Number That May Interest Only Me, Oilers Roster Edition: 3

by Derek Zona on May 9, 2011 10:25 AM MDT

Competition is going to be scarce at training camp in September. Assuming Gilbert Brule, Andrew Cogliano, Devan Dubnyk, Jordan Eberle, Kurtis Foster, Colin Fraser, Sam Gagner, Tom Gilbert, Taylor Hall, Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff, Nikolai Khabibulin, Linus Omark, Magnus Paajarvi, Theo Peckham, Jeff Petry, Ladislav Smid and Ryan Whitney are all slotted for the NHL roster, open roster spot are in short supply. Add the first overall pick, whether it's Adam Larsson or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, to the mix and there are only four spots left. Assume that Tambellini and Renney will not lose their deep-rooted affection for goons and there remain just three open roster spots on the 2011-2012 Edmonton Oilers.

A pass at what that roster might look like heading into training camp is below:

Left Wing 1	-	Gagner	-	Hemsky

Hall	-	Horcoff	-	Eberle

Paajarvi	-	Cogliano	-	Omark

Left Wing 4	-	Fraser	-	Brule

Whitney	-	Petry

Peckham	-	Gilbert

Smid	-	Foster

Dubnyk

Khabibulin

#1 pick

MacIntyre

Bench

The only openings are the two left wing spots and a bench spot. Any hope of competing for a playoff spot in 2011-2012 will involve some significant roster changes.

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1st line left wing

try Hartikeinin in the penner’s old spot. that is if Gags or Hemsky or both are not still in the line up. i would trade either and the other first and top second round pick for the 2nd over all.

by oilerbug on May 9, 2011 10:57 AM MDT reply actions

Where is Jones???? ;)

by Peacecountry on May 9, 2011 11:27 AM MDT reply actions

Good food for thought

Fraser and Foster can’t play and shouldn’t be on the roster if the Oilers hope to compete.

Brule and Khabibulin are almost certainly in that category as well due to injury, though Khabi will almost certainly be kept as a back up. Brule needs to work his way back up from AHL.

Me, I’d slot in Hartikainen, Ryan Jones (if he’s not greedy), Vande Velde, Reddox at forward, bring in one more fourth line veteran centre and move Cogliano to fourth line wing.

Foster and Fraser are AHLers, so one more depth defender is needed, not a big name, just a 25 or 26 year old who is ready to blossom a la Muni, Jason Smith, Staios.

RNH needs to spend one more year in Red Deer.

by David Staples @ The Cult of Hockey on May 9, 2011 11:54 AM MDT reply actions

if the Oilers hope to compete.

And that right there is the kicker

Insert Witty Comment Here

by VanillaAcid on May 9, 2011 12:29 PM MDT up reply actions

Omark can play LW. He could move up to play with Gagner and Hemsky.

Man,. every time I see the projected roster in print, it screams out, “make some f*&%ing hockey trades already!”

by gcw_rocks on May 9, 2011 12:48 PM MDT reply actions

Omark in the 1st will be a lack of defensive game and become +/- minus 30 in end of season. In the 1st Line players should be present with size and muscle. I like Gagner and Omark, but they do not meet my expectations for this position.

by Screaming69 on May 10, 2011 12:44 AM MDT up reply actions

Cogliano, Omark, Gagner, Hemsky, Eberle, Brule:

Small guys with skill

Hall, Jones, Reddox:

Smallish guys, one of whom has skill

We definitely have the market cornered here. From the list above, we probably need to drop 2 guys, at least. Not because Cogliano can’t be a good player somewhere, or Brule can’t fill a role, or Reddox can’t help kill penalties, or Jones can’t be the most awesome dude on any team. They just can’t do it on our team.

by Ca$h-Money! on May 10, 2011 7:59 AM MDT up reply actions

I agree, its time to start dealing from this pool. At this point I would keep Eberle (because of his upside and clutch play) and Omark (because he is cheap, he competes, and his upside is yet to be determined) and Hall (duh!). I would have the rest in play and see what can be had to fill holes. What the Oilers will be looking for will depend largely on who they draft first overall.

If its Larsson, they should be packing up whomever out of Hemsky, Gagner, Cogs, Brule, Reddox and be hunting for young centres. If its RNH, they should be looking for defence.

by gcw_rocks on May 13, 2011 8:14 AM MDT up reply actions

no point dealing Gagner right now. His market value is low and I really think he is due a breakout soon. Maybe even next season. He has shown signs of inprovement and its a matter of time it all comes together

Success is not a goal..its a byproduct

by SumOil on May 13, 2011 1:00 PM MDT up reply actions

I agree, I’d probably keep Gagner at least 1 more year: we probably won’t be a playoff team next year so it isn’t worth getting rid of his upside. Value on Hemsky has never been lower either; other teams perceive him as being made of glass, and it’s hard to disagree with them.

I’d try to move Cogliano, Jones, Brule, and Reddox for guys in their 30s who are over 200 pounds but are less skilled. I look at the moves the Flames made last year: guys like Kostopolous and Jackman, or defencemen. We are even in a situation where we can pick up overpaid guys who only have a year left of such as Vandermeer last year or Commodore this year.

There are teams that need to upgrade on the skill side. Think Cogliano to Minnesota for Kobasew, Nystrom, or Staubitz.

by Ca$h-Money! on May 13, 2011 3:35 PM MDT up reply actions

I’ll even take Cam Barker… actually Minnesota would be a good trading partner.

by Ca$h-Money! on May 13, 2011 3:37 PM MDT up reply actions

Barker would be interesting, but I would guess he would cost you Gagner rather than Cogs. Would you do that deal?

by gcw_rocks on May 15, 2011 1:37 AM MDT up reply actions

On the WIld website they list Barker as an alternate Dman in their 4th pairing, and last year he had 5 points in 51 games, so I don’t think his value would be too high for a team that has lots of defensive depth. I think we could get him for less than Gagner.

by Ca$h-Money! on May 15, 2011 4:03 PM MDT up reply actions

I agree. Barker could even be had for something as a 3rd rounder.
but I dont think he will become anything more than what he already is. Which is a nobody,

Success is not a goal..its a byproduct

by SumOil on May 15, 2011 5:43 PM MDT up reply actions

Then he might be worth a gamble. The Oilers love reclaimation projects and Barker did have 40 points in 68 hames back in 08/09 and was drafted 4th overall.

I mean, evaluating him on the Wild is like trying to evaluate a lot of the Oilers. Team or player? Who knows?

by gcw_rocks on May 15, 2011 7:51 PM MDT up reply actions

RE: sumoil

I’m with gcw_rocks on this one. While he might be a bust for a 4th overall pick, he did have 1 good season.

Even if he is “bad” is he really much worse than anyone on our roster not named Ryan Whitney? Given his potential, you’ve got to think he’s at least the equal of Smid, Gilbert, or Peckham and is certainly better than Foster/Strudwick/Vandermeer.

I say bring him on. He’s filling a hole that doesn’t exist in Minnesota, a team that could really benefit from one of our small, quick forwards like Cogliano or Brule.

by Ca$h-Money! on May 15, 2011 8:27 PM MDT up reply actions

and I repeat that Kobasew would be a good add aswell. Maybe me can move Cogliano/Brule for Kobasew/Barker.

by Ca$h-Money! on May 15, 2011 8:28 PM MDT up reply actions

I really like Gilbert.
Furthermore, I am not sure but at this point of time maybe Smid> Barker. He might be worth the gamble nect one being his contract season and all, but I would much rather they sign/trade for a more proven guy or someone with more promise.
Dont forget he is a 3 million dollar player performing at replacement or below replacement level

Success is not a goal..its a byproduct

by SumOil on May 15, 2011 10:10 PM MDT up reply actions

Right. But we’re proposing to trade Cogliano for him.

Oilers fans like Cogliano, but he is a replacement level guy on the absolute worst team in Hockey. Getting anyone for him, Brule, or Reddox is going to require us to take on some risk. At least Barker has upside, and the pedigree to perform better than he has. If not Barker, who do you think we could get straight up for Cogliano (while explaining why that other team would be interested in the trade)?

by Ca$h-Money! on May 16, 2011 6:25 AM MDT up reply actions

The latest Hemsky injury was a killer. I agree it makes it harder to trade him for value, and also makes it riskier to sign him to a long term deal. Oil are in a difficult spot on him. Let’s hope for a healthy run to start the season and open up some options!

by gcw_rocks on May 15, 2011 1:36 AM MDT up reply actions

I am curious, what signs specifically give you hope?

Also – I am not sure his value is low. He’s a bad fit on a bad team, but that does not mean other teams view him as a bad or even mediocre player. 1 or 2 more seasons like the last one and they will, but now I would think at least some GMs would look at his draft pedigree and age and give him decent value. Not all, but some. And if some would, why not explore what he’s worth? On a bad team, all options should be explored.

by gcw_rocks on May 15, 2011 1:32 AM MDT up reply actions

A few things:

1) Flashes of brilliance. Admittedly I can’t back this up statistically, but it just seems like sometimes he is really, really good.
2) In a 4 year career he has had limited mentorship and has gone through 3 coaches with substantially different personalities and styles.
3) Lots of players that start in the league at 18 take 5 or 6 years to hit their stride. Look at Daniel and Henrik Sedin’s numbers, they are roughly the same as Gagner’s.

I’m not saying he’s going to win the Hart trophy in his career, but I think he has lots of potential upside. If he doesn’t get much better he will still have an NHL career, but I believe there is a chance he still improves by a fair margin.

by Ca$h-Money! on May 15, 2011 4:07 PM MDT up reply actions

The Oilers only control his rights for 7 years. Let’s hope it does not take 6 of them for him to get good, then bolt after 7…

by gcw_rocks on May 15, 2011 4:32 PM MDT up reply actions

Wait, I thought Training camp was were roster spots were won and lost?

by DarrenV on May 9, 2011 3:00 PM MDT reply actions

On a normal team yes. But this is a 30th place club. If you’re already last why open up spots and risk improvement.

Everyone knows rock attained perfection in 1974. It's a scientific fact.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and a frequenter of the time waster that is Twitter.

by ryanbatty on May 9, 2011 3:10 PM MDT up reply actions

Hope springs eternal.

by DarrenV on May 9, 2011 4:16 PM MDT up reply actions

http://www.coppernblue.com/2010/10/5/1730246/why-did-the-oilers-have-an-open-training-camp

Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.

by Derek Zona on May 9, 2011 5:33 PM MDT up reply actions

Here's where I'm at

Frolik-Horcoff-Hemsky
Hall-Center-Eberle
Omark-Gagner-Paajarvi
Hartikainen-Kontiola-McDonald
Fraser, “MacIntyre”
Whitney-Defender
Smid-Gilbert
Peckham-Petry
Foster
Dubnyk, Khabibulin

Though, I’d probably buy-out Khabibulin.
I’d rather have Reddox than “McIntyre”.
Chicago might match on Frolik.
I’d look for Center in trade at the draft with a Cap-stressed team.
I’m guessing more than a little bit when suggesting Kontiola.
I think Montador would work as Defender – double his current salary on a two-year deal.

by Mr DeBakey on May 11, 2011 12:45 PM MDT reply actions

Chicago would be foolish to let frolic go

Success is not a goal..its a byproduct

by SumOil on May 11, 2011 5:53 PM MDT up reply actions

A few thoughts;

McDonald passes Jones, Coglaino, Brule, and VandeVelde based on his success in the AHL in a scoring role? I don’t understand the choice for a 4th line.

Horcoff was a good centre for Hall and Eberle, and should probably go back to that. The gap is centering Hemsky, or putting Gagner there and centering MPS/Omark (Lander next year).

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head as far as dmen go.

by Ca$h-Money! on May 11, 2011 11:03 PM MDT up reply actions

But do Chicago know that?

Jones is an UFA
Brule is hopeless.
Vande Velde will get minutes as a call-up, then battle Lander for Fraser’s job.
I don’t see Cogliano as a 4th line winger. I’m also hoping he’s part of the cheap going out in return for Center.

I’ve been pimping McDonald for 3 years – Big, scores, kills penalties, will match pretty tough. He’s a low-budget depth guy. Furthermore, he’s been better than O’Marra for years, but wasn’t obtained in trade for Smyth.

by Mr DeBakey on May 12, 2011 12:54 PM MDT up reply actions

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