The Oilers have injuries. They've had them all season. The Oilers also have a few too many contracts and no trades to speak of yet to clear some of them out.

The result is a revolving door of forwards in and out of the line-up now that some of the injured and ill are returning.

What is happening because of this situation is the sitting of players that the Oilers might not otherwise sit. Last game it was Comrie. This game it was Potulny and Pisani.

Are these showcasings for possible moves? Are they simply math rearing its head and forcing Pat Quinn to make decisions as to the roster players in and out? Will it continue to change?

One thing is for certain. The combination brought Edmonton it's first win since December 30th.

If there's one rule we know, it's never change a winning lineup. The Oilers did it after winning five straight when they put back in the returning Grebeshkov and the result was a monumental losing streak.

Now, even if Potulny and Pisani should be there, you can't put them back in. Unless of course you're shooting for the first overall draft pick, in which case any kind of winning streak is just bad publicity.

Oh how times have changed.

The National Post is now reporting that Sheldon Souray has added to his public statements that should the Oilers need or want to move the defenceman, that he wouldn't stand in the way. Souray has followed up by supplying the Edmonton Oilers with a list of teams he'd be willing to join before his no trade clause expires.

So we know Souray wouldn't stop the Oilers from making forward progress. We also now know he's got a list of prefered teams in the event the Oilers start receiving offers or are making calls. I guess the question is, are the Oilers in that situation right now?

Well at a league worst 30th, and getting closer and closer to outright walking their way into the #1 lottery spot at this years draft, Edmonton needs to move it's high priced tickets in order to successfully rebuild. Sheldon Souray of the many big money players the Oilers have, is one of the few that would generate a return big enough to making moving a piece you'd like to keep worth it.

The Oilers don't want Sheldon to leave. Souray doesn't want to leave the Oilers. Both however, realize that there may be little option when it comes to getting value back during a time that re-stocking for the future is the only option.

No news has come out regarding which teams Souray has listed, but we do know that the L.A. Kings and the Anaheim Ducks are two of them.

So what can the Oilers get in return? The answer will likely depend on two factors. If the Oilers can move Souray for pieces they see helping this team in areas they sorely lack and if those teams who hold those pieces have any interest in Kovalchuk.

Should their be a three team move, a strategy not new to Oilers GM Steve Tambellini, the Oilers may be able to sneak an extra piece or two from a team that either needs to move cap space like Chicago or is so keen on the idea of adding Kovalchuk that they let slip what could be the silent winning ingredient of a big time trade.

No matter what, a trade is difficult to create in todays NHL. Cap space, standings, contracts and more all become issues and add to that Souray isn't excited to leave nor is Edmonton excited to move him, and you've got a recipe for a trade that has to be just right for the Oilers to take place.

Don't let Sourays comments and the medias willingness to discuss them lead you to thinking this trade will happen over the next couple days. It likely won't, if it happens at all.

It hurts to be a loser, as almost every junior high kid in Canada knows who has seen the right thumb and forefinger of another person held in their direction: “Loser” is one of the worst taunts a kid can get –it hurts. But, losing hurts adults – perhaps even as much as kids.


Many of my friends have no sympathy for the Oiler players. They believe that when you “earn” a salary of over a million per year that makes you fair game for any abuse a fan wants to hurl at you. I suppose a valid case can be made for treating professionals with disrespect if you want – you have “paid for your ticket” after all. That said, being a professional anything doesn’t make us immune to feelings, hopes, or the common emotions all humans share.

When you are a professional athlete, losing is a failure to reach your goals, your team’s goals, your fan’s goals, and – in the case of the City of Champions – your city’s goals. Unless a team is clearly over-matched, in most cases losing also means a failure to perform to the best of your ability – you know you can do better.

What makes losing so difficult for professional athletes is that it is both internalized and externalized failure. You feel rotten inside because you fail to reach your own goals and have to live with yourself, and you feel like everyone else knows you have failed, too. You have failed your family, friends, fans, and coaches. Worse perhaps, you have failed your teammates. That has to affect you – no one wants someone on the team where people don’t mind losing.

So, how does losing affect a professional athlete? Research says that losing can affect an athlete both emotionally and also cognitively. In other words, you not only feel “down,” but you lose your ability to think straight when you are “down.” On the ice, frustration boils over and players take stupid penalties that hurt their team’s chances, and the losing spirals downward – creating even more losing.

The losing steak is accompanied by a series of really bad days – even at home. That is why the losing “habit” is so hard to break – emotionally you are down and cognitively you can’t think straight. As sport’s psychologists tell us: “Losing is overwhelming.”

If losing goes on too long, it threatens not only a professional athlete’s confidence, but also his identity. Losing one’s identity, for a bunch of guys who have been the cream of the crop everywhere they have played, can be devastating.

The Oilers’ players have experienced success everywhere they were – or they would not have made it to the NHL. They were always stars and were always treated like stars. Jordan Eberle, at the World Juniors, was touted as a rising star – die-hard Oilers’ fans saw it and we are now waiting for him to emerge on the Oilers’ scene. But Patrick O’Sullivan led the USA team to the 2004 Gold Medal at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Now, he is right in the middle of the Oilers’ woes. Like many of his Oiler teammates, this experience of losing is new.

Finally, sports research tells us that losing makes you physically sick because it increases stress and lowers immune systems. You physically and mentally slide into weakness. Medically, losing elevates toxins – harmful chemicals like cortisol – into the body. Excess cortisol, the result of stress, can damage the body through increased blood pressure and blood sugar levels. It also suppresses the immune system and, when combined with oxidative stress, tears down body tissues.

It is not surprising that the long losing streak the Oilers are experiencing is also accompanied by excessive “flu-like” symptoms or even “the injury bug.” Most of us think that losing is the result of illness or injury, but the opposite is also true – losing leads to illness and injury.

The Edmonton Oilers are really down – and it will likely be hard to get going again. The injuries and illness are likely to continue. And, the confidence and self-identity will likely continue to slide. In the game against the Stars last night – how unlucky can you get? It is like the worst karma ever! The Oilers need like a dozen lucky breaks to get going and regain confidence.

There is no doubt that the Oilers are sick of losing, but given what we know – they are also sick from losing.
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If you've ever seen a two year old kid, jump around gitty with excitement over the fact that they're about to get some "candies", only to realize that those candies you thought you had, you finished off the other day so now you're a liar...is the only feeling I can compare to how the Oilers lost their season opener Saturday night against the Calgary Flames.

I can't remember so many faces hung in sadness and a collective breath taken so loud, as the one taken at Rexall Place at the 46 second mark when Nikolai Khabibulin brain farted the Oilers to a loss in the first game of the season. Not only did about 18,000 two-year olds not get their candies, but their team lost a valueable point in the standings on a game, that if momentum means anything, the Oilers would have probably won.

For the most part Khabibulin was OK. Not great, but OK. The first goal by Curtis Glencross, was a beauty move after Smid left the front of the net wide open and Glencross tucked it upstairs. I can still see Oilers management looking for a place to hide everytime Glencross comes back to bite the Oilers like that. Kevin Lowe, you should be ashamed of yourself.

The second and third were goals tipped in, with little to no chance for the goalie. The third one not as much, but still, I hesitate to blame it on Khabibulin. The same can not be said for the final goal, which was one of those type of goals, where you're in such shock, you're not even mad -- just amazed.

The Oilers dominated the first and third periods in that game, and were mere inches away from winning with a wide-open net miss by Patrick O'Sullivan, only to see the type of error made by an Oilers goalie that couldn't be made in 81 more attempts if you tried.

I suppose that's the good news. This is the first game of the year. The Edmonton Oilers have 81 more chances to not make that mistake again. If I'm judging solely on effort, style of play and opportunities, the Oilers will be miles better than they were last season, despite this loss.

They outshot the Flames. They outhit the Flames. They were better in faceoffs (for the most part as Sam Gagner was horrid outside of his otherwise terrfic game), and they outworked Calgary. The Oilers had trouble moving the puck from d-man to d-man outside of their own zone and had a section of the second period where they played with their backs to the wall, but what was one really bad goal, is not yet a reason to hang our heads.

How the Oilers come out and respond on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars will tell us a lot, as will how Quinn reacts to some of the players for the Oilers that were noticebly poorer than the rest of the team. Will Gagner with that solid effort stay 4th line? I would bet at the very least, he and Brule switch roles. Will Penner stay off the first line? Jacques wasn't bad, but Penner was excellent.

Will Khabibulin come out and earn a shut-out victory? He'll need to come close, because those fans who gaffed at his 4 year contract when he joined the team, really had a lot to say last night. Khabibulin probably feels worse than anyone about the game ended, and if he has the character I hope he does, watch out for a very strong game on Tuesday.

For a lot of fans, when a topic with this kind of title gets posted, people usually expect to see a prediction for which Oiler is going to have the best season. That's not exactly what I'm going for here.

When I ask, who is the player to watch; I wondered who on the current Oilers roster is going to be a part of the headlines in the next few weeks more often than any other and in possibly more than one way. Either via trade, demotion, promotion and/or finally living up to his ability or change in attitude under new coaching that seems to directly affect the team more than any other player. I think that player is Robert Nilsson.

Do I believe that Nilsson should be an Oiler if the possibility of improving this team exists? No. Nilsson is the odd man out in a number of situations and I think much like Cogliano would do better on a team that has a defined role for him and not a lot of similar style players as the Oilers do. That said, I do like what he brings when he's play at his potential or for that matter what he brings in terms of moving a player like him to another destination.

Despite most people jumping on to suggest that Nilsson is the one Oiler above all others the team should get rid of, I tend to think that people ignore his stats more often than not before they rush to judgement.

2008/2009 - 64 GP 9 g 20 a for 29 points. (not great) plus/minus 1 which is surprising to many people I'm sure. 4 powerplay goals. and 11 points. Not bad considering he wasn't on the man-advantage as often as a player who can set-up his teammates as well as Nilsson can. And his numbers the year before were much better. 41 points in 71 games... yada yada.

I'm not trying to make a case for Nilsson, but should he be an Oiler, there are some areas in which Nilsson has the potential to live up to his contract and I don't see him as the biggest let down of the year by any stretch.

Should he not stay with the team, I see him as a part of something big. Whether in a package for a top forward along with a defenceman, or being waived or buried in the minor strictly due to cap questions, Nilsson has the potential, above all other to headline team news over the next couple weeks to a month.

I'm simply saying, if I were to make a guess; something involving Nilsson will be a part of future news for Edmonton. Who would you suggest?

This summer for the Edmonton Oilers has been spent scouring the league for two things. One was a goaltender to take the place of the departed Dwayne Roloson. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on who you ask (see the article in The Hockey News if you're wondering what I mean), the Oilers were able to land Khabibulin on the first day of free agency.

The rest of this time has been spent seeking a first line LW. If they weren't pawning over Dany Heatley, they were making phone calls to see who, if anyone was available via trade. So far tire kicking has involved Phil Kessel from Boston, some unknowns from San Jose (which would inturn help facilitate a Heatley trade) and a couple other players who have no trade clauses. Not the most positive results are coming from that tire kicking and it's easy to understand why.

But perhaps, the Oilers have what they need in house. Hockey guys in the know, namely Jason Gregor from the Team 1260, are reporting that the top 6 forwards outside of Hemsky on 1st line RW is not even close to being a lock and that the coaches will determine who will play and where come training camp.

One player Gregor had the chance to talk to was Shawn Horcoff, who had some interesting answers to some straight to the point questions. Can Cogliano play LW? Was Horcoff's production hampered by the sheer amount of face-offs he was forced to take all season? Does Hemsky's style of play change your style? Horcoff's answers revealed, at least to me that perhaps one thing many of us haven't given thought to, is putting Horcoff on the LW with Hemmer and Gagner in the middle.

Horcoff is in an unenviable position. He has a large contract, is being relied on to be the two-way faceoff specialist, but gets chewed out by Edmonton fans if he doesn't produce 60-70 points a season. It's two distinct roles that when looking after both, means neither will be as potent as they could be. When one only has to worry about one thing (see Dany Heatley as an example) production is a whole lot easier to measure.

Horcoff did make the transtion from wing to centre and admits that move is much harder than the other way around. For Gagner, his face-off percentage isn't fantastic at 42%, but it's respectable and likely to get better. And if it doesn't, Horcoff is already there to take the odd draw or the majority of them which would still be lessen than the 1756 draws he took last year. On the second line, you can put Cogliano or O'Sullivan at centre with Penner. Now Cogs and O'Sullivan are not going to win you many draws, so you have Penner who can at 47.4% and 55% the year before share the load as those two improve. It's a much more balanced attack with room to add any of these top 6 in positions to take a critical faceoff at an important juncture in a game.

On your third line, either Pouliot or Brule have the ability to be better than average faceoff guys and of course the jury is still out on whether or not the Oilers add a piece prior to camp like a Blair Betts.

Do I believe this is what the Oilers will do? Probably not, so why would I suggest this? What this does, is give Cogliano a defined roll on the 2nd line (which I believe he needs to see his potential). It lessens the load for Horcoff to get him back on the shoot first mentality he had in 2007/08 when he was on pace for a point a game and 33 goals before his injury and it reduces the burden of one to two guys being the only players who can win faceoffs and shares the load a bit more. The Oilers went two years ago from 5-6 players over 50% in the faceoff circle to currently 1, maybe two who are even better than average (technically Brule was 80% in the his NHL faceoffs last year, but that for in an extremely limited roll and hardly worth relying upon).

The problems it causes will revolve around Gagner's ability to be the 1st line centre we're all hoping he will be, and it may be asking Penner to take a lot more faceoffs than he's used to, which may be something they need to look at if his production suffers as a result. And of course again, this moves Nilsson into no man's land. . He's not going to do well on your 3rd line if it's checking roll, but he does have a better plus/minus than people give him credit for and can be relied on defensively if it's not about being physical.

At the very least, it would be worth a look if all parties were willing and excited about the changes.

We posted a quick poll on this site regarding Theo Fleury's attempted comeback, and honestly I was quite surprised with some of the responses. To my own discredit, I assumed perhaps that fans would be more one-dimensional. I figured that quickly people would dismiss his attempts ala Claude Lemieux and move on -- but they aren't.

Fleury who hasn't played an NHL game in six years, wants to retire the right way. He says it's important that he do what he can to leave the NHL under circumstances different that he sits right now. After being indefinitely supsended for substance abuse related issues, Fleury would have to first get approval from the NHL to lift the ban, then find a team to give him another shot. I for one, think they should. Even more so, as a fan, it would be something to see that happen in Edmonton.

If we're in an NHL where players like Heatley, Kane, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Phoenix Coyotes ownership and others can give the sport and the organiztional structure of the NHL a terrible rep (which they are), a guy like Fleury who at one time had a problem, but since has committed himself to being clean and taken the time to get himself into what he considers NHL shape, the NHL should at least give Fleury a poke at it. Who cares if the real reason might have more to do with money than his so called "legacy".

When Fleury played he defied odds. He was an amazingly gritty and skilled winger for a small, stocky runt who no one expected to amount to much in professional hockey. On occasion Fleury was or was close to a 100 point player. Of course that was 15 years ago. And while it's not the same at all, from what I understand, Fleury still has wheels.

I've got a brother-in-law, who is a professional firefighter and at one point, a very very good hockey player. Every year he plays and organizes a tournament where ex NHL players for charity raise money playing the firemen in their county. When I asked who still had it, without hesitation, he said "Theo Fleury is rediculously fast!"

I'm not suggesting we compare this tourney to the NHL or anything close, but this example isn't the only place Fleury's been playing. Despite his public statements that he hasn't played in years, it sounds as though Fleurys passion (something he was known for) hasn't waivered as he plays in almost any organized game he can. Is it NHL caliber? Of course not, but we're not asking a team to give him a contract. We're asking a team to give him a tryout and then a contract only if he proves he can play at the NHL level.

We did so for Anson Carter who wasn't even close to the caliber player Fleury was. Could the Oil do it again? One thing we know, is that Fleury who just recently said if he's allowed to play, he'll play anywhere, would love Edmonton for giving him his shot and give everything he has to the Oilers. A determined Theo Fleury might be an interesting but pleasant surprise and a Daryl Katz, who lived the glory days of the Oilers as a fan, was probably a fan when Fleury was in his prime.

I'd go to a pre-season game if I knew I'd get to see Theo give it a shot. Maybe the Oilers have had the same thought, even though any real future from the deal is unlikely.

In a number of articles, I've written about the cap troubles for the San Jose Sharks. Their situation hasn't changed. They have too few players to ice a team for this upcoming season and not enough cap space to add a player without making a trade.

So what does this mean? Well outside of the fact that San Jose is bound to make player moves in the next couple of weeks, they may make a very strong trading partner for the Edmonton Oilers whose main need is to add those one or two players who provide more than what they currently have, but shed a couple of roster contracts. San Jose needs players, Edmonton needs to move players. Makes sense that these two teams should be talking.

The Untouchables

In my opinion, not a single person on the team for San Jose. Some will say Joe Thornton or Dan Boyle, but neither have helped the Sharks do what they need to do come crunch time and playoffs, which is win. They both make fantastically large amounts of money, have value among the league and could be moved. If they aren't it's only because of their no trade clauses. This also applies to Marleau and Nabokov, both of whom would have to approve a trade before it could be made.

The Unwanted

It seems Cheechoo no longer fits into the Sharks plans. They have players that have jumped him in the depth charts over the last couple of seasons and he's been relegated to 3rd and 4th line ice time, which is the major factor for his drop in numbers. He's missed a couple games due to injury, which allowed for players like Pavelski, Clowe and Michalek to fill his place.

Patrick Marleau has come up in a bunch in rumors, but the Sharks have also said publicly their stance on not moving him. No word on whether they've officially asked Marleau to lift his no trade clause, but it hasn't stopped the Marleau to Montreal or Ottawa rumors.

Rob Blake they want, but I don't know why. At least not at $3.5 million. Blake is a veteran on his way out of the game and that was a hefty number that has really hand tied the Sharks and their ability to make further improvement. It also struck me as odd because of the depth for San Jose on defense. Blake just didn't make sense for that kind of money. San Jose has 7 defensmen all making over $1.5 million each.

The Interesting

Ryane Clowe. As a RFA, he signed a very large contract when the Sharks were rumored to be in on Dany Heatley. Despite how unlikely the Heatley trade is, and we've been through that over and over on this site, Clowe not signing could have changed all that. At first I figured maybe it was a sign and trade situation, but that must not be the case, because if San Jose had desire to move Clowe, he'd be gone already. I see Clowe as a strong corner piece for the Sharks in the coming years and have no doubt he'll live up to the size of his contract.

Milan Michalek is a top line LW and if by some miracle a trade for Heatley does happen, is who I see going to Ottawa. A 20 goals and 55+ point player for the last three seasons, he'd be a welcome fit with the Senators or the Oilers if San Jose is willing to move him to clear space. The only issue is that the Sharks either need to move Clowe to 1st line LW or replace Michalek with whomever he's traded for. The only offer the Oilers have is Penner and the salaries are almost a wash so it's not likely.

The Being Moved?

Someone on defense. The Sharks have too much money tied up in defensemen and too many of them, when they badly need more forwards. Expect some like Vlasic, Erhoff or Douglas Murray to go seeing as how they each make over $2.5 million. That's enough money if they are moved for prospects or picks to sign the forwards they need to at least fill the roster.

Areas of Interest for the Oilers?

I'd look at either Clowe or Cheechoo. An earlier article I wrote explains how I think the Cheechoo trade helps Edmonton. http://oilersinsider.blogspot.com/2009/08/edmonton-oiler-trade-proposal.html

Here's a list of some of the veterans who have become available and either caught fans interest or been slightly rumored possible future Oiler: (average stats over the last 3 years are provided as well)

Nikolai Zherdev : 78 games 19 goals 30 assists for 50 points
Vaclav Prospal: 81 games 22 goals 35 assists for 57 points
Alex Tanguay: 69 games 18 goals 41 assists for 60 points
Manny Malhotra: 76 games 10 goals 19 assists for 29 points

Here's a list of the forwards the Oilers are working with that have been the discussion of trade, waiver or demotion: (I've tried to list them in a similar skill order, or at least according to their role on the team)

Dustin Penner: 80 games 23 goals 20 assists for 43 points
Patrick O'Sullivan: 69 games 14 goals 24 assists for 38 points
Robert Nilsson: (only count 2 seasons since one was only a total of 4 games) 67 games 9.5 goals 25.5 assists for 35 points
Andrew Cogliano: (only played 2 seasons) 82 games 18 goals 23.5 assists for 41 points

What does this tell us?

Of these four veteran UFA's, all of them with the exception of Andrew Cogliano over Manny Malhotra would have been an improvement offensively and proven bet for the Oilers versus what Pat Quinn has at his disposal now.

All four of these UFA's are still available, and all four of them can probably be had for a decent price. So too, even though Tambellini says this is a contracts going out vs those coming in issue, all four of the players on our current list of available forwards can be moved to make space if it was required and doing so would create enough cap room to add three if not all four of those listed UFA's.

Intangibles

Each list of four players brings a few elements that are different to their style of play and should be accounted for if we're going to make this kind of comparison. Malhotra can win you face-offs, but Cogliano can't. Penner is a big body in front of the net on the power play whose purpose is to score goals not get assists. Tanguay and Zherdev are more assist men than anything else and don't really bring that physical presence.

Furthermore, all of the players on the Oiler's list are younger than the age of 26 while all of the players on the UFA list are over the age of 25. (I actually thought when I first started making this comparison that the age variation would be greater. Only Prospal brings with him a question of age). You can take this age factor and draw your own conclusion. Obviously if you're of the feeling that youth gets better, you'll like the Oilers age. If you'd rather haven proven career numbers to work with, all of the players on the UFA list have the experience the Oilers could use. So too, most of those players have had better seasons one of the years outside the three year average I used.

What Do I Think?

If the Oilers want us to believe we are rebuilding, stick with the youth. Unfortunately, they never actually come out and say that. They always contend we're a playoff team and do crazy things like grab a 36 year old goalie or offer up three of their up and coming stars for Dany Heatley.

The Oilers actions suggest they want to win and now. To do so means going with a roster far more proven than the inconsistent group we currently watch 82 times a year. Surprisingly, only Dustin Penner actually has showed his ability to maintain somewhat of a offensive pace, with Andrew Cogliano on his way there too. O'Sullivan's numbers were hurt by a first season average that saw him play only half a season so maybe a rush to judgement there would be unfair, but if I want to win now, Prospal, Zherdev and Tanguay all seem to make more sense.

What we can't measure are whether or not these players have interest in coming to Edmonton or the results that bringing in players with this experience and track record would do for the other players on this team namely the Fernando Pisani's, Ethan Moreau's Ales Hemsky's and Shawn Horcoff's. Whenever you bring in players who have shown that despite the teams and players they've played with over a longer career, you can almost bet that in some ways the numbers of your current players working with rookies and unproven talent would have to improve.

When you don't, you count of reliable two-way players to play a much more defensive, scrambly style of play to make up for rookie mistakes. That took a lot out of a player like Horcoff last year.

What Do You Think?

While we've been advised as fans not to expect more in the way of moves this offseason by the Oilers, any goal in sport is to improve in talent or contracts through trade if a viable trade option exists. In our continued look at teams in cap trouble, we examine the Washington Capitals if for no other reason than the recent public comments made by Michael Nylander.

If I had to guess, I would estimate that close to 90% of Edmonton fans would not want to see Nylander come to a city he once snubbed and feel the his cap space questions can not be answered by his on ice performance.

So if not Nylander, (who the Capitals don't want back and would likely dump for peanuts) - then who?

The Untouchables

Alexander Ovechkin for obvious reasons. Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green. These are the cornerstone pieces of a powerful and offensive Capitals team. An argument may be made for Semin, but when he's on, there's very few better.

The Unwanted

In Washington at least? Michael Nylander. This for all of the reasons stated above and more. Check out an earlier article if you want the scoop on what's going on with him.

Chris Clark, while I don't have it on any good authority, may be trade bait in Washington. He makes a healthy salary at $2.63 mill per season and has been injured the past two seasons. With Washington's known interest in Afinogenov and Zherdev, someone is the odd person out, and that could be Clark if Nylander can't be moved.

The Unlikely

Mike Knuble, in what I consider the steal of the off-season signed with Washington for an extremely friendly $2.8 million for two years and has consistently netted 20+ goals and 40+ points since 2002. He brings leadership and grit as a true power forward. The Oilers only wish they could have landed a player like him when he came available July 1st. He's 35, but that's not a concern for the Caps.

Brooks Laich at the age of 26 has really stepped into his game, becoming a 20 goal guy and complimentary forward for Ovechkin or Semin.

Tom Poti won't be moved, at least not to Edmonton after the hate-on he's developed for the team and his departure and Edmonton. Plus, the Oilers have a good core at their defense that I don't see remaining players on the Caps adding much in the way of real value to.

The Target

Robin Brownlee over at Oilersnation, has a real love on for David Steckel. Brownlee writes: "Steckel, for the vast majority of you who don’t have his name on the tip of your tongue, is a six-foot-five, 222-pound pivot who just finished his fourth season with the Washington Capitals. Steckel, 27, is a demon on the dot. He finished the 2008-09 regular season among NHL leaders at 57.9 per cent. In 14 playoff games, he upped that to 58.4 per cent...Steckel kills penalties and his face-off record shorthanded this past season was 153-130....He’s cheap. Steckel has one year remaining on a contract that will pay him $725,000 in 2009-10.

I have to agree that he makes some good sense to fill an Oiler need.

So too as much as I'd hate to say it, but I did earlier; if Nylander can be brought in at the expense for a few lousy Oiler contracts, namely a Staois, Nilsson, Pisani I might painfully consider this deal for a couple reasons.

You have a bonafide #1 center (assuming he doesn't play as crappy as he did last year) to take some pressure off of Horcoff. Nylander might click with Hemsky, and if Jagr is at all on the radar, he'll be even more interested in Nylander is in the mix.

There may not be a lot in Washington that the Oilers want, that of course the Caps would also be willing to part with; but I can see the Capitals as somewhat of a dumping ground. They have players they don't want, and we have contracts we need to shed. Maybe somewhere we can meet in the middle.

So Michael Nylander won't be back in Washington. At least not according to an interview that took place between Nylander and a Swedish hockey writer.

Caps coach Bruce Boudreau has basically come out and said Nylander isn't good enough to play for his team and has no immediate plans for the forward whose production has dropped significantly since leaving the NYR and his linemate Jaromir Jagr.

So what happens to him? Well if it were up to Nylander, he'd come to Edmonton. Nylander has a no-movement clause which won't allow the Washington Capitals to bury his whopping $4.875 million cap hit in the minors and at that price, he's virtually untradeable.

When asked what he thinks should happen, Nylander responded with, "Uh ... hmmm .. I can't say that I have a dream team like that and it will be difficult to get into most of them now, given the salary cap. But it would have been fun to try Edmonton. Now, of course, I said no to them before. Instead I chose Washington because we had more friends and knew more people there. And it was perhaps a little better socially. But I would have liked to try Edmonton. I think that it would be fun now. I would like to try that now but it will probably be difficult for them to get me under the salary cap".

Nylander hit the nail directly on the head with two points. One, that he's already said no. To me, Edmonton has to finally stand up and say enough is enough with people who want to play anywhere but here. This is as good a chance as any to turn around and say to someone who already stuck it to you, that the grass isn't always greener somewhere else.

So too, Nylander makes a rediculous salary for what he brings to the table in a salary cap NHL. If the Oilers were to do this, and this is a big if; it's because they see this as a way to dump 3 or 4 crappy contracts into the lap of the Capitals who badly want to move Nylander. But even then, if I'm the Oilers, this is simply too little too late.

That said, Steve Tambellini and I haven't agreed on a lot of decisions over the past month or so, meaning I could see him making such a move. So my only request Steve is this... if you're going to make this trade, shape it in this way. To Washington, Staois and Pisani. To Edmonton, Nylander and David Steckel.

Your lines would be as follows: (or at least something similar to this knowing a bit of tweaking is required)

Penner/Nylander/Hemsky
O'Sullivan/Horcoff/Gagner
Nilsson/Steckel/Cogliano
Moreau/Pouliot/Stortini

I like this combination much better although I'm not sold on the grit of the 3rd line less of course Steckel who brings something. But it does provide two centers who can win draws. Moves Moreau to a place where he can be more effective and puts Nylander with Hemsky, which at the very least you'd have to see in action. You never know, perhaps and Hemsky/Nylander combo really strikes a chord with one Jaromir Jagr.

With Oiler fans having listened to Tambellini say that Edmonton's inability to change it's current roster had a lot to do with contracts going out vs coming in and the salary cap; I got to thinking what it might take to start solving this problem. After all, if Tambellini really wants to improve the team, there has to be a way right?

Here is one idea that came to mind and I think is more than realistic.

Trade: Ladislav Smid, Jean-Francois Jacques and Robert Nilsson to San Jose for Jonathan Cheechoo

Before you comment, with either your "we don't want Cheechoo" or "San Jose would never do that deal" rants, here is why I think this might make sense.

San Jose's Needs:

1) To add to its roster: Right now they don't have enough contracts to roster a full team. They especially don't have enough cap room to add players. What this means is that, even if they don't necessarily think what the Oilers are offering is fair value, they might take it. If San Jose moves Smid (as we'll discuss in a bit) the big advantage here for the Sharks is in adding Jacques on their bottom six and putting Nilsson in there somewhere without adding to their cap and essentially trading one player for two, which is a good start. In fact they'd lessen their cap hit if they move Smid later as part of a trade for Heatley.

2) Get trade bait Ottawa wants: Ottawa likes Smid and we're willing to move Smid. San Jose can move Smid to Ottawa and doing so doesn't increase the Sharks cap hit if they simply say "here you go" after obtaining Smid from Edmonton. Plus adding Heatley later would reduce the "ouch" factor in what might be considered a small return for Cheechoo.

3) Rid Salary: Nilsson and Jacques make a combined $2.525 million which is helpful for San Jose considering Cheechoo makes $3 million per season as a cap hit and is buried under a ton of forward depth. He still has something to offer, but San Jose won't miss him.

In fact, in a quote from PJ Swenson at thesharkspage.com, Swenson contends that Cheechoo has more to offer than some might think. "His heavy shot and quick release have not diminished in the slightest, and he remains a deadly option for any power play. Cheechoo struggled with a broken thumb and a double hernia surgery which limited his production to 37 goals and 23 goals the two seasons after his Rocket Richard winning 56 in 2005-06. This year Cheechoo was the odd man out in a numbers game that saw seven top-6 forwards in the same lineup. Cheechoo was relegated to limited minutes on a third line that was racked with injuries (Goc, Plihal, Marleau, Roenick). Cheechoo has struggled to regain the form that allowed him to slide into open areas in front of the net, but in the proper situation he should be a lock for at least 20-30 goals."

I'd be willing to give it a shot.

Edmonton's Needs:

1) Better top six forward depth: No matter how you slice it, Cheechoo is more consistent and brings a grittier more in your face style than Nilsson. Cheechoo makes a lot more sense as your 2nd line RW than Nilsson and a Penner/Gagner/Cheechoo or Penner/Horcs/Cheechoo line has a nice ring to it if O'Sullivan gets a crack at first line LW to start the season.

2) Rid themselves of contracts to add by subtraction: Tambellini says he has too many players to make moves. Well if he can ship out three players for one, he gives himself enough of a cushion to go add that 3rd line center he needs.

Bottom Line: Whatever we lose in the deal, we have bodies to replace it. Peckham for Smid, MacIntyre for Jacques and Cheechoo for Nilsson. Heck, if Cheechoo still struggles, he's gritty enough to play a checker role on your 3rd line, where a guy like Andrew Cogliano can take his place on the 2nd line.

San Jose is actively shopping Cheechoo and if Ottawa doesn't want him, the Oilers maybe could use him and this could be an interesting starting point for a Heatley to San Jose deal which is complicated at best.

Then again, I could be way off. What would you do as arm chair GM?

General manager Glen Sather announced today the club has exercised its right to walk away from Nikolai Zherdev's arbitration award, making the winger an unrestricted free agent.

Will this affect the Oilers? It might, but don't expect Tambellini to discuss it publicly until it's done. If it doesn't get done, don't expect the Oilers to ever admit they made a call. They don't need another player expressing any disinterest in the team.

If you were Edmonton, would you be interested? If so, how much is too much considering the arbitrator had awarded a one year $3.9 million contract.

With the percentages getting higher and higher that the Oilers stand pat and do very little more to upgrade their current roster for the upcoming 2009/2010 season, one has to wonder where the production will come from in respect to the Oilers current line-up.

The Oilers traditionally lacked that superstar player who can change a game. Some might argue Ales Hemsky's ability to do so and a case can be made there as every game Hemsky was able to obtain at least two or more points, the Oilers won all but one (Maple Leafs on Nov 13, 2008). The problem for the Oilers is that Hemsky doesn't have that consistency needed to be a sole reason for the Oilers to win games: 27 games he played in, he didn't get on the board at all and when he did score he only had two game winning goals all season for a guy considered to be the Oilers best player.

Furthermore, if Hemsky were to "break out" what would the difference be in his totals? I've listed his current stats since 2005, with a projection of what 2009/10 might look like:

2005/06: 77 points in 81 games
2006/07: 53 points in 64 games
2007/08: 71 points in 74 games
2008/09: 66 points in 72 games
2009/10: 85 points in 80 games (four game winners)

That would be nice, but not something the Oilers could rely on to get them into the playoffs. We'd be kind to suggest he gets 5 more goals and 5 more assists than his closest totals in 2005.

What Edmonton will need, is a player who can take that next big step and go from a player who produced a little to someone who exploded offensively (we'll exclude defensman in this conversation). Since we likely don't have that superstar on our roster, who would be the logical choice to be the next Oilers difference maker?

Here's possibly one option.

Dustin Penner

If Penner finds himself an Oiler come the start of the season, he should have the ability to bust-out as an offensive threat and a go-to guy for Pat Quinn and co. Penner has new coaching, which he badly needed. He's got an almost completely clean slate (no one ever totally ignores a players reputation and previous statistics) and according to Edmonton Oilers strength and conditioning consultant Simon Bennet, Penner's in the best shape of any off-season in his NHL career so far. Knowing that, what could Dustin Penner do if he were to break-out (and I'm not talking acne here folks)?

I'm not one to blame the previous coaching for the Oiler woes, but if there ever was a case to be made for a player who saw a direct correlation between his performance and what happened with the coaching staff, it was Dustin Penner. In 2008/2009, Penner spent a lot of games as a bottom six forward when he shouldn't have. MacTavish chose to use Penner as an example (in some cases perhaps rightfully so) and with every change MacTavish made, Penner's production dropped. That was a mistake.

Unfortunately for MacTavish, the numbers didn't suggest that such moves would improve or help increase Penner's production and in hindsight likely should have kept Penner in the top six, resulting undoubtedly in a better year.

Why? Despite Penner's ability to play ok with almost all of his linemates, having gotten points with every line he was on, I truly believe a lot of his inconsistency last year had to do with the constant movement from line to line and new mates every night. When it was showed Cole wouldn't mix, Penner was moved. When the kid line didn't have a similar start like it ended the previous season or other lines didn't mesh despite the first line playing alright, Penner was moved. If Penner had a bad game or looked sheepish, Penner was moved. All in all, Penner was moved a lot. Sure, the rest of the roster was too, but it greatly affected Penner's game.

With all that, Penner had a lot of positives. He had five game winning goals which was an increase over his previous year and tied his career best in Anaheim, despite not being put on the ice in last minute pressure situations towards the end of the year.

In many cases he was effective on the man advantage yet was moved the second unit and as a result, his production suffered. In 2008/2009 he finished the year with 13 power-play goals. Last year he had 5. Granted the man advantage was not very kind to the Oil last year, but perhaps some of that could be attributed to the lack of net presence that Penner effectively provides.

He ranked 6th on the team in ice time above only Robert Nilsson who is arguabely a top six forward, clocking in at 17:12 in 2007/08 to last years 15:22. So too, he ranked seventh in shots on net with 137 where as the year before and in Anaheim he showed he was not shy about shooting letting it go 201 and 200 times respectively.

There are two things we should know by looking at Penner's history. He plays well with excellent linemates. In 13 minutes a game but with Cory Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, Penner netted 29 goals. When he played with Hemsky in 2007/2008 he hit the back of twine 23 times. Not bad considering it can be argued the Oilers don't have talent on the team that resembles either Getzlaf or Perry. When he played with lesser mates as would most players, his numbers dropped. When he wasn't with the best the Oilers had to offer, they really did.

Also, when Penner is played effectively on the powerplay and in pressure situations, he seems to shine. Last year, he wasn't there nearly enough and the numbers reflected it.

Penner has become a much better two-way player in his three years, leading the Oilers in plus/minus at plus -7. This number despite the fact he was in position more often to see those numbers get worse. That's a good sign and something Pat Quinn is a fan of knowing how little he likes to line match.

It's safe to assume that in every category Penner will see an increase in production as a direct result of the opportunities to improve given by Pat Quinn and Tom Renney. What will be interesting, is whether or not Penner can improve to the level we consider him a game changer or break-out performer. Let's hope so, because like Hemsky, when Penner has a multiple point game, the Oilers win. They did so in every game last year that it happened.

I had earlier disputed the idea of Penner getting 30 goals when suggested by my co-writer here. The more I look at the numbers and how I see Quinn and Penner as a much better match, 30, even 35 isn't out of the question.

The Dany Heatley saga has come to an end in Edmonton, but don't think the drama has. On Friday, Edmonton Oilers GM Steve Tambellini publicly announced he's no longer interested in the disgruntled Ottawa Senators sniper.

After a month of everything from constructing the trade to Heatley declining the trade, to holding the trade and eventually removing the trade, Edmonton finally decided earlier this week that enough was enough. "We gave ourselves an allotted amount of time internally ... to explore every opportunity to see if there was something that would work -- it didn't," Tambellini said during a conference call with reporters. "It's time for us to move on. We're very comfortable with that."

Speaking of "internal" conversations, I wish someone would have asked if the Oilers GM, new coaches and management have had some internal conversations with players who underperformed last year since we seem to have decided changes are not in the forseeable future. We can only hope so, because if what Tambellini says is true or we as fans choose to read between the lines, Tambellini believes that the addition of goalie Nikolai Khabibulin and continued development of a young core is enough to make the Oilers playoff contenders next season.

Now that he's done chasing Heatley, Tambellini stated he's not likely to try and make any other big moves and that's a scary thought if those "internal" conversations don't change much. Based on what we saw last year and how this team has changed this summer, the Oilers are not a playoff team and are not even close to the gritty hard to play against style that Tambellini claimed needed to be added.

"We've got a team that we're looking forward to seeing in September." said Tambellini. That statement was quite the opposite of his previous press conference in which he relieved Craig MacTavish of his coaching duties and also used that time to address his players and their lack of intensity and desire to win hockey games. "This does not absolve the players and their performance, or lack thereof." were Tambellini's exact words when addressing one of the reasons his coach was let go.

So knowing that this team consists of exactly the same players it ended the season with, less a few key components, do the Oilers truly believe that Pat Quinn and Tom Renney can turn a group of non-gritty, but skilled underachievers into a hard to play, in your face squad that rattles off 10 more wins than last year? Or was this press conference more a smoke screen to slowly lower the expectations of fans and media clammering for a change?

Whatever it is, we better hope that either just attempting to land a Dany Heatley says to some of the players on this team, "we better get our butts in gear or we could be next" or August proves Tambellini wrong and that these "hard to find" trades and opportunities to move contracts present themselves. Because, if they don't, the Oilers have neither improved nor rebuilt anything to remotely represent an improved roster.

To me, this press conference wasn't about Dany Heatley. It was about letting fans and media know the Oilers tried to make changes and couldn't. That we're about to rely almost entirely on a different set of coaches and on minor league players looking to crack the line-up.

Don't be surprised if the next public comments from Tambellini suggest the "internal" conversations have been going well. Not the kind of news I think most fans were hoping for.

Now I'm reaching here a bit, but maybe the Oilers not being able to land many of the players they seem to have their eyes on is a good thing. It seems to me, that some of the deals the Oilers can't ever seem to put together, not for lack of trying, turn out to be positives in the long run and these players have a certain virus like quality no matter where they end up.

First there was Chris Pronger. His history shows him to be a fantastic hockey player and many of the issues surrounding why Edmonton fans dislike him so much has nothing to do with hockey, but more his personality. But, mark my words; his seven year extension is going to haunt the Flyers. Especially since we now know all seven years will count against the cap whether he chooses to play or not.

Then there was Michael Nylander. It was a done deal. An agreed upon contract, until his wife voiced her opinion and he went to Washington. Look how well that's turned out for the Capitals. He's paid too much, he's unproductive when he doesn't play with Jagr and the Caps can't move him to save their life, despite permission from his wife. The Oilers are thanking the Gods above that deal never came through.

Of course we can't ignore Dany Heatley. Do we really need to go further? While we don't know the future or how Heatley is going to affect the chemistry on whatever team he ends up playing for, Heatley is making a lot of noise trying just to get to another season where he can play hockey. He's going to be a cancer if he stays in Ottawa and/or he'll cause a million issues if he goes to San Jose in terms of cap problems. I know the Oilers need a top line LW, but Heatley just has problems written all over him and if he goes somewhere else, I think the Oilers will be glad the Heatley boat sailed on by.

But now, the lastest in the saga is Marian Hossa. Word is coming down that Chicago is again under investigation; this time as it pertains to the rediculously long 12 year contract given to Hossa on July 1, 2009.

Edmonton, AL (Sports Network) - The National Hockey League is reportedly investigating Marian Hossa's new 12-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks amid allegations that it circumvents the collective bargaining agreement.

According to the Edmonton Sun, if Chicago is found guilty, it could face a maximum fine of $5 million and the loss of draft picks. Hossa and the Blackhawks allegedly agreed that the star forward would retire before the end of the contract, which would lessen the cap hit on the team.

I don't know what seems to be the problem with the Chicago Blackhawks, but this is now two major glaring violations in less than 3 weeks and Hossa is turning out to be a bad deal and possibly a shady personality for Chicago. He's hurt, and maybe while the Blackhawks knew that, it came as a big surprise to everyone else when it was made public Hossa would miss a good chunk of this coming season.

So too, if the allegations are true, then we know he doesn't like to follow the rules. Agreeing to retire prior to your contract ending is a direct violation of the terms of the CBA and I can guess a few teams, including the Oilers who had offered Hossa a nine year contract last year; would have issue with a team and player agreeing to such a long term without ever having the intentions to live up to it.

I can't say that this isn't as much about the teams that end up landing these players as it is the players themselves being a poor showing of character. What I can say, is that each time we set our sights on a big fish, that fish ends up finding a different fisherman and that fisherman ends up badly wanting to throw that fish back into the water.

All we can hope is that as a result, the Oilers are able to take advantage of what few good fish are left in the sea and just waiting to jump into someone's boat.

As has been reported on numerous news sites and specifically by Bruce Garrioch of Sun Media, "a high-profile agent told Sun Media yesterday that the current environment for free agents is "all being orchestrated" by the NHL and the plan all along was to make these players sit to see if they’re willing to sign for less money."

We're now a full month into free agency and while traditionally most of the big name tickets find whatver respective new homes they'll be playing hockey; this year seems different. Players like Alex Tanguay, Petr Sykora, Manny Fernandez, Marcus Nilson, Dennis Seidenberg, Dominic Moore, Rhett Warrener, Miroslav Satan, Mathieu Schneider, Robert Lang and Brendan Shanahan have yet to sign with any teams and the word on the street is that the offers for these players are lower, in fact; much lower than expected by the remaining teams interested.

What strikes me as odd is that fact that this anonymous source goes on to say “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bunch of guys sitting around like this looking for work. This is something teams have been looking at for a while." Really? Sitting around looking for work? I think that can be said of Dany Heatley, but c'mon...

Let's forget for a second that convincing 30 NHL teams to work together for the betterment of the NHL, its salaries and ultimately Gary Bettman and 30 NHL owners trying to succeed in some behind the scenes agenda, is a long shot and thus ignoring the desire of 30 GM's to better their respective teams; these players are not looking for work. There is plenty of it out there.

Players like Tanguay, Sykora, Satan, Schneider, Lang and Shanahan, just to name a few, have options. Even if it isn't with a number of the teams that have limited salary cap room or which they'd like to play. There are 8-10 teams that could fit in players of the caliber listed and would be more than interested ie. Tampa, NYI, Nashville, Phoenix, Columbus, Dallas or Atlanta. Furthermore, any one of these second tier superstars could land a job in the KHL, Europe or many other leagues that will pay them handsomely. And that's what this is all about -- players who are so-called "desperate" for jobs, being paid handsomely.

For a number of these players, the ability or shall we say willingness to "lower" themselves to signing a 1 or 2 year contract for a bit less money (see Biron's contract), or playing with a team that might not be their number one choice (notice most if not all of the teams with cap room are not considered the number one locations for hockey players), but offers fair value is the reason they now find themselves unemployed. Not because the teams have decided to teach some skilled players a lesson.

Case in point, the inability of Alex Tanguay (who the Oilers expressed some interest in) to find a home. We have it on good authority that Phoenix was almost a done deal that only fell apart last minute thanks to a salary cap concern. If the rumored $1.2 million for one year for Tanguay is true (which it isn't), why would that be a concern? It seems only reasonable to think the Coyotes could use Tanguay, could fit in $1.2 million on a team with $14 million in space and would like the idea of a player with a name in a city that can't do much to attract fans. In fact I can name probably ten teams at that price point that would be calling Tanguay even if they didn't need him.

The lack of players being signed isn't a conspiracy, it's an inconvenient truth about their attractiveness to 30 NHL teams for the dollars they are asking. And those must be high dollars. Players like Kotalik at $3 million, Dererk Morris at $3.3 million, Tuomo Ruutu at $3.8 million, Travis Zajac $3.9 million or even Kyle Brodziak at $1.15 million to a lesser extent (but comparable to the rumoured Tanguay salary offer) all being signed within the last two weeks suggest much more to me than teams can't find the money to pay players. Who would you rather have, Brodziak at $1.15 or Tangauy at $1.2?

Stuff like this just makes me laugh... then it makes me mad as an Oiler fan because we can't even sign players when we offer more than they're worth.

In our continued look at the teams in awful cap space situations and how it affects what might be future moves, we take a closer look at the Philadelphia Flyers.

Widely known as a team with offensive depth, the Flyers made a splash at this years NHL entry draft adding to their d-core when they picked up Chris Pronger along with Ryan Dingle for Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, Philadelphia's first round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft a first rounder in 2010, and a conditional pick for either the 2010 NHL Entry Draft or the 2011 entry draft. That's a big price to pay for a defenseman on what might be his last legs.

Of course it didn't take long for the Flyers to show they didn't think so, inking Pronger to a seven year extension with a cap hit of almost $5 mill per season.

The move while debated by many, also put Philadelphia in further cap trouble as they currently sit $972,085 from the cap. Deciding to save most of their payroll at the goaltender position between Emery and Brian Boucher, the Flyers can stand put if they bring an entry level contract up as a 7th defenseman and quite frankly have a strong contending team. That said, we know better and the Flyers still want to make moves.

The Untouchables:

There are not many outside of Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Claude Giroux and now Chris Pronger. I would imagine anyone else on the roster, for the right price or value in trade is something Paul Holmgren would consider discussing with other teams.

The Unwanted:

Daniel Briere at $6.5 million for another six years seems to have a contract likely hard to shed. And from what we understand, the Flyers have tried. Moving Briere is all it would take to clear the Flyers of their troubles, but Briere has the dreaded no trade clause, as does Simon Gagne, Kimmo Timonenn and Scott Hartnell.

The Attractive:

The problem for the Oilers is two-fold. Both of the players they might have interest in, Scott Hartnell and Simon Gagne have no trade clauses and not likely to come to Edmonton even if they were to waive them. We have absolutely no confirmation that either have said as much, but why would either willingly move from a contending team to a barely scraping the playoffs team, when Gagne and Hartnell play significant roles on the Flyers?

With that in mind, I'd make a strong pitch to the Flyers if I'm Tambellini to have a conversation with Gagne. Maybe even send him a video of the city...

The Flyers might be willing to move Gagne for less than his trade value and Gagne is argueably a better fit than Heatley when you consider his cap hit ($5.25 for two more years), his ability to be more than just offence and his production when healthy -- Gagne had a bounce back year last year with 34 goals and 4o helpers for 74 points in 79 games. He's a power play machine, shoot first style player and penalty killer for a gritty team in Philadelphia.

Seems to me, if the Oilers could convince both Gagne and the Flyers, this would be a match made in heaven. Those are pretty big if's though.