2005-2006 Oilers

[PDO]

Alright, lets assume that a CBA is reached in time for a full season. The Oilers payroll will set around $27,500,00. This leaves us quite a bit of money to spend.. I'd say about $7,500,000. Of all our prospects, I think the only player with a shot to play on the Oilers is Matt Greene. Lynch, Woywitka both had off-seasons in the AHL and Schremp and Pouliot both have some work to do on their game in general. Dubnyk and JDD are still a ways a way. Marty Reasoner has fully recovered and will apparently be back in Oiler silks.

With no additon of any players, this would be our opening day roster:

Smyth - Horcoff - Hemsky
Torres - York - Dvorak
Moreau - Reasoner - Pisani
Rita - Stoll - Laraque
Extra's: Winchester, Harvey, Isbister

Brewer - Semenov
Smith - Staios
Bergeron - Greene
Extra's: Woywitka, Lynch

Jussi Markkanen
Ty Conklin

It's not a bad line up.. but then again it's not a lineup taht will strike fear into many other teams either. This also assumes we don't get a top 10 pick in the lottery, although after Crosby I'm not sure if any of the players would make this team out of camp anyway, even though it is an extremely strong draft pool.

Having said that, we have some money to spend, and Lowe's word that a center and a "puck-moving defenseman" are coming here. We presumambly have around $7,500,000 to spend.

So, new line combo's I think we'll see are:

Smyth - UFA - Hemsky
York - Horcoff - Dvorak
Moreau - Reasoner - Pisani
Torres - Stoll - Harvey

Brewer - Semenov
Smith - UFA
Staios - Bergeron

Jussi
Ty

Obviously a much improved lineup. So the real question becomes:

Do we acquire these players via trade or free agency? If we trade, I think it has to be with a team like St. Louis looking to drop some salary.

Say, the Oilers take Doug Weight and $5,000,000 of his salary for Isbister and Rita? Gives the Blues some depth and gives us some much needed #1 C talent.

Maybe we go after a guy like Demitra, and then Lowe makes a signing similar to that of Staios for the defenseman?

There are a lot of possibilities, and if this team spends money in the right way I can see them having home ice advantage in the playoffs.

As far as untouchables go, I think we only have a few..

Smyth, Brewer, Hemsky, Schremp, Pouliot, Dubnyk and Greene are the only players I've mentioned that I wouldn't deal if I was in Lowe's position. There are obviously several guys I'd be nervous about trading (Isbister, Pisani, Torres, York) and guys who I think we should keep on the team because we wouldn't get fair value for them (Dvorak, Horcoff, Staios).. but that said you ahve to give up something to get something, so unless we take advantage of a team like St. Louis, I don't see our needs being met through trading without giving up a guy like York or Smith.

Thoughts? Trade idea's?

A second pairing puck moving defenseman who can play the point on the PP and be effective and a center who can play 5x5 and the PP and put up 65 + points are the two keys we're looking for.

[Bob burns]

I like the young defenemen Edmonton has going right now. Let's hope the league finds a way so that small market teams like Edmonton can keep their star players instead of having to trade them (Weight, Arnott, Flaherty, etc.). If the Oilers can get strong support from their dmen in the next season I'm confident they'll make the playoffs and make some noise. Especially with Conklin in net getting stronger, and an average set of forwards. Anyway, they'll do good I hope but they'll still lose the regular season series to the Canucks and PDO will unleash a new signature. :D

[TimmyTabasco]

Brian,

We discussed this before..and I think it would be a really good move for the Oil to attempt to land Toskala from San Jose

Toskala/Markannen would be a good tandem, and Toskala could in fact emerge as the established No.1 goalie for the Oil. While markannen would be a solid No.1A or backup

Here are two names, of which I think would fit nicely on the Oil

-Rafalski. He plays on the PP, is a very fast skater, and has put up excellent points on the devils..who play the opposite style of which the Oil play. Could become the Oil's top point producing defenseman

-Tarnstrom. Alright, his plus minus is awful..but he has managed to become an elite PP defenseman. On the right team, his plusminus would be better.
Smith/Tarnstrom? Sounds decent to me. Smith could hang back, and Tarnstrom could do the damage. Pretty sure the Oil would have a few players, that the pens could use. Especially someone like Staios.

Here are a few forwards

-Allison
Discussed before, but he would be the perfect No1 center for the Oil..providing Smyth with a career year.

-Sykora
The ducks want to get rid of him, and he would look good on edmonton. He has played on two trap teams, and put up decent numbers. Imagine how good he would play on the Oil.

-Kvasha
He has great size, and could play well on the Oil

[PDO]

Brian,

We discussed this before..and I think it would be a really good move for the Oil to attempt to land Toskala from San Jose

Toskala/Markannen would be a good tandem, and Toskala could in fact emerge as the established No.1 goalie for the Oil. While markannen would be a solid No.1A or backup

Without doubt. Give the Oilers Toskala and see some great things happening here. I'm not sure how much it would take, but backup gaolies in the NHL come rather cheap. Another player I think could be had extremely cheap is Denis from CBJ. He's played with no defense at all, and is a bit older than the franchise would prefer, I think. His numbers (espeacilly GAA and W's) aren't stunning, but considering the team in front of him and a .918 save percentage (better than Broduers, for the record) I think he could really be "the guy" to go with in net.

Here are two names, of which I think would fit nicely on the Oil

-Rafalski. He plays on the PP, is a very fast skater, and has put up excellent points on the devils..who play the opposite style of which the Oil play. Could become the Oil's top point producing defenseman

I'd love to see him play here, I just think that he'd be too expensive. He's done great in NJ, and even with a flooded UFA market he'd still be highly coveted.

-Tarnstrom. Alright, his plus minus is awful..but he has managed to become an elite PP defenseman. On the right team, his plusminus would be better.
Smith/Tarnstrom? Sounds decent to me. Smith could hang back, and Tarnstrom could do the damage. Pretty sure the Oil would have a few players, that the pens could use. Especially someone like Staios.

Heck, we can just send him out for PP's and leave him out for 2 minutes.. he wouldn't even have to play normal minutes, as we have 5 other guys who are more than capable of handling the minutes (Lets say you have 5 PP's in a game.. that's about 10 minutes ice time.. so that leaves 100 minutes left.. Brewer is 30 easy, Smith is 20. I'm very confident that Staios, Semenov and Bergeron/Lynch/Woywitka could handle the remaining 50..)

Here are a few forwards

-Allison
Discussed before, but he would be the perfect No1 center for the Oil..providing Smyth with a career year.

Incentive contract.. let's do it.

Just as a side note.. a Smyth career year would be:

40 Goals, 40 Assists for 80 points and a +12

Oilernation would be estatic. He'll be a FA this year too.. here's hoping Lowe signs him to a 3+ year deal.

-Sykora
The ducks want to get rid of him, and he would look good on edmonton. He has played on two trap teams, and put up decent numbers. Imagine how good he would play on the Oil.

I'm not so sure on Sykora. He's fairly expensive, starting to get older, and he's always been given primo-ice time and great offensive players to play with. Isn't he also primarily a LW? I remember him playing with Arnott in NJ...

-Kvasha
He has great size, and could play well on the Oil

I've brought him name up in the past, and I agree, although I'm not sure he'd be able to be a clear cut #1 guy.. it'd become more of having 2 #2 guys in Horcoff and him. It could work, and definetly isn't a bad idea. I wouldn't mind seeing a deal happen.

Besides, with Mad Mikes trade record, he'd come here and go 40-40-80 +50 :laughing:

[TimmyTabasco]

Face it Brian..your Oil..are like the Canucks

Doomed! Oh the Humanity :cry: :conspire: :nod:

[J.R.]

Face it Brian..your Oil..are like the CanucksNo they aren't. The Oilers have several outstanding prospects, while Leafs-West are looking like Leafs-East in that department.

[TimmyTabasco]

No they aren't. The Oilers have several outstanding prospects, while Leafs-West are looking like Leafs-East in that department.

Maybe I should make a sig, like that of ak-47's old one? :nod: :thumb:

[TimmyTabasco]

I read somewhere, don't have the link, that Markannen may be staying overseas next season

So, I have a question..is Edmonton happy with Conklin full time, or do they go and find another starter, or a solid tandem?

I was thinking Thibault(UFA) or Legace(UFA) would fit well..especially Thibault.

He has come along way from his Hab days, and was an Allstar a couple years back. Been decent on a bad team, and always gives his team a chance to win

Plus, he is reported to be a character guy..great in the dressing room. Could be a solid investment?