I really hope this isn't an April Fool's gag.
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2011/03/31/oilers_tremblay/
Unless I'm mistaken, that one year deal would be for the current year. He'll have the biggest tryout of his life in OKC. He's not huge size-wise, but he's not a smurf either at 5'11", 200lbs. And man, those numbers.
In 27 games last year he went 25-32-57, which is enormous for a college player. 22-22-44 in 27 games this year is still extremely solid.
He's yet to play an NHL game and he wasn't drafted. Do those big numbers of his translate at the NHL or AHL level? We'll see.
What I really love about this signing, along with the signings of Tanner House and Taylor Fedun, is that the Oilers are adding relatively high-end players from college without having to expend draft picks. All really good NHL teams do this, and those that are the best at finding hidden gems tend to be more successful. All of the last four Stanley Cup Champions had at least one undrafted player on them, many of whom were signed out of college. Also, New Jersey was particularly good in this regard, plucking John Madden and Brian Rafalski from obscurity.
If just one of these guys pans out for the Oilers it will be a great gamble, since the risk is low and the reward is potentially so high. Even if these guys only end up as AHLers, it's a big boost for the Barons, who are in a bit of a transitional period right now. Some of the best players of OKC are largely ready for the NHL and many have made the jump, but in a lot of cases the quality players the Oilers have drafted aren't ready for the AHL just yet. These college signings will, at the very least, shore up the holes that might exist down on the farm and also give management some potential options for the parent club.
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