Just a little rant

 
Well here we are again. Bottom of the standings, out of the playoffs and about to draft  #1 again.

Not impressed would be the first thing to come to mind.

This was supposed to be the season that we saw some improvement. Tambellini brought along all his top talented kids to bolster the lineup and to give the fans something to cheer about. Instead what we saw was a waste of the first year of 3 entry level contracts. We saw no work done on Tambellini's part to bring in the supporting staff that the kids would need if they were going to grow into their role's. Jones might be an exception here but lets be realistic, NOBODY thought he was going to be what he turned into. he was a spare part at most. (on that note, the Oilers should be glad to have him and they better not "glencross" him)

So at what point are we to look at our GM and ask "what have you done for us lately"? I am usually the type to give players the benefit of the doubt as circumstances can alter a year pretty quickly. But there really is no excuse for a GM to build a shit team. If I had the success rate at my own job I wouldn't HAVE a job. Did anyone really think there would be playoffs this year?? I doubt it. But who exactly was cheering loss after loss all the while thinking "we will get the chance to draft #1 again"?

This was a disgusting season and in my honest opinion there is only one person to blame, its not the players and its not the coach. it's the GM. By this time next year if the Oilers aren't playing meaningful games to the end of the season then at least some of that blame must be passed along to the owner as well. It is up to Katz to recognize that his golden boy isn't preforming and should be replaced. This is something that should be recognized as early as mid July. If Tambellini doesn't get the job done. If he cant make the right moves to put a competitive team together it will be time to replace him and give the new GM time to put something together.

And while I'm on the "bitching about Tambellini" bandwagon. I'll take a shot here too... WTF was going on in the war room on T.D.L.??? Penner was realistically only trade-able IF a Penner type player was coming back. To me it looks like they made that trade just to say they made a trade. Worthless and careless at best. Pointless comes to mind, but worse is that it is going to hurt the team more than they think when they get rid of one of their largest players. gathering a low end 1st round pick in a weak draft was NOT worth trading a player of that size. sure they got a defensive prospect back as well, but he's a guy they will see in 2-3 years at best. They needed to get return that they would see right away and that to me is just another example of something that Tambellini has failed to do.

July 15th, that's my cutoff. if there isn't a team in place that can be respected it should be time to say goodbye to the current boss and bring in someone that doesn't have the same lack of foresight.



until next time

Heazues

A Month has passed

Well a month has passed since my last blog. I'm sure if anyone WAS reading this they have long since given up...

But hey, I was doing this for my own pleasure right?

So since the last time I posted, the Oilers have seen a few changes. The first (and most important) is the idea that they are a playoff team. Now, I dont agree. Dont get me wrong, I'm not one of those people that think that the Oilers should sit at the bottom of the league until the prospects pile up. I think that if they are ready they should go for the gold and not look back. BUT, to think that they are a playoff team takes a special pair of kahunas...

Just as in my last post, I still think there are some changes that need to be made. I do not think the Oilers defense is nearly good enough to carry them into the promised land. I dont think that the forwards are rounded out enough to force a playoff birth. And lastly I dont think the experience is enough to battle through most of the hardships that they will face along the way. I think the Oil will see the playoffs next year. I dont think they will get much further from the bottom than they already are, and thats not such a bad thing.

Hemsky Injury. Well, change number 2 seems to be actually a good thing. The kids have really stepped it up and are showing that in the absense of Hemmer, they are still game to play.

Horcoff Injury. Change 3 hasn't been such a boon as Hemmer. So far having the captain out has shown that the team is not ready to step up in a defensive manner. Fraser is not the faceoff man they hoped they were getting and nobody else can quite take the defensive centers mins.

All in all I like the way the team is going. It is developing nicely and as the kids get stronger, the team gets stronger with them.

I am looking forward to tonights game, I hope the players are real fired up over the loss to SJS and they come out flying. They could really use a solid win tonight.

Until next time.

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.