How long are these Stanley Cup Playoffs going to take, anyway? Just give the cup to LA and get the season over with. Snoring boring.
I would have named this blog "Random Thoughts" but I've used that title 100 times now. "McSnore" more or less describes this season's playoffs. The Kings and Coyotes look like teams worth cheering for; everyone else doesn't. I look forward to watching the Western Final as soon as the Rangers and Washington are done killing us with boredom.
A few Random Thoughts:
- Apparently, the Steve Tambellini contract extension announcement is only a few days away. Hmmm...where have I heard that before?
- The Oilers are waiting to see which coaches are unemployed at the official end of the season before they decide what to do with Tom Renney. For some reason, Craig MacTavish's name has come up in a few of my recent conversations. Could the next Head Coach of the Oilers be the old Head Coach of the Oilers? Would MacT even want to come back to Edmonton?
- Lots of "Oilers should deal for Chris Stewart" talk now that the Blues are out of the playoffs. I understand how talk like that gets started: Stewart had a bad regular season in St. Lou, and he had only 2 goals and no assists in seven playoff games. His average ice time per game during the playoffs was under 11 minutes. Should be an easy trade to complete, right? Wrong. A player has a bad year and everyone jumps to conclusions. Acquiring Stewart would be a Paajarvi or Gagner+ deal. Wingers with hands who are over six feet and 225lbs are not gifted away.
This being said, there are plenty of reasons why the Oilers should pick up the phone to call St. Louis to see just what exactly the Blues want for Stewart. Hall and Stewart as the Oilers Top 2 line LW's? Killer.
- Speaking of wingers, Magnus Paajarvi, Teemu Hartikainen and Tyler Pitlick are all having decent playoff series for the Oilers farm team in Oklahoma City. The Barons won their game on Monday, and lead their second round series 2-1 vs the San Antonio Rampage. I would be in no rush to deal Paajarvi, Hartikainen or Pitlick if I was the Oilers...plenty of size and potential with all three.
- If the Oilers draft Nail Yakupov, and it looks like they will, will there be a trade market for Ales Hemsky? I get plenty of emails and debate over this one. Some people seem to think his injury history, contract size and lack of production last season will scare everyone off. Others think Hemsky has done enough as a pro to establish his market value. I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don't believe all 29 teams will be interested in Hemsky, but two or three will be. I still say Hemsky is moved at the draft for a mid-to-late 1st round pick.
- For those of you keeping track of the contract situation in Edmonton, here's the 411 on the most important prospects/players:
Devan Dubnyk - Will be qualified and re-signed during the summer. Maybe two year deal worth $1.5mil per for Dubey? He needs a raise, but still has to prove he's good enough to be the starter.
Linus Omark - I think the Oilers will qualify him just to prove a point. He'll be dealt, likely at the draft for a middle pick (3rd or 4th rounder?). Oilers could just be jerks, qualify him, and then make no attempt to deal him or re-sign him. Force him to play in the KHL, or where he's really good...on youtube.
Ryan Smyth - I doubt he's re-signed before July 1st. Not sure Oilers will re-sign him at all. Lots of talk about Smyth and the Oilers kids not getting on that well last season.
Sam Gagner - Will receive a qualifying offer. Could go to arbitration. I'm thinking the Oilers would like to keep Gagner in the $3mil to $3.25mil per season range. Gagner's people likely want closer to $4mil. I'm fairly certain Gagner will be an Oiler for the entire 2012/2013 season.
Lennart Petrell - Unsigned for next year. Not sure Oilers will re-sign, because they have a few forwards (Paajarvi and Hartikainen) who require roster spots with the big team next season. I like him as a 4th line depth guy. Sad to see him go if he goes.
Darcy Hordichuk - Won't be re-signed. Very good person, but he just isn't good enough of a hockey player to justify re-signing.
Chris Vandevelde - I think he'll receive a qualifying offer, because he's a decent depth forward to have in the system. Could get work in Edmonton as the 4th line center if Eric Belanger is dealt. Has size; very strong at the dot.
Cam Barker - Will not receive a qualifying offer. Not sure he plays in the NHL next season. I think Europe is calling.
Theo Peckham - Will receive a qualifying offer, but I don't believe he'll be with the Oilers by the start of the season. Will be dealt, hopefully at the draft.
Jeff Petry - Oilers most interesting story this summer. Will absolutely receive a qualifying offer. I think Oil will re-sign him to one-year deal worth $2.5mil per. It might be in Petry's best interests to go this way, as a big 2012/2013 season will push him over the $4mil per contract price. Oilers might try to sign him to long-term deal at $3mil per for that reason.
Alex Plante - Similar situation to Peckham here. Not sure the Oilers hang on to both. Perhaps both are gone by the start of the next season. Plante is playing really well in the AHL playoffs right now, so that could mean he's kept for a season or two more.
Taylor Chorney - Won't be here next season.
Yann Danis - With Olivier Roy moving to the AHL next season, Danis could be gone. Has played great in the AHL and might be able to find a NHL backup job somewhere next season. Wish Khabibulin was going...would rather Danis backup Dubnyk.
Ryan Keller - Could be re-signed as a stabilizing player for OKC.
Josh Green - Ditto. Green has been a great player for the Oilers in the AHL.
Bryan Rodney - Ditto, although the Oilers are about to gain a big pile of defensive prospects for their AHL team over the next few seasons (Davidson, Blain, Marincin and perhaps Fedun this year; Klefbom, Musil, and Gernat the year after).
Milan Kytnar - Will be in Europe. No future with Oilers.
Hunter Tremblay - AHL depth forward like Green and Keller. Could be kept around. Perhaps could be signed to AHL contract to be kept off of Oilers contract totals.
Jeremie Blain - Will likely be signed to an Entry Level deal so the Oilers won't lose him to the NHL Draft.
Drew Czerwonka - Word is the Oilers won't sign him by the draft, and will likely lose his rights because of it. They had to pick between Kristians Pelss and Czerwonka; they signed Pelss.
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