Edmonton Oilers

Sunday Prospect Report

After a new addition to my family, a bit of vacation and a life and death battle with the flu, I am back. I’ve watched a lot of hockey, but not been able to write about it. Looking forward to being back now.

Chris VandeVelde - Certainly not one of the most talked about Oiler prospects in the system, VandeVelde is quietly creeping his way up the depth chart with some stellar play with the Fighting Sioux. With professional sports in his blood (his grandfather played baseball with the Reds back in the day), VandeVelde has made the most of his increased responsibility at the University of North Dakota, putting up a very respectful 23 points in 27 games. What is reassuring about these points is that a lot of them are coming even strength as VV is just proving he can put the puck in the net when not on the Powerplay as well. He is going to be a player to watch down the road and with some luck could end up as a legit second liner for the Oilers in a few years. Another great player coming out of the USHL!

Ryan O’Marra - One of the more talked about pieces coming back in the Ryan Smyth trade, Pierre McGuire figured O’Marra would never account to anything more then a 3rd line grinder at best. Fans scoffed at Pierre (a regular occurance) and then waited to see how O’Marra would develop. What they found was a player who got quickly injured, sent down to the ECHL and then only recently brought back up to the AHL. Between his two stints in the A, O’Marra has put up a modest 7 points in 20 games after being almost a PPG player with Stockton in the ECHL. Injuries can really slow a player’s development and the Oilers need to hope that this is a case much like Schremp’s where he’ll pick up his game as he feels better. O’Marra has a long way to go to prove that he can be a first liner like he has claimed he feels he can be. In fact I’d say he has a long way to go to even become a regular NHLer.

The Oilers next game is Tuesday night against the Minnesota Wild. Garon has been playing very well but I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see MacTavish go with Roloson in net against his old team. It’s one of those decisions that only MacTavish would make. Much like sticking Marty Reasoner (who he recently compared to Joe Sakic) on the first line with Hemsky and Penner.

At this point the Oilers are playing for pride, and the right to not give the Anaheim Ducks of Anaheim of Los Angeles, a top pick this year. With no Horcoff, no Souray and an injured Hemsky, the kids will need to step it up every night and guys like Pitkanen, Gilbert, Stoll and Moreau are going to be relied on even more. Goaltending is going to need to be more then solid every single game as well, which means starting Garon and not Roloson.

Southeastern Wrap Up

The swing through the Southeast Division was to be one of the easiest stretches of hockey that the Edmonton Oilers would face, possibly all year. After wincing their way through one of the hardest opening halves of any team in the season (based on sgtrength of schedule) there were high hopes for the team as they began to work their way through the second half. With most of the team back from injuries, 40 games under the belts of the young guys and the powerplay finally starting to click this was a chance for most of us to really get a sense of where this team was at.

After hitting up the 5 home arenas of the Southeast, the Oilers handed in a disappointing 2-2-1 record. Playing 0.500 hockey at this stage of the gamem particularly against a group of teams that are struggling themselves (with the exception of the recently rejuvenated Capitals), the writing is on the wall for the kids. This team simply is not good enough this year to get the job done. It took 2 goals late in the game by Stoll to give the team a win over the Panthers, to even leave the road trip with an even keel. It was great to see Jarret turn things around at least for a game as he has struggled mightily to find his form this year. On the plus side the Oilers setup man, Ales Hemsky hit the point per game pace, something that this team hasn’t seen in years. Sean Horcoff is not very far behind and should the Oilers boast 2 PPG players it would be a great sign.

Every team has a few guys that are essential to the team succeeding over the long haul of a season. A 3 stars you might say. It’s clear by watching teams like a Crosbyless Pittsburgh or a an Ottawa team without Alfredsson, that sometimes all it takes is 1 key injury to derail the whole operation.

With the Oilers there are 3 key players that will determine how the rest of the season will go for this young team.

Ales Hemsky - Simply put, the fortunes or failings of this team ride on the back of the skilled Czech. When he is on his game he is often the best player on the ice for either team by a wide margin. His vision on the ice and his ability to make a pass in almost any situation have made him invaluable to this team. The powerplay is better with him on the ice, Sean Horcoff becomes almost a PPG player with him on the ice and anyone else who might play on a line with him sees their production (or at least their chances) increase when he is playing. Hemsky also is not afraid to play physical and while this is excelllent, unless he learns to stop doing silly things like try and go wide so often on guys that will destroy him along the boards, he is going to be visiting the team doctor more often then the Oilers would like. If the core of this team can continue to grow and develop together, then perhaps we might see the 80-90 points Ales Hemsky that we have been teased with since he came into the league.

Mathieu Garon - As of today, Garon is the acquisition of the offseason for the team. Stolen from the Los Angeles Kings, Garon has said in recent discussions that he feels like he’s been given far more chances with this team then in his previous assignment. Really? Could have fooled me. While Garon has been getting a lot more starts, I am baffled at out how often MacTavish returns to the Roloson pool. The message might finally be clear enough though as the starts have been piling up lately for the young tender. On a team that is struggling like it has, Garon has posted a winning record and very respectable numbers of .914 Save % of 2.53 GAA. While I don’t see him being a real long term solution for the Oilers, he should be a very good stopgap solution until one of the two goalies on the farm can earn a spot with the team.

Ethan Moreau - While there are many other players who produce more and appear to be invaluable to the team (Horcoff or Pitkanen for example) it has become very clear that Moreau is the spark that this team needs game in and game out. He has picked up where he left off a hyear and a half ago when he last played, leading this team by example in his shot blocking, timely hits and patented “engery shifts” He wears the C for a reason and not only does he do everything he can to demonstrate what it takes to win games, it was a breath of fresh air to hear him call some guys out on basically cashing it in a few games ago. It’s his veteran leadership and 110% play every shift that is going to lead this team through the next couple years as the young guys develop and the team hopefully matures into a competitive playoff team in a couple years.

Other Notes:

Sheldon Souray is out again with a shoulder injury. While it hopefully shouldn’t keep him out too long, this is becoming all too familiar. Not only did this team get damaged goods when they picked him up in the offseason, but it’s becoming clear that while he has talent, his career year was more a product of an exceptional powerplay system in Montreal. That being said, the numbers with Souray manning the PP are almost twice as good as when he isn’t there. His shot does give the team more options.

Dustin Penner has been steadily improving over the course of the season after a pretty slow start. Whether it can be attributed to a Stanley Cup hangover or simply adjusting to a new team, Penner was slow out of the gates and had many wondering if we were going to be shaking our heads come draft day. His physical presence on the top line has done remarkable things for Horcoff and Hemsky and though his offensive production is still not ‘quite’ where one would want it to be, he has indirectly been responsible for the boost in offense on the first line. While it will still hurt to see a high first round pick get picked up by another team, it will sting less by the recent play of Penner.

Monday Oilers Prospect Report

Mondays are usually not everyone’s favorite day of the week. Back to work for many of us, or even the end of a holiday. What better way to brighten up a Monday then to take a look at some of the young guys toiling away on their various teams, whether that be with the Springfield Falcons, the Russian Elite League or the US College programs. The Oilers have a good selection of skilled guys as well as grinders all working towards eventually making the big club. Where are they at and what kind of future can we expect from them? I hope to give at least a little bit of insight into these questions.

Slava Trukhno - After back to back seasons of 96 and 102 points in the Q, Trukhno’s stock had never been higher. As he graduated to the pro game in Springfield there were questions surrounding whether he would be able to maintain his high level of skill in the more physical and skilled league. Known for playing a more gritty and physical game then some of the other more finesse players who had put high point totals, the 20 year old Russian has been slow to adjust to the AHL. With only 5 goals and 8 assists in 33 games, Trukhno is a far cry from the PPG pace that some were projecting for him heading in. The upside is that he is still young and has shown some improvement in the past few games, and should he start lining up alongside AHL All Star Robbie Schremp there is a chance that some chemistry could really lead to some improved play. Slava should spend at least another year in the AHL where he’ll have a chance to become more of a go to guy as some of the others graduate out of the system. If all the chips come together Trukhno could end up being a top 6 power forward. Typically these types of players take longer to develop and it should be a few more years before we’ll see if he’s going to hit that point in career.

Jeff Petry - Voted as the 2007 USA Hockey Junior Player of the year and a member of the All Star team, Petry was ready to step up to the next level as he begun his career with Michigan State. With a booming point shot and no fear of getting his face dirty, Petry has done very well for himself, being one of the top defenseman on his team - as a 1st year player! Clicking along at about a half point per game is impressive for a young defenceman, and only a great depth of defenseman in the Oiler system (Chorney, Plante, Wild, Bisallion) is preventing him from being a lock to play in Springfield next year. It could very well be for the better for Petry to get at least another year of huge playing time on the back end before he comes up. He certainly has the potential to be a top pairing rearguard for the Oil down the road.

Team Update:

After what can only be called an embarrassing loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Oilers responded with a much better game against the recently also-shamed Thrashers. Two teams that have struggled a lot this year and are looking for some consistency both from their top lines as well as the secondary scoring.

The end results was a 4-2 victory for the Oilers with Dwayne Roloson getting the start in goal, and playing quite well. There were a few really bright spots in this game for the team. The top line of Hemsky-Horcoff-Penner, was strong all night long, continuing their fantastic play as of late. The statistics when this line are staggeringly good. In the 20 games that they have all played together (in other words when Hemsky is healthy) Horcoff has 27 points, Hemsky has 24 and Penner has 18. For once it seems that MacTavish has found his #1 line that he has been searching for. If they can keep up this prouduction and get the support from the rest of the team, this team will be much stronger in the last 40% of the season.

Secondly the kid line of Gagner, Cogliano and Nilsson was kept together for 2 straight games, with Craig MacTavish lauding their play. While there were concerns about the viability of such a small line making much of an impact in the league, they have a combined 9 points since being kept together in the past 2 games. With two potential scoring lines, the team could possibly reunite the RPM line of Reasoner, Pisani and Moreau and fill in the fourth line with the rest of the young guys.

On the back end Ladislav Smid’s physical play has really stepped up after a quick chat with the coach not long ago. He’s been involved in far more scrums and physical situations and has also stepped up in the play a lot more. There is still a lot that needs to happen defensively but Smid seems to have slowly been turning a corner with the team. Tom Gilbert has kept up his great play all year long and chipped in with a goal on a beautiful pass from Ales Hemsky. I am sure the team is seriously trying to lock this guy up long term as aside from Pitkanen (when he’s healthy), Gilbert has been the best Oiler defenceman on the team.

The Oilers play Tuesday in Tampa Bay and will be looking to move past the .500 mark on this Southeast Division road trip.

And Next Up is Donald Brashear?

Hello everyone,

My name is Joel and I am excited to be a part of the hockeyanalysis community as I lend my online voice to Oiler nation. I’m a lifelong fan of the Edmonton Oilers, but in the end I’m simply enamored with the game of hockey. I hope that this can be but one perspective among the hockey world on the team I know and love (and at times certainly hate).

Thursday night’s game against the Washington Capitals featured a little bit of everything and highlighted the way that this Edmonton Oiler team seems to function. After busting out of the gates with a 2 goal lead in the first period, the Capitals were let back into the game early on in the second and then took the lead shortly thereafter, causing the Oil to have to scramble back to even earn themselves a point. This is such a common theme amongst this young team and is a pretty disturbing trend.

What resulted was one of the most back and forth overtime periods that I have seen in quite some time, followed by an awkward, and not very easy to watch, shootout, that featured broken sticks, fumbled pucks and outright missed nets on a regular basis. At one point the Washington Capitals sent out the always fearsome shootout duo of Donald Brashear and career 5 goal scorer John Erskine. It the end it was Matt Bradley (who supposedly just jumped over the boards without the coaches go ahead) who ended the madness and gave the Oilers a rare road loss.

After rattling off 4 straight wins at home, the Oilers have put together an impressive back to back set of losses against 2 of the league’s worst teams. The rest of this road trip against the league’s southeast division should finally give an answer as to whether this team has any shot at all at making the playoffs. By far the weakest division in the NHL, this team should be aiming to win the rest in the series to feel like they have come out of the trip feeling good about the team’s chances.

Some interesting things to note from last night:

Shawn Horcoff’s 3 points last night gives him 12 in his last 6 since Ales Hemsky came back from injury. In the 7 games that he has played without Ales at his side, Horcoff has earned himself only 1 point.

Joni Pitkanen injured his groin and will miss the next 3-7 days depending on how it heals. Dick Tarnstrom should play back into the roster for the next game on the back end.

Dwayne Roloson was great in the shootout, but it should not have even got to that point. He can’t be blamed for all of the goals, (certainly not Mike Green’s top corner wrist shot…wow), but a couple were very suspect. One has to wonder how much longer he will even be with this Oilers if this type of play keeps up.

Robert Nilsson is on thin ice with the team with some suspect defensive play as of late. In last night’s game he appeared to be on the verge of being benched once again after a defensive gaffe, but came out the next shift and scored a powerplay goal to redeem himself. Still, only Cogliano and Gagner played less ice time then he did during the game.

The Oilers play again on Friday night in Carolina in what must be considered a very winnable game. Mathieu Garon will get the start in goal.

Coming Soon

We are currently looking for contributors to contribute to this and other team blogs. If you operate a blog focusing on this team and are interested in moving your blog to this location or if you are interested in becoming a contributor to this blog please send an e-mail to david (at) hockeyanalysis.com. Thank-you.