The Copper & Blue, an Edmonton Oilers community

Who should Scott Howson be looking at? Hockey's Future posts their top 10 college free agents. The vast majority of the players on the list fit the Oilers' needs. Hopefully the Oilers flush House, Plante and Vandevelde and go hard after 2-3 of these guys. The top 10: Greg Carey, LW - Junior, St. Lawrence University Dan DeKeyser, D - Junior, Western Michigan University Eric Hartzell, G - Senior, Quinnipiac University Eriah Hayes, RW - Senior, Minnesota State University-Mankato Antoine Laganiere, RW - Senior, Yale University Drew LeBlanc, C - R-Senior, St. Cloud State University Rylan Schwartz, C - Senior, Colorado College Andrej Sustr, D - Junior, University of Nebraska-Omaha Shayne Taker, D - Junior, University of Notre Dame Ryan Walters, LW - Junior, University of Nebraska-Omaha Other notables: Mike Boivin, D – Senior, Colorado College; Austin Czarnik, F – Sophomore, Miami University; Kyle Flanagan, F – Senior, St. Lawrence University; Giancarlo Iuorio, F – Senior, Niagara University; Pat Mullane, F – Senior, Boston College; Nate Schmidt, D – Junior, University of Minnesota; Trevor van Riemsdyk, D – Sophomore, University of New Hampshire

Steven Reinprecht is on waivers as per Bob McKenzie. He's not the checking center he once was, but he's an able-bodied veteran and certainly an upgrade on Ryan O`Marra, but at $2,050,000 he's more than twice O`Marra's salary.

Tyler Pitlick has been assigned to the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL, ending any speculation or debate about where he will play this season. Technically Pitlick was eligible to play in minor pro or junior hockey. He had a very good rookie tournament, but he was just average in the training camp, maybe due to inadequate team-mates.

The Oilers need legitimate wingers on the cheap and how. Thoresen already proved his mettle as an NHL player once before for Edmonton. Like so many others in the cap era, Edmonton dismissed him for no return. Jonathan's entry shows that Thoresen wants another shot in the NHL - should the Oilers make a move to give it to him?

"...I like everything here. I would like to stay in Russia, but I want to get something serious next year. My career will be over soon and thus I can't waste my chances." Kevin Lowe's Jagr strategy might not work out. The superstar hunt begins anew! Paul Kariya sounds like he would fit the vision of this franchise.

Theo Peckham is taking the trip to Edmonton along with Taylor Chorney and Devan Dubnyk. Hopefully, Peckham's injuries are behind him and he's able to acquit himself and seal up that 7th dman job for next season.

Speeds has a fantastic writeup of the approach the Oilers should take with their last four forwards.

In what has to be the best news in recent Oilers history, Anaheim general manager Bob Murray has asked Steve Tambellini about Ethan Moreau's availability. If true, this could finally be the shovel that Tambellini needs to dig out from under the Oilers' cap problems. Should Tambellini choose not to move Moreau, this could be the shovel that he uses to dig his own career grave.

Yet another trade rumor monger talking about Cogliano and the Rangers.

I have a hard time believe the Sun, and I presume Garrioch, saying that Tambellini is trying to move these three. He's been unwilling to do something as simple as bring in Wes Walz* to handle a role that has been vacant since Marty Reasoner left town. I also like that the Sun threw out the old "The Oilers are trying to acquire a first-line forward to complement Ales Hemsky" canard.