Optimism, Fear, and Everything in Between

As the Edmonton Oilers kick off another season and the Edmonton Eskimos begin their stretch drive, the city is unsure of both their teams.

First, let's begin with the Edmonton Oilers. After assuming all their problems were player-related the past 7-8 years, Edmonton has finally tried different leadership. Steve Tambellini, in his second year as general manager, has finally started putting his stamp on the Oilers, and Pat Quinn gives Edmonton something behind the bench they haven't had in ages – competency. The 2008-'09 team, which I have often called "my least favourite Oilers team in history," is remarkably unchanged on the ice. With the exceptions of Nikolai Khabibulin in net, and the unfathomable return of Mike Comrie up front, every player on the Oilers roster was at least in their system last year. Yet, incredibly, I'm not too depressed. I do hit the bottle more regularly, but I'm not depressed.

Below are five reasons for hope, and five reasons for sorrow.

Reasons For Hope

A Fresh Start. Whether you hated Craig MacTavish or – against all logic – supported him, it's undeniable he was not getting the most out of many of his players. With new leadership, I expect better seasons out of Andrew Cogliano, Patrick O'Sullivan, Robert Nilsson, Sam Gagner (perhaps) and most of all… Dustin Penner. Those five scored anywhere between 29 and 43 points. It's not unthinkable that a few of them could put up 50 point years.

And say what you will about Ales Hemsky, he's a top 25 talent in the NHL. If he is ever going to make the step from a slightly-under-a-point-per-game guy to the star most Oilers fans agree he can be, it makes sense it will be the year the defensive shackles are removed (of course, it also may be the year the shackle that is Shawn Horcoff is removed, but that won't be happening any time soon).

I won't even go into the "three defenseman while down a goal" plan, or Ethan Moreau on the power play, or the "shot from the point on the PP, no matter the situation" plan, or the Tim Sestito call-up, or the imfamous stick measurement, or the constant line juggling, or the plan to play an old goalie 112 straight games. Doing without all those brilliant plans will probably help as well.

Accountability. In the first 26 games of last year, Sam Gagner had one goal and five assists. His play was, by all accounts, putrid. Yet game in, game out, he was paraded out on the ice, playing on the first power play unit and totaling around 17 minutes per game. Gagner not only should have had his time on ice cut, he should have been benched (or, I would argue, demoted to the AHL). MacTavish went on record saying "we gotta get Sam going," numerous times, which was fine until you contrasted it with his treatment of other players. Cogliano had his ice time slashed, Penner was benched, Nilsson was cast aside. And while they all deserved it (to varying degrees), it didn't make sense how one player playing poorly would receive further support, and others would be cut down at the knees.

This year Gagner had an awful pre-season (or so I've read). Because of it, he's starting on the fourth line (two lines lower than he ever ventured last year). I don't hate Gagner, but he should be held to the same standards as other Oilers. And he clearly was not last year.

Something to prove. Leaking the Dany Heatley trade package made the Oilers look very poor… but I wouldn't be surprised if it had a positive effect. Cogliano and Ladislav Smid seemed legitimately sad to be traded and want to prove they belong. Penner already knew the Oilers wanted to trade him and more or less hate his guts, but maybe it distracted him temporarily from his triple cheeseburger and made him think he should put in something resembling an effort this season. I'm hoping the "screw you management" factor is high on this team this year. More importantly, all the blind praise and glowing coverage the team received last year has gone away, and I think this Oilers squad will be held to a fairer standard.

Same players, different disposition? My last point is purely speculative,
but I can't imagine
Quinn will stand for the same heartless performances that plagued the team last year. This story gave me a lot of hope for the Quinn era.

My favourite quote was unquestionably this one:

"(Stone) plays with a little crust and we've got five or six guys who have no crust," said Quinn. "That's an area of their game they have to get better at. We're looking for that balance. We're not going to be 14 creampuffs because we won't be able to win anything. We have to have some bite in our game someplace and he's one of the guys who's brought that."

It's nice to hear a coach call it the way the fans have seen it for a few years. I'm not entirely sure what crust is, but I sure wish the Oilers had a lot more of it.

The division isn't what it was. Sure, Calgary and Vancouver are still formidable foes, but Minnesota has fallen off in recent years, and Colorado could be one of the worst teams in the NHL.

Reasons for Sorrow

The same problems persist. Edmonton failed for a number of reasons last year. They devote a lot of money to a plug like Horcoff. They can't get rid of the idiotic Penner contract. Paying Fernando Pisani $2.5 million a year still haunts them. Steve Staios is 51 years old, and signed until he's 53. Hemsky has never had anyone on the first line who can play at his level, or even close to his level. Edmonton's roster is puny, and the franchise overrates their myriad of tiny forwards. Ethan Moreau is an idiot in every sense of the word, and he's the captain. After three years of missing the playoffs, the Oilers were unable to change anything – and are going with pretty well the same roster that failed (epicly) last year.

They're in a division with Calgary and Vancouver. Not
only are Calgary and Vancouver physical, playoff-calibre teams,
but they both (probably) got better in the off-season. And both are custom-made to beat the Oilers. And they do. Repeatedly.

There's not a lot to like. With egomaniac Shawn Horcoff occupying a spot on the top line, the despicable Mike Comrie earning a spot, and everyone's least-favourite buffoon Ethan Moreau leading the way… I am not too fond of this team.

Lack of talent. Check out this stat line: 60 games played, one goal, zero assists, 44 penalty minutes. Not only did this guy make the team, he's starting on the first line. Yes, J.F. Jacques is supposed to provide Hemsky with the line-mate he's always needed. I don't think this ends well.

Goaltending. The Oilers gave a nutty, old Russian goalie who only plays well in contract years a long-term deal. I didn't hate the signing, but I feel nervous.

Coming later today/early tomorrow… my thoughts on the Edmonton Eskimos.