Tons of Rumors in Oil Country.
WHICH PLAYERS WILL BE ON THE MOVE AT THE TRADE DEADLINE?
The Edmonton Oilers will be fielding a ton of calls heading into next months deadline. They have a little bit of everything to offer. Ales Hemsky is a top 6 forward, Andy Sutton is a depth defenseman and Nikolai Khabibulin is a veteran goaltender with a Cup on his resume. Add in the perception that a player like Sam Gagner could be had for the right price, and you've got a recipe for Steve Tambellini to be quite busy.
Oilers front office under rebuild?On the other hand there’s a significant percentage of the paying public who don’t believe Tambellini has achieved a status in the GM community much higher than his team sits in the standings.
And the current view of his team is that it has has no guts, still isn’t tough to play against, that his veterans haven’t performed, nor have the holdovers from Lowe’s veterans from his time in the GM chair. The group has shown no try in three of the last five games.
But apparently the decision is big picture, to stay the course with Tambellini, a first time general manager who is being developed, too.
Possible deals for HemskyEdmonton Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini is in the hotseat as he takes calls on veteran winger Ales Hemsky.
Half the league is looking for a top-six forward. Remember back in 2006, when the Oilers beat out other teams to get Sergei Samsonov because they needed a second-liner? Teams are loathe to surrender much for rentals because you get quantity, but not quality, in most cases.
The Oilers absolutely need a puck-moving defenceman more than they need a draft pick. And if the prospect being dangled is more than a year away from being ready for the NHL, I don't know why they would be interested in more down-the-road stuff.
Hemsky: “He most definitely will be traded at the deadline.”MacLean suggested Hemsky will pull in less than Dustin Penner did last season, though he failed to identify the main reason for that — Penner wasn’t just a rental, but still had another season left on his contract, while Hemsky is rental, a UFA on July 1. “I don’t see teams paying a big price,” MacLean said. He may well be right about that, though Kypreos was more positive. “There’s a lot of teams right now looking for a top six forward and he certainly fits the bill,” the real Kyper said.
Oilers trade deadline planGoing into the NHL trade deadline, the Edmonton Oilers will have decide if they are buyers or sellers. The obvious marker for the team will be the position in the standings. If they are in reach they might add a piece or two to aid a playoff run. If they are too far back the for sale sign goes out.
Steve Tambellini will have to resist the urge to make large changes to the team and create more roster turnover than is needed. Moving too many veterans could send the wrong signals to potential free agents
Are the Oilers looking for a d-man?Steve Tambellini is actively shopping for defencemen (join the club), and there is an outside chance they may just have to eventually shut Ryan Whitney down for the season. His foot woes have limited his play this year, and he is still out of the lineup. The Oilers have won eight of their last 29 games in what is quickly becoming another lost season. When you see the heart and sacrifice exhibited by Taylor Hall and several of the youngsters on the Oilers, it’s clear Ales Hemsky’s time there is coming to an end. Last week, the oft-injured second-line winger flamingo’d on a shot that got through for a goal and later gave up on a race to try erasing icing in the final minute of a win in Chicago. Not popular moves.
Oilers GM Tambellini not interested in another lottery pickSteve Tambellini looks at the standings and doesn’t like what he sees.
“Do I want to be a lottery pick again? No, I’ve said that from the beginning,” said the Edmonton Oilers general manager.
It isn’t his intention to be picking in the top three of the NHL entry draft in Pittsburgh this June. His game plan isn’t to be the fifth worst team in the NHL right now, with a club that looks an awful lot like last year’s version. The Oilers were 12-18-7 after 37 games in 2010-11, with 31 points. On Jan. 1, 2012, the Oilers are 15-19-3, with 33 points. That’s not a leap forward. Forget playing meaningful games in March. How about February? How about this month?
Could the Oilers trade Hemsky? Would the Wings be interested?I think it’s time to turn the page. He needs a change of scenery.
He’s been the most creative player on the team for 500 games or so, but he’s got company now.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a Hemsky-like passer. Eberle is the No. 1 right-winger today.
What could Hemsky bring in a trade, with his injury history (two shoulder operations and several other problems)? He’s definitely not going to bring a top-three defencemen, preferably a puck-mover like the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Kris Letang.
Oilers seek helpLook for the Oilers to become more aggressive in the trade market if they're unable to turn around a slide in which they won five times in a recent 15-game stretch. Edmonton allowed just 23 goals in its first 14 games this season before coughing up 52 in its next 14 contests.
The Oilers are begging for help on defense, where 11 players had suited up through the first two months of the season. Cam Barker, Ryan Whitney, Corey Potter and Andy Sutton had combined to miss 48 games because of injury going into the weekend. Sutton is out again while serving his second suspension.
Injury-plagued Oilers call up reserves from Oklahoma CityWith Andy Sutton and Corey Potter set to have MRIs to determine the extent of their injuries, the Edmonton Oilers have recalled Colten Teubert and Taylor Chorney to fill the holes in the defensive corps.
The pinch-hitters were flying in from Oklahoma City and will join Theo Peckham, Jeff Petry, Tom Gilbert and Ladislav Smid on Saturday when the Oilers take on the explosive Chicago Blackhawks.
