After another loss, the Oilers are becoming a multitude of emotions. Frustrated, angry, embarrassed, depressed, lost, hopeless... you name it. In fact, in his latest media scrums, it's not hard to tell that Pat Quinn shares these feelings, with one big difference.

While it's understandable that players are not sure where to turn, at all times, the coach must have a response. This is especially true for a young Oilers franchise that looks to get only younger moving forward through a massive rebuild.

Pat Quinn has a way of bringing attention to underachievement, but at the same time leaving clear indication that he's not given up hope. A team that's bound to make a number of mistakes as they mature needs this kind of leadership.

Take Dusin Penner for example. As can be backed up by the numbers, Penner's play has dropped off in the last 15 games. On fire at the start of the year, his statistics had people talking about Olympic consideration. Recently, he's been unlucky, non-physical, and lacking the same emotion that fans witnessed and demonstrated earlier and saw that when he wanted to, he could change a game.

Pat Quinn brought it up. However, unlike MacTavish in the past, it was approached in a way that left an opening for Dustin Penner to look at himself and say he could do better. When he did, Pat Quinn immediately followed it up by letting Penner know it was understood a number of factors could have contributed to the drop-off and that the Oilers were still behind him.

This approach and others like it that Pat Quinn has taken, while constantly holding nothing back and being open and honest with everyone about the teams play is the attitude a team like the Oilers will need in the next two to three years and likely a reason he's succeeded in coaching at the junior level.

With the rumors that Edmonton may be moving much of its verteran presence and leadership on the ice, more leadership will be required behind the bench to make up for it. If Souray and Moreau leave, but only faces like Eberle, Svennson, perhaps Taylor Hall and others are left to provide the spark, Quinn will need to be the voice that shows these rookies the ropes.

It seems as though, while no one in the Oilers franchise wanted to rebuild, they have the right bench boss moving forward during a rebuilding time. Let's hope we can say the same about management.

It's only a matter of time before players start making their way out of Edmonton to other teams. If Darren Dreger of TSN is correct, Ethan Moreau, Sheldon Souray and Lubomir Visnovsky are the most likely of options.

The reality is, even with a healthy roster, the Oilers won't be a contending team for at least two more years.

At that time, Ethan Moreau's contract would have expired, Sheldon Souray's would have too (or if the Oilers are better than they showed this season by 2011, will be on the last year of his deal), and only Visnovsky would be an Oiler long enough to really grow with whatever new nucleus is a part of this Oilers roster.

As such, all are expendable when you consider the bigger picture that exists in two to three years time. Add Steve Staios, Fernando Pisani, Patrick O'Sullivan and Mike Comrie to that list and you could see a lot of action before the deadline in March.

Then you examine the few players making some strides in different areas, but reaching RFA status at the end of this year; and you realize, the Oilers will also have to try and get Sam Gagner, Andrew Cogliano, Ryan Potulny, Denis Grebeshkov and Gilbert Brule re-signed at fair dollar value.

Edmonton won't likely keep all of them as they are of similar size and skill set, but these names are forwards I see Edmonton feeling have a place on this team down the road. They've showed effort even in the face of defeat and bring elements to this roster that the Oilers would like to use a defining image in the years to come. Only Grebeshkov to me is a question mark, but the Oilers for some reason, have grown an attachment to him.

If TSN's Darren Dreger is right, Edmonton will be in full rebuild mode and a much different team in the next one to two years.

Should they successfully clear out as much salary as TSN expects them to, which is over $12 million in cap space, they'll have plenty of room to add the RFA contracts they consider important, replace the ones that hold out with prospects in the system, and add a few key elements they've been missing through free agency at bargain prices.

It's the idea of the combination of moves that could happen that are finally bringing some excitement to Edmonton in the face of such a horrible losing skid.

Who will be the next to go? What will they bring back in return? What will prospects like Eberle, Svennson and whomever the Oilers draft do with current players ike Hemsky and Penner?

Whether these moves all happen or not, (they likely all won't), Oiler fans don't need much to perk their excitement for hockey. It's what makes Edmonton fans so unique. Win or lose, they love the Oilers. They simply want action. If Moreau, Souray, and Visnovsky all go, action is definitely what Oilers fans will receive.

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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A question will arise if the Oilers have learned anything from their past mistakes. With word that Ilya Kovalchuk is now officially going to be moved from the Atlanta Thrashers, could the Oilers do what they've failed to do in so many prior attempts?

There are a few things that need to be considered as differing circumstances when throwing the Oilers name into the mix.

First, Kovalchuk will likely be a rental player for the remainder of this season, thus a trade which I'm sure Atlanta will do to maximize their return, will be with a team that has a chance to win it all. The Oilers are not that team.

Second, the Thrashers want bonafide NHL players in return, which means that the Oilers would need to move likely Dustin Penner, Sheldon Souray and a high end pick or prospect like Eberle to get it done. Obviously, the players names can change, but even the Oilers might not jump to trade such an important piece of their future puzzle. Especially when you consider the third circumstance.

Third, Kovalchuk is a UFA come the end of the summer and will earn over $100 million dollars for whatever contract from whatever team chooses to sign him. Unless the Oilers trade a huge part of their roster, they don't have the room. That is, assuming Kovalchuk even considers Edmonton a signing option, which he likely doesn't.

So with all of this staring the Oilers in the face, will it stop them from making a call? If history tell us anything, no. And I suppose if it's just a phone call, it shouldn't, as long as its nothing more than that. The Oilers at the most should ask Kovalchuk if he'd sign in Edmonton long term. If the answer is anything but a resounding yes, move on.

Don't waste your time and energy on a player that will ultimately want to sign with a winner. The Oilers are diving for five and Kovalchuk hurts their chances this year to achieve that goal. Their focus should be on moving contracts, finding the areas that need filling and then, maybe calling Kovalchuk's agent and waiving big money and the prospect of Svensson, Eberle, Taylor Hall (if they draft Hall), Ales Hemsky and Dustin Penner infront of him.

Give Kovalchuk's camp less than 30 minutes and if nothing, look elsewhere.

The Dany Heatley's, Chris Prongers, Michael Nylanders, and Marian Hossa's have set the Oilers back to the point that they now sit 29th in the NHL and one loss out of 30th. If that isn't enough to slap the faces of management away from repeating their mistakes, I don't know what is.

Kovalchuk is a tremndous talent. One every NHL team would like to have. The problem is, he's a talent very few teams can afford. The Oilers fall into that category if their cap situation doesn't change.

The good news, is that the Oilers should be making space regardless of whether Kovalchuk is a target or not. If the Oilers are smart, they won't even give it thought until July 1st, when if they give any thought to it at all, should be the fastest most time sensitive thought in Oilers history.

One thing about the Nashville game was different, somehow, from other games I have seen. It was the crowd’s reaction. Recalling that Nashville scored two goals, less than a minute apart, and the crowd who attended – like I did at home – must have thought, “Here we go again!” And, of course, they were right – the Oilers could not recover.


But, then an odd thing happened – Edmonton Oiler goalie Jeff Deslauriers made an easy save. Any other time, the crowd would have given an ironic cheer – a cat call of sorts – to let the team feel the crowd’s disappointment. “One minute left in the First Period” – cheers for the team down 3-0. But, nothing. No ironic jeering – no attitude – nothing at all. I had never seen such a reaction.

My first reaction was: “Well, good for them. Leave the poor guys alone – they must feel bad enough anyway, without all of us adding fuel to their internal fires.” I have often, during this recent losing streak – though, in the Oiler’s case, it has been less of a streak than a slow letting the air out of the balloon – thought about my own limited sports background.

Although I wanted badly to play sports past high school, I was never good enough: ergo, my football and basketball “careers” either ended in high school or became relegated to “the guys” regularly getting together at the university for a pick up game of b-ball.

But I know of losing. And, I hated it. I recalled, during high school football, when you were losing and you knew you would not win, players began to care less about the score and more about “settling the score” – hurting the guy on the other team. Kneeing him in a pile – the extra push off his helmet as you used him to lift yourself up from the ground.

All these things seem stupid now, but in the heat (and it was an angry space) of the battle – you were so upset you really didn’t care. And, this not for any reasons of strategy – as the sports analysts would offer – as in, we want them to know next time things will be different. No. It was really more about taking out your frustrations in some painful way on the “other guy.”

So, in some small way, I can identify with how the Oiler’s players are feeling about losing. They must hate it. And, anyone thinking that the money of being a professional makes up for the losing is foolish – it doesn’t. Being older than 60 years of age provides one with a great deal of experiential insight and a good measure of understanding of others. These Edmonton Oilers’ players, basically, are kids who want to do well and, for some reason no one seems able to fathom, cannot. Honestly, I cannot even imagine their own frustrations with their playing and how sensitive they must be to all the criticism they get from the fans and the media.

And so, here we are, back to the fans. Why the fan’s reaction? Why no jeering? Honestly, I don’t know. Perhaps, as I speculate here, the fans are showing that they care and are considerate about the feelings of the players who, the fans understand, must feel really horrible. And, the fans don’t want to add to those feelings. Perhaps the fans understand how deeply embarrassing – after four days of serious attempts (the mini camp) to fix the problems – that the problems are obviously not fixed at all. And, perhaps the fans came to see that these young players had two more entire periods of being completely exposed as failures in front of thousands of their fans.

Of course, there is another explanation. Perhaps, the fans don’t care anymore – they have completely given up. But, I still think the fans care. There is something about being an Oiler fan – something filial (we are family – we belong to each other, the team and fans). We are painfully loyal.

No, I think the fans are showing lots of class, lots of consideration for the state of affairs, and lots of empathy for the young people who play on this exceedingly unsuccessful Oiler’s team. I think we are starting to treat these young hockey players less as professionals and more like we would our own kids who are playing Pee Wee AA. No caring family member would ever yell at young hockey players when things got really tough; and, when you saw these young hockey players were suffering you would not add to that suffering. You would try to encourage and support.

I have no idea the outcome of the Oiler’s season, but my guess it will be one of continued losing and frustration. Perhaps this losing will go on for another year past this one.

I will remain an Oiler fan and, should they lose every game, I will still keep watching. I will savor the wins, and ignore the newspaper descriptions of their ineptness the day after they lose. I care about this Oilers’ team and the players who play in it. And, I think the fans’ uncharacteristic reaction to the on-ice frustrations of the team during the Nashville game is proof that the fans care as well.

I was heartened by the fans’ display of good sportsmanship and consideration, and I hope it lasts – even though it is frustrating and we will continue to live and die with our team. Sadly, we will probably need all the sportsmanship we can get. It seems as if it is gonna be a long year for Oilers’ fans.

These days in the NHL, there are all sorts of people making mistakes. Mistakes, that if the person claiming the mistake was made had their way, would likely cost the offender their job.


Take referee Stephane Auger for example. Alex Burrows was so upset and found Auger's actions so unacceptable, he felt real NHL punishment was warranted. To Burrows credit, he had a lot of people believing him. All of course except the NHL, who decided there wasn't enough proof to remove Auger from his role as an NHL referee; which would have likely been the only real option should he have been found guilty.

Others will contend that what Auger did (if he in fact did it) was something that likely often happens and that in the end doesn't affect a referees overall ability to be objective over the course of their career.

What does this have to do with the Edmonton Oilers?

I bring up Auger and Burrows only as an example as to the extremes that fans will side on an issue. Some find no other option but to fire Auger citing the credibility of the refs in the NHL from this day forward, while others think its so small that its silly to have gotten this much attention.

Right here at home, the Oilers might have a similar issue.

After it was announced today that Nikolai Khabibulin would undergo surgery that will likely put him out for the remainder of the season, one would have to say signing Khabibulin was not just a mistake, but one so big, it could theoretically set the Oilers back two to three years.

Others might suggest that the sky has not yet fallen.

What's your take?

Everyone knew signing Khabibulin was a risk. He was not much younger than Dwayne Roloson, who of course the Oilers weren't shy about suggesting was too old for a two year contract. Bulin has a history of injury, and even if none of that were a factor, has one Stanley Cup run that seems to have outweighed the less than stellar career numbers he has attached to his name in the NHL. At most, he's a better than average veteran goaltender.

As is, the Oilers sit 15th in the western conference. They're not just a bad team, they're a team that can't compete in a lot of cases and while it's hard or unfair to lay blame on two near rookie goaltenders in Deslauriers and Dubnyk, not having a number one goalie is a huge part of the problem.

The Oilers will now be without one for a while. Khabibulin's injury will remove him from action for at least 12 weeks. Not good news, but also not unexpected.

The problem is, they'll be paying him, and while they can use injury to delegate that money elsewhere this year should they choose to, have another three years of the same type of worry to look forward to. Should this be an ongoing issue, the Oilers have $15 million nad four years locked up in a goalie who while in and out of the lineup will cost Edmonton every penny of that deal whether Khabibulin chooses to retire or not.

When a mistake like this is made, what does an organization do? It's hardly a mistake one should overlook. To some, the error is so large, it warrants removing the man responsible even if that person has only had a small run in their current position.

Is it a mistake that can be compared to trading Roberto Luongo for Todd Bertuzzi? Probably not. But it's no small potatoes either.

If Tambellini is behind this move, it says a lot about what he finds is a priority for this club moving forward. It also says a lot about how he handles his business and begs the question; for an Oilers team that badly needs improvement, is the way in which Tambellini makes decisions, the best option for this franchise?

The Khabibulin signing was a quick, rash and impulse decision. The Oilers didn't think he was available. They were suprised by his interest and scooped him without clearly thinking it through, simply because they had the chance to land "the most proven goaltender in free agency". They were competing, (or least led to believe they were), got pulled in and bit hard.

As a result, do the Edmonton Oilers as an organazation allow Tambellini to make this kind of mistake again?

On the contrary, if Kevin Lowe was behind it, some will suggest the time is now clearly obvious that Lowe did more harm than good as a man pulling the strings for the Oilers franchise during his tenure. Something like this after a series of three years of poor decisions demonstrates that he should gracefully walk away from his role and allow someone with a better grasp on the salary cap, the state of the NHL, and control over their emotions to make decisions.

On the other side, some will argue that Khabibulin's injury, like any other before him, was as much luck (or unlucky in this case) as it was something predictable. That the Oilers signed the best option available to them and if given the chance should always make that kind of decision, even though this one didn't pan out as many had hoped.

What would you do? Are you of the mind that Tambellini can still be the right person for the job? His track record thus far isn't glowing. Is it a clean house before it gets any worse attitude in your eyes?

For me, I'm not certain, but if I were Daryl Katz, I can't imagine overlooking a mistake this big. A decision that the minute it was made, was questionable even if Khabibulin could have stayed healthy and considering the other options available to Edmonton at that time.

For this season, we know it doesn't matter. The Oilers will deal with the news as best they can. It could mean a lottery pick, so silver lining is there. For the final three years of Kahbibulin's deal?

That's possibly another story.

The Oilers lose another one on Tuesday to the Nashville Predators. Apparently, a four-day mini-camp isn't enough to change the fortunes of this Oilers team for this season.

For many fans, that might be considered good news as a Oiler team that all of a sudden starts to win a few games in a row, takes the Oilers ever further away from a lottery pick in this coming NHL entry draft.

What hurts though, is when former players, who could have easily been current Oilers remind us that the Edmonton Oilers may be chalked full of more than just on-ice mistakes.

Take Rob Schremp and Dwayne Roloson for example. If you look at the Islanders game on Tuesday, you see a couple interesting stats staring back at you. Former Oilers cast-offs (and that really is the best term to describe them) are once again making Edmonton look like they may be on the wrong end of a welcome back or goodbye decision from the past.

Nikolai Khabibulin was brought in to replace the aging Roloson, who wanted to stay in Edmonton for two more years. The Oilers, in their infinite wisdom, decided Roloson was too old and instead of offering a very fair (and likely lower than value)contract, which Roloson would accepted, overpaid for an almost equally as old Khabibulin for four years. Khabibulin, as we all know is now likely done for the year and the Oilers as a result are in salary cap hell.

To boot, Roloson has a shut-out, is by far the best of three proven NHL goalies in New York and has a healthy 2.77 GAA on a still unproven Islanders team. To me and even more impressive Roloson continues to show his hockey smarts.

In a recent NYI game against Phoenix, how much veteran presence he brings to a team becomes quite evident. Did anyone else notice the over eight minutes he kept Phoenix short-handed when they chose to not put a player in the penalty box to start the period?

In NHL rules, if the time on the penalty expires, but no player is in the box, the team must continue short until a whistle. Roloson made about three great plays to keep the referee from calling icing, which would then allow Phoenix to bring a man back on the ice. Talk about hockey smarts from a player who didn't need a coach to let him know the situation presenting itself.

Hindsight is of course 20/20, and no one could have forseen Khabibulin's injury (well, maybe we could have considering his age and history of injuries), but Roloson has made a career of being just a tad smarter than most goalies. A team like Edmonton could have used that this season.

Meanwhile, Rob Schremp has 14 points in 25 games for the Isles. He scored two on Tuesday and is on pace for 33 points. Sadly, he's going to out-produce a player like Andrew Cogliano in a fraction of the time and likely tie the production of a Robert Nilsson. Both players of course are making much more money than Schremp, who simply wanted a chance in an Oiler uniform for more than five games to show what he could do.

To the Oilers defence, Schremp started slow in NYI, but has since found a groove this season. The Oilers gave those opportunities to other players, yet for some reason not to Schremp, who if successful will have stuck it to the Oilers as many players have done before him.

Curtis Glencross, Raffi Torres, Jarret Stoll, Matt Greene and Joni Pitkanen to name a few are all having better seasons after leaving Edmonton than they have in some time.

What is it about leaving that makes these players better?

I'd suggest that on every coin, there are two sides, but how many players can you name currently with the Oilers that are having a better season in Edmonton than they have anywhere else they've played?

Perhaps only Dustin Penner and Gilbert Brule. Penner's production versus his break-out year in Anaheim, could be a marginal improvement and Brule was touted as a hopeful reboot after leaving Columbus. No one knew if Brule was going to ever make a NHL career of his potential and he's yet to prove he's anything more than a third liner.

For me, it's not the losing that bothers me. I can see the silver lining on the cloud with a top three draft pick. What bothers me, is that this losing could have been avoided if the Oilers had made some different decisions.

Are Schremp and Roloson the answer to all of Edmonton's problems? Of course not. But a long history of over-evaluating what never turns out and under-evaluating what has real potential, haunts this Oilers team.

It makes a losing streak like this, at a time I watch of lot of hockey besides Edmonton losing, even more unbareable.