Eastside's Hockey Elite Collide

OILERS PREDS Clash at Rexall Tonight
Hemsky to Miss Game

Edmonton - Dec 17 2009

The Oilers and Predators will be clashing tonight at Rexall on PPV. But the game story so far is that Ales Hemsky, the Oilers point leader (33 11-22-33pts) is out of action with a wrist injury tonight. Hurting his wrist in the 5-3 loss tuesday night to the LA Kings. As a result, Dustin Penner will draw back into the line-up on the teams first line as Coach Pat Quinn chooses not to tinker with his other lines too much.

The Nashville Predators offense has dried up as the Preds have just 2 wins in their last 10 games. Ironically though the Oilers will have scored 6 fewer times then the Preds so far however they've given up a league low of 70 goals against to their opposition. That is the may reason the Oilers are in the position they are now, goaltending. It will be Jeff Deslauriers in between the pipes again tonight for the Oilers as they rest the Bulin wall for the third straight game. The pressure will be on him to have a bounce back game after struggling with 5 goals on 30 shots on Tuesday night against the Kings.

Fans watching on PPV and in the rink will also have a chance to hear the new Oilers song by Corb Lund who will also be singing the Canadian National anthem. Song is available on Itunes.

Oilers Look to 4 day Break to Refocus
Team begins with 2 days in the Mountians

January 8, 2010

The Edmonton Oilers started a 4 day break in the schedule with a trip with their families an management to the Rockies for some time in the snow.
Cross country skiing and even a game of shinny on the frozen Lac Beauvert. Struggling Forward Dustin Penner was also hoping to take a few his teammates ice fishing.
"We've been doing fairly well as a team this season and this is a good chance to relax a bit and have some fun away from the rink." Penner stated.

And if some off rink fun is what helps Penner get out of Quinn's doghouse then it might be the very tonic he needs right now with only 9 points in 35 games.

"Management and myself as well as the other coaches and staff agreed this was the right time to do this," Quinn said before boarding the bus. "We circled this time a while back but we sort of sprung it on the guys at Christmas. We didn't want to have a distraction or a focus that was off the ice that could hurt us."

It's a good thing this team is doing well and is so close to the top of the division otherwise if you read between the lines, the 2 days in the mountains may have been replaced with time at the rink, gym and video room.

"Right now the guys deserve it going into the final months of the season and this will hopefully give us the energy to take over the division. That's the goal."

Following the 2 days in Jasper, Alberta; the team will return to Edmonton to continue preparations for the Predators who will come to town on the 12th.

Edmonton Starts February with Major Changes
GM Chris K gambles on offence first mentality


February 1, 2010

The Edmonton Oilers took to the ice this morning minus a few players. Defenseman Sheldon Souray was shipped to the Penguins for another veteran in Sergei Gonchar.

"It's a good thing i didn't get far out of Pittsburgh today." Gonchar stated at the airport in Montreal after he had been quickly dealt in a second deal to the Canadians.
"I was really surprised by the quick change but it's a business."

GM Chris having held a press conference to announce the changes shortly after the morning skate stated that he felt that these moves make the team better.
"We've still got our youth and our draft picks this summer. I think this is going to make for an entertaining second season."

"Our defense has taken a bit of a hit. We've basicly taken the salary that was sitting on D for Sheldon and moved it up front. Nic and Jeff have done a superb job for us in net and we expect and hope Lubo will be ready to go in the playoffs."

When asked if more moves are in store GM Chris wouldn't comment directly only saying that his goal is to always "make the team better and bring a cup to Edmonton."

Goalie JDD to Play Centre While Horcoff Moves to the Crease


April 1. 2010

The Oilers announced today some surprising changes to the lineup for tomorrows game in Dallas. Goalie Jeff Deslauriers will move up in the lineup to play center while Shawn Horcoff will move back to the net to backup Khabibulin. GM Chris K stated this was all a coaching decision but "I think it will be a good move to shake the team out of the doldrums" the GM stated.

On the bench players and a positive reaction for the change up.

"I think it's good you know, we've struggled lately and he's got that size so that can help up front I think." Said defenseman Ladislav Smid.

"Anytime you can get a guy that big in there down the middle it's gonna open up space for those around him," Captain and linemate Ethan Moreau stated. " hopefully Storts and I can go out there with him and crash and bang the Dallas team into submission."

JDD will skate center between Stortini and Moreau on the team's 3rd line.

"I feel pretty comfortable with playing the puck and being a tender I know where to shoot. I can tell a lot by how a guy is standing so hopefully I can use that to my advantage." Said Deslauriers as he went out for practice with his new line mates.

Coach Quinn was also happy with the line after practice. "They laid it out out there and I think they will be a great line tomorrow."

That'd be amazing. The real life Oilers would need something like that.

Oilers.com's main headline on Thursday was that Devan Dubnyk was going to play center from now on.

Oilers Farm team to Oklahoma

The Edmonton Oilers are moving their farm team to Oklahoma City next season. Oilers brass including GM Chris K were in Oklahoma City to announce the activation of their dormant Road Runners franchise under the new nickname of Barons.

The past 3 years the Oilers based their farm club in Springfield where they played as the Falcons. A proud and storied franchise. Their agreement with Springfield ownership was up this year and the Falcons organization has already announced their new agreement with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"We had a great year in Springfield but there were two tougher years prior.

The Falcons won the Regular Season with a 50-23-2-7 record for 109 pts.

"We can't wait to start fresh here in Oklahoma."

Draft Preview

The Edmonton Oilers are getting ready for one of the deepest drafts in recent memory. Unfortunately the Oilers no longer control their 1st round pick which now in the hands of Montreal. The team is in the first stages of a rebuilding phase which does require draft picks so expect some moves to happen on the draft table as they team prepares for the future.

Currently the Oilers have the 47 and 51'st picks in the second round so there will be a wait for Oiler fans to see who will be wearing Oiler silks in the future.

Third round picks 63, 77, 90. Fourth round pick at 107. Pick 137 in the 5th round, 167 and 173 in the 6th Round and possibly 197th Overall in the 7th Round.

The Oilers have not stated who they like which makes sense since there could be just about anyone available still at that point. However the team has said they want to improve the team now and for the future so that would seem to indicate that if an earlier pick can be dealt to the team for the right price, look for it to happen.

Your team wears silk? No wonder they're so soft.

Draft 2010 Review

The Edmonton Oilers had to wait a while on draft day but not without trying to move up. GM Chris K reportedly made all sorts of attempts to move up in the draft. One thing the Oilers did have was a load of picks with which to build up the future of the club. "The draft this year had a decent crop but when you don't pick in the top 10, even the top 3 the likely hood of a franchise player dropping to your pick, or even being found at that point is slim to none. But you do find character guys, guys to build the team on. Guys that go out and work hard every night because they know their job. That's what we tried to do this year. Bring in the size and the character guys that can help fill the lunch pail roles down the road" the wordy General Manager stated.

In total the Oilers drafted 11 players this year. Including 1 goalie, 3 defencemen and 7 forwards.

The Oilers had to wait till pick 47, but they received a reward for their patience in playmaking winger Austin Watson. Playing with the Peterborough Petes, Watson had 37 points in 57 games. This playmaking will be very good for the team in the future and his size should help his two way game.

The Oilers only had to wait for 3 other teams to pick before getting to pick again. This time they chose 6'3'' defenceman Daniel Gunnarsson from the Moose Jaw Warriors. Gunnarsson collected 28 points in 76 games with the Warriors. The team hopes he can work on his defensive game more before he breaks into the pro ranks.

The Oilers finally made a trade here but they dropped down a bit instead. Sending their 2nd rounder from Nashville to LA for a 2nd round pick 2011 + 3rd pick 2010(85). The Kings took Stephen Silas here instead.

Regardless of the drop, the Oilers next pick came at #63 where they took Kendal McFaull from Michigan Tech. As a rookie defenceman in the WCHA McFaull picked up 29 goals and 9 assists in 28 games for 38 points. The 6'2'' defenceman will also have to work on his defensive game if he wants to crack the Pros.

At # 77 overall. The Oilers went out on a limb taking the speedy Oscar Lindberg. The reason this may be a bit out on the limb is that in 31 games with Djurgarden IF Stockholm, Oscar had zero points to show for his efforts. He is listed as a sniper and does have a shot. But so far his time in the Swedish Elite has been a bust. Time will tell here.

At #85, the pick one of the two picks received from the Los Angeles Kings, the Oilers took forward Greg McKegg. While being another smaller forward. He will be staying with the Erie Otters where he picked up 116 poins 78 of them goals in 73 games. He will need to work on his defensive game if he wants crack the pros.

With the last pick of the third round, # 90, the Oilers took centerman Matthew White. the 6'2 forward, amassed 51 goals and 57 assists for 107 points in 71 games with the Victoriaville Tigres. The abilities he has shown in junior in his rookie season are impressive, but the knock on him has been his consistency. He can supposedly be better, the question is will he be?

Entering the 4th round. The Oilers picked at # 107 and took centerman Andrew Yogan a 6'3 205lber from the Erie Otters and a team mate of Greg McKegg's. In 59 games with the Otters Yogan collected 28 goals and 48 points. This knock say the scouts is his consistency and his general abilities. Is he or isn't he Pro material. There is talent here for sure, but he could be another Bonsiginore, but this time that won't hurt as much since he's a forth round pick instead of a first.

At # 137 the Oilers selected Tyler Gron a small winger with a big shot. He's 20 years old so will likely play on the farm team this year.

The Oilers next pick at #167 was another big defenceman in 6'2 Peter Stoykewych. He like the other defencemen will need to work on their defensive skills but the potential is there to be a regular in the league.

With their 173rd pick the Oilers selected towering goalie Mathieu Corbeil-Theriault, from the Halifax Mooseheads.
Mathieu will likely only be a farm team goalie but the Oilers hope he can do more than that. Including ride the pine in Edmonton if an injury opens a spot. For now though, back to Halifax Mathieu will go.

Finally with their last pick #197 overall, the Oilers took Josh Shalla. A centerman who will also likely only playon the farm team. He's got some speed, and while lacking size does go to the corners to work for the puck. He takes the hits and will definetly put up some decent numbers in junior. The Pros may be too big a jump.

EDIT: Ceiling Points to be used on:
Matthew White, 7 Points allocated to Faceoffs, 3 points allocated to Stick Handling
Kendal McFaull 10 points allocated to Hitting.

Neither McFaull nor White are eligible. McFaull's a potential POT booster and White is above 69 POT. Please re-submit.

EHEC Season 2 about to start - Oilers ready to go?

The Edmonton Oilers are set to start a new season, and many question marks remain. Can Deslauriers and Roy carry the load in net? Can Summers and Schenn step up to be the shut down players they can be? Will Visnovsky who miss most of last season with injury return to form and put some points in net? And finally is there enough offense up front to get into the playoffs?

General Manager Chris K has stated that he wants to rebuild the team, but so far only a few minor changes have been made. In the salary cap era though - players with big contacts though are harder to move if that is his plan, and many of the others have almost no trade value.

"It's a tough market out there, some deals are happening, and some well, it's tough."

If the Oilers do plan on making any moves though, it's likely Hemsky could be part of a larger package deal. GM Chris K has not commented on any of our inquiries however he did say that he wants to make trades that will improve the future of this team. Does that team include Ales Hemsky? Only time will tell.

2011 Season Wrap-up

The Oilers second season under GM Kuchmak has come to an end and the scouts are quickly attempting to determine where the other teams interests lay. GM Kuchmak has made a number of changes to the team including the move that sent winger and fan favorite Ales Hemsky to the Montreal Canadians at the deadline for what would become their third 1st round pick via the Canadians. The gamble paid off as the Canadians failed to make the post season this year and the Oilers now have 3 quality picks in the 1st round. Their own at #11, Montreal's #12 and the Canucks pick at #14. This is a far cry from the 2010 draft where the Oilers had to wait until pick 47 in the second round to pick Austin Watson.

The Oilers have confirmed they have dangled a few options as trade bait to move up in the draft. But if the rebuild continues into another season, a lottery pick may actually happen as the team has slowly been gutted in an attempt to draft some fine prospects and fill a rather bare cupboard that contains no strong goalie prospects no possible defensive all-star, though the team is stronger on the back end. That leaves forwards where the best of the lot is the previously mentioned Austin Watson. Watson put 89 points away this season in 79 games with the Peterborough Petes. Watson projects to be a third line winger who should put up some decent numbers with his soft hands. Consistency may be a problem and may be the only thing keeping him from rising up the depth charts.

Despite not having a 1st round selection in the draft last season. The Oilers made away like bandits in the Hemsky deal with the 1st round selection this year and Stephen Johns, a 14th overall pick by the Canadians in the 2010 draft last June.
Johns is a bigger kid at 6'3 and had shown in his limited service to play quite well positionally and can make the big hit. He figures prominently to compliment the likes of youngsters Luke Schenn, Chris Summers and Ladi Smid on the back end for years to come.

Oilers fans cheered loudly as their long lost son Ryan Smyth returned to the team. It's not likely he will figure high in the depth charts but should provide some strong leadership to the youth of this team. It is unfortunate for him then that a Stanley Cup will likely remain elusive and unattained for his career. Returning to the team that drafted him. Ryan helped put a team that had missed the playoffs back into the playoffs by defeating the Dallas Stars in 7 games in 1997. It was a short lived magical run, and the Todd Marchant that was on this team last season was not the same as the one who burned down the ice after a stunning Cujo save in Dallas in '97. But Ryan always seems to play with a lot of heart. If there is a player to help push the kids on this team over the hump - Ryan is that player.

So after making the playoffs in 2010, 2011 was a miss for this Oilers and their fans. They finished the year with 37 wins 37 losses and 8 overtime losses for 82 points. The penalty kill ran at 76.5% for second worst in the league. The powerplay was slightly better with 16.5% success and 21st in the league. Improvements will need to be made but for Oiler fans, the results of those improvements will likely be a season away.

Draft Review 2011

Your Edmonton Oilers, had four picks in the top 50, 3 of which were in the top 14 at 11, 12, and 14 thanks to trades with Montreal and Vancouver.

General Manager Kuchmak had stated that his goal this at this years draft was to garner a supporting cast of players that could be counted on to provide some sandpaper to the team in addition to finding a goalie.

The Oilers first pick was Brandon Saad. A playmaking winger out of the OHL's Saginaw Spirit. "Brandon's skating and stick-handling are exceptional for his age." Kuchmak said to reporters, "Our feeling is that he needs to use his size a little better, but he should help us out offensively."

The GM stayed on the platform to call up Samu Perhonen's name and a little bit of a surprise to some as Christopher Gibson was rated to go higher. "Samu has a great chance to come in a be a number one tender for us. We liked that his size as well as how consistant his play has been over the last few years in the Finish Junior leagues. Time will tell if this was the right player to go with and Oiler fans have every right to demand more now after many poor seasons since the cup run of '06. The last time Goaltending was decent.

At number 14 OA, The Oilers picked winger Sven Baertschi, a smallish winger who can play on the penalty kill and has a decent shot. "We like this kids abilities with and without the puck. We've been trying to pick taller, stronger players but Sven was too good to pass up on." Baertschi gives the Oilers some Swiss flavor up front and should turn out to be a long time 3rd liner.

After picking 3 players in 4 picks, it seemed like a long wait until the next Oiler pick at 49 who turned out ot be Reid Boucher who has committed to playing at Michigan State next year. Reid is a wirey right winger who can play center. "For us we see him as a future second liner, but he has potential to slide up if he earns it. Reid is very fast and he's got a great shot.


In the 3rd Round at #71OA the Oilers picked Adam Reid. Standing 6'4 205lbs Adam provides the Oilers some toughness. "His skill set shows he doesn't mind mixing things up a bit. He's very strong already and only going to get stronger. We need more sandpaper on this team and to protect the skill guys, Adam will provide that."

Scott Oke was picked in the 4th at #119 Overall. Oke again provides some similar abilities of Adam Reid. "Oke doesn't mind going to the dirty places and he also has some size. He was on the Sea Dogs team that went to the Memorial Cup this year and he was a big part of the leadership in the locker room.


With no 5th round selection, Edmonton picked Norman Hauner in the 6th round at #161 Overall. "He played 74 Games with Kolner Haie in the German league and put up 29 points and was plus 31. So he's got some skill. We hope he can translate that to the Barons for us and put some points up in the AHL.

In the 7th and final round the Oilers took Goalie Stephen Michalek. "We see his time as a possible backup but more likely he will play on the Barons. He has some skills but he also has to grow into a lot of areas of his game as a professional. But again, we see some skill there and hopefully together -player and team can help himself develop.


It isn't likely we'll see any of these prospects in an Oiler jersey this season, however, there is defenitly more players in the cupboard than there were before. Much of this teams future will hinge on what happens this up coming season. Some minor changes have been made, as well as the larger deal that saw Hemsky traded to Montreal.

GAME DAY - Penguins @ Oilers


Pittsburgh Penguins (2-0-0) at Edmonton Oilers (0-0-0)
TV: Rogers Sportsnet West (HD)
RADIO: 630 CHED & Oilers Radio Network
PUCK DROP: 7:08 p.m. MDT

Here we go, The Oilers finally get the new season underway tonight against the already 2-0 Penguins. The Oilers are one of the last teams to open the new season and will do it with Jeff Deslauriers in goal tonight.

Some big moves this off season which saw the Oilers with 3 picks in the top 20, as well as bring back familiar face Ryan Smyth. Rookie Austin Watson makes his NHL debut, and Robert Nilsson who spent last year in the AHL are also the new faces to the Oilers starting roster.

"I'm really excited to get started," the skilled 18-year-old Watson said. "The last couple years, especially, have been building up to this day. I'm extremely excited."

The Penguins roll into Rexall Place with a 2-0-0 record, having beaten Vancouver in Calgary in some tight defensive, early-season battles. The Oilers know they’ll be in tough to match Pittsburgh’s game-legs, but will, perhaps, be able to gain an edge in intensity.

"They've played two games that have been pretty high-level games," Eberle said. "We're fresh, we're ready to go and we're raring because it's our home-opener and we don't want to disappoint."

"It's gonna be great getting back on the ice here in this jersey, it's a great city to live in and I am very happy to be back" said an elated Ryan Smyth who rejoined the team this summer via trade.

Season Series: These teams are meeting for the only time this season. Their only meeting in 2010-11 came in Pittsburgh on March 13, when Anze Kopitar had 3 assists in a 3-0 Penguins victory at the Consol Energy Center. Jarome Iginla also notched his 35th goal of the season that game.

Always like reading about my team.

We Were There
Canada USA game wraps up preliminary round in Edmonton


It's been a busy week at Rexall Place despite the Oilers not being in town. The Oilers last played at home on Dec 22 have been away due to the use of their home arena and locker room by Team Canada and the rest of the Group B teams, USA, Czech Rep, Denmark and Finland. The two teams favored to come out of Group B 1-2 were Canada and the USA however surprising losses by the States to Finland and the Czech Republic and the NYE loss to Canada have placed them into the relegation round. The Danes were taken in by the Canadian fans who cheered hard for them surprising many overseas supporters.

On this warm New Years Day, the 5 teams travel south to Calgary to play in the medal round and in the relegation round.

http://video.oilers.nhl.com/videocenter ... &id=146412
Song available on iTunes

- One of the things i can say - I was there guys!

Horcoff, 2nd to Calgary for Scott Glennie
Ryan Smyth expected to be named Captain


The Edmonton Oilers have traded long time forward Shawn Horcoff to the Calgary Flames along with a Second Round Pick this July for forward Scott Glennie.

Horcoff, Edmonton's Fourth Round Pick in 1998 (99 overall) played 726 games in an Oilers uniform not including playoffs and the famed 2006 run for the cup where he helped pot 19 points in 24 games and to come one game from a Stanley Cup Championship.

Horcoff has been the Captain for the last year since former Oiler and current St. Louis Blue Ethan Moreau was traded to the Canadians.

Fans in Edmonton had recently been on Horcoffs case on the call in shows demanding a trade and that his contract of $5.5M was too pricy for what he did in the games. There is no doubt that his current contract had something to do with the trade as young stars Jordan Eberle and Chris Summers are due to receive hefty increases in pay this summer as RFA's.

The Flames are getting a player that has not played with the same intensity as 73 point season in the 2005-06 campaign. His best season 07-08 was cut short by a shoulder injury that was aggravated at the All-Star game that season when he was limited to 53 games but had put up 53 points. He hasn't been the same since.

Glennie comes to Edmonton after being drafted by the Dallas Stars 8th overall in 2009. Current projections for the young 20 year old show him to be a strong goal scorer and that is what the Oilers need if they want to win more games. That at keep the pucks out of their own net.

Ryan Smyth is expected to be named Captain this morning though much pomp and circumstance. The fan favorite and Captain Canada returned to the Oilers this past offseason in a trade with the Blue Jackets.

2012 Draft Preview

June 22, 2012

It's the eve of the 2012 EHEC Entery Draft and the Edmonton Oilers have already made a move.

They recently moved up and coming defenseman Stephen Johns, depth center Jeremy Colliton and an Edmonton 2013 2nd round pick to the Los Angeles Kings for Alexander Frolov and AHL star Mirko Hoefflin.

Now this indirectly affects the Oilers in the current draft as Mirko could possibly be slotted into the 3rd line center spot. next to young star Sven Baertschi. Mirko had an excellent season in Manchester and was huge in the Monarchs victories over the Oil Barons in the AHL finals. Frolov also provides the Oilers with some much needed offensive punch upfront.

Even with the loss of Johns. The Oilers defense is rather solid and very gritty. Ben wright, Chris Summers, Luke Schenn, and Kendall McFaull can all throw their weight around. However the D is rather meager in the system so look for the Oilers to replenish their cupboard with some hitters and perhaps a passer.

Up front the young superstar Jordan Eberle leads the way. Though his points regressed this year it is not likey a major concern as there is still a tallented and confident budding star in him.

After Eberle the talent level drops. Toni Rajala, Scott Glennie, Sven Baertschi and Greg McKegg all will need to step up to the next level and will be given the chance this fall.

In short the Oilers need to fill holes for the future. Another strong goal scorer, a goaltender, and some depth defense players to replenish the prospect charts.

We know the Oilers have been trying to move Lubo Visnovsky to no avail. Will something happen during the draft? We can only wait and see.

The Oilers hold the 10th Overall, 70th, 87th, 100th, 130th, 160th and the 190th picks. A pick early in the 1st round and then no picks till # 70 of the 3rd round.

See you tomorrow folks!

Oilers Draft Review 2012

After taking 3 players in the first round of the 2011 draft last year the Oilers took Defenceman Jacob Trouba with the 10th overall pick. The Oilers lacking on defense in the prospect area were in need of a restocking of sorts and with Trouba they get a very positionaly sound defender. Trouba does project to be a 4-5 defenceman and if he can start hitting he will raise his stock.


No second round picks so the Oilers had to wait until the 70th overall in round 3 to take Edwin Hedberg. Hedberg is a small sniper. He has some moves that allow him to get past the larger defenders. As a winger Edwin will likely be a 3 liner to help spread the offense amongst the lines.


The Oilers also had Columbus' 87th pick and they took the small but tough Dalton Thrower. As stated earlier the Oilers need a few more defenders in waiting. Thrower is not the most skilled and is very small at 5'11. However he has shown some offensive upside in the likes of a Marc-Andre Bergeron who Oilers fans would be familier with from a few years back.


Local product of the AJHL's Sherwood Park Crusaders ( a suburb of Edmonton) the Oilers took goaltender Matt Tompkins. Tompkins will likely challange last years Perhonen for a job in the future but for now he will likely remain in the AJHL. Tompkins fills a lot of the net being 6'2 and plays more of a standup style than most current goalies. Tompkins projects as a backup but will need time to get to that point.


The Oilers took Ales Kilnar in the 5th round 130th overall. He is an undersized forward that has potential for a big offensive upside. He will need to improve greatly over the next few years to do it. Kilnar is a long term project and may likely be a career AHLer despite his consistent level of play.


The 6th round brought Matthew Beattie to the Oilers. An over ager who like Kilnar projects to be a career AHLer. Consistency has been an issue for Beattie in the past and is a hump he will need to get over to even make the NHL. Beattie has the size and skill to be dangerous but he does not use it on a consistent basis and has been seen floating in games where he appears disinterested.


In the final round the Oilers took Brendan Leipsic. A very small forward at 5'8 but he has great hands and could potentially see time as a 3-4liner in the NHL as a centerman. Brendan is one of the best faceoff men in the WHL at the moment and will likely stick around for a few more years at that level.


Dispite the Oilers need on defence they only took two defenders. Tompkins is likely a sure bet as a goalie but the other forwards taken will be in tough with earlier crops of talent like McKegg (2010) and Baertschi (2011) ready to take the big stage.

Hindsight is always 20/20 after a draft of any sort and in a few years there will likely be questions on how a player was missed. Not just by the Oilers, but by all the other teams.

This draft is not weaker just more select in skill than other past drafts it would seem; either way only time will tell.

2012-2013 Edmonton Oiler Preview

It was another long off season for Edmonton Oiler fans. Out of the playoffs again but this time with a bright light. The young Oklahoma City Barons were rolled through the playoffs only to lose in the Calder Cup Final in the Manchester Monarchs.

As most teams evolve over time. There are some changes to report. New additions to the Oilers include sniper Alex Frolov and young prospect Mirko Hoefflin. Both were acquired from the the Los Angles Kings in exchange for defensive rock Stephen Johns, uber face-off man Jeremy Colliton and an Oiler 2nd rounder in 2013.

Also gone in defenceman Lubo Visnovsky who was traded to the Wild for a 3rd round pick in 2014. Not great return but GM Kuchmak had been trying to move Lubo for more than one season.

Additions beyond the aforementioned Frolov and Hoefflin is goaltender Jose Theodore. He won't be wearing the toque like he did for the Oilers - Canadians outdoor game, and he won't wear the backup hat much either. Theodore was brought in to push Delsauriers for the starting job. His one year contract gives the team flexibility with prospects Perhonen and Tompkins developing quickly.

Not so much added but we will finally see the 14th overall pick in 2011 - Sven Baertschi make his NHL debut. in 54 games last year with the AHL Barons he notched a respectable 32 goals, 13 assists for 45 points. What will he do now at the NHL level? We can only wait as see.

MEET YOUR 2012-13 EDMONTON OILERS

Right Wing
55 Toni Rajala Age 21
Defensive forward with a knack for putting the puck in the opponents net.

69 Alex Frolov Age 30
Russian Sniper - Power forward

28 Riley Nash Age 23
Defensive Forward finally getting his chance with the big club to start the season.

16 Scott Glennie Age 21
Canadian sniper - still very one dimensional game. Big shot.

46 Zack Stortini Age 27
Enforcer

Centermen

14 Jordan Eberle Age 22
Superstar Forward

10 Tomas Plekanec Age 29
Horcoff replacement

13 Andrew Cogliano Age 25
Offensive Forward

42 Mirko Hoefflin Age 20
Faceoff Specialist

Left Wing

22 J-F Jacques Age 27
Powerforward

37 Greg McKegg Age 20
Playmaker

94 Ryan Smyth Age 36
Leader - Captain - Defensive forward

47 Sven Beartschi Age 20
Offensive Forward

Defencemen

24 Chris Summers Age 24
Power hitter

25 Ben Wright Age 24
All Around Defenceman

2 Jeff Petry Age 24
Offensive Defenceman

6 Luke Schenn Age 22
Shut Down Defenceman

77 Tom Gilbert Age 29
Offensive Defenceman

45 Kendall McFaull Age 20
All Around Defenceman

5 Ladislav Smid Age 26
Shut Down Defenceman

Goalie

30 Jose Theodore Age 36
1B (Backup)

48 Jeff Deslauriers Age 28
1A (Starter)

It was a tight battle for many of the roster spots. Top pick from 2010 Austin Watson who recorded 24 points in 58 games with the Oilers last season was sent down to the Barons for more seasoning. His play is hopefully the start of a long career.
Other vets that were sent down include Carl Soderberg, and Peter Corsi.

With a few openings available. Kendal McFaull and Jeff Petry will get a better shot to contribute on the back end. Up front Frolov will offer offense to protect the likes of McKegg and Baertschi as they acclimatize to the NHL. Also getting a strong chance to contribute will be Toni Rajala and Riley Nash. Both have seen limited action over the past two seasons.
Mirko Hoefflin is the X factor. What will he contribute to this offense? He scorched the Barons in the AHL finals with Manchester before being traded in the off season. Despite showing mere glimpses of brilliance in the past. Mirko will be expected to carry more of the scoring load as the season continues.

This is in general the same Oilers team that finished last season together. Some minor changes - a good d-man for a good forward has helped to balance the team out.

If Cogliano and young superstar Jordan Eberle can return to the 70 point - 80 point level. If Frolov can pot 30 or more goal for a decent campaign. If scoring comes from secondary players other than Smyth and Jacques and the goalie tandem plays well most nights this team has a big chance to improve in the standings and return to the playoff promised land.

Predicted finish 8th in the West - 3rd in the NorthWest Division.

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LE - G Samu Perhonen 54 > 59
L Scott Oke 83 > 88
D Jacob Trouba 66 > 71