Off-Season Update

Alright, I've been really sporadic with my posts, and I pledge to be more regular from now on.

Wow, what an off-season? I knew Lowe would make changes, but not so many!!

Re-signings
Gilbert's signing was a shocker for me. He was the Oilers' most steady defenseman last season, but I never anticipated making him a franchise defenseman. 6 years, 24.6 million is a hefty, hefty amount to pay, but if Gilbert can continue to develop and dominate with his 2-way game, this contract is going to turn out to be a bargain in the near future. ESPECIALLY with the way contracts have been dealt out with ridiculous amounts of money this off-season (Jeff Finger, what the hell?)

Grebeshkov's re-signing was smart. Keep it short and simple. This team has an influx of puck-moving defenseman, and the last thing Mac-T needs is not enough physical, shutdown defenseman. Consider this an audition for Grebeshkov. If he continues to show he can be a solid offensive defenseman, it makes him prime trade bait heading into next season. Hell, if he's good enough, maybe we'll re-sign him.

I was shocked at the amount Nilsson took to stay. I guess he really loves the city, and wants to stay. I thought he'd be looking at Torres-like salary, but the 3-year deal seems like a sure-fire bargain. Nilsson is essentially Hemsky-lite, and it'll be interesting to see how he further develops over the contract. Hopefully he emerges as a 2nd-line version of Hemsky. His shifty play and brilliant passes really powered the "Kid Line" this past season.

Trades
Syvret for Potulny was a great move by Lowe. He got rid of an obsolete player in Syvret for a Pouliot-like kid in Potulny. It'll be interesting to see Potulny fight for a spot come training camp.

Lowe shocked me when on June 29 he dealt for....another puck-moving defenseman. Stoll's future was never in doubt for me, there was no reason to keep him when he was struggling so much, especially with Brodziak ready to make the jump to 3rd-line center. It's sad to see Greene go, but Lowe essentially had to choose between him and Smid, and it was a no-brainer to keep the former 22-year old Czech 10th overall pick, purely for his potential.

But wow, Visnovsky! This guy has been on my top-5 list for offensive defenseman since the lockout. On a terrible, terrible team in Los Angeles, he was able to be a plus player for 2 seasons, befor shifting to the right side to play with Rob Blake. Blake really pulled down Visnovsky's output this past season, and he ended up a minus player, with a respectable 41 points.

A great pick-up by Lowe, Visnovsky is 3rd in total points among NHL defenseman since the lockout. His presence will be felt on the powerplay, where he will share QB duties with Hemsky. He has a ripper of a slapshot (looks like Lidstrom's), and makes quick smart passes down low to open up space for the forwards to set up. He really adds some stability to the backside, especially with the tumultuous Souray manning the back. It's going to be fun to watch him dictate our break-out next season. Visnovsky is a great talent, and kudos goes to Lowe for managing to grab him when his value was lowest.

With the trading of Stoll, it didn't take a genious to tell that Torres was next up. He simply didn't have a role to play on the team with his heavy $2 million salary and a 4th-line LW spot open with the departure of Glencross.

Gilbert Brule, a former 6th-overall pick in the Crosby draft, has seriously disappointed since entering the NHL as an 18-year old. It's true that the Jackets rushed him in, but his numbers since have been very poor, especially with the opportunities he has recieved to play with the likes of Nash and Zherdev.

Regardless, the scouts obviously saw something when they hailed him as a sure-fire top-10 pick. He is small, quick as hell, and possesses the skills and shot to be a star in the league. With the right amount of cultivation in the AHL and by the NHL coaching staff, it's not impossible to make him undergo a Nilsson-like transormation.

Both Torres and Brule needed a change of scenery, and this trade provides a chance for both to fulfill their potentials with new teams. Not to mention, Lowe managed to open up cap space for a certain other "venture".

Now, with the arrival of Visnovsky, the writing was on the wall for Joni Pitkanen. He was our other minute-eating offensive defenseman, the only one without a contract, and rumors had it he was asking for money in the $5 million range. With Visnovsky's $5.6 million and Souray's $5.4 million cap hits already emptying Lowe's wallets, it was a no-brainer that he was looking to trade Pitkanen.

With the departure of Torres earlier that day (July 1), the Oilers were left with a hole at the LW position. Instead of simply filling it with a 4th-line winger to replace Glencross, Lowe went for a bigger fish.

Erik Cole brings another much-needed power presence to the Oilers forward. Like Penner, he's a swift big man capable of putting up 30 goals in the NHL. Unlike Penner, this guy isn't afraid to hit. He is well known for getting his nose dirty when the time calls for it, however this style of play has given him much injury troubles in the past.

Giving up on a talent like Pitkanen really pains me, especially when it's for an impending UFA like Cole, who's not guaranteed to re-sign. But the move needed to be made, and Cole should really bolster our top-6 forwards heading into next season.

Season in Review

Quite a while between posts, but what an ending to a tumultuous season. Sure, we all thought it was over with the injuries to big-time players like Horcoff, Souray, Moreau, and Torres; hell I was moping over potentially handing Stamkos on a platter to Brian Burke.


But what a last 20 games! We saw the rise and fall of many a player in the latter half of the season. And by the end of the year, it was clear who had to stay and who had to go.


Goaltending
We saw a passing of the torch of sorts in the latter half of the season. What had been Roloson`s starting spot since the end of the 05-06 season was passed onto a near force in the Oiler`s crease: Mathieu Garon.

The 29-year old and his quick reflexes powered the Oilers to a solid late-season surge. Even with the weak defense, he was able to put up a top-15 save percentage in the league, and wowed fans with his quick saves. He is exemplary of the new breed of NHL goaltenders: tall, and quick with his butterfly style. Hell, we almost made they playoffs before this guy got injured late in the year

By the end of the season, it was clear who the bonafide starter was for the Oilers, and Roloson`s future with the team seems to be in jeapordy. With the emergence of Delauriers, the options are endless about how Lowe could go about adjusting the roster in time for next season.

Defense
With injuries to Souray, Pitkanen, and Greene affecting the D-corps for a large portion of the year, we looked like we were going to have a repeat of last season. However, Staios stepped up as a veteran presence, and kids like Gilbert and Grebeshkov shined when called upon.

Ladislav Smid was called up half-way through the year, and stuck with the team till the end. He showed strides in his game, and started to handle the puck more. I`m most impressed with his defensive game. Also notable was Theo Peckham`s performance in his one game in the NHL. What a hit on Boll! Surely a sign of things to come.

Overall, we saw Lowe achieve his dream of a ``puck-moving defense``. Pitkanen thrilled fans with his exceptional skating, Gilbert played a smart 2-way game and chipped in with 16 goals, while Grebeshkov emerged later in the year as an offensive dynamo, showing off what I`d say is the 2nd-best break-out pass I`ve seen the Oilers had (after Pronger).

Matt Greene did come back, and showed signs of his old shutdown game. Still, it seems as if his defense has stagnated. We saw Souray, for what, 20 games? We still got a limited dose of his PP prowess, and his defense was average from what I saw. Pitkanen was enigmatic through the year, sometimes dominating games, other times disappearing completely. Moving into next year, I hope to see the D end up like this:

Pitkanen Souray
Gilbert Staios
Grebeshkov Smid
Greene

Either way, you can't help but get excited by the great puck-moving game and potential showed by the veterans and kids alike on the blue-line.

Forwards
Wow, what a season. Early on, the forwards were led by the first line of Penner, Horcoff, and Hemsky while the kids adapted to the NHL game and the other veterans continued to struggle. Moreau was injured all year, and Stoll/Torres quickly entered Mac-T's doghouse. Hemsky continued to lead us with his brilliance, and Horcoff also emerged as a star, literally. It was great to see him at the NHL All-Star Game.

When Horc went down, that's when I got worried, especially when Mac-T put Reasoner in the middle in his spot.

But boy did those kids step up. Gagner, Nilsson, and Cogliano went on a run, the diminutive youngsters leading the team in offensive output over the last half of the season. They stepped it up in those last 20 games, bringing the team within a couple points of a playoff spot, and helping Hemsky turn the PP around out of the NHL's basement.

Heading into next year, we got tons to look forward to. A healthy Horcoff would help the first line run at it's high-octane level prior to the All-Star Break. The kids are going to get nothing but better from here on out, and it's interesting to see what happens next year with them in a 2nd-line role.

Moreau's injury worries me, as this makes it the third season in a row he has missed a significant amount of games. Pisani's comeback was morale-boosting, congratulations to him on the recovery. Even more impressive was he was on pace for 20 goals with his output after the return.

Brodziak, Glencross, and Stortini emerged as the top 4th line in the league, and were a major reason for the late-season run, scoring timely goals and pumping up the fans with aggressive play. Hopefully we can keep them together heading into next season.

As for Stoll and Torres, their disappointing play has made them trade bait. Hopefully we can move them or Moreau in the off-season to make room for youngsters like Pouliot and Schremp.

Overall
Great end to a disappointing season. Hopefully the Oilers can keep the momentum for next season. Let's hope Lowe manages to turn the team into playoff contenders without dismantling the youth.

TSN Needs to Get Real

If you guys look at the "Power Rankings" up on TSN, you'll see the Oilers ranked 30th in the NHL as of right now.
http://www.tsn.ca/fantasy_news/feature/?fid=549

This comes after we've won 2 in a row, and after going a respectable 3-1 in our last 4 games.

Their justification?

"The Oilers can only win in the shootout". I know it's not a regulation win, but a shootout win does give a team 2 points in the standings. Sure, it's essentially a lucky draw, but it does take skill, and teams prepare for shootouts just like every other aspect of hockey. A team that wins in a shootout never gets a special "shootout win", it's just a win. If TSN is going to dock us points for excelling at shootouts, thats their problem. There are atleast a half-dozen other teams I can think of that should be below us right now, because they can't even muster up a point, let alone win in a shootout.

Maybe Mac-T doesn't want to get risky late in games and in overtime; maybe he'd rather take his chances in the shootout. Hey, we're 6-1 aren't we.

Joni Pitkanen: This Summer's Biggest Acquisition

I raved about him all of 2005-2006. I had confidence in him all of 2006-2007. And when last year's disaster season came to a close, I was praying that Lowe would take a look at him. Joni Pitkanen, ladies and gentlemen, is the real deal.

The quiet Finn's arrival in Edmonton was barely noticed; not a surprise when you had the departure of the captain, and the signings of Souray and Penner stealing all the big headlines. But this may have been the most fundamental move made in the off-season. Let's start off with a little history, why don't we.

Joni was born in the small northern Finnish town of Oulu, and was a natural skater from birth. Raised on the outdoor rinks, he developed into an agile, quick, and elusive skater. This went hand-in-hand with hockey. As he continued to grow in both height and strength, yet maintain his skating ability, it became clear that Joni was going to become something special.

At 15, he was taken in by Kärpät of the SM-liiga, the Finnish equivalent of the Russian Super League and the Swedish Elite League. There, he played on their junior team, thriving as he developed into one of the greatest prospects Finland had to offer. He quickly became recognized for his effective skating, offensive prowess, and defensive toughness; some even said he had a mean streak! When he finally debuted on the pro team, he became the best defenseman in the league. Leading up to the 2002 draft, Pitkanen was rated as the #1 prospect out of Europe, and the future looked up for the budding star.

When Bobby Clarke dealt Ruslan Fedotenko and 2 second-round picks to Tampa for the 4th overall pick, it became clear that they were trying to grab one of the studs available. With Rick Nash, Kari Lehtonen, and Jay Bouwmeester already taken, the Flyers drafted Joni Pitkanen. Although labelled NHL-ready, Joni selected to remain with Kärpät for one more season, where he starred as one of the premier players in European hockey.

The WJHC in 2003 was an eye-opener of sorts for Pitkanen's doubters. Some had labelled him soft, defensively irresponsible, and incapable of handling #1 defenseman minutes. Joni proved them wrong, manning the blueline for Finland with ease. He was a workhorse, playing upwards of 35 minutes a night, and was a key cog in Finland's bronze-medal winning performance at the tournament. It became clear to the Flyers that the time was right to bring Joni over to North America.

Pitkanen debuted for the Flyers in the 2003-04 season, making an immediate impact. He became a fixture on the team's top power-play unit, proving that his offensive skills could translate into NHL success. He eventually finished 2nd in team defensemen scoring to Kim Johnsson, scoring 27 points in 71 games. Although inconsistent with this defensive coverage during the early part of the season, Joni was able to adjust himself to the NHL game and as the season came to a close, became a bright spot on the team's back end. He was heavily relied upon during the Flyers' playoff run, playing top-2 minutes on a team laden with the likes of Johnsson, Desjardins, and Malakhov.

Some may argue that the lockout may have stifled Joni's development. He stayed in North America during the 2004-05 campaign, opting to play for the Flyers' farm team (the Phantoms) instead of going back to Finland to play for Oulu. However, Joni was able to further adjust to the North American game, leading the Phantoms in minutes while putting up 41 points in 72 games.

2005-06 was a breakout season for Pitkanen, as the Flyers re-tooled for the new NHL, acquiring the likes of Forsberg, Hatcher, and Rathje to fuel a powerhouse team. Joni starred alongside Eric Desjardins on the Flyers' top defensive pairing. He was a force on both sides of the ice, leading the rush on offense while working the body defensively. The Flyers powerplay became a force with him and Forsberg wheeling and dealing on the ice. As the season progressed, he was seen as not only of the best young defensemen in the NHL, but one of the best defensemen PERIOD.

However, Joni took a hit when he suffered a sports hernia halfway through the season. At that point, he was among the top-5 in league defensive scoring. Even when he returned, it was clear things had changed in Joni. He seemed to have lost a step, and was more hesitant to lay the body on defense. Although he was still able to produce offensively, he wasn't scoring at the same pace as he was before. Regardless, Pitkanen scored 46 points in only 58 games, good enough for 4th in team scoring, while putting up a +22 ranking, a testament to his defensive efficiency. The Flyers' early exit from the playoffs was a disappointment, but Joni seemed to regain his form as he powered the Flyers' backend attack.

With the departure of Johnsson in the offseason, fans in Philadelphia looked to Pitkanen to lead the blueline in the 2006-2007 season. However, things had changed for the Flyers. The team that had dominated the NHL one year earlier was suddenly at the bottom of the league. As the Flyers continued to lose, the blame was put upon Joni for his inability to lead the Flyers. Truth was, the retirement of Desjardins during the offseason had left a spot hole open on the roster. Joni just couldn't gel without a solid defensive presence in Desjardins to cover for him while he led the rush. Regardless of the Flyers' struggles, Joni still put up points in spades, eventually finishing the season with 43 points in 77 games, finishing third in the team in points.

However, Pitkanen had become the scapegoat for the Flyers' season. Fans hated, the media hated, and apparently, his teammates hated. In one practise, Todd Fedoruk actually punched Joni in the face. Things went from bad to worse, as the Flyers ended the season in last place, and fans were asking for Joni's head. When new GM Holmgren acquired both Hartnell and Kimo Timonen before the draft, it became clear that Joni's days in Philadelphia were numbered.

Lowe had apparently always had interest in acquiring Pitkanen. Before the Flyers, he was the one engrossed in discussion with Feaster and Tampa, trying to move up to grab him. I, personally, had been begging for Lowe to make a move all of last season, when the number one priority was getting an offensive defenseman. When that deal it went down, I was kind of shocked at what we gave up, but happy to have Joni.

I'm kind of irked at how he gets no attention here from the fans or the media, while Penner, Souray, and the youngsters get all the talk. I guess that's good for Joni, he's a quiet guy that goes about doing his business. I guarantee by the end of the season we'll be singing the praises of this guy. He's going to become a 25+ minute/night guy, and could put up 30-40 points before this season is over; but best of all, he's going to be a legitimate number 1 defenseman for a team that's been needing one since Pronger left.