Mission Statement

The Edmonton Oilers are a business.  As a businessman myself, there is always a hierarchy in any corporate structure.  The strange thing about corporate structure is that you generally will have a clearly defined Mission Statement.

Personally, I don’t know what the Oilers’ Mission Statement is, or how they conduct their business, but let’s try to examine what it could be, and what the team is and see if we can find a correlation within. (A nice big shout out to Lowetide, whose Letter to Katz was the inspiration to this blog entry)

A good mission statement indicates what the purpose of the organization is.  What is the Oilers’ reason for being?  Historically what was it?  How has present ownership changed the mission statement from the previous organization.

In the Pocklingtonian Era, there was only one part of the mission statement that mattered.  “The Edmonton Oilers organization will be built to win the Stanley Cup, as soon and as often as possible.”  Thus within a short five years, and then five times by 1990, the team had fulfilled their mission statement and was a model franchise, although some levels of complacency and other factors exhibited pressure on the organization to change this fact.

Backlash against Pocklington, and escalating salaries turned the Mission Statement into.  “A team looking to continue our legacy in spite of economic and social factors to the contrary.”   Economically the team couldn’t continue as the preeminent franchise in the league due to a saggy Canadian Dollar, escalating salaries, and partial failure of the team to replenish after their first group of young stars were long traded away.  Complacency be thy name.

By the late 90s, the Mission Statement must have been “A team looking to survive in the NHL and poor ownership.”  Cal Nichols and the EIG took over in 1998.

Executing a survival plan to keep the team in Edmonton, Nichols and the large consortium would have probably considered something to the effect of “An organization ingrained in the fabric of the city designed to provide entertainment, prestige, and partnership in the community.”  The Oilers were “saved” so that Edmonton could still have an NHL team, and the community could still have one of the shiniest jewels in their history.  Dealing with too many owners, team patriarch Glen Sather left to Broadway, and Kevin Lowe, tied to the team’s history forever took over.  For the few seasons that Sather was still around after Pocklington, the team wasn’t successful, but for a short period, many in the community were likely just happy to have a team.

Since the Lowe era began in 2000, the Mission of “Competitive while surviving economically.” would be the primary thought.  Just make it to the CBA, and maybe we can get a league wide economic system that would stop the team from barely being competitive, to competitve, and gosh darn it, maybe champion again.  Who knows, maybe the “rush” of the new economic order excited the franchise to have one season of “Infuse talent into the team to be as competitive as possible.”  Adding Pronger, Peca, and later Spacek and Samsonov to a team that provided a great run although unlikely since the Oilers were actually fortunate that they could back into the playoffs due to Canuck ineptitude.

Since Prongergate and the plentiful nicknames heaped on the gap toothed one, the team has been struggling for identity.  The Mission Statement perpetually blurred.  Is this team rebuilding?  Are we competitive?  Does the team continually look to land a big fish but end up hungry because of its own blindness?  It seems lately the team has pursued and pursued the highest of talents and come away empty.  The Mission Statement “To acheive success by acquiring elite talent either by free agency or trade.” would be more apropos.

The funny thing is, that regardless, we cheer, we follow, we watch, we buy PPV, and attend games for a team without clear and concise leadership and identity.  With our new owner, the team was supposed to have new found direction and leadership and a Mission Statement that we can all believe in.  The team economically is a license to print money, so unless Katz is one of those meddling owners with a play thing, the fan base wants the Mantra to become “To build a successful franchise worthy of their storied history.”  The disappointing part is that since Darryl Katz took over, there seems to be no steps taken in this regard.

Showdown in the West….

Well, it is going to be a rootin’ tootin’ dust up in the West this year.  The predictions will be fast and furious, with so many teams in the mix, it could be an injury to the wrong player, or some outperformers stepping it up.  Teams with lots of depth exceding expectations, or stars falling flat on their faces.  Here are my standings predictions….and a more.

1.  San Jose.  The best in the west is still the best in the west.  No Cheechoo, No Michalek, but bring on the Heatley.   Not only that, when you need a top grinding centre, Manny Malhotra drops from the sky and signs for $700K.  Maybe a little light on depth on the blueline, but enough to keep them atop the standings.

2. Chicago.  Patrick “20 cent” Kane and Toews are going to improve.  Hossa to come, solid defense.  If Huet is just average they are top 4 in the West.   Adding John Madden is going to help on the defensive side of the ice.

3.  Vancouver.  By virtue of Division leaders ranking,  these guys won’t have more points than Detroit, but they will win their division.  Solid blueline additions, with Ehrhoff,  Schneider…could be the best group of 6 in the entire league.  Shirikov is a darkhorse for Rookie of the Year.  If they can score some goals, with Luongo and that blueline, they might make some noise come May.

4.  Detroit.  Always too good to fall very far.  Top echelon offense and two way players, Lidstrom and solid support on the back end.  It didn’t matter that Osgood was pedestrian all year.

5.  Columbus.  My surprise to do something this year and continue to advance as a franchise.  With the return of Brassard, a solid but underapreciated defense, great goaltending, this team will win games with Hitch at the helm.

6.  Calgary.  The devil to the south has another edition of a solid team.  Playoffs with their defense corps is almost a certainty.  Adding Jaybo is huge, a full year of Jokinen will help the offense, and that goofy looking guy in net is generally not too bad.

7.  Anaheim.  Solid enough to make the dance.  Top line as good as any in the league.  Questionable blueline after Niedermayer.  Great goaltending duo.  Might have some trouble keeping the puck out of their net because they looking to have some defensive definciency up front…but Carlyle is a crackerjack coach.

8.  Edmonton.  Either one in or one out.  Don’t see it much finishing more either way.  Quinn and Renney are enough to add at least three wins to this team.  Bounce back years by Cogliano and Gagner, and having Visnovsky for the full year should equate to a playoff spot.

9. St. Louis.  Could easily usurp the Oil for eigth spot.  Erik Johnson healthy, great group of young forwards, and solid tending.

10.  Los Angeles.  This is going to be another good team.  Good group of forwards, great combination of offense, defense and toughness on the back end.  A little experience and this team is going to start to make some waves.

11.  Nashville.  Starting to see a big drop off in talent.  Offensively will struggle.  Great defense and goaltending will keep them in a lot of games.  Pekka Rinne is going to have a very good year.

12.  Minnesota.  Pretty average forward group.  Decent defense.  Great goaltending.  They need to start acquiring some skill up front.  New coach, but will take time to find their new system.

13.  Dallas.  If Turco doesn’t bounce back, it will be very ugly.  Their defense isn’t good.  Their forwards are ok, but not enough for them to win tons of games.

14.  Colorado.  Blueline looks decent, but forward group is a long way from the Sakic, Forsberg, Hejduk days of old.  Duchesne is my favourite for rookie of the year.  Goaltending improves a bit, but going to be a long year in Denver.

15.  Phoenix.  No owner, no coach, no chance.

Odd times…

Among the many things that I and many other bloggers have talked about besides Robbie Schremp (I might have been the only blogger not inclined to devote ANOTHER full blog to Sugartits), are the interesting times.  I wish I had tons of time to go over them all but these are the things that I have found strange this preseason.

Malhotra signing on the cheap.  A cup is nice but $1.8 million vs. $700K is nicer.

Moore and Betts still unsigned.  I expect Betts soon.

Skoula signing cheap in Pittsburgh after a good year, two other camps in Florida and Columbus.

Players you expected to make teams waived…and young ones too…Lashoff, Bourque, Cal O’Reilly, Al Montoya, and now Corey Crawford (Who I think is better than our back up in Edmonton).  Of course many more have been on waivers but some of these young players are a surprise.

As for the Oilers, Reddox goes, along with Schremp.  At some point we lose either Pisani or Nilsson to make cap.  MacIntyre is still on a team with two guys, Stortini and Jacques that can fight.  Gagner is on the fourth line, and we still don’t have a shutdown/faceoff/PK centre on this team.

Yep…odd times.

And in defense….

Part two of the design of the Edmonton Oilers is almost a mirror image of the forwards, but there are zero jobs available on the blueline.  Sure, it is possible that Theo Peckham plays so well that the Oilers have no choice but to put Jason Strudwick on waivers.  Taylor Chorney, could, and I use that term loosely, could figure out all three zones and attempt to force management’s hand into keeping him with the big club. (Judging by last nights exhibition in Calgary, he still has work to do)
The chances are zero and zero.  The defensemen the Oilers have on one way contracts are…

Sheldon Souray

Lubomir Visnovsky

Tom Gilbert

Denis Grebeshkov

Ladislav Smid

Steve Staios

Jason Strudwick

Peckham is the first call up and I am sure that Chorney sees some games with the big club this year.  I believe that we might see some movement next year, figuring that Peckham takes a job next season, and if Chorney progresses quickly enough, we might see Grebeshkov in new digs next season.  Ideally, I think, one of Visnovsky or Souray are moved so that salary can assist our forward depth. (After this season, any savings are going to go to Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano)  This year is going to be a huge one for Chorney, because if he doesn’t start to step up, he can start looking over his shoulder at Jeff Petry or Alex Plante trying to steal his place on the depth chart.

So, sorry to those that think there might be some battle for jobs, there isn’t.  Which makes me a little annoyed at Steve Tambellini and his insinuation after signing Comrie that players are fighting for jobs.  Most of them are fait de complit.

Forwards – Too many bodies…who goes?

I remember watching Jani Rita, Tony Salmelainen and Todd Marchant skate together in camp, I believe it was 2002.  They were fast, skilled, and in general, since I watched as many public sessions of camp as I could, I believed they were the best line on the ice.  (If memory serves me correctly it was the same camp that Jason Smith beat the living snot out of Ryan Smyth.)

I was aghast at the play of Ethan Moreau, and even moreso, my whipping boy of the camp, Dan Cleary.  Cleary was slow, his puck skills were terrible, and he didn’t seem to do much of anything effectively.  Much to my own personal chagrin, when cuts were made, Jani Rita, who I thought made the team with his camp was disposed to the AHL.

Not much of a big deal to your average hockey fan, but to me, a disparage to a player good enough to be on the big club.  How could this be?  He was at the minimum….at the absolute worst better than two or three of the incumbents?  Why are we not playing our best players on the ice?  Who paid off the coach?

Whether it was some fluke or knowing to look in the right place, I soon figured out that you don’t really need much of a camp to decide on opening night roster.  Mostly you need to look on whose agent/or play has garnered a player a one way contract.  I know it may come as a shock to you, but when it comes to forwards, there is one spot available.

On one way contracts and shoo-ins for a spot on the big club for forwards….

Shawn Horcoff
Dustin Penner
Ales Hemsky
Patrick O’Sullivan
Fernando Pisani
Robert Nilsson
Ethan Moreau
Sam Gagner
Mike Comrie
Andrew Cogliano
Marc-Antoine Pouliot
Zack Stortini
Jean-Francois Jacques

All of these forwards have one way contracts.  The only spot that is available would be the one that presently has been suggested that might be occupied by Gilbert Brule.  Could the Oilers manufacture a trade?  Yes.  But not likely.  As much as we as fans think it is easy to call another GM up and move out your excess baggage, there are a scant few deals in the NHL.

I suppose this means one thing.  If Brule or Schremp gets the spot and the other goes on waivers, whoever draws the short straw leaves town.  Even worse…if the team decides that Steve MacIntyre is an important cog on the team, then they could conceivably both find themselves working in another jurisdiction.

I am sure this is disheartening to the Potulnys, Reddoxes and Stones of the world, but if I am looking at the pythagorean theorem, a + b doesn’t equal a job.

Could we? Should we?

Mike Comrie at $1.3 million.  That is the rumour.  Oilersnation.com first, then a non denial from Dan Tencer of Ched (Credit lowetide), and a Ritch Winter “no comment”.  Speculation that the Owner is involved in this potential move.  If you are asking me, this plan is half baked if I have ever seen it.  Unless…it is a precursor to something else.

If this is a move by itself in a vacuum, I hate it.  We have a “number 1″ centre in Horcoff.  We have TWO number two centres in Gagner and Cogliano.  We have two number four centres in Pouliot and Brule.  We have small centres….out the ass.  We have small forwards, soft forwards, all over the place.  Comrie isn’t the second coming of Theoren Fleury. (Well apparently Theoren Fleury is the second coming of Theoren Fleury…but that is another blog.)

So what could the motivation be to add a small 2nd line centre?  Someone else moving?  Suggesting this is a precursor to Heatley is marginal at best.  There are no signs that there is a heartbeat in this deal laying on the operating table.  It looks dead.  Someone other than Heatley?  Well, rumours did kick around about Kessel (But my foggy memory thinks that might have been on Eklund so my comfort with its validity is not that great.) but even if that was true, adding TWO small centres isn’t exactly what the doctor ordered.
If we were talking Manny Malhotra, we would all be doing a bit of a happy dance.  Blair Betts?  Nice to get some help on the PK.  But Mike Comrie?  Unless this has something else to it, it sucks as a move.  Period.

Of Mice and Men

Just a quick post about Dany Heatley, the biggest villain in Ottawa and Edmonton on this side of the blueline.

Ultimately as I have posted on HFBoards.com Dany Heatley is exactly what everyone thought he was.  Selfish and consumed.  That doesn’t make him a villain.

He wants to work elsewhere.  That is fine, but the Senators selling him out by making his demands public, then leaking the players in the Oilers deal, or even the fact there was one, is the reason everyone hates Heatley.

If they would have just kept their mouths closed and dealt him, they would be in a far better spot right now.  Same goes for the Oilers that not only looked pretty desperate in trying to acquire him, also have to deal with their young players Smid, Cogliano and Penner whose psyche are damaged kn0wing they were no the boat out of town.

As some in the  media have mentioned, even the petulant Don Brennan who Dan Barnes roasted on Team 1260 on Friday, that Heatley probably just wants out of the microscope.   He wants to be a leader on the ice, but anonymous after the game when having a couple beer.

With his past, I don’t really blame him, and even at that, I wonder if there was a better way for him to handle it.  I am not sure there was.

First annual first round rankings/mock draft

My First Official Mock Draft/Rankings

As I was watching Pierre Maguire and Craig Button on TSN, and ultimately have thought long and hard about the first round of every draft….well, since I can remember. In my blog I have looked at previous drafts, who I like and who I don’t like, who I would shy away from. In this draft, from an Oiler perspective, trading up would be nice, but ultimately cost prohibitive.

Drafting at 10 is a really nice spot, because you can look at your draft board, see three or four guys you really like and trade down 3 and get a great asset.

So over the course of a few lunch hours….here is what I see in 2009.

My Rankings:

1. Victor Hedman
2. John Tavares
3. Matt Duchene
4. Evander Kane
5. Brayden Schenn
6. Magnus Pajarvi Svensson
7. Jared Cowan
8. Dmitri Kulikov
9. Nazim Kadri
10. Scott Glennie
11. John Moore
12. Oliver Ekman Larsson
13. Jordan Schroeder
14. Ryan Ellis
15. David Rundblad
16. Tim Erixon
17. Nick Leddy
18. Carter Ashton
19. Chris Krieder
20. Louis Leblanc
21. Zack Kassian
22. Calvin De Haan
23. Jacob Josefsson
24. Jordan Caron
25. Peter Holland
26. Kyle Palmieri
27. Landon Ferraro
28. Drew Shore
29. Dylan Olsen
30. Jeremy Morin

Personal favourites not in my top 30….Jerry D’Amigo, Ben Hankowski, Anton Lander, Alexander Avtsyn

1. New York Islanders: John Tavares, C, London (OHL)

It is the best kept secret in hockey, but not to anyone with some common sense. On the NHL XM channel, they suggested that Tavares could me an added 2000 season tickets to the Islanders, while Hedman would be a push. All things considered equal with the two players, all other factors point to taking the forward.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning: Victor Hedman, D, Modo (SEL)

If Bob Barker had consolation prizes this good, he wouldn’t have needed Beautys. This is as slam dunk as it gets. When you watch Hedman, he has the same skating and body structure as Pronger, and oddly enough, mea culpa Mr. Cherry, Hedman also has a bit of sandpaper to his game. We may even see him in the NHL this fall.

3. Colorado Avalanche: Matt Duchene, C, Brampton (OHL)

No one expected it to be a three horse race. When late in the year, Matt Duchene started being mentioned with the top two, it was a surprise….and Colorado won’t be surprised when they pick this solid player.

4. Atlanta Thrashers: Evander Kane, C, Vancouver (WHL)

A great all around player, he has skills, grit, and hockey IQ.

5. Los Angeles Kings: Brayden Schenn, C, Brandon (WHL)

Sorry Burkie, you can’t always get what you want. I don’t think he drops to 7. If Burke will spend the assets, he might get the brothers in tandem, but if not, Schenn plies his trade in Hollywood.

6. Phoenix Coyotes: Jared Cowen, D, Spokane (WHL)

The Yotes have Turris, Mueller, Tikhonov, Boedekker on offense, and although Cowen might have some competition for BPA right here, the Phoenix/Hamilton/Winnipeg franchise needs an anchor on the back end, and this guy fits the bill.

7. Toronto Maple Leafs: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, Leksand (Allsvenskan)

Unless you can wrap your mind around Burkie trading down, or going a little off the board and taking Kassian, you have to figure he is going to take a blueliner here. Burkie wants either Cowen or Schenn, and as Oiler fans it would be nice to see our beloved blowhard stiffed. Too bad he still ends up with a great player.

8. Dallas Stars: Dmitry Kulikov, D, Drummondville (QMJHL)

I can’t see Kulikov continuing to slide. In my mind he is as good a two way blueliner as you will find in the draft. This reminds me of when it was Phaneuf, Coburn, Suter. This time it is Cowen, Larsson, Kulikov. It just depends on what a team feels is their BPA.

9. Ottawa Senators: Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, LW, Timra (SEL)

Craig Button said he reminded him of John Tonelli. Pierre Maguire said he was like Jere Lehtinen. Some compare him to Forsberg and Sundin, others to Markus Naslund. I now am left to think….what type of player is MPS? I would suggest that Naslund is a pretty fair comparison….Maguire is nuts….the knock on MPS was always his defensive play. It is better than it was a couple years ago, but I wouldn’t go all Selke on him.

10. Edmonton Oilers: Scott Glennie C Brandon (WHL)

If I am the GM of the Oilers, which I am not, I have three players that I think I have a shot at with this pick. Dmitri Kulikov, Scott Glennie, and John Moore are the three players I want considered. It is very possible that someone likes Kadri, Ellis, Josefsson before 10. I believe the Oilers are well stocked with defensive depth, and their forward scoring has and continues to be a problem.

11. Nashville Predators: Nazem Kadri, C, London (OHL)

Offensive skill, slick moves, speed. Preds are happy with Kadri at this spot.

12. Minnesota Wild Zack Kassian RW Peterborough (OHL)

Best fighter in the draft. Toughest guy. Top rated power forward type. A good fit with the Wild.

13. Buffalo Sabres John Moore, D, Chicago (USHL)

To me, this guy could be the steal of the draft. Who could possibly be disappointed with a guy that skates like the wind, great shot, hockey sense, good defensively.

14. Florida Panthers: Jordan Schroeder RW USA U-18

Offensively dynamic, playing against stiff competition in NCAA and putting up impressive numbers. About the same size as Patrick Kane, needs to add some bulk, but the skill set, skating and hockey sense all project to be a good NHLer.

15. Anaheim Ducks: Ryan Ellis, D, Windsor (OHL)

The Ducks will over the next few seasons be looking to address voids left by Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer. With two more inches and 25 pounds, Ellis is an all star in the NHL. He has offensive tools ad nauseum, shot, smarts, and is a good leader. It must be a good draft if every player taken looks like a steal.

16. Columbus Blue Jackets: David Rundblad, D, Skelleftea (SEL)

Rundblad is a solid two way defender with good size. Good skater, and has the ever elusive right shot. He likes to rush and move the puck quickly. Will look good on the Jackets back end.

17. St. Louis Blues: Tim Erixon, D Skelleftea AIK (SEL)

Blues will be excited to see Erixon fall to 17th. Losing out to his buddy Rundblad as to who was going to be taken first, he is projected to be a little less offensive than Rundblad but more physical and better defensively.

18. Montreal Canadiens: Chris Krieder C Andover (MA – HS)

Great wheels in a power forward body. Someone to compliment their smallish skilled forwards. After a couple years in Boston College, Krieder will head to the Bleu Blanc et Rouge

19. New York Rangers Jacob Josefson, C, Djurgarden (SEL)

A little smaller than some of the other forwards available, he has some good wheels, and great hockey sense.

20. Calgary Flames: Nick Leddy, D, Eden Prairie (USHS)

Smart, smart player with tons of skill, but playing in a lower level. Scouting report looks eerily similar to John Moore (Skill, skating ability, good hockey sense), but Leddy also needs to bulk up.

21. Philadelphia Flyers: Carter Ashton LW Wethbridge (WHL)

A pick based on projection. Good skill in a power forward’s body. Just what Philly likes.

22. Vancouver Canucks: Stefan Elliott, D, Saskatoon (WHL)

Has been compared to Brent Seabrook. If you can pick him up at 22nd overall, then he is going to pay some dividends.

23. New Jersey Devils: Kyle Palmieri, RW, USNTDP

Character, grit, good skill, in the mould of a Chris Drury. Lou likes guys that are committed to winning. Also has good vision and a great shot.

24. Washington Capitals: Jeremy Morin, LW, USNTDP

An all around forward with good hands.

25. Boston Bruins: Anton Lander D Tirma (SEL)

Being loaded up front, the Bruins choose to put some stock back in the blueline with Lander.

26. New York Islanders (via San Jose): Calvin de Haan, D, Oshawa

After taking Tavares with their first pick, the Isles grab de Haan to bolster the back end.

27. Carolina Hurricanes: Louis Leblanc, C, (USHL)

Leblanc has very good hands, and along with good hockey sense, he is a tireless worker.

28. Chicago Blackhawks: Peter Holland, C, Guelph (OHL)

Holland to me was at one point a top 15 pick, but seems to lack some motivation. Maybe the Hawks can kick him into gear.

29. Detroit Red Wings: Markus Johansson, C, Farjestad (SEL)

If my projections are close, then the Wings will be disappointed that a blueliner to their liking doesn’t fall. I am sure they would have been happy to see Erixon, Rundblad, Elliot or any of the ilk fall to them at 29. I wouldn’t be surprised if they like someone enough to move up. If not, a solid two way centre like Johansson is just what the doctor ordered.

30. Pittsburgh Penguins: Ryan Button D, Prince Albert (WHL)

Button is a solid two way defender that uses his smarts to keep him ahead of the competition. Pens take the BPA at this point.

And there you have it…cheers.

The morning after…

I heard MacT talk about a four bad minutes in the 2nd period cost them this game.  The Coyotes had them hemmed in and got 3-4 chances a couple times and that sunk his team.  Maybe we should wonder why they didn’t come out like a house on fire in the first.  I don’t know what team that our coach watches, but that wasn’t a desperate effort.  Not even close.

In a must win game against a non playoff team, the Oilers were flat.  Either the coach has an inability to get these guys fired up, or they are playing to get him fired.  One of the two.

Hopefully tonight, they are fired up on their own, because I don’t think our coach can get any more out of them than he already has.

Style points….zero.

With my Novice team in the finals, I didn’t get to watch all of the game.  I predicted an Oiler 3-2 final, although expecting victory, I was not surprised.  Apparently, reading over at Lowetide in the comments of the game section, Dennis pointed out that Gagner took the late draw that caused a goal.

I know I am only a first year Novice head coach, but with a few minutes left, if I am in my own zone, I do not put my weakest players out there in a game where I am either struggling to hang on, or fighting to win.

Sam Gagner has a 43.3 face-off win percentage on the year.  Both Brodziak and Horcoff are substantially better.  Since I didn’t see the game, I don’t know what the shifts leading up to the faceoff was, nor do I know for sure whether it came off an icing and Gagner had to take the draw.  Either way, this team plays a passive game.  A very passive game.

Take a look at these stats.

PP: 22nd

PK: 27th

Shots for: 29th

Shots against: 25th

Win% trailing after 1st: 24th

Not only that, but our face offs are 26th in the league.  We don’t have the puck, we don’t pursue the puck, we don’t win the puck, we don’t carry the puck.  We don’t play an offensive style, we don’t aggressively play the game when we are ahead, we fight for a tie and a late winning goal, or to get to OT and get a loser point or fortunate win.

Hopefully the system changes.  The playing personnel changes, but the coaches seem to consistently coach them into a grinding style, which must be tiring after a while.  Ask Hemsky.