline. I am not so sure but see RUMOUR #3 re:Smyth thoughts.Re: Ales Hemsky see RUMOUR #2 thoughts.

5)RUMOUR:  The Oilers won’t take Kootenay forward Sam Reinhart (not big enough) in the draft if available
MY THOUGHTS:I take this inside rumour of information with a grain of salt. Before many fans start drilling me, you need to know the hockey world looks at Sam Reinhart as a player much in the same mold as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with Hockey IQ and his defensive awareness at the same age (not to mention his experience)is greater then what we got in RNH. He could make the perfect #2 Center on this team behind RNH and at 6'1 and 183 pounds is actual the same height as RNH but 5 pounds heavier at the same exact age. Not a big center but won't be a small one either.If the Oilers draft 2nd or third overall and Ekblad is gone, Reinhart will be their 2nd choice. They have the chance to give him a extra year in jr and if he shows continued promise could be ready in only a couple years. You don't pass on a player this high end and with incredible hockey IQ and skill for a lower chance % of a bigger size center or even a trade for a established roster player unless they are a long term contract fit and a top 6 forward to top 2 defenseman.IMO the Oilers won't be trading their #1 pick unless a top #2 defenseman is valuable in the trade.

6)RUMOUR: - The Edmonton Oilers are likely moving Sam Gagner —
MY THOUGHTS:See Rumour #3 thoughts 

7)RUMOUR: Hemsky to Ottawa for Zack Smith
MY THOUGHTS:Mike Cammarelli is becoming a UFA and could be moved and it's known that he is a good friend of Spezza's so he is likely a better target. Ottawa needs to find a winger for Spezza so it is a possibility they could consider Hemsky. He has 3 more years on his contract at $1.9 million/year so Zach Smith could be a great fit moving forward as a 4th line center and good cap hit. Was a confirmed conversation last off-season but not sure why the deal didn't go further.

8)RUMOUR: Ales Hemsky and Sam Gagner will find their name being tossed around by the Oilers.
MY THOUGHTS:Craig MacTavish is hoping to get a top-six forward, a top-four defenseman or a starting goalie in return for Gagner’s services, anything less and it's highly unlikely he makes a deal

9)RUMOUR:  Gagner for Andrew Ladd, Blake Wheeler or Dustin Byfuglien. 
MY THOUGHTS:With Mark Scheifele and Brian Little solidified at centre on the top two lines, Gagner would have to play on the wing in Winnipeg. Andrew Ladd has 2 more years at $4.4 million/year and is a big boy at 6'3 and 205 pounds. His salary is manageable for what he can bring to a top 6 in Edmonton and if available you would think that Edmonton would feel he could fit perfectly with what they are looking for. Personally I would move quite a bit to make this happen. Ladd brings more grit, size, skill and experience to a team that continues to go in that direction. Blake Wheeler is going nowhere and Dustin Byfuglien.has very little interest in Edmonton among Oilers brass IMO as he is a player in the Penner mood. Fans would eat him alive with complaints that he takes nights off. 

10)RUMOUR: trade talk is happening between the New York Rangers and the Edmonton Oilers(players discussed are unknown)
MY THOUGHTS:A report came out of New York speculating trade talk between the New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers sparked lots of considerable buzz in hockey circles. This could have been just a media spectacle finding something to write about but many various sources for some time have stated that Edmonton wants some size in a power forward and the Rangers would like to add some high end skill. Reports say Ryan Callahan but the guy while playing big (Like Andrew Ferance) is only 5'10 and 187 pounds. Not a player who you would think would be on the Oilers radar, not to mention he will be a UFA next year and is rumoured to be seeking 6-7 million/year on a new contract. The only two likely players of interest to the Oilers are Chris Kreider or Marc Staal. Neither one of those players would be likely available so chances are there is no deal to be made with the Rangers.

11)RUMOUR: Oilers will NOT trade 1st round pick unless they drop below top 3 picks in case Ekblad could be available to select.

MY THOUGHTS:MacT has been on record as saying 'Ekblad is a right hand shot, Nurse is a left hand shot,that would make a pretty good pairing for years to come'. I would have to agree with MacT's statement and say, those 2 players are a incredible foundation to build a team on, for the next decade of hockey in Edmonton. MacT did not believe they even stood a chance of selecting in the top 3 in the 2014 NHL Entry draft but now that it's a 90% chance they select top 2, Ekblad can be had and in no way do I see them trading their #1 pick before the trade deadline or before they step up to the podium in June.

12)RUMOUR: Yakupov and a top prospect defensman for LA Kings 1st round 2014 pick and Kyle Clifford

MY THOUGHTS:Kyle makes just under $1.1 million/year and has 1 additional year on his contract and at 6'2, 209 pounds he is the big forward they may be looking forward. The Oilers have expressed interest in him before but his point totals do not show he is capable of playing top 6 so he would not be worth more then a top prospect out of Edmonton's system. That would mean Yakupov for the Kings mid round 1st round pick. What is the best that would be. 20th Overall? Not a chance there is anything to this rumour whatsoever.

13)RUMOUR:The Oilers will likely trade Sam Gagner, with Nail Yakupov and/or Jordan Eberle possibly next in line if a deal presents himself.

MY THOUGHTS:See RUMOUR#3 re:Gagner. Nail Yakupov could very well be on the block but there is no way he is traded unless equal or greater value is sent back and don't think that means his current value but his #1 overall value and potential to be a pure goal scorer as evidenced last year and in the KHL and jr. With Jordon Eberle, it's always possible but unless it's a top 3 big power forward with lots of contract or a top 2 d-man, Jordon is going nowhere.

14)RUMOUR: Ales Hemsky to Pittsburgh as rental player for a prospect forward

MY THOUGHTS:This could be a very legitimate rumour especially since Pascal is lost for the year and they already were going to look at picking up 1 more player at the trade deadline. Now with needing 2 players, Hemsky could be had if the price is right.For quite awhile it's been thought Ales may do well playing with Crosby. Being a UFA they can unload Hemsky if they don't want to resign him. On the other hand Hemsky's contract could still make this a difficult trade unless they eat some salary in this someway.

15)RUMOUR:Jon.Gibson and Davante.Smith-Pelly for Sam.Gagner and a 5th round pick

MY THOUGHTS:As unlikely as this sounds to some, this could be a trade that could make sense.Gibson is a highly touted goalie of the future(which the Oilers are still looking for in their system)and Smith-Pelly is a bigger power forward (in weight)who likes to throw his weight around and could be a long term potential fit if he can lift his game in the NHL to what was originally hoped. The last two years he has been floating in the system up and down but Anaheim is a tough team to crack. Not sure Anaheim does this deal but Gagner could fill a winger role where Selanne is likely retiring from next year.His size will not be a issue in Anaheim.

16)RUMOUR:Cam Ward to Edmonton
MY THOUGHTS:The Hurricanes and Oilers have denied that they talked about Cam Ward. Rutherford denies any interest in moving Ward but a Scrivens/Ward combo could be a nice blend in Edmonton to cover us for a few years while we develop a goalie in the system. With 2 more years and $6.3 million/year on his contract that might be too steep of a price to pay. The dollar figure tells me, the Oilers will not be interested in the slightest.

17)RUMOUR:Eberle + 1st 2014 for Weber + a prospect
MY THOUGHTS:This rumour keeps getting mentioned by MSM but from those closet to the organization Weber is going nowhere at no price as he is the face of the franchise. Unless the owner wants to drop salary and take a huge loss from his bonus, it's not happening.

18)RUMOUR:Oilers 2014 first round pick in a package deal with a roster defenseman for Nashville Predators captain Shea Weber and a roster player

MY THOUGHTS:see RUMOUR#17 thoughts

19)RUMOUR:Sam Gagner to the LA Kings

MY THOUGHTS:See RUMOUR#15. The Kings could use some scoring and could look at pending UFAs in Matt Moulson, Thomas Vanek and Mike Cammalleri. Gagner could be an option, but he has two years left at $4.8 million, something the Kings may not be thrilled with. Some insiders think the Kings will go the rental route.

20)RUMOUR:From Ottawa, Methot, Craig.Anderson, Zach Smith, and a prospect (not Lazar) for Nail.Yakupov and the Oilers 1st round pick 2014 

MY THOUGHTS:So potentially the Oilers trade Nail Yakupov and Aaron Ekblad for a #1 Goalie, #4 d-man, #4 center and a prospect. Not likely even close unless that prospect is Lazar.

21)RUMOUR:Jon.Gibson+ Anaheim's 3rd round pick 2014 for Nail.Yakupov 

MY THOUGHTS:Not a chance they trade Nail Yakupov unless more is added or upped from this offer. Chances are this rumour is one just thrown out by MSM.

22)RUMOUR:Sam Gagner, Nail Yakupov & Kellen Jones to Toronto for Nazem Kadri, Jake Gardiner, Connor Brown and Toronto's 1st round pick 2014

MY THOUGHTS:One Toronto source suggests that both teams are in need of a shakeup; and that Gagner and Kadri have been rumoured to be moved and are unhappy with their teams. He believes that the Leafs need more help in their top 6 forwards and Edmonton needs defensive depth; he believes the draft pick and prospects balance out the value gap that Yakupov has over Gardiner. I find this proposal utter nonsense and is not even close to a deal Edmonton would make. A mid round draft pick means nothing and Gardiner is another Justin Schultz style player. The Oilers don't need defensive depth they need top 2 d-men. Don't see a fit with a trade out of TO at all.

For Oiler and Baron news and 2013/14 NHL draft watch www.twitter.com/revingev

Buffalo trade looming? 'Anything is possible!'

Been getting some questions flying my way today on a possible Buffalo trade rumour in light of speculation they are in discussions with a couple teams and one being the Edmonton Oilers.

Let's be straight up, I have not heard Grigorenko's name used at all, only who could it be the Oilers could trade for and what do they give up. So since everyone is speculating let's have some fun and look at some possibilities.

1.Ryan Miller

2.Thomas Vanek

3.Some 3rd or 4th line player

4. Mikhail Grigorenko

Let's cover each one....

1. Ryan Miller? While it is always possible, unless Dubynk is going to Buffalo I do not see this happening. We can't have 3 Goaltenders here and Miller has a high cap this year and we are running out of space. The only possibility if MacT was interested would be a trade something like Ales Hemsky, Martin Marincin and Dubynk for Ryan Miller. The trade off would be 8.5 M in NHL salary to Buffalo and 7M in NHL salary to Edmonton. Marincin is the price to to pay to unload the salary and get a more established goalie. * For those doubters of Miller, he is still a top 10 Goalie in this league IMO but do not think he would want to come to Edmonton with his NMC.

2. Thomas Vanek? After Edmonton pushed up his value on the RFA Market, he is now being made available in their rebuild. A awesome player but not sure the Oilers can afford this player without sending some cash away. Again any possible trade means money out and that requires a team adding something extra to help compensate. Possibility could be Hemsky, Jones, a prospect like Marincin or even Gernat along with a 2nd rd pick in 2014. Not likely to happen for a 1 year contract but again does it matter if the oilers can afford even 1 year and give up little? 

3. 3rd or 4th line player? Take your pick but I highly doubt the Sabres are interested in a player like Hemsky for a single year at his price tag. Unless they are shedding salary for salary, it is highly unlikely.

4. Grigorenko? This could be a interesting twist. The Oilers liked what they saw in Grigorenko when he came to town to visit before the draft, the scouts liked him but Nail and Ryan were no brainers when it came to 1st OV picks. But with so much talent coming up the ranks in Buffalo, they could afford to unload him for the right price. Buffalo was not pleased with his progress last year offensively but are we not talking about the same coach Ruff who many Oiler fans feel mishandled Hall at the World Championships? This trade makes sense from many view points? But to make this a fair trade what would Edmonton need to give up. Remember Buffalo is rebuilding and earlier in their stages. Maybe Lander, Marincin and a 3rd round 2014 draft pick? Is that over payment or under payment?

This is ALL speculation but should these 2 GM's talk trade, it would make for some very interesting news.

in the meantime, keep your stick on the ice!

'A closer look into the Oilers Bottom 6 forwards'

There has been lots of talk about Edmonton's bottom 6, but as it currently sits with Hemsky still in the mix, I don't quite see it as bad as others might. When you look further around the league most good teams spend very little on those bottom 6 and too much IMO is made of the bottom 6. It has been mentioned our bottom 6 was the scoring problem last year. I agree, they lacked scoring ability last year but our second line struggled as well. I do feel strongly that Perron will make a huge impact on that 2nd line with puck possession ability and relentless forechecking.

Taking a look here at the Oilers VS others teams bottom 6, I feel much better about our ability to produce this year. 


Edmonton
Ryan Jones- Boyd Gordon- Ales Hemsky
Ryan Smyth- Anton Lander- Jesse Joensuu/Mike Brown

Vancouver
Higgins-Schroeder-Hansen
Weise-Richardson-Santorelli

Carolina
Bowman-E.Lindholm-Palushaj
Westgarth-R.Nash-Dwyer

San Jose
Torres-Pavelski-Wingels
Sheppard-Desjardins-Burish

Buffalo
Foligno-Ott-Flyn
Kaleta-Grigorenko-Adam 

Pittsburgh
Bennett-Sutter-D'Agostini
Glass-Vitale-Adams

Ottawa
Conacher - Zibanejad - Condra
Greening - Smith - Neil

Tampa Bay
Palat-Johnson-Malone
Panikt-Thompson-Crombeen

This list could go on but very few teams actually have a incredible bottom 6 forward core. Nothing earth shattering here but nonetheless maybe its time to relax on picking apart our bottom 6 forwards and focus in on other others for growth and improvement. IMO, Edmonton has always been more focused on bottom 6 forwards then most teams fans in this league. Just a thought to ponder through a real slow summer.

Questions & more Questions in "Oilerland" pt 1

Where do I start? Between the MSM of TV and Radio, along with all our Oiler bloggers on the Internet and fans on twitter and Facebook, the world of hockey has some real crazy talk happening out there. Sure some stuff sounds quite interesting and plausible but some stuff does not even make sense. Sometimes it is simple deduction in figuring out what is ludicrous or what has possibility.

 I am like the next guy, always interested in the next possibility, be it a trade or signing or buyout. Also when trying to wade through the mud of the dirty waters of rumours and speculation, all you have to do is consider the few facts in front of you.When a team is over the cap, very low % of a chance that a team in that standing will trade for a player who has a high salary. Sure the Oilers can keep some kind of salary but unless they are getting a need met in their organization , why would they take on salary as well? Also it is unlikely a team will trade for a player unless they believe they can help their organization especially at the cost it takes. Some teams may take on salary for depth like Dallas did with Horcoff but they need the cap room first. All those small details need to be figured out.

The great insiders of the game don't just have a GUY, they have people who know or have heard that people are talking. They then do simple deduction of what are the different possibilities and demise from that conversation. After all that is done, they throw out that rumour possibility and then check out the reaction from the players, agents and the NHL clubs. Depending on what they hear, they either move forward or pull back off of the rumour. Very seldom, the great insiders know actual facts from directly within until it looks like it is almost all but over and the contract is all but signed.

There are only really 3 players who are constantly in rumour mills and could or have some kind of trade value should the Oilers make such a move. (we will all disagree of how much trade value they carry but nonetheless they still have trade value of some sort. More then say Ryan Smyth at this point of his career)

Ales Hemsky:

A rumour for picking up Zack Smith from Ottawa is possible if they consider him a option as their third line center. MacT has said Gordon is 3rd line center so trading hemsky for a guy who would be a 4th line center and keeping part of his salary and paying that high of a price? Does not make sense. Oilers might as well keep Hemsky and worse case scenario is wait til trade deadline and get what they can to a contending team. Trading Hemsky to Ottawa does not make as much sense either if there is no room in the top 6. Who wants to pay 5 million to a player on the 3rd line? Remember Bobby Ryan going to Ottawa in a trade? That closes those doors. OTTAWA? 10% chance

What about New Jersey and the Devils? Unlikely due to his contract size unless the Oilers picked some of it up on their end. If that were to happen, who does NJ have that the Oilers need? You need to have a match for that to occur. NEW JERSEY? 10% chance

Been hearing about rumours to Long Island to join John Tavares? He would look good there very likely but doubt it happens. They have been going younger and are tired of possible injury prone players, they just bought out their worst mistake in franchise recently , they don't want any part of Hemsky IMO. NEW YORK ISLANDERS? 5% chance (never say never)

Remember the CBJ rumours awhile back? With Howsen out of Columbus maybe not the same desire for Hemsky as there once was? Or is there? They have been stockpiling some talent and maybe they are willing to take him for a spin if they can unload some money back to Edmonton in a deal. Sorry Ryan Johansen will not be coming back in a deal if only Hemsky is included, does not make sense from a CBJ perspective. Just look at there roster and it may give you a couple ideas. COLUMBUS? 15% chance

Forget Philly, the Rangers or even Boston. Those locations sound too cash strapped to even consider his 5 Million and unless they send back something Edmonton really needs why would they eat some of his salary? 

What about Pittsburgh? I know they are a cash strapped team. They have spent quite a bit on their top level players already so this trade would have to have the Oilers eating some of his salary. Is that possible? Only if they send something back the Oilers want or need. They are deep in defencemen, so that is always a good possibility. Your guess is as good as mine. PITTSBURGH? 10% chance.

Unless MacT is a real salesman, I think we see Hemsky still start the year in Edmonton with the understanding if he plays good, a Stanley Cup contender may trade for him before the deadline.Worst case scenario, one of Edmonton's top 6 goes down on one of the wings and Hemsky moves up a spot to the 2nd line and actually does return to scoring again when it matters.

IMO, if you can't bring decent 2nd line defencemen back or a 3rd line winger minimum, you keep the assets and at worst send him off at the deadline for cheap or let him play out his last year in Edmonton. Hemsky can handle our 3rd line role IMO. We may be grateful we kept him if you look at our current bottom 6 forwards. btw...the total % I show is 50% chance he gets moved only. (watch now how some other team I did not mention trades for Ales Hemsky)

I have been told by a few different places to look into some other options for him to go to Vancouver, Minnesota or Anaheim. Not sure I can see that happening myself but can't say never.

NEXT POST COMING ON; Ladislav Smid

What's With The Talk About Ales Hemsky?

I can't help but notice all the hubbub over Ales Hemsky lately. So much negativity about a player who was the best on the team for years. Now because of RNH, Hall and Eberle, Hemsky is old news?

The guy can still play. He still has that magic most players will never have or experience. Yet, we hate on him because he wants a bigger pay cheque? I don't get it.

Sure, it's pretty obvious he's moving on, but we can't forget what he gave us over the years. The beatings and poundings he took for the sake of scoring goals. The abuse from the top defencemen in the league night after night. Of course he'd get hurt once in a while. Every player goes through it. Hemsky was no exception.

But now that he's moving on, we forget that. We forget he was a fan favorite. We forget he cared about the Oilers and the fans themselves. We forget he was our star.

It will be a sad day when he moves on. I'll admit it. I'm going to miss him.

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY BURNT-

What to do with Hemsky....

To trade or not to trade, that is the question.

Personally I have always been a Hemsky supporter. I remember coming out of my seat along with 17,000 other fans, when Hemsky scored those 2 magical goals to clinch the 06 playoff spot. However I also believe the time has come for the Oilers to trade him. No need to negotiate, just trade him. Here's my opinion why.

He is always injured or hurt.
He does not have the "Oiler" work ethic.
He is one of the best UFA's coming up, he knows it, his agent knows it, 30 GM's know it.

The Oilers need cap space for the kids 2nd deals and for a PP QB D-man and maybe for Dubnyk too.

I don't believe the Oilers want to get into a bidding war for a player that in all honesty, you just don't know what you're getting in return. He could become the superstar I thought he would be by now or he could be forced into retirement with another shoulder injury.

By no means do I think he will be easy to replace. Maybe Omark? Maybe Cornet? Maybe a top pick from this years draft? Who really knows. Anyway I look at this, the Oilers would be best served to trade him. Bye Hemsky, its been a nice ride.

-WRITTEN BY PAQ TWINN-

TWITTER: www.twitter.com/paqtwinn

Edmonton Oilers On The Move?

Going by what I'm hearing on the radio and websites, there us a good possibility that some of the Oiler players will be on the move from now till the NHL trade deadline.

Bob Stauffer says that Ryan Smyth's agent is in Columbus today talking with Steve Tambellini. It could be about an extension or it could be about moving him to a cup contender and seeing him return to the Oilers in the summer. This late in his career it would be nice to see Smyth hoist the Stanley Cup. While it may not happen, there is that distinct possibility it will.

It's no secret that Ales Hemsky could be on the move as well. He's a free agent this summer and if Tambellini is smart, you don't let him walk for nothing. If Hemsky doesn't want an extension, he will be moved.

Sam Gagner has been very good lately and that could be reason enough to move him. I would think he's at his highest value right now. If the Oilers don't want to keep Gagner for the long term, now might be the best time to get max value for him. Me personally, I'd keep him.

Can the Oilers get anything for Nik Khabibulin? Possibly. Not sure how legit it is, but rumor has it Tampa Bay might want him back. He's been pretty good this year, but good enough a team wants him? Wait and see.

It also sounds like the Oilers might want to move Andy Sutton. He's a good teammate, but it's not looking like he's part if the future in Oil country. Possibility that he's traded soon too.

What will the Oilers get done and who's on the move? Stay tuned to www.OilersJambalaya.com

-Written by Smokin' Ray Burnt-

Tom Renney Is Very Unhappy With Ales Hemsky?

No doubt in my mind the Oilers coaching staff has had enough of Ales "Too Soft" Hemsky. Today's comments by Tom Renney rings out loud and clear.

With only 11 seconds left to play in the game, Ales Hemsky couldn't beat out the icing call setting up a faceoff in the Oilers end. In other words, he eased up.

"I've gotta play him. Manpower situation being what it is, his skill level, his ability to turn a game around.", says Renney. "I'll keep playing him till someone tells me not to, or I get to the point where we need to change the scenery. I'm not to that point yet."
Yet...

-Written by Smokin' Ray Burnt-

**Quotes from Marc Spector**

Ales Hemsky Hurt. Again.

You would think this was a picture from tonight. It's not. But it sure is the same shoulder.

In the first period of the Edmonton Oilers 2nd game of the season, Ales Hemsky hurt his shoulder once again. He's left the game and its been reported that he won't return.

The Oilers forward has had injuries before to his shoulders, so this isn't surprising. So much for a stellar year for #83.

We will keep you updated on this story.

EDIT: It appears like he hurt (right shoulder) it while making a cross ice pass near the end of the 1st period.  Nobody knows for sure when it happened or how (that pass or a hit), but after that pass, he didn't return. 

Tom Renney said after the game was over that his shoulder is just sore.  He also said not to speculate until it's checked out tomorrow.

-WRITTEN BY BRENT HUSKA-

The Season Starts Tonight! But Not For The Oilers...

With the brand new NHL season getting started tonight, us Oiler fans will have to sit and wait till Sunday. Boooooo!

But until the game starts, we let our minds wander and we drive ourselves crazy with anticipation. What lines will Renney run? Who starts in net? Will Smid be back from his injury? Will the Oilers acquire another Defencemen?

Let's take a look.

-----------------------------------------
LINE COMBOS FROM OILERS.com

Hall-Nugent-Hopkins-Hemsky
Smyth-Belanger-Eberle
Paajarvi-Horcoff-Omark
Petrell-Lander-Jones

Peckham-Gilbert
Sutton-Petry
Barker-Potter

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Not sure I agree with this at all. I'd rather have Belanger and Lander switched. I just don't see Belanger as a #2 guy and Lander could really use some quality line mates like Smyth and Eberle.

I'd probably switch Eberle and Hemsky too.  Can't resist a Smyth/Hemsky combo can you?

-----------------------------------------

MY LINE COMBOS (Power Play)

Hall - RNH - Eberle
Gilbert - Petry

Smyth - Lander - Hemsky
Barker - Omark or Paajarvi

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RUMORS AND STUFF

- There is talk going around that the Toronto Maple Leafs are interested in Sam Gagner.  Not sure how much truth there is on this, but Sportsnet analyst Doug McLean said today on the radio that he was asked about Gagner by some Leaf management the other day and he thought it was strange.  So there is legs to this story.  No word if the Oilers would actually deal Gagner for a defenceman.

- As of right now the Oilers have not claimed a defenceman off of waivers, so expect more rumors to be flowing more and more as the days go by.

- Ladislav Smid has not been put on injured reserve and that's a good sign. Same goes for Taylor Chorney.  With both of those two returning in the future, the Oilers won't have to make a deal for a defenceman, even though they should.

- Taylor Fedun, Ryan Whitney, Ben Eager and Sam Gagner are all on the injured reserve list.

- After a good preseason, there's no doubt that I'd roll with Devan Dubnyk for the first game.  He deserves a shot to run with this team. He looks ready.

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY-

Introducing Russ Jericho

Fellow Oilers/Barons/Thunder fans,

My name is Russ Jericho. If my name seems familiar as of recently, that might be because I've been mentioned a few times here already, via Twitter and my graphic contributions here thus far (September & October schedule wallpapers).

Let me tell you a little bit about me, I'm one of the more "unusual" fans, so to speak... I'm a hockey fan, yes, but I'm born and raised in the United Kingdom. I'd go so far as to say I'm the biggest Oilers fan and probably the only Barons fan in the UK. Hockey's not the most talked about sport over here, as the UK is dominated by football, the sport most of you know as "soccer". I can't stand the sport, I can't stand this country much either, and if I had the money I'd get a one-way ticket out of this dump!

I've a bit of an outspoken nature... Sometimes it's a good thing, sometimes it's bad... But if you want a straight answer, I'm the sort of person that gives it to you straight, no BS.

I'm also a married man with two wonderful children, my step-son, Kai (5 years) and my daughter, Alexa (7 1/2 months). They're my world, and if you don't hear from me for a while, it's because my job as a Dad is more important than anything else.

What my blogs will consist of are my general thoughts and feelings on the Oilers and the Barons organisations and the plugging of my artwork, all of which will be Oilers and Barons related media.

I'll also be the first person to jump to the defence of my hockey teams too, I'm allowed to criticise my team, but if some non-fan does, they better be prepared for war!

What I'm doing at this minute is complaining my ass off to EA Sports because they've totally F'ed up the Barons Home and Away jerseys in NHL 11. If you're a fan, and you have this game, you already know what I'm talking about! I also try to correct player equipment settings and have realistic audio in-game too. There's nothing worse than scoring an awesome goal with Ales Hemsky to hear "¡Olé!" by the Bouncing Souls!

Expect to see some tidbits from me on Twitter and Oilers/Barons NHL 11 edits on http://petrpuck.blogspot.com/.

Well, that's me.

GO OILERS GO!
GO BARONS GO!

-Written by Russ Jericho-

Ales Hemsky, The A or Not the A?

I kind of started to pipe off today (what's new) on twitter about who deserves to wear a letter this year for the Oilers. Steve Tambellini said today on the team 1260 that there will be a captain this season. So why not start some speculation?

So...

I started thinking about the current roster and really, you can hate Horcoff's contract all you want, but you can't hate his work ethics. He does give it his all and he never quits. He is IMO the best veteran guy to help these kids grow. Shawn Horcoff is going to be an Oiler for a few more years and I can see Tom Renney going with a solid all around guy like Horcoff to lead this team. He wouldn't be a bad choice at all. He's the logical choice.

But the fan in me screams Gagner. I think it would be a good choice to pick Sam Gagner as the captain this year, right now. The Oilers are a rebuilding team and this is the first year of many (hopefully only two years till this is a playoff team) and why not have him "grow" into this much like Towes is doing n Chicago. I know that they are two complete different payers and I am not comparing them to each other. I was just comparing the ages. I think if you let Sam learn on the job so to speak he will be a great captain for the Oilers. I know a lot of you think I'm nuts for saying that but I really do think Gagner is going to be the leader of this young squad now, and into the future. So why beat around the bush?

As much as I think that's a great idea to pick Sam (I'm sure it won't happen, no need to worry), I'm going all in on Horcoff with the C.

I said on twitter today that Horcoff should get the C and Penner, Whitney and Gagner should wear an A this year. Just a guess. Purely me taking a shot in the dark.

I'm not a fan of the four assistants rotation, I like just two or three A's that are permanent. Maybe I'm just too old school, but I didn't like that four guy rotation. It was 2 home assistants and 2 road assistants.

A few of my tweeps reminded me that I forgot Hemmer when I made my comment.

I had this to say about it. I said, "I did forget Hemsky for an A. But does he really need/deserve it? He's not a leader on the team so why give him the A?" Then I continued with, "I am talking about helping the guy next to you type of leadership. Yes he's a good player and he puts up the points. But he's not "the let me help you leadership kind of guy". Unless he blows my mind this year, I'm ready to move on."

Bruce McCurdy from Copper & Blue replied to me with this about Hemsky, "Maybe Ales needs to feel like he's a leader on this team. I'd give him an A for sure."

My answer to that was, "If giving an A to Hemsky is solely for the purpose of making him feel good, then it's a waste of a letter. It means nothing."

Bruce once again countered with, "No, it's more than making him feel good. It's expectation and responsibility and a vote of confidence all in one."

Damn. I can't argue with that at all. Bruce is right. It is what it is. Hemsky is that kind of player. It doesn't matter how I feel about giving out letters to players that don't really lead a team, he is at this moment, an Edmonton Oiler. And if we want him to try his ass off and play his best, having an A on his jersey might just do that.

So I'm torn. Do you appease Hemsky and sew on another assistant captains letter A on his jersey to make him feel wanted, needed and like he's important to the team?

Or do you not give it to him at all and let the real team leaders lead like Horcoff, Penner, Whitney and Gagner have it with no rotation and take Hemsky for what he is? With no A.

-Written by Smokin' Ray-

Roster, Roster, Roster! The New Look Edmonton Oilers

Here is the Oilers roster before the big change. Steve Tambellini had a very busy summer and did quite a lot of work around here.
LAST YEAR OILERS ROSTER

He did some real wonderful stuff like getting rid of the three terrible Oilers from last year, Ethan Moreau, Patrick O'Sullivan and Robert Nilsson.

He managed to re-sign all the Restricted Free Agents that were needed to be signed, except Cogliano. From the reports that I have heard, Cogliano's camp has a contract and they, so far, have not signed. It's completely in their court now. Just sign the damn thing and have a great year to prove them, and us, wrong.

The Oilers still seem hell bent on running the team this year with a bunch of rookies and it's looking more and more like I am wrong. I said that Hall and either Pääjärvi or Eberle would be on the team. It does appear like all three have a legitimate chance of making the team. Training camp should be fun, especially if you throw in Linus Omark. That's four potential rookies on the roster. Can't wait to see what happens.

Tamby signed Martin Gerber for more than just insurance reasons. That is one hell of a deal and a two way contract to boot. Gerber will be called upon more than once this year so this one will end up being a great signing.

I suppose the biggest shocker was the Potulny/Pouliot walking. I was a little shocked that they weren't brought back. I really liked Potulny and I thought he played well enough last year to get another shot this year. I guess it wasn't meant to be.

I never really liked Pouliot, but still didn't think the Oilers would give up on him like they did. He did deserve a real solid chance that MacT never gave him.

Ryan Stone also left and went south (to Calgary). He also played well IMO, and once again, it will be strange to see an ex-Oiler in a fLames (I'm looking at you Glencross) uniform.

Mike Comrie was left to leave as well. The New Mrs. Duff has just signed with the Penguins so good luck to him.

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So let's now take a look at the roster that the Oilers might start the year with.


FORWARDS

Dustin Penner          Sam Gagner        Ales Hemsky
Taylor Hall             Shawn Horcoff      Jordan Eberle
Magnus Pääjärvi  Andrew Cogliano    Gilbert Brule
Ryan Jones               Colin Fraser        Zack Stortini

SPARES: Steve MacIntyre, Linus Omark, Liam Reddox, Alex Giroux

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DEFENCE

Ryan Whitney      Tom Gilbert
(Souray Trade)   Ladislav Smid
Jim Vandermeer  Kurtis Foster

SPARES: Jason Strudwick, Theo Peckham, Shawn Belle, Taylor Chorney, Jeff Petry, Johan Motin

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GOALIES

Nikolai Khabibulin
Devan Dubnyk

OKC Barons:
Martin Gerber
Jeff Deslauriers

SPARES: Bryan Pitton (Stockton Thunder), Olivier Roy (Juniors)

-Written by Smokin' Ray-

Reason's for Optimism / Reason's to Cheer

As our collective playoff hopes fade faster then a January sunset, I just wanted to remind people, that the Oilers do have most of the pieces in place for a solid team. Not all is doom and gloom. There's always a bright side to any situation and here's the Oilers silver lining.

The Forwards

The obvious guys are Hemsky, Penner, Horcoff. Yes, Horc makes too much money for his output, but the fact remains, he can be a big part of a winning team. With the emergence of Pens this year, we finally have a big power forward that we have been looking for since we traded Messier and no I don't think they are the same player, other then the power forward part. And then there's Hemsky, that's self explanatory, the guy has mad skills.

The kids that I like on this team are as follows; Gagner, Brule, Stone, Potulny and Stortini. These guys are keepers for sure. Even though they have had "off" games this year, none have been disappointing. In fact I, like most of you, was pleasantly surprised by the play of Stoney, Potsy and Bru, I just didn't see them playing this well for us. I'm not sure guys like Nilsson, Cogliano or J.F.Jacques will be around next season as they could be included in deals during the off season, although the Oilers do need JFJ's size and willingness to hit. And don't forget that guys like Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, who lit up the WJHC over the last couple weeks, are on their way next year too.

The Defence

Of our top six D-men I would only keep three. The guys I would keep to build around are; Visnovsky, Gilbert and Smid. Yes, I would trade Souray. I love the guy as much as anyone, but if this rebuild is going to be done properly, one of Souray or Visnovsky has to be moved. I choose Souray because he is older (by a month) and I think Lubo brings more to this team besides a booming slapshot, it's like choosing between Coffey and MacInnis in my books. Smid is turning into a great defender and Gilbert is still figuring this league out and not playing too badly doing so. Grebeshkov can bring a return in a trade and Staios or Strudwick have to go, as we only need one 7th D-man. With guys like Taylor Chorney, Theo Peckham, Alex Plante and Jeff Petry coming up, we need to make room on the back end.

The Goalies

I, like most in the hockey world, have no idea what is wrong with Khabibulin's back. What I do know is that Deslauriers has some very respectable numbers after 24 starts this season. His save % is basically on par with Khabbi's and his goals against average is better. JDD is getting some extremely valuable playing time with Khabbi out. I don't know enough about Dubnyk to make any assumptions on how he is doing. He has seen some action, but only after sitting on the bench for weeks on end.  So he has been rusty, so to speak, when he has gotten into a game. He does have a short memory though, as he was able to shake off some poor outings for the Oilers and Falcons during the last couple months. The Oilers have to keep JDD in my mind and try to trade or find some kind of loop hole in the CBA to lose Khabbi's salary from the cap hit, before deciding to trade DD.

Final Thoughts

So as you can see here, there are quite a few reasons to remain optimistic about this team. Sure rebuilds take some time, but the Oilers have many of the right pieces already in place. All they need is a season or two of premium draft picks and its off to the races in Oil Country. So as you sit and watch your Oilers lose more often then not for the rest of this season, cheer the little battles being won and the progression of the younger guys as they will carry the load in the next few years, along with *fingers crossed*, *knock on wood* Taylor Hall.

-Paq Twinn-

B&J #89 Edmonton Oilers vs San Jose Sharks Recap (11/27/09)

Welcome to Oilers Jambalaya - An Edmonton Oilers Hockey Blog. Beers & Jeers is a dual collaboration between Smokin' Ray and Paq Twinn. We hope you enjoy our Edmonton Oilers full game recap.

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- Who's Out? Who's in? Here's the injury report.  Ales Hemsky is out for the rest of the season and his shoulder is going to have to be operated on.  Luckily for the Oilers, more players are getting set to return to the line up. 

- Dany "the Douche Bag" Heatley was greeted with a nice boo from the crowd.  Jacques hit him, Souray hit him and a few other guys did as well.  It was nice to see.

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Pre-Game Records

Edmonton Oilers (10-12-3) vs. San Jose Sharks (16-6-4)

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TONIGHT'S STARTING LINES

Penner-Gagner-Brule
Jacques-Horcoff-O'Sullivan
Moreau-Potulny-Cogliano
MacDonald-O'Marra-Stortini

Smid-Visnovsky
Strudwick-Gilbert
Souray-Staios

Deslauriers
Dubnyk

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**These are Re-Tweets of Paq Twinn's LIVE TweetCast© at www.Twitter.com/PaqTwinn  **

1st PERIOD

- **coming soon**

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GAME HIGHLIGHTS



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FINAL SCORE

San Jose Sharks - 5

Edmonton Oilers - 4

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BAD TIMING PENALTY

None -

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BEERS

Gilbert Brule - Mr. Brule gets Hemsky's spot on the 1st line with Gagner and Penner and steps right in like he's always been there. In fact he may have looked better than Hemsky has with those two. Brule said that he likes to play with Penner because he knows how to find him. He's right. He scores tonight on an assist from Penner. They had a few good chances. Not only did Brule score a goal and pick up an assist, he also had three blocked shots. Frosty beer for Brew.  Cheers!

Ryan Potulny - With the departure to Reddox back down to the minors it only meant that Potulny was not only going to be staying long term with the Oilers, but he's going to get a chance to succeed. Reddox just doesn't have the overall game that Potulny has. Tonight he was awesome. A big time player who busted his hump and made good things happen. He didn't wait for chances to come to him... he made them. He had two goals and was a +2.  It's Miller Time. Cheers!

Dustin Penner - He was a quiet guy in the first half of the game and then all of a sudden, he wakes up. Once he got his legs going he played well like he has all year. He is going to have to continue his strong play if the Oilers want to be competitive for the rest of the season. Luckily for Oiler fans, he showed it in the last half of the game and the Oilers had a great end to the game. He had a goal and a assist that was some nice play making with Brule. He also went 8W-5L=62% on the faceoffs. Good night for Penner.  He deserves a cold one.  Cheers!

Andrew Cogliano - Speedy Gonzales was ripping around tonight. Maybe he had something to prove to Heatley? Maybe not. He only had two shots but he created a lot of space out there for the others to go to. He was a +2 and seems to be playing with confidence. He really hustled and out worked the sharks all night. He seems to be responding to the coaching staff as of late and it's showing.  This calls for a Bud. Cheers!

HONORABLE MENTION(S): JF Jacques (He had some great hits and made the Sharks aware when he was on the ice.), Tom Gilbert (He played pretty good and he played tough.  Nice to see an improvement.)

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JEERS

Sheldon Souray - Holy cow! Souray was a train wreck. It all started when he went and took a run at Heatley in the first five minutes and pushed him down. Sweet thing to do (we all love you for it) but he went way out of position and bing, boom! San Jose goal. Not so sweet. After that it was one thing after another. He took a penalty shortly after the San Jose goal and gives them more life. He was a major culprit on why this team was so bad in the first half of the game. He was on the ice for every single Sharks goal along with Staios. So he ends up a -4 and somehow only takes one shot. (Well one shot hit the net and three were missed shots. So four in total) And... he takes a penalty in overtime with a careless high-sticking call. It was just a bad game for Souray. He will bounce back tomorrow night. *fingers crossed*  BOOOOO!

Steve Staios - He was on for all 4 San Jose goals along with Souray. That alone is worth a 2. However he did play average for the most part and made some good (4) shot blocks. But it just seemed like he was running around and never really played with Souray effectively. He seemed like he was in over his head and he was drowning quick. Glug!  BOOOOO!

HONORABLE MENTION(S): Jeff Deslauriers (He wasn't great tonight.  He needs to be better at screens and the high shots.)

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GOAT WATCH

(Smokin' Ray) Ethan Moreau - He did pretty good.  Not much to complain about.

(Paq Twinn) Robert Nilsson - Did not play

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OUR GAME SUMMARIES

Smokin' Ray - That was a tough game to lose.  The Oilers need to find a way to win in a close game. 

Paq Twinn - coming soon

Graham Martin -That was easily the worst game I have ever seen Souray play. He didn't even move on the tying goal. And what defensemen chases a forward all the way out to the damn blueline?? On the plus side, I thought that Smid was much better than the 5 you gave him, and I thought that JFJ was pretty good last night. And Brule was fantastic, but he just shows up every single game and plays his ass off. I wish we had a whole team of guys like him!

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POST GAME REACTIONS



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GAME STATS

- Game Summary

- Event Summary

- Scoring Chances (MC79)

- Smokin' Ray's/Player Grades (Cult of Hockey)

- Full NHL Play By Play

- Oilers Time On The Ice

- Opponents Time On The Ice

- Faceoff Report

- Shots Report

- Shootout Details

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NEXT GAME

Edmonton Oilers (10-12-4) vs. Vancouver Canucks (13-11-0)

Sat, Nov 28/09
8:00 pm MT
CBC

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Thanks for stopping by and reading the Edmonton Oilers Full Game Recap. Don't forget that you can agree or disagree with us on Facebook and Twitter. Just look for Smokin' Ray Burnt and Paq Twinn. We will see you all next game. GOILERS!

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