01/13/12 McKenzie: Oilers Have "Great Motivation to Upgrade the Blueline"

This tweet went out on Sunday morning, and Bob McKenzie is one of those guys whose word can be taken seriously. Now that the trade market is back open, could the Oilers get something done?

02/24/12 Fans... Happy! Hemsky Stays

Ales Hemsky decided to forgo free agency and sign a new two year deal with the Oilers worth $10 million. This is a very positive move for the organization, and after taking a lot of flak from the media and fans, Tambellini got it right.

Some in the media, like Scott Burnside, don't believe the deal was a good one. Burnside tweeted: "Ales Hemsky; two years $10 million just goes to show you $10 million doesn't get you too far in the NHL these days does it?"

CapGeek posted their list of comparable contracts to the deal Hemsky just signed, and only 6 of the 20 names listed have averaged more points per game over their careers than Hemsky. Of those players, the average points per game pace is 0.74. Ales Hemsky has posted 0.79 points per game since he entered the NHL. So, for better or worse injury-wise, the Oilers signed their man to a contract that pretty much fits with Hemsky's value.

It's fantastic to see the Oilers realize that replacing Hemsky would have been much more difficult than re-signing him, and it may have come at a greater cost anyway. Considering the chemistry Hemsky has shown with Hall, it's better to stick with the devil you know than the one you don't.

Fans should be very happy with this signing. The money is right, and the term (Hemsky's deal expires at the same time as that of Nugent-Hopkins) is right as well. It's an encouraging sign from management, and almost everyone will agree that for once they deserve to be praised.

02/10/12 Tambellini Botched the Hemsky Situation

Robin Brownlee wrote an article that appeared on OilersNation today which encapsulates all of the most frustrating feelings when it comes to the Ales Hemsky situation. We're at the point now where none of the moves that are possible make sense. No matter what happens, this issue will help fan the flames of hatred toward Steve Tambellini.

In the past I've been quick to point out that not all of the problems with the Oilers are the result of Tambellini's work in Edmonton, but the way Ales Hemsky has been handled is unquestionably a glaring wart on the General Manager's resume. Hemsky's play of late hasn't made things easy, but regardless of that there were better options.

As yet, there appears to be very little interest on Oilers management's side in signing the enigmatic winger to a contract extension, which implies that they knew they were going to trade him all along. If that is the case, why not move him at the deadline last year? Hemsky was healthy for the month of February last season, and posted 4-8-12 in 13 games. March 1st was his last game of 2010-11. Tambellini may have thought that Hemsky's value would increase this season if he successfully returned from injury and played like he was in a contract year, but that hasn't been the case. In any event, Hemsky is still just a rental player this year, which means the ceiling for his value is only so high no matter how well he plays. Whatever deals Tambellini walked away from in February or back in June at the draft are going to look pretty sweet when compared to the current value of #83.

With that said, there's always the option of signing the player to an extension, which management seems to think is not an option. There are only so many top six wingers out there and the Oilers are about to let one slip through their fingers. Barring some kind of amazing turnaround, the situation is an embarrassment.

Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford is making the Oilers look even worse. Realizing how difficult it would be to replace the players he already has, Rutherford locked up Tim Gleason to a four year contract extension and has expressed a desire to sign Tuomo Ruutu. Ruutu was supposed to be the first big shoe to drop and set the market value for a top-six forward, but he may not be moved at all. The Hurricanes will no doubt try very hard over the next couple of weeks to come to an agreement with Ruutu, and failing that they still have the option to trade him. That's how you handle your players properly and with respect.

By comparison, what the Oilers appear to be doing is just bizarre. If management fails to show any commitment to Hemsky, what possible reason would he have for wanting to stay in Edmonton?

An asset that was once valuable enough to be in the conversation of a Brayden Schenn trade is now at risk of leaving this city forever for next to nothing. Unless one of the teams that is in the market for a top-six forward overpays at the deadline, this gross miscalculation will be one of the worst of Tambellini's tenure.

07/11/11 11.7 Odds & Ends: Fraser and Injuries, Hemsky, Hannan

Dean Lombardi

By now you're all aware of the fact that Dean Lombardi has publicly blasted the Oilers for trading him an injured Colin Fraser. We can be fairly certain that Steve Tambellini didn't knowingly do this, because it doesn't really do him any good. Tambellini doesn't want to earn a reputation that will make it hard for teams to trade with him, and Colin Fraser was not a guy who had to go because he was handcuffing the team.The Oilers' doctors cleared Fraser to play, and the Kings' doctors insist that he needs surgery. This brings up an interesting thought on the quality of Edmonton's medical staff.

Without specifically calling out any doctor in particular, one has to wonder why the Oilers have seen such a high rate of players being re-injured. Sheldon Souray and Ales Hemsky are two players who have experienced this while playing for the Oilers. Both played while their bodies were clearly not fully healed, and minor contact reinjued them. Hemsky has done this multiple times this season alone; first with his groin and then his shoulder. Souray alluded to this phenomenon when he came out and asked for a trade, saying:

"I wasn’t even ready to play when I came here, but it was like, ‘We signed you, you go out and play.’ I hadn’t been cleared to play yet, but I was being questioned by the organization:‘When are you going to be able to play?'"

The organization denies these claims, but Souray was eventually cleared to play by the medical staff, only to reinjure himself.

There have been other examples recently as well. We can only speculate, but what would have happened if Fraser wasn't traded and the season started tomorrow? Colin Fraser would apparently have been cleared to play, and the chances of him aggravating an unhealed injury would have been high. Part of this comes from the players themselves lying about how hurt they are, but in the end the medical staff has to be competent enough to make the right calls on a player's health.

If Steve Tambellini has no motive to ruin his reputation around the league by lying to Dean Lombardi, that leaves the medical staff that examined Fraser as the culprits. How can there be such a chasm between the opinion of two medical staffs? And what would have been the status of other injured Oilers if they had been on another team?

Other Headlines:

Speaking of Ales Hemsky, there have been some more rumblings that the Oilers might trade the skilled winger. Or, probably more accurately, the team is getting calls about him because he's seen as being potentially available.

Hemsky's recent comments about the direction the team is going and about the city of Edmonton are encouraging signs that he wants to stick around long term. Chances are good that Oilers management wants that as well. There isn't much top-end talent to be had right now, either by trade or free agency and the Oilers have Hemsky locked up for another year. That means that they can sit back and ask whatever they want and if teams don't like it, the Oilers will just keep #83.

The fact is that if the Oilers were to trade Hemsky they would have to replace him somewhere down the line. Aside from Linus Omark, who is as yet unproven in the NHL, there isn't anyone to really take over for Hemsky in the Oilers' system. Hemsky is to Edmonton what Marian Hossa is to Chicago, in that he's the type of winger that could put the team over the top one day, even if he's been passed at that time by Jordan Eberle. The only reason to trade Hemsky right now is to diversify the attack and/or plug holes. If the trade massively upgraded the Oilers' defense, then the team could live without Hemsky; otherwise he isn't going anywhere. The organization seems determined to make a drive for the playoffs next year, so moving Hemsky for picks in next year's draft looks like a big time long shot, unless the team flounders next year.



Scott Hannan and Ryan Smyth

 Just because a player isn't signed by the middle of July doesn't mean that he won't get signed. Teams must be low-balling Scott Hannan right now, since he has slowed down some in the last few years. There has been a little speculation that the Oilers could target the 32 year old defenseman, and having Ryan Smyth back obviously wouldn't hurt in that regard. There are things about this move that would make sense.

Hannan is a plus-25 over his career, while shutting down some of the best players that the opposition hurled at him. He's nowhere near the player that he was when the above picture was taken, but he would be a steadying force on the Oilers' blueline. Defense is the one area where the Oilers are still really working out the kinks, and the team is without a tested shutdown player on the backend. Hannan solves that problem, temporarily of course, and would be a decent enough stop-gap until a long term replacement like Colten Tuebert is ready for duty.

On the other hand, it basically guarantees that Jeff Petry will start next season in Oklahoma, since he would have to fight his way past Whitney, Gilbert, Smid, Peckham, Barker, Sutton and potentially Hannan. He would be a good first call up though, and when he's on the farm Petry would be munching up big minutes.

The good news is that if the Oilers decide that they want to go in this type of direction, there are plenty of free agent defensemen who fit the bill as veteran stop-gap types. Also available are Brent Sopel and Bryan McCabe. Sopel won a Cup with Chicago, so he might be open to playing for a team that has finished 30th in back to back years. His shot blocking skill is something that would be great to instill in the rest of Edmonton's blueliners. He's 34, but he can still be effective in his role. McCabe still managed 28 points in 67 games last year and he comes with a booming shot from the point, depsite his 36 years of age. He's never won a Cup though, so he'll probably try to sign with a contender if one will have him.

If the Oilers don't decide to add a defenseman, it will be an interesting experiment with the blueline in 2011-12, but in the end it could pay dividends to give ice time to younger players. We'll see what direction management decides to go, and how serious they are about playoffs next year.

06/12/11 37.0 Who Else Could the Oilers Get in the Top Ten?

With all of the rumors swirling about the Oilers trying to get another top ten pick (and for once a couple of teams that might be willing to trade out of the top ten), it's time to look at what players might drop to #8 or #9 overall. Obviously the Columbus Blue Jackets are willing to trade the 8th overall pick, but the Boston Bruins might also part with #9 - especially if they don't win the cup - to improve immediately.

Those are really the only picks that are available inside the first ten selections. In the case of both teams, what they will want from the Oilers is Ales Hemsky. Any other trade is not likely to get it done, aside from moving the 1st overall pick in some way, which would be a mistake. As we have seen recently, the Blue Jackets have interest in #83, but the Bruins would also love to have him come on board and help out their lifeless powerplay. If they lose in the Final, it will be plainly obvious that the powerplay is the biggest reason that the Bruins didn't win the Stanley Cup. If Mark Recchi retires, Hemsky would be even more desirable to Boston.

That being the case, the Oilers would need to have a player drop to at least number 8 who they simply couldn't pass up. For the moment, Hemsky is still the most dangerous offensive threat the Oilers have, so to trade him would take a player that is truly going to be special and impactful, and it would have to get the team further along. Here is a list of the highest ranked prospects in this year's draft class that the Oilers would really want, and the likelihood that they will drop to 8th overall.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is almost certainly an Oiler after going 1st overall. If for some reason the Oilers don't take him, there's no chance that he'll drop as far as 8.

Jonathan Huberdeau will likely go to the Avalanche. Huberdeau plays left wing in junior and the Avs are weak at that position. Almost no chance that he drops past #2, and no chance at all that he drops to #8.

With those two out of the way, things start to open up a little.

Sean Couturier: The Florida Panthers have taken a defenceman with their first pick in 3 of the last 4 drafts. Two of those players are in the NHL and Erik Gudbranson should be there soon. The Panthers need help up front. Probably the best all-around player left at forward is Couturier, who Florida could snap up.

If not, it will probably be Landeskog. In that case, Couturier could slip past the Devils at #4 if they take Adam Larsson and he could get by the Islanders if they take a defenceman like Hamilton. However, he is unlikely to get past Ottawa and Winnipeg since both of those teams need help at forward. Couturier could be Winnipeg's franchise center, and they wouldn't let him get by them. In addition, if Couturier did slip to 8th overall, Columbus might prefer to simply select him instead of making a trade.

Adam Larsson might get by Florida, but the Devils need help on defence in a bad way. Larsson could help anchor their blue line for years. If he gets by the Devils, then the Islanders will probably take him since they would have the chance to get the big Swedish defenceman that they had to pass on to select Tavares first overall in 2009. Larsson has too many tools to slip too far in this draft. Last year when Cam Fowler dropped, it was probably because he is a tad one-dimensional and perhaps not thought of as NHL ready. Many teams are regretting not taking Fowler now, and Larsson is more of a complete defender. Very little chance that he drops to number 8.

Gabriel Landeskog could fall a few spots in this draft because of his offense not being what one might expect from a high-end prospect. Florida and New Jersey could easily let him go by, and the Islanders probably could as well. If Ottawa and Winnipeg are looking for more of a pure offensive threat, they could pass on Landeskog as well. But if the Oilers trade Ales Hemsky so they can select Landeskog, do they really get themselves much further ahead? What the Oilers lose in offense from Hemsky they gain in drive and leadership from Landeskog, but probably not for a number of years. Landeskog could be there at #8, but the move doesn't necessarily make sense.

Dougie Hamilton is the second best defenceman available in the eyes of many scouts. He'll have to get by the Devils and Islanders, who need defensive help, but if he does he could easily be on the board at 8th or even 9th overall. Neither Boston or Columbus would rather have him over Hemsky, and the Oilers might be better off having Hamilton help anchor the backend. This is a move that could make a lot of long-term sense.

From 3-7, Florida, Ottawa and Winnipeg will probably all want forwards, which is why Ryan Strome likely won't drop past them. Landeskog, Couturier and Strome are the 3 best available after RNH and Huberdeau, so unless there's a Jeff Skinner type of surprise out there, Strome will be gone by the time the 8th pick is made.

Ryan Murphy is the type of player that could make things very interesting. There's every chance that he'll be around at 8 or 9 overall. Murphy is one-dimensional, but the Oilers could use a pure scoring defenceman. Essentially trading Hemsky for Murphy might seem like a bad idea, but it would give the Oilers a more well-rounded offensive attack.

Nathan Beaulieu, Duncan Siemens and Zack Phillips are all likely to be available at 8th and 9th overall, but they could also drop further to the middle of the first round. Those three represent the last players that are really worth trading up to get, but not necessarily by trading Ales Hemsky. The Oilers might be able to get them at 19th overall, or trade a lesser asset and the 19th pick to move up a few spots and snag one of them. The fact that the Oilers have another mid first-round pick means that there isn't much need to trade up to take any of the other players in round one since the talent level basically levels off with all of them.

***

There's a realistic chance that Dougie Hamilton and Ryan Murphy could be around at 8th or 9th, and those two players would be who the Oilers might want to target. Only those two are worth trading a player of Hemsky's ilk. However, the draft is always full of surprises and the Oilers won't hesistate to trade Hemsky if Larsson falls to the 8th or 9th spot. Couturier might also be worth Hemsky in the long run, so if he somehow falls then the Oilers may go after him; but in that case Columbus and Boston might take their chances with simply drafting him.

If one of those four drops to 8th or 9th overall, expect the Oilers to move heaven and earth to get them.

06/10/11 11.5 Odds & Ends: Hemsky Trade Rumor, Drury, Calgary's Coaching Staff

Chris Drury

It seems like everyone in the NHL is doing something except for our beloved Edmonton Oilers. Philadelphia is busy acquiring the rights to Ilya Bryzgalov (and apparently ignoring his dismal playoff performances over the years); Winnipeg is absolutely bustling with activity in selling season tickets, finding a new GM and deciding (STILL deciding) on a name for their newly minted team. Toronto, St. Louis, and Montreal are among teams who have signed some of their own talent to extensions.

And the Oilers are still patiently waiting for their time in the sun at the draft on the 24th. It's incredibly inconsiderate of Oilers management not to give us all something to talk about in the Oilogosphere, so we'll just speculate and talk about everyone else for now.

Headlines:

- It was announced yesterday that the New York Rangers are planning to buy out Chris Drury once it becomes possible on Wednesday. Drury struggled mightily this season, scoring just one goal and four assists in 24 games and battling injury. The Drury buyout will save the Blueshirts $3.3 million against the cap next year, and Sather will finally be rid of his two huge free agent blunders from 2007 in Drury and Scott Gomez.

Could the Oilers sign Drury? It sounds crazy, but it might not be. Part of the strength of a rebuild is not only the players that a team acquires, but also the transitional players that are part of the team when it sucks. Drury is a former Stanley Cup Champion, NHL rookie of the year, and Olympic silver medalist. That's the type of player that young kids should be around when they are learning the ropes.

Drury wouldn't bring a lot of scoring punch, but he doesn't have to. Doug Weight scored just 53 points in 107 games with the Islanders, but the team kept him on because of the leadership and knowledge that he could impart to their kids. There aren't many ways in which one should emulate the Islanders, but this could be one. Over the past four seasons, Drury has won an average of 53.8% of his faceoffs, and that alone would be worth signing him if he could teach the kids. In that same span, Oilers faceoff afficianado Shawn Horcoff has won an average of 51.4% of his draws. It doesn't sound like much, but 2.4 percent is a pretty big improvement when it comes to winning faceoffs. Also, a fresh perspective wouldn't hurt when it comes to teaching the Oilers' youngsters how not to get destroyed in the dot.

If the organization treated Drury as a reclamation project and signed him for only one year, they could probably pay him somewhere close to what Alex Tanguay got in Calgary at $1.7 million. If he has a bounce-back season, trade him at the deadline. If not, no harm, no foul, and hopefully the kids came away with some veteran leadership advice that they can use throughout their careers. At the very least, it would give the Oilers the ability to leave Nugent-Hopkins in junior for another year.

- This article came out on Thursday, which is claiming that the Columbus Blue Jackets are interested in pursuing Ales Hemsky. I hate to say I told you so, but there it is in black and white; two days after a certain article went up on this blog. Clearly it was a stroke of unbridled genious and intuition. That, or somewhat obvious if you think about it. Will the Oilers make the move for the 8th pick? It's impossible to tell, but another interesting question arises from the fact that the Jackets are interested in Jeff Carter:

What is to become of all of Columbus' centers? Surely there isn't space for Vermette, Carter, Brassard, Pahlsson and Johansen. Even if Johansen doesn't make the team, that's still a bit of a log jam. Would Derick Brassard be in play for the right price? Brassard is 23 years old but he's only played 201 games. In 2010-11 he had career highs in goals, assists and points with 17-30-47 in 74 games.



Craig Hartsburg

 - Brent Sutter made some additions to his staff earlier this week, hiring Craig Hartsburg as associate coach. Supposedly (according to Calgary GM Jay Feaster) this was Sutter's hire, and it's now Sutter's staff. Still, one wonders. Two seasons ago, the Oilers hired Pat Quinn as head coach with Tom Renney as associate coach, not assistant. After the season Quinn was sacked and Renney was given the top job. Last year, Calgary hired Jay Feaster as assistant General Manager, and when Daryl Sutter's team flopped he was sacked and replaced by Feaster.

Is it good for current Flames coach Brent Sutter to have an associate who has been an NHL head coach before? If you were him, would you hire an associate coach that could easily replace you if need be? How about if your team had underachieved in the eyes of management and missed the playoffs the past two seasons? It's either a veiled attempt by Flames management to hedge their bets, or a very stupid decision by Brent Sutter to hire a guy that makes him expendable.

- As hard as we all try to cheer for Vancouver, it just doesn't happen. The only good reason to cheer for the Canuckleheads is that they are Canada's team, but as this article points out, there are more Canadians playing for the Bruins. Let all those reservations about cheering for Boston wash away, and join the ever-growing contingent of hockey fans uniting under the call:

Go Bruins Go!