So, I got to thinking and I think I have a way to help this team right away. A friend of mine asked me today "what's would you do"? and it got me thinking. I think there are just a few steps to take today that will pay out over the long haul.
Step #1 Waive both Strudwick and Vandemeer. They are both relied upon too heavily and neither bring anything to the table that the Oilers need. Vandemeer was a bad choice from the get go and Strudwick may very well be a good team mate, but nothing else.
Step #2 Trade Cogliano and any combination of draft picks (Rnd 3 or later) to get a solid shutdown defender that brings a little offence. There are many teams out there with cap issues, I am fairly confident that Tambellini can find a dance partner.
Step #3 Bring up Reddox from OKC. He brings the PK ability that the team needs, he plays much bigger than he is and that kind of mentality is something this team needs. Reddox can be a servicable if not "great" shutdown winger and if the stars align he could very well be the next Pisani.
Step #4 Create lines that play together well. No more of this idea that the most "talented" players get the most time and thats IT! There has to be a balance in the lines that will give the team some identity.
My lines after the trades/waivers
Penner - Gagner - Eberle
Hall - Brule - Hemsky
Reddox - Horcoff - MPS
JFJ - Fraser - Stortini
Macintyre/Jones
Gilbert - Whitney
Smid - *PlayerX*
Peckham - Foster
Belle
I have explained my lines before, but I'll do it again.
Line #1 is a slower line stocked with talent. This line would be best served with a dump and chase type game. There is a power forward, a playmaker and a finisher, and once the chemisty was flowing it could be a very effective line.
Line#2 This is a fast line intended to score on the rush. With Hemsky already the catalyst most nights, Brule a more than capable shooter and Hall cutting his teeth this will be an amazing line in a short time. It will be a line that gets scored on a fair amount, but with the raw skill and perfect mesh of player types, it could very well outscore most teams on any given night.
Line #3 This is the defacto "shutdown" line. MPS is a little wasted here, but he has the advantage of coming from a league that is highly focused on defensive play. He has the ability to break away fron the play and make some offence happen and with horcoff and Reddox there he wont have to worry about doing it.
Line#4 This is an energy line through and through. With Macintyre and Jones ready to draw in at any time, this is a line that has alot of diversity. It can either be a bruiser line that can beat down the opposition or it can be a line that hits everything in sight and chip's in some goals.
The defense is self explanitory. Gilbert and Whitney are the main pairing out there. They can move the puck up and this will only help the forwards. Smid and *PlayerX* are what would become the "shutdown" pairing in the lineup. Smid needs a guy of higher caliber to play with, but once he has that guy he can be a real asset on the team. Peckham and Foster (Belle) this is a pairing that again has some diversity. Peckham and Belle are trying to cut their teeth in the NHL right now and Foster is really just a powerplay specialist. Renney could jig this line as he saw fit for any given game.
I think this lineup gives better powerplay AND PK options, it plays to the strengths of the individual players as well as the team as a whole. Moving Cogliano hurts a little as the Oilers have invested a fair amount of time into him, but when push comes to shove when its time to move on, its time.
Are there better options? Maybe, but I cant seem to find them. Lets face it, the Oilers are not going to make the playoffs and really the team was built to fail. But if Tambellini was smart he would build a team that is going to fail while still creating a positive place to learn. It may take a couple years before the team is good enough to call itself a playoff team, but I am still waiting to see the growth in the meantime.
Until next time.
