Hordichuk To Play in OKC?

The Edmonton Oilers did waive Darcy Hordichuk, which means 29 teams will have had a chance to claim him and put him on their own team, but he isn't claimed so he will go down to OKC.

I am going to talk about Darcy and why the Oilers will miss him and why they won't.

Hordichuk signed with the Oilers in 2011 for 825.000 dollars. It brought toughness that old tough guy Steve Macintyre had left behind. In Darcy's first season with the Oilers, he had 64 PMS and had 1 goal and 2 assists. He only played 43 games that season. He is a tough guy and not much more than that. We all know the goons don't play that often in the NHL anymore and that leads me in to my next topic.

Most teams in the NHL don't need goons or tough guys anymore because, (A) all players must not just be goons, they have to have some skill or it's more or less a wasted roster spot. (B) He wasn't even that big and tough like Mac was. He basically had zero intimidation towards other players.

Why the Oilers will miss Hordichuk.

The Oilers will miss Darcy because he brought some toughness to the team when he played. The Oilers seriously lack team toughness.

It's not to say that he will never play again for the Oilers, because at a certain point of time he could go through re-entry waivers, but I doubt that will happen unless the NHL becomes the 1970's again and the broad street bullies are back. (not going to happen)

Bottom line; the Oilers really have no use for a one dimensional player like Darcy Hordichuk. It was time to move on.

Written by Noah Fuchs aka NHL rumors guy

REVS 2013 NHL DRAFT PROSPECTS #9.Elias Lindholm

#9. Elias Lindholm

At 6'0 and 192 lbs Elias is already in a man's body and having played with the men, comes more well rounded some some of the other players who have only competed at the Jr ranks. Considered to be more of a complete player due to good work in all zones of the rink, Elias stands a good chance to be drafted even higher then my ranking should the right 'fit' be there. Maybe the Winnipeg Jets? Don't laugh, he is the type of player they are drafting. Even Ottawa could be a good bet, however if they keep their winning ways, Elias will be long gone before they even step up to the podium. Could Columbus be a fit? Even though it is likely a possibility he is available to our Oilers, I highly doubt the Edmonton Oilers take another player like this.

It is difficult to find a player who plays such a complete game at just 17 years old like Lindholm. With the ability to create offense in a small window of opportunity and to be a force without the puck  will likely mean Elias comes out  a very high 1^st round draft pick if he can keep up his development this season.

Tough to stop when he has the puck, strong, makes very quick decisions and catches other teams off guard. An excellent playmaker who can find his teammates for very good scoring chances are one of his strengths. 

Elias is able to get into the right areas and anticipate where the puck is going to be. In order to see himself picked high, he will have to make some improvements in his goal scoring abilities. He needs to improve his shots and be a threat to score on the rush and not just with his passes. 

Defensemen in the NHL would be able to pick up his tendency to pass and cheat a little, and to keep them guessing, he will need to score more often. Defensively, it will be difficult to find another forward who plays as hard in his own zone. A physically strong player,  he consistently gets inside positioning on an opponent and takes away the puck. Because he reads the play so well, and other teams have a difficult time in the offensive zone when he is on the ice. Very good at intercepting passes, he usually gets the play going the other way for his team.

"He's a complete package," Stubb told NHL.com. "He could very well be the next Peter Forsberg. He's an excellent skater and great competitor who gives it 110 percent on every shift. He can skate, score and pass and is physically strong even though he is a finesse-type of player. Lindholm's father, Mikael, was drafted by theLos Angeles Kings in the 12th round (No. 237) in 1987. He's also the cousin of Detroit Red Wings prospect Calle Jarnkrok, who was drafted in the second round (No. 51) in 2010.

	GP	G	A	TP	PPG	PIM	+/-		GP	G	A	TP	PPG	PIM	+/-
	Regular Season							Postseason
Elitserien:	52	7	17	24	0.46	2	-4	|	2	0	0	0	0.00	0	0
ET:	3	0	1	1	0.33	0	0	|
International-Jr:	42	12	21	33	0.79	45	13	|
J18 Allsvenskan:	25	9	22	31	1.24	16	2	|	7	4	5	9	1.29	29	3
J18 Elit:	28	13	34	47	1.68	16	3	|
Rikspucken:	6	2	4	6	1.00	0	-	|
SuperElit:	38	14	35	49	1.29	45	24	|	4	1	2	3	0.75	16	0
TV-Pucken:	8	7	6	13	1.63	0	-	|
U16 SM:	6	2	11	13	2.17	0	-	|
WJAC-19:	4	0	0	0	0.00	0	0	|
WJC-18:	4	2	1	3	0.75	2	0	|
WJC-20:	6	2	2	4	0.67	4	-1	|

For Oiler prospect news and the 2013 or 2014 NHL draft watch, go to www.twitter.com/revingev

Living The Dream... Mark Arcobello

Tonight, marks the first night that undrafted Oilers forward Mark Arcobello, will start in an NHL game.

His story runs deeper than this. Arcobello has proved that if you work hard and have goals, anything is possible.

His draft year (2006) came and went. He was undrafted to the NHL for reasons unknown to me. But nonetheless, he went and attended Yale University and had a good time playing with that team.

In 2008-09 he lead the Bulldogs in scoring with 35 points in 34 games. He also helped the Bulldogs win the ECAC Hockey League Regular Season and Tournament Championships. Arcobello was also named to the NCAA East Second All American Team and the ECAC First All-Star Team that year. Impressive stuff for a guy who didn't get drafted.

In the last game he ever played for Yale University, he scored a whopping 3 goals and 3 assists. He went out with a bang.

He eventually made his professional debut with the Edmonton Oilers ECHL farm team, the Stockton Thunder. In the short time he was there, he impressed the Oilers/OKCBarons management and was offered a two year entry level deal with the Oilers in 2011. With this new contract he was awarded a full time shot with the AHL Oklahoma City Barons.

Again he made the best of his situation.

He worked his butt off and kept learning how to be a better hockey player and it paid off when Ryan Nugent Hopkins went to play in the WJHC and Arcobello filled in for him and was center to Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle. He finally earned his chance to be a first line center. He shined playing with those two and it showed the coaches he can play with the big boys.

Which leads us to today. He was called up after both Horcoff and Belanger fell due to injury. Now it turns out, RNH isn't able to play tonight and why not fill the void with a familiar face?

Mark Arcobello, an undrafted player, who worked his ass off, earns every inch of respect he has, gets to play in his first NHL game, starting on the Edmonton Oilers first line! That has a ring to it.

If I'm a betting man... Mark Arcobello will score tonight. And to make it even better, it's vs the Stars. (Psst! There is history between the two farm clubs)

I can't wait to read the next chapter in this exciting book Arcobello is writing.

Wow! Just Wow!

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY BURNT-

REVS 2013 NHL DRAFT PROSPECTS #8.Ryan Pulock

#8. Ryan Pulock

At 6'1 and 211 lbs Ryan is raising eyebrows among some of the best scouts in the business. It's always a question if a defencemen is worth the risk as a early 1st round pick but with todays salary cap era, finding a defencemen on your own and developing early can pay a high reward. A marquee defenseman for the Wheat Kings, Ryan is projected to be an early first round selection in this year's 2013 National Hockey League Entry Draft. Considered an elite two way defenseman, he is gifted on both ends of the ice. 

Ryan has a NHL caliber shot that has been already recognized by the scouts. His hockey sense is through the roof. Some even have said they see Ryan  as the "smartest" defenseman in his draft class. His passing is quick and accurate. All aspects of Pulock's game have made him a can't-miss prospect. for any team in the first round this year of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Only question remains is how early he gets selected. 

Ryan tells how the speed and the size of the players, when he entered the league was difficult in the WHL as he wasn’t as big as he is now. He says  it was a bit of a struggle to move guys out of the front of the net, but after putting on a few pounds it’s helped him in that area of the game. Ryan also was named captain, a honour few hockey players receive at a young age let alone defencemen.

Scouts and Ryan himself all agree the strongest part of his game is his shot, and offensive ability to carry the puck. A strong worker on his physical body as well, Ryan knows it takes a strong core and strong legs to compete at the highest levels of hockey. A avid follower of hockey, Pulock like to follow Keith Yandle because of his puck moving ability and being consistent in the defensive zone. Sounds like another player the Oilers may have interest in on defence should he be available when it comes their turn to make a selection at this summers entry draft.

  

Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	TP	PIM	+/-		Postseas.	GP	G	A	TP	PIM	+/-
2009-10	Parkland Rangers	MMHL	39	9	9	18	8		|	Playoffs	3	0	1	1	0
2010-11	Brandon Wheat Kings	WHL	63	8	34	42	4	2	|	Playoffs	6	2	4	6	2	-2
	Canada Western U17	WHC-17	5	1	0	1	2		|
2011-12	Brandon Wheat Kings	WHL	71	19	41	60	20	33	|	Playoffs	9	3	2	5	0	1
	Canada U18	WJC-18	6	1	1	2	0	-3	|
2012-13	Brandon Wheat Kings	WHL	39	10	21	31	18	2	|

Season Awards by season 2011-2012 U18 WJC Bronze Medal   WHL (East) First All-Star Team

Awards by league - U18 WJC Bronze Medal 11/12 - WHL (East) First All-Star Team 11/12

For Oiler prospect news and the 2013 or 2014 NHL draft watch, go to www.twitter.com/revingev

'Random OILER thoughts'

Hockey is a game of momentum and a game of transition. I would like to tell people of Edmonton to 'Have no fear' but it's not Oiler fans that are actually worried. For the most part fans of the Oilers and in Edmonton understand the sport and know hockey has it's ebs and flows (it that a joke about Eberle and Jones?..lol)

It's actually fans and bloggers and posters on message boards that DON'T like the Oilers. They seem furious, outraged and love to find every fault they can to speak badly of the Edmonton Oilers. Has our team let us down? Yup! Do they deserve criticism? Yup! To the extreme that it is? I say no! However, with becoming the new darling of the NHL, the Oilers will face incredible scrutiny night after night, so get ready Oil Country cause it will not be stopping anytime soon.

Why are people so angry that the Oilers are getting 1st OV draft picks? Those same people will tell you those #1 OV players are not that good. Then why complain, cause obviously Edmonton picked wrong or they were weak drafts. If Edmonton picked not great players, that means another team got them right? Makes sense. The real reason people are furious about our last place finishes and so many in a row IS because we are STOCKED with Elite skill now. It's called jealousy, that's all. Actually Oil Country should be honoured to have people trash talking us, it's about time we got some attention. Those same people complaining are most likely the same people who kept saying no one wanted to play in Edmonton. My how times have changed. It happens, it's called rebuilding.

Now back to my reason for this blog. Do the Oilers deserve to be highly critiqued? Absolutely! We have enough elite talent minus a #1 consistent Goalie and a legit #1 or #2 Defencemen. It will take chemistry, hard work, good coaching and excellent managing to take this team to another level. Can it happen? I believe it can but it is a work in progress. As much as my stomach was sick watching that 1st period in Game 2 against the Sharks, I know it is still only the second game of the year and home opener with lots of young talent still learning and growing. You don't build a great team overnight.

Edmonton showed us in the 2nd and 3rd periods, they can play better. I know people are saying the only reason it was closer was because for 2 periods the Sharks let go of the gas? Really? How about the only reason this game was out of reach early was because the Oilers didn't put their foot on the gas for 20 minutes? You can't have one criticism without the other. They go hand and foot together. Last time I looked it takes 60 minutes to complete a game. So, you can't sell me on the only reason they were reasonably closer was because the Sharks couldn't keep playing hard because they were so far ahead in the score. I have seen Edmonton dominate a team for 50 minutes and fall by 3 goals to actually lose a game. Fans and media alike go on how awesome they played but fell short by 10 minutes. My take is, maybe the other team played well?

Enough of my random thoughts on the Oilers to date. Let's grab that drink, get behind the ol' TV (Or Rexall for some) and watch some more Oiler hockey. I have a feeling we will see a far different team today after being embarrassed on Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Oilers win 4-2

For Oiler prospect news and the 2013 or 2014 NHL draft watch, go to For Oiler prospect news and the 2013 or 2014 NHL draft watch, go to www.twitter.com/revingev