A NEW HOPE

I am awakened by the first sign of winning.


Ryan Smyth is back where he belongs (imo he should have never left in the first place) to help Tom Renney, Shawn Horcoff, Ales Hemsky, Ryan Whitney, and Tom Gilbert mentor the next generation of Edmonton Oilers. Make no mistake, this team is being built around Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. A promising core of young players already surrounds them in Sam Gagner, Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, Gilbert Brule, Linus Omark, Andrew Cogliano, Ladislav Smid, Theo Peckham, Taylor Chorney, and Jeff Petry. Free agency yielded a potential hidden gem stud D-Man in Cam Barker; some sand and grit in big agitating winger Ben Eager and even bigger, nasty D-Man Andy Sutton; a two-way center that can actually win face-offs and help on the PK in Eric Belanger; and Darcy Hordichuk, a tough-as-nails enforcer, who is as comfortable taking a regular shift as he is sitting in the penalty box or the press box. Devan Dubnyk may yet prove to be a serviceable NHL goaltender, and the Nikolai Khabibulin signing is looking more and more like a strategic decision to guarantee multiple lottery picks while creating the optical illusion of attempting to ice the best team possible.

The organization is at the roster limit with 50 contracts and brimming with talented prospects ready to step up and take anyone's roster spot should they falter. Watch out for Teemu Hartikainen, Anton Lander, Chris Vande Velde, Tyler Pitlick, Curtis Hamilton, Alex Plante, Colten Teubert, Martin Marincin, Oscar Klefbom, and David Musil.

The lines and pairings for this season might look something like this:

Gagner-Smyth-Hemsky
RNH-Hall-Eberle
Horcoff-Paajarvi-Omark
Belanger-Eager-Jones

Whitney-Barker
Smid-Gilbert
Peckham-Sutton

Dubnyk
Khabibulin

Press Box Brigade: Hordichuk, Cogliano, Brule

My bet is that we see some trades and that RNH goes back to junior unless he absolutely forces his way onto the team during training camp. Assuming even average goaltending, good health, and continued progress from the core kids, this team should at least contend for a playoff spot this year, possibly finding a way to sneak in if it all starts finally to come together.

Next summer brings a ton of cap room and yet more hope. Besides the core living up to their promise, the supporting cast needs to pan out, and a stud blueliner and clutch goaltending need to appear before the Edmonton Oilers can really take the next steps toward winning and then consistently contending for the Stanley Cup.

That said, so far this has been the best summer to be an Oiler fan since 2005.

YA-HOO!

About 15 years ago, I made a bet for $1,000.00 with a friend of mine who is a rabid Flames fan that the Oilers would win a Stanley again before the Flames ever did. It seems my money is safe for at least another year. Then again, so is his. In fact, neither team is going to get a sniff at that trophy for at least a few years, so both "Big Tom" and I can spend our money on other things like family vacations, mortgage payments, and vet bills.

I have been mostly silent throughout this NHL season, as the Edmonton Oilers players, coaches, management, and ownership combined to put out what can only be described as the worst on-ice product in my more than 30 years of being a fan. The term "City of Champions" has never before been more of a punch-line. Living in Calgary, I cannot articulate how lame it has become mouthing the words "Taylor Hall" and pointing out that the Oilers are at least 2 years ahead of the Flames on the rebuild. Nearly everyone I know in this city is a Flames fan, and they have with few exceptions been relentless in rubbing salt in my wounds whilst continually jumping on and off the bandwagon for their own old and slow band of skill-deprived knuckle-draggers.

Last night, the Calgary Flames were officially eliminated from any chance of playoff contention.

Today is a good day. I will enjoy it.

Behold A Pale Horse

And I looked, and behold a pale horse:

and his name that sat on him was Death,

and Hell followed with him.

Revelation 6:8

OK, so I admit I've never really been sure what in the hell that means, but I have not yet commented on the new coaching staff, and to be honest, I'm not really sure what in the hell we have. 

Quinn is nothing if not a leader of men, and he has had a lot of success as a head coach. He has proven he can coach youth as well as veterans, and he has done well on the international stage, but he has yet to prove he can win a Stanley Cup.

Renney is obviously the heir apparent for when Quinn (who is not getting any younger) eventually retires or wears out his welcome. He is also an excellent tactician, and should help the PP and the PK, as well as overall player development. He might also prove valuable in luring potential free agents named Niedermayer and Jagr, although I'm not certain such players bring much at this stage of their careers or that they would be affordable.

Buchberger is...I don't know what Buchberger is. It felt like Quinn and Renney had maybe met and spoken to him for the first time in their lives right before the press conference, if at all. I'm not sure where he fits in, but the former Captain of some of the worst Oiler teams in franchise history is the last link among the coaching staff to the Oilers Dynasty of the 1980s, and he is sure to be Kevin Lowe's eyes and ears among the prevailing Canuck regime. If nothing else, maybe Bucky can slap the bejesus out of anybody who steps out of line in the locker room.

The bottom line is that Quinn and Renney are both good coaches, but so were MacTavish, Huddy, and Moores. What is needed is size, speed, grit, and leadership, face-off wins, puck possession, a forecheck, a powerplay, a penalty kill, a goalie under 40, and a complete attitude adjustment for some of the players.

Craig, YOU'RE FIRED!

Well, so much for Steve Tambellini and Craig MacTavish working together to turn over the roster...

After watching the press conference, I think it's pretty clear that the new boss  is less than impressed with more than a few of the players on the roster. I found it particularly interesting when he said, "This does not absolve the players for their performance or lack thereof..."

Maybe it was the emotion in Steve Tambellini's voice, but something tells me all of this should make for a very  interesting summer.

Heads are gonna roll...

And in case you're worried about Craig MacTavish, don't. He has faced in his lifetime much more serious and difficult situations than this, including this pummeling...

Like he said at the time, "It's a little embarrassing, but what can I say? It's part of the game...It's a tough situation for me, but I guess you just have to man up and take it."

Amen to that.

Thank you Craig MacTavish.

And good luck.

You might just win another Stanley Cup before these Oilers.