With Hockey madness in full force in Canada it seems appropriate that my first blog discuss the current direction of the NHL's Canadian teams. I'll start it off with Oil Country as the Oilers are leading the offseason charge thus far.
With new Billionaire owner David Katz in place the Oilers seem poised to have the financial backing to actively pursue some of the top players and contracts in the league. With the 90 million dollar 9 year contract offer to Marian Hossa, Lowe and company are showing just how desperate they are to bring a big name back to Edmonton. Luckily the likelihood of some of these high profile players choosing Edmonton is minimal and they've avoided some disastrous contracts. I'm not knocking Marion Hossa as a player but I bet years 6 through 9 of his contract would not be so rewarding. The bright side is the Oilers have an excellent young core which is destined to improve and Lowe has done an excellent job finding trades to improve his club. The additions of Erik Cole, Gilbert Brule and Lubomir Visnovsky address some team needs and add youth. On the way out were Jarret Stoll, Raffi Torres and Joni Pitkanen who all failed to reach full potential with the Oilers. With hopes of of being a top line offensive defenseman; Pitkanen has battled injuries and consistency. Visnovsky is certainly an upgrade as he's one of the premier offensive defenseman in the league and is known for having a good work ethic and locker room presence. Erik Cole's combination of heart, grit and scoring touch will be an upgrade over Stoll our Torres and should bring instant dividends. Cole will be a free agent after this season and the audition years have a way of being productive. Former first round pick Gilbert Brule has yet to put up the numbers expected of him but a young potential filled player is not a bad risk to take. Let's hope the Oilers stay the course and not lose their focus trying to bring in a big name who may hurt the team in the long run. Glencross signed on in Calgary and although he seems to be on the right path to success this year free agent signings have proven to be expensive and an overpriced Glencross is not what the Oilers need. It looks like the Oilers will be a playoff team in the upcoming season and with the youth they have it may be the beginning of a good stretch for Oilers fans.
That's part 1 of Canaduh Oil Country edition. Hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to check back for the Flames edition shortly. - Rib
Original Story:
http://www.boilerroomsports.com/2008/07/....
With new Billionaire owner David Katz in place the Oilers seem poised to have the financial backing to actively pursue some of the top players and contracts in the league. With the 90 million dollar 9 year contract offer to Marian Hossa, Lowe and company are showing just how desperate they are to bring a big name back to Edmonton. Luckily the likelihood of some of these high profile players choosing Edmonton is minimal and they've avoided some disastrous contracts. I'm not knocking Marion Hossa as a player but I bet years 6 through 9 of his contract would not be so rewarding. The bright side is the Oilers have an excellent young core which is destined to improve and Lowe has done an excellent job finding trades to improve his club. The additions of Erik Cole, Gilbert Brule and Lubomir Visnovsky address some team needs and add youth. On the way out were Jarret Stoll, Raffi Torres and Joni Pitkanen who all failed to reach full potential with the Oilers. With hopes of of being a top line offensive defenseman; Pitkanen has battled injuries and consistency. Visnovsky is certainly an upgrade as he's one of the premier offensive defenseman in the league and is known for having a good work ethic and locker room presence. Erik Cole's combination of heart, grit and scoring touch will be an upgrade over Stoll our Torres and should bring instant dividends. Cole will be a free agent after this season and the audition years have a way of being productive. Former first round pick Gilbert Brule has yet to put up the numbers expected of him but a young potential filled player is not a bad risk to take. Let's hope the Oilers stay the course and not lose their focus trying to bring in a big name who may hurt the team in the long run. Glencross signed on in Calgary and although he seems to be on the right path to success this year free agent signings have proven to be expensive and an overpriced Glencross is not what the Oilers need. It looks like the Oilers will be a playoff team in the upcoming season and with the youth they have it may be the beginning of a good stretch for Oilers fans.
That's part 1 of Canaduh Oil Country edition. Hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to check back for the Flames edition shortly. - Rib
Original Story:
http://www.boilerroomsports.com/2008/07/....
