Seasons end

Tonight the season ends for the Edmonton Oilers and a whole new season begins. For the Oilers it will be a off-season and for the lucky 16 teams who have worked hard and smart enough it is called the NHL Playoffs.

With yet another season outside of the playoffs looking in (from afar), this team has a lot of rebuilding to still do. Each year we hear the same kook-aid. One more year, it didn't go as expected! Who is to blame for that? The players? Well if its the players isn't it the managements job to get new players? I hear many say it isn't so easy! No? Then why have management at all? Why do other GM's and organizations make the transactions needed? It is really time to look further then just coaches.

Tonight the Oilers take on the Canucks and this is the 1st time since the Gagner draft that I actually do not want the Oilers to win a game. Especially 1 game that means absolutely nothing positive. Ending with a 1 game win streak or losing the last game will not make or break this teams confidence. This team needs the best chance it can get at either a Top 2 d-man or a top 2 centerman. Granted the Oilers could falter to 3rd if someone other then them or Buffalo win the lottery but then they get Leon Draisaitl as a consolation at worst.

I don't want to make any predictions as to next year's line-up but don't expect too much on the backend. Petry, Ference, Schultz are 100% here unless one gets traded and the most likely would be Petry. Klefbom and Marincin stand a very high chance to have a very good chance as well again next year to start in Edmonton. I give them about a 80% chance. That's 5 defencemen. I know there is big talk about MacT swinging for the fence for a top 2 d-man but good luck unless he is trading Petry and a top end forward.

Next week after the lottery, we will know at least where we are picking and then we can better dissect this team we all love so much in Oil Country!

For Oiler and Baron news or 2014 NHL draft watch 

www.twitter.com/revingev

Edmonton Oilers Shuffle Roster With Waivers, and Name Captain

Interesting stuff to wake up to this morning. 

First off, Dallas Eakins via twitter (how awesome is that?), announces that his new best friend (I told you so) Andrew Ference is the new and 14th captain in Oilers history. Good choice. He seems like a real good team guy and a health nut, so you know thats a big part of why he's captain. I would have given it to Taylor Hall, but I'm not in the room so it's hard to have an opinion. 

Regardless, congrats to #21. Make us proud. Or you will be traded, seriously.

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Oilers claimed gigantic forward Luke Gazdic off waivers from the Dallas Stars. He's 6'3" and 240lbs. Not on the small size, that's for sure. I'm assuming he takes over for MacIntyre while he recovers. 

Oilers also placed Philip Larsen and Ryan Hamilton on waivers for the purpose of assignment. 

With claiming Gazdic, the Oilers are now at 49 contracts. 

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY BURNT-

Is Andrew Ference the right Captain, right now?

I will make this post short and sweet. For weeks now we have heard speculation that Andrew Ference is going to be the captain on a intern basis until one of our young stars steps up and is ready to take the reigns. My question is, 'Is Ference the right Captain?'

Not trying to sound insensitive to all he has done or who he is, Andrew is one of the last people who I would put in as captain and here are my reasons why....

1) He may be a fitness warrior but so was Horcoff and was he the right captain? Some will say yes, I would argue that he was the most experienced for the job after Ethan was done and not much else was a option at the time.

2) Speaking of experience, what experience does he have with his teammates as a veteran? Sure he is a veteran to the league but not to Edmonton and it's not like he is respected already as a Edmonton Oiler. I understand picking a veteran of the league on a team that is real young and there is no leaders but is not leadership what our young stars have been developing?

3) What does a captain do? It's not just on ice and locker room stuff, it's the intangibles. Does he know our city, will he organize events on behalf of our team players? How could he? He doesn't know enough about our culture or team. (Not that our culture has been great but it is improving)

4) Sure he appears good right now as a on ice player but media likes have penciled him in as a top 2 d-man on the Oilers and question is..can he even perform at that level skill wise? Maybe, maybe not! We won't know until the season moves into full swing. Why take a chance on naming your captain when he may stink out the joint or be a d-man that fans make their new scape goat? (He may do all right in the end , we won't know until halfway through a season even.

5) Lastly, why name a captain who is only a stop gap? If your going to name your captain and he is here now, make that decision to crown him when the time is right. I think IMO it is not beneficial to name a good leader a captain just because of that personality. I highly doubt Ference plays better or this team plays better because a 'C' goes on his jersey.

My suggestion you ask? I think you alternate your captain and wait to name him by Dallas seeing who will step up to the plate by the new year. Let's see who really shines in that all around leadership role. I would not be surprised if Gagner were to be picked but it would be the wrong decision IMO. For my monies worth I would pick Eberle still,  as Hall is not always a calm factor out there on the ice like a captain should be (In tradition anyway) but Hall sure appears like he wants the job and looks determined to take this team by the horns and run with it. Not sure why but I get this feeling that Eberle may one day be that key trading piece the Oilers trade out of town but let's hope my gut is wrong. I think the answer is in the writing and Dallas has it pencilled in as Hall! 

Question though 'Is Andrew Ference the right Captain, right now?'

Will be tweeting more on Oilers Training Camp , so follow me on twitter for updates.

For Oiler and Baron news and 2013/14 NHL draft watch

www.twitter.com/revingev

Dallas Eakins and Andrew Ference New Best Friends?

The fitness craze hit Edmonton the day the Oilers decided to can Ralph Krueger and hire Dallas Eakins. Eakins made no secret in the fact he loves to be fit and he fully expects his players to be as good or in better shape then himself.

For the most part, I laughed when he said that. No way the young kids on the team are going to get nuts about fitness like the new coach. But, the day they signed Andrew Ference, I'd imagine coach was all smiles. Little did he know just how much of a fitness fanatic Ference really is.

Ference had started a fitness group in Boston and a couple of days a week, he and his group would go out and run stairs or run up long steep hills. Now that he's returned "home", Ference brought that same mentality here. He's started up a group in Edmonton and it looks like its been three days a week of busting their collective asses running and exercising all around E-Town. Last I heard there was about 70 people that have joined him and it seems like more and more show up every time they go out.

The newest member of the November Project is Ference's new coach, Dallas Eakins. He will be joining them the next time they hit the pavement.

I can almost be certain, the Eakins/Ference love affair, is just beginning. With that said, no doubt in my mind that Andrew Ference will wear an A on his new #21 Edmonton Oilers jersey. The coach wants fitness instilled on the Oilers, so that will make Andrew Ference as his new BFF.

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY BURNT-