"UNLEASHING" Hartikainen

How long before Hartikainen will be "unleashed" on the NHL? This man was the "Beast from the East", crushing anything and everything in his way. With his soft hands around the net, his reckless abandon for the puck and his never quit attitude, Hartikainen won many a fan of the Edmonton Oilers faithful. The only question remains, "How long before the beast known as Hartikainen is released?"

I know, I know, I am just trying to soak this for all it's worth. While Hartikainen is not as much a beast as I make him out to be, he is one tough hombre who makes things real difficult for the opposition. I myself was extremely pleased with his play upon being recalled from the AHL. Many had heard good things of him in OKC, some of us saw good things of him in OKC. You can find many great articles written on him and his journey last season in OKC with the Barons, but I don't think anyone really saw what a competitor he was until he arrived here in Edmonton. He literally took the bull by the horns when he got his opportunity at the end of last season and performed well. Personally, I had previously liked what I was seeing from his game, but had no idea of his compete level. As good as this all sounds, there is a problem. Hartikainen is in real tough competition for a opening night roster. I know competition is good, but when your eligible to be sent to the AHL and the other guys your competing against are on one way contracts, the deck is really stacked against you. (I will come back to this and my thoughts on the competition that has been brought in, later during training camp.) So as much as we can guess and play out our version of what the opening night roster should look like, how about we look at the circumstances and the skills that Hartikainen has in his repertoire.

Circumstances:

Hartikainen is a left wing, but can also play the right wing. Smyth was not expected in Oilerville, so that threw the roster plan out the window (or so we think). They needed to add a agitator, tough guy and someone who can play the game and check well. Enter Ben Eager, oh did I mention, he's a left winger? Yup! So that puts Hall, Paajarvi, Smyth and Eager on left wing. I highly doubt one of those players sits in the press box so Hartikainen can play. Well if he can play right wing, maybe he can move to the other side. There must be a spot on the right wing? Actually the right side consists of spots taken by Hemsky, Eberle, Omark and Jones. So where does he fit? Unfortunately for him, it means injuries. IMO he is the very first call up on either wing should a injury occur. Oh yeah, I know, Hordichuk is there to fill one spot, but in all truth, Darcy will be a spot player. The guy is tough, and as rough as they can come at his size, but can't play the minutes or bring in the offence that Teemu can bring.

Skills:

You can find the various skill set that Hartikainen possess on many Oiler blog sites and on scouting websites. But after seeing him a couple times in camps,  live at Rexall, several times on TV, hearing some of the games in OKC and reading all the reports....I think his skills are pretty straight foreward. He is a tough forechecker, hard on the cycle, tough to get off the puck and has fairly soft hands for a player his type. Has a compete level that makes your 'liver quiver' and can be found charging the opposition's net, many times a game. The knock on Teemu early on, was his footspeed, however seeing him play last year after the call up to the Oilers, his footspeed was no longer looking to be as much of a concern.

Forecast:

He's tough, tough as nails and I suspect that is one reason the hard working people of Edmonton love him so much. He's got the appearance of the heart and soul player so many people fell in love with, named Ryan Smyth. Hartikainen truly is what the Oilers have been looking and waiting for. The question, " Is he still a project in the making or is he ready to begin his journey as a Edmonton Oiler"? The most likely scenario will be Hartikainen will be the first call up in place of a injury to a winger. Where he goes from there will be entirely up to him.  If he continues to improve on his game, I believe Teemu has top 9 potential.

We all know injuries are a part of playing hockey and you can never have enough players waiting in the wings. Should Hartikainen get his opportunity early in the season, he very well could force Tambo's hands where a trade is required. My question is not ,"will Hartikainen make the NHL roster full-time"?  but "when will Hartikainen make the NHL roster full-time"?

you can follow me on twitter @revingev

"For the LOVE of Teubert"



Stealing the famous words "to be, or not to be"  that is the question.  As you may notice in the above picture, there are player's jersey's that no longer hang in the Oilers dressing room. Gone are the likes of Vishnosky, MacIntyre, Stortini, Reddox, Moreau, and the list goes on. Players come and players go but the real question is....Who is going to stay? For the LOVE of Teubert, I truly hope Colten is the player many are worried he MAY NOT be.


Since the trade that sent Penner to the LA Kings and Colten to the Edmonton Oilers organization, Teubert has been scrutinized by some for being a failed prospect and will at best be a 5th-6th defenceman. Others hold out hope that Teubert will find his game soon enough and become that big tough rugged defenceman who will punish any and everyone who enters the Oilers zone. And then there are those who wait and watch patiently as he continues to hone his game in the AHL.

As mentioned many times by sports media, bloggers and scouting, defenceman are a different breed of player then forwards. Their development most often takes more years to come to fruition. It's not uncommon to see a defenceman develop his game in the minors and turn into one heck of a player in the future. Teubert is one of those players who many are trying to decide where he fits onto this Oilers team. Of course we all hope he turns into that #1 defensive stud that man's our blue line for the next 12 years. But since this is not a blog about fantasy, let's just focus on some of the circumstances he faces and the skill set he has. From that, we can all determine were we personally believe he will eventually end up.


Circumstances:

Like any other prospect, Colten faces the difficult task of cracking a blue line on the NHL club. With players who are quite young in place already and some with good experience behind them, cracking any NHL club's line up on opening night is tough. As tough as it may be to find a spot for Colten Teubert on the Oilers roster come opening night, it's not unimaginable. There are many question marks on our blue line. Teubert's toughest competition for that spot is actually two players, "Taylor Chorney and Jeff Petry". Fortunately for Colten, his game is very different from both these guys. Colten is more a defensive defenceman, so that would mean his toughest competition would be the likes of Sutton, Theo Peckham, Smid and as mentioned by Lowetide , Corey Potter. Sutton? Unless he gets traded or sent to the minors I highly doubt it will be in his place. Smid? Not likely with his experience. Peckham? The way his game developed last year, I find it hard to see him being passed by on the depth chart. Potter? I know Lowetide believes in this guy, but personally, I just can't see it happening. For me , he is a depth position guy on the blue line who is going to help in OKC and a emergency call up should one of the younger prospects (ie: Teubert) not move forward in the development of their game, enough to warrant a opportunity with the big club.


Skills:

Colten is a beast on the ice when he is on his game. This guy can hit and put some fear into the forwards coming down the wing. He is great at covering a good portion of the ice and can follow the play quite well. Colten's foot speed has been said to have improved this last year (this was a concern by some coach's early on for Teubert). Seeing him at 2011 development camp, Colten looked poised in the plays, executed well and seemed to have that extra first step. Coach Nelson likes what he See's in Colten's game and appears to be excited about this coming season and what it holds in store for him


Forecast:

Teubert has a tough road against him in regards to playing for the Oilers this year, but I would think he will get a look see for a few games at some point this season through injuries or trades. In order for that to happen, I personally believe he will need to stay injury free and spot into the OKC line up on a nightly basis. He will need to be their go to defenceman with the tough minutes. Should he keep tracking good progress, he will get his chance. Unlikely he can crack that opening night roster though. For all the Teubert supporters out there, be patient, his day is not to far away. Love him, or hate him, Teubert is coming soon to a rink near you!

you can follow me on twitter @revingev

Kids Enter To Be Coach For A Day With The Stockton Thunder

Unique kids contest awards grand prize winner a day to help coach the Thunder

STOCKTON, Calif. – The Stockton Thunder, a two time recipient of the ECHL “Award of Excellence,” has announced a “Coach For a Day” sweepstakes contest, lasting through Oct. 14 and offering kids a once in a lifetime opportunity to act as coach of the Thunder for a day.

The contest, open to young fans between ages 7-13, will present a hands-on experience to lead a hockey team through the thrill and excitement of a game day at Stockton Arena, revolving around the Thunder’s Oct. 29 home game against the Idaho Steelheads at 7:30 p.m.

The grand prize winner will receive an exclusive behind-the-scenes coaching experience which includes an authentic “one day” contract as a coach of the Thunder, access to the team’s morning skate at Stockton Arena, opportunity to announce the starting lineup to the team before the game in the locker room and participation in the pregame ceremonial puck drop.

Kids can enter by submitting a written or typed entry (two pages, maximum) and answer one of the following topics:

“Why I love the Stockton Thunder …”


“Why I am a fan of the Stockton Thunder …”

“Why I think I would make a great coach for a day …”

Additionally, the winner will also receive a free ticket to that night’s game and have their winning essay posted publicly at www.stocktonthunder.com and the Thunder official Facebook page.

All participants will also receive a free ticket to the game that night and be recognized on the ice during the second intermission.

Contestants are encouraged to submit their entry by email to Jessica Fillo, Thunder manager of game operations and community relations at jfillo@stocktonthunder.com. The grand prize winner of “Coach For a Day” will be announced at Opening Night on Friday, Oct. 14, when the Thunder hosts the Colorado Eagles at 7:30 p.m.

Entries can also be submitted by fax at (209) 373-1525, by mailing the Thunder at 248 W. Fremont Street, Stockton, CA. 95203 or delivering to the Thunder business offices at Stockton Arena between 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

OPENING NIGHT AND TICKET INFORMATION

Opening Night is Friday, Oct. 14, when the Thunder opens the 2011-12 regular season at home against the Colorado Eagles, starting at 7:30 p.m. at Stockton Arena. The game will be a historic ECHL event to welcome in the Eagles, who will play in their inaugural game after spending the previous eight seasons in the Central Hockey League.
The Thunder are freezing most Season Ticket prices for the 2011-12 season, which are on sale now and can be purchased by calling (209) 373-1500 or by visiting www.stocktonthunder.com. Thunder Season Ticket Holders enjoy the highest-demanded seating locations in Stockton Arena, benefits including admission to Season Ticket Holder-only events, discount opportunities on Thunder merchandise, a free e-newsletter, an exclusive gift, admission to the first two rounds of the Kelly Cup Playoffs and more. Individual ticket prices will be announced soon.

For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit http://www.stocktonthunder.com/

-WRITTEN BY THE STOCKTON THUNDER-

Anton has "LANDED"

How SWEDE it is..."Anton has landed" in Oil Country. Not sure exactly if he is in town (Hall did say on twitter he was giving him the lowdown on baseball). Fans have been waiting patiently for Anton Lander to arrive and find his place within the Edmonton Oilers organization for a couple years now. We have heard the rave reviews on his leadership abilities, we listen to all the speculation where he starts the season. We have been informed by coach's of his on ice improvements, not to mention the fan support and peer support we hear about back in Sweden.

What we don't know is, "will he play for the Oilers this year"? I know there are alot of fans cheering for him, and he has the support of many of the coach's should he show well coming out of training camp. Obviously none of us can say what is going to happen exactly, come opening night roster. What we can do, is speculate though. That's right, we love to do that in the blogosphere and in mainstream sports media. We hear speculation from some of the best insiders to the Oilers hockey team and around the NHL almost every day. So let's just do a small breakdown of Lander's game, and the circumstances surrounding his arrival at this point in the Oilers organization.

Circumstances:
There are several centerman Lander is fighting for a position against. Let's look at the locks in the Center position. Gagner, Horcoff and Belanger. These three centerman are going no where. Or are they? (we'll come back to that in a week or so) That would leave one last position to fight for. In all likelihood that leaves Lander, Nugent-Hopkins and VandeVelde as the three most likely to fill that last center position role (In no particular #). As far as Nugent-Hopkins goes, I will cover that in another post later in the week. But VandeVelde? Truth is, Chris is a big boy, can hit and did show well in the face-off department in his, end of the year NHL run. True enough, he was a little slower on the play on occasion but did seem to be improving as the year was coming to a end. Needs more foot speed is what most reports are saying.

So Lander has a good chance in this group to grab that last center position. He will have to earn it though. It is very likely should he perform and show well coming out of the rookie tourney, and main training camp he gets his fair shot during pre-season. What will the Oilers be looking for from him on the ice? My guess? Good face-off %, strong defensive play (on puck and away from puck), good forecheck and backcheck and strong on the puck. IMO, I think they would like to slot him into the 4th Center position.

Skills:
Anton has been close to 50% in the dot playing against men in Sweden (and tougher competition). Should he play against other team's 3rd and 4th line centerman, he stands a chance to do well in that regard. A year or two may just prepare him well enough to become a face-off specialist (Maybe he can learn some from Belanger. We can hope, can't we?). Anton has also increased his first step acceleration, which was a main concern for coach's in the 2010 development camp. He went back to Sweden and worked on it. This last 2011 development camp, it was noted by over three coach's and several media members that he has vastly improved this area of his game. From watching him at both camps first hand, I can honestly say it was as different as night and day. Lander also appears to be much more agile when seen at this last development camp then the previous year.

As I have mentioned in other postings I have done, I personally was able to see his leadership on the ice. He looks comfortable, he jokes with many different players (both younger and older prospects) and is very vocal on the ice during the play. This last camp , you often would know he was on the ice, as he was either shouting out directions to his teammates or slapping his stick on the ice to get the attention of his line mates. Positionally Lander has a great grasp of the game and is seldom caught out of position. With that better first step he has worked on, that should suit him well in competing for that last center position.

Forecast:
Should Anton Lander perform well in camp and pre-season, I think we are still looking at him going down to OKC. However, it really depends on the final decision with Nugent-Hopkins. If Nugent-Hopkins gets sent back to Jr after his first 9 games, Lander will most likely get his shot early in the season. Should Nugent-Hopkins stay for the year, Lander would more then likely be the first call up for the center position.

All, I can say is  "How Swede it is, to have Lander here"

you can follow me on twitter @revingev

Hockey's Back!

With around a week til the kick off  of the Rookie Tourney in Penticton B.C, the excitement begins to heat up.  Jr teams have already begun their training camps and can be found in pre-season action while many NHL players can be found getting on the ice in their local area's to get the rust off before training camp. (ie: Perry Pearn's 3on3)


It's going to be a busy and exciting next few weeks here in Edmonton. There is lots to be excited about! Who is going to crack the opening night Oilers roster? Will RNH last that long? Will he play beyond the max 9 games or be sent back to Jr hockey to play with the Red Deer Rebels and a shot at Gold with Team Canada in the new year? What about Lander? Does he crack the roster out of training camp? Or does he end up playing some in OKC and is the first center call up?  Hartikanen anyone? As hard and as good as he can play out of training camp, is there even a remote chance they sit someone in favour of him, come opening night? Is this the year Colten Teubert proves his critics wrong? Could this be his year to bust into the NHL?  What about Jeff Petry? If he truly has a outstanding training camp, looks better out of the gates then Chorney , is he really going to,  have to start in OKC just because he is free to roam back and forth between the AHL and NHL?


These are great questions and a month from now, we will have all the answers (or so we H.O.P.E). I am going to take time and discuss each one of these five players between now and rookie tourney. No one, not even the Oilers organization knows exactly what is going to happen with each of these five players. If they play to their potential, they will make the decision real hard on the coaching staff, but isn't good competition what we all want for this team? The cupboards are stocked, and I am Stoked! This is going to be a heck of a RiDe folks.

Hoping to get out to see the Oil Kings pre-season tournament in St.Albert. Going to be getting a closer look at  some of the Oiler prospects and possible 2012 and 2013 NHL eligible draft prospects.

Grab your Oiler jersey's, get your game face on, grab a drink, call a buddy, set your PVR's, cause it's Hockey Night tonight , and it's here for the Year!  (well, almost...lol)