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Hemsky for Ryan Miller? The Cloutier Exclusive Report |
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Hi ya. Long time no speak. It's the Pow Wow Days festival here in Lac La Biche County, so I've been extremely tied up by my "day" job covering parades, strongman competitions, fish derbies and rodeos. Sorry if I've been ignoring the hockey blog situation but there isn't much to say right now with respect to the NHL. Let's just say I can't wait until September when training camps start and I have something legit to say.
A couple hockey things I can deal say taking five from my day job...
1, That Yost deal between Columbus and Boston for the Trade Wars thing is terrible. Not taking that at all. I'll counter-offer in a day or two when I have time to write a decent blog.
2. The Hemsky for Ryan Miller deal concept Eklund posted...As is tradition, when Eklund posts an Oilers rumor, I always comment on it. So here's my comment on this one:
It makes no sense.
However...It's not impossible either.
It goes something like this: The Oilers have been trying to deal Hemsky since the last season ended. There is no trade worth making for him. When I say "trade worth making" what I'm saying is, the Oilers want to get back an immediate player or a decent asset, and they don't want to eat any salary. They feel Hemsky is a good enough player that they shouldn't have to take a horrible deal to move him. Hey, if MacT can deal Horcoff...
The plan was/is to play Devan Dubnyk this season. They brought in Jason Labarbera intentionally as a back-up for Dubey, as the two are friends and training partners. I've heard Bob Stauffer from Oilers Now say on air that he feels Dubnyk is a better goalie than Ryan Miller right now. I'm not saying I agree or disagree, but you must admit, Miller has had a rough go of things the last two seasons. His cap hit is almost double Dubey, so that's strike two against him.
Those are the strikes against a Miller for Hemsky deal: The Oilers feel Dubnyk isn't worse than Miller, Dubnyk costs half as much, and the Oilers feel they shouldn't have to eat salary or take a bad deal in order to move Hemsky. Oilers GM Craig MacTavish took to the media a few days ago, announcing that he's looking forward to Hemsky having a bounce-back season, and that he still brings value to the team. In other words, the Oilers have no deal for him, so they need to make the best of it. Hemsky too.
The Sabres have all sorts of cap room. Ryan Miller doesn't want to be there, and the situation isn't really a fit for him either. The Sabres look like a team going full rebuild, so moving Miller for prospects/picks/young players makes sense.
I'm trying to think of some sort of plausible deal here. The only thing I can come up with is if the entire situation is a cap dump for the Oilers. Follow me on this.
Let's just say Oilers management decide Dubnyk isn't the long-term guy, and they might as well take a shot on Miller to see if he can get his all-star level play back. Dubnyk is a UFA next summer anyway, so dealing him isn't the end of the world or anything. Maybe you have Dubnyk and Hemsky both going to the Sabres for Miller and a second asset...and it would be the second asset, whatever it is, that the Oilers are actually after. That's the only way this deal makes sense...for the Oilers. How the deal makes sense for the Sabres is a mystery to me.
This might be my sunburn talking, but I can't see...at all...how Miller for Hemsky straight-up works, as the Oilers don't really have the need to bring in another goalie unless Dubnyk is going somewhere.
If I hear anything that contradicts this blog, I'll write it. The last time I spoke to my insider guy, he said Craig MacTavish was done for the summer, and the Oilers are going to wait for the waiver wire at the end of training camps to see if they can pick up...for cheap...a depth forward or two. Those of you waiting for a magical trade or UFA signing are SOL...So I've been told.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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