Nuclear Deterant.

So,

Here we are at the last game of the pre season, and there are a couple decisions to be made on the roster spots still available. One of those decisions are going to be if Macintyre has a spot on this team. Some people say that a deterant is everything and others say that as long as someone can take care of buisness it is all they need. ( a la Stortini )  Sure I like Macintyre, and he really does bring an element we havent seen here since Big Georges left. But on the other hand, when there is so many youngsters on this team, Quinn is going to revert back to his idea that "if you cant eat up mins" for him, you wont be playing. and I have to agree with him.
Its funny that the best fighter they have is the lowest player on the depth chart. I personally think that the team is better off with a guy that can skate/hit/fight and even chip in a couple goals a year. IMHO this means Stortini, or possibly JFJ.

Best case scenario is that he becomes an extra forward and plays a handfull of games this year. Worst case and he gets picked up on waivers and he kicks the crap outta Stortini this year......

Team Makeup

Let me start by saying that I was, and still am very high on having Quinn as the new head coach. I think he can bring a dynamic to this group that we havent seen yet.

But there is a disturbing trend going on and I hope it gets nipped in the ass right away.

By this I mean the crazy lineup combo's. Oh sure I understand that Quinn is looking at all his options and seeing if there are any surprises there that he can use. But by now it should be clear that moves like JFJ on the top line, are NOT going to work on the best of nights. I like the philosophy of finding duo's rather than 3 person lines with chemistry. It is a good way to use players to their strengths and maximize potential by finding players that compliment the duo rather than a single player. But on the same token, the team IS built in such a way that there is going to be 2 scoring lines, a shutdown line and an energy line. It may not be to Quinn's taste, but simply put, the team isnt designed any other way. And until some moves can be made that put "Quinn's" team together, he should be looking at a lineup that at least works with the players.

I am honestly hoping that the opening day roster has predictable lines. I dont want to see Pouliot centering the second line with JFJ on the wing with Hemsky and Horcoff.

I am holding out hope that this is what we will see, and Quinn has just been taking a longer look than we are used to seeing because he needs a full evaluation of the organization. I have not yet been able to see the practices, but I would hope that the guys that are GOING to be on the team are showing Quinn what they can do, and the rest are just trying out for potential callups.

When this team skates out for the regular season I want to see a cohesive unit that supports their other team mates. I want to see a team that plays to its strengths and win's because of it.

No more gambles, no more guesses. Tonight is the night that will make or break several players on this team. Come next saturday we should ( I would hope ) see a team that can compete with the rest of this division.

Preseason is here.

Wow, what a long offseason. We had precious few things to talk about this summer. There was free agency.....bore. There was the draft with a surprise pick of MPS, and the whole Heatley saga kept us yapping for a while. The changing of the coaching guard was a big bonus, and was well worth the pages and pages from dozens of forums, but that was early in the summer and didnt last long.

But now it begins. Preseason is where it all starts. There are a few hundred kids around the league looking to make an impression or risk being sent down. Coaches are looking for that special combination that will propel the team into greatness. GM's are waking up from their UFA hangovers and wondering who the hell gave them a pen to sign "this that and the other" players. And of course there is the perrenial comeback story.

This is also when all the predictions start flooding in, and this is what I want to delve into today. where do the Oilers fit in the whole scheme of things? Did they get better? Get worse? Or make a sideway's move?

Here is how i see it.

PRO's
Coaching change - Not enough can be said about the benifits that a coaching change is going to make. I think that MacT had ran out his time and it was needed for this team to move on. Quinn will not only bring another style and attitude, but he will also shake up the mentality of this team. (doing so already by aboloshing the "seniority" mentality) I expect to see a different attitude and mentality from the team this year.

Con's
No Deals To Improve The Team - This is kind of hard to identify, there are so many "what if's" but there was no moves to maximize assets this offseason, and im a little dissapointed. I am one that believes that if there is a log jam in a position, it is the GM's job to fix it. If there is an over abundance of a certain type of player it is again his job to make a deal to fix that. Now it's not like the Oilers have an un-servicable team. Quinn may even find a lineup that takes them to the next level. But I think there was a move or two that would have made sense. Something to address the needs of the team would have been an instant PRO, but standing pat, in my opinion, makes it a CON.
Trading Brodziak - I have to say that this is probably the worst move this team could have made. There wasnt such a big need for the 99th (Kyle Bigos)and 133rd (Oliver Roy)  picks to justify trading a dependable faceoff man. This is a guy that could have centered Pisani and Moreau, and he has been getting better as he goes. If they would have replaced him, then it wouldnt have been so bad. but by itself, this is a horrible move.

Sideway's
Comrie Signing - I dont think this is going to hurt the team, but I dont see many way's it will help the team either. Sure from a PR perspective it is great. The guy that started the "players hate edmonton" mentality came back, and willingly.  There is a bonus in  the fact that he can help show the kids how to play with an edge. But there is a downside to the fact that he is injured all the time and it is going to push one or more of the kids out of the lineup. Overall its not bad, but not really an upgrade either.

Khabibulin Signing - This is a signing that bothers me a bit. He is a great goalie, but not really an upgrade on Roli. He is also aging and has been a starter a long time, his body has taken abuse that roli's hasnt. And 4 years is a long time to commit to a goalie when the team has at least one other prospect in the AHL that they will want to see in the next year or two.

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There are other small changes, I just did the ones that stuck out for me. I like that they addressed the need's in Springfield. but most dont effect the big club enough to matter.

Overall I think the team will be better. I actually liked the way the team was put together last season and I think a coaching change is going to make a big enough difference, that the team will not only be in the playoffs, but will be somewhat higher than 8th place. There are alot of players that will be looking to have better seasons. There are guys coming back from injury that will help quite alot.

I'm looking forward to this upcoming season. It has the smell of change. Will we see the usual November/December slump? Will they come flying out of the gate in the preseason, only to fall flat for the 10 games after?  Will the Oilers hold a playoff spot until the last 2 months of the season when they suddenly fall out? Or worse, will they have to scramble for that spot, possibly losing it again?

I dont think so, and thats got me excited.