Fixing Some Problems Today

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.

Oil VS Chi Aftergame

So how many Oiler fans wish they could see the Oilers play The Blackhawks 82 times a year? This was a great game to watch (minus the last 2 mins where the hawks looked like they threw everything including the kitchen sink at the Oilers to try and tie it up)

Taylor Hall looked like a demon again, Cogliano has been showing a much more complete game of late and Khabibulin stood on his head on more than one occasion tonight. Gagner was a noticible piece as well tonight, he not only had the go ahead goal on a gritty effort but he seemed to be stepping up and being the leader on his line. Hemsky showed his usual flashes of insight but again I spent all night wishing he had a little more in him. (as offensive as he is he seems to give that impression nightly)

Tonights game was a real stepping stone for the fourth line as well. It was nice to see them not only generate a great forecheck but it was also nice to see them be as defensive as anyone else tonight. Jones especially impressed me on a play in the 3rd period. Regardless of how well Khabi had been doing, he actually dove bodily into the crease behind Khabi to ensure that if something squeeked past his tender there wouldnt be a goal. I am loving this kind of play from him, it is the kind of rounded out game and total buy in that Renney can use.

over all, regardless of the win i have been more impressed with the Oilers as of late. They have been showing the growth that I was hoping for this year. Playoffs? nope, said so before the season started and its getting easier to stick by that prediction as each game passes. But growth? HELL YA! players like Gagner/Cogliano/Brule etc... have been showing an ability to step up and not be left behind as the new kids make a name for themselves. The real glaring problems with the team at the moment are continuing to improve and even the weak ass Defense they are icing are getting more consistant if not overly better.

I am still waiting for the coaching staff to change up the lines so they can work to the others strengths, but slowly Renney is getting there and when he does, I think it will be a short ride before they begin to become a force in the NW division.

Renney's Choices

So the Oilers have played 8 games in the regular season now and a few things have happend. First, we saw that Eberle can be a threat at any time and he is more than ready for an NHL job. MPS is a guy that works his ass off and is slowly being rewarded for it. Hall finally got the monkey off his back and potted his first goal (I expect that he will be much more confident now) Smid seems to be slowly but surely getting better, finding a role and sticking to it. Peckham has shown that he can be a tough SOB when called upon and he doesnt take shit from nobody. There have been several positive things to see so far.

We have also seen some pretty ugly things going on. Vandermeer is horrible, and when I saw horrible I mean 3rd pairing on an AHL team kind of bad. Strudwick may be a good "teammate" but he is a very lacking defenseman.The defense in general is weak. Then there has been a real lack of role definition in the forward lineup. It makes it much harder for guys to get into a groove when they dont even understand what they have to do night in and night out. Hemsky has been looking like he lost interest right after the interview where he said he was "energized" and if there is no Hemmer going it is going to be hard to generate offence. Like it or not he is still the catalyst most nights.

Something that bothers me more than the ugly though, is the fact that Renney seems to be trusting his kids less that (IMO) he should be. Take the shootout for instance. IMO if you want to give guys like Hall and MPS some confidence, thats a great place to start. They both have the hands for it, and especially Hall where until last night he was looking for his first goal putting him as the first shooter doesnt add too much pressure but it does allow him to gain some confidence. Defaulting to Brule last night was a bad choice in my opinion. sure he has a great shot, but how often is he dangling around defenders??? How bout Penner the other night? That was stupid, he is 1/6 in the shootout. He doesnt deke goalies out of their shorts. He is a crash/bang kind of goal scorer. NOT viable for the shootout.

I think that if the kids are going to be succesful, the coach has to give them every opportunity to be so. If he wants to use Eberle in a PK role thats fine. But put him on the first PK unit and leave it like that. Hall and MPS should not be on the PK, so they should be given first PP time. I know it sounds a little crazy but really, those guys need to know that they are going to be relied upon based on the skills that they bring rather than the time that they have put in. Horcoff should not be on the PP at all! Hell, neither should Cogliano. There are more than enough guys to make a solid PP lineup and the kids should lead the way. Are the Oilers going to have a top rated PP this year?? probably not, but until they try the kids you cant know what they will bring.

I agree that Renney needs to find the balance that will best bring the kids along. But he also has to understand that they are all capable of handling pressure and until he challenges them they are not going to elevate their games. There are still 74 games to go, and maybe its MY patience that needs to relax a bit. But I dont think the Oilers are going to be great this year, nor would I expect it. What I do expect is progress, and 6 losses in a row is not very good progress IMHO.


until next time.