Tuesday, October 5, 2010

How Do You Spell Bogus?

*sigh*

The Oilers training camp has come and is almost gone, and the way that it all went down, I call bogus!

There was so many problems with camp, it wasn't even funny.

Let's state the obvious.

1 - Taylor Hall did sweet jack all to earn a spot. He didn't out play anyone and almost at times, looked like he still belongs in juniors. He looked lost. Go back over my game grades and he really only had one good game (against AHL quality players). In his last pre-season game he vanished into thin air and was never heard from all game. Does Taylor Hall really need to stay with the Oilers? They have 9 games to find out.

2 - Why is Deslauriers (or Dubnyk) still here? The Oilers don't need 3 goalies. 3 goalies!?! Really? Why? Khabibulin is healthy (I think) and the market for goalies right now is very low, so why in the hell do we have 3 goalies?

3 - Liam Reddox was cut. Was it right that he was in competition with Ryan Jones for that 4th line spot? No. I don't think so. If Renney knew full well that Reddox wouldn't be picked, why have him compete for that spot? Why not give Reddox a chance to take a 3rd line spot (which I think he can handle)? What if he can win a faceoff better than Cogliano? We all know Reddox can penalty kill, doesn't that make him desirable?

*update: Reddox clears waivers and no other NHL team took a chance on him*

Let it be known, I'm not a Reddox fan either way. I don't and am not one of those people who bitched about small players being on the team a few years ago, and now bitch because those same small people are getting cut now. (pet peeve) Geesh!

4 - I guess the same can be said for Linus Omark. Why give him a tryout spot on the 4th line if you know full well he's not going to be a 4th line guy? Stupid! He's a top 6 guy. This move by Renney and his staff makes me scratch my head. I don't know what the Oilers were thinking they were going to do with Omark. No clear plan here.

5 - Richard Petiot was robbed of an NHL job. That's right, I'm saying it. Jason Strudwick has no business on the team. Petiot out played Peckham and Strudwick and he's sent packing. I just don't get it.

6 - Can someone remind me why Strudwick was re-signed this summer? What's he here for?

7 - Theo Peckham was kept over Petiot and Alex Plante because he can hit and fight. But was he the better hockey player out of that crew? *shakes head no* Peckham's good, but not better than those two.

Even Shawn Belle was a comparable to Peckham. A few times Belle played really good. He crashed and banged and tried to annoy the opposition. I want to see more of Belle in the future. He's a good pick up by the Oilers.

Plante was good/decent every game I watched him play. Before camp I thought he had no business fighting for a spot. I was wrong. Alex Plante can play the NHL game. I thought he was physical enough. I thought he did enough to keep him for at least a few more games to start the season.

8 - I never did understand why Colin McDonald and Ben Ondrus were kept for so long. Did they ever have even the slightest chance to make the team? I'm thinking no.

9 - How is that a month before camp started, I successfully predicted the Oilers team (and the OKC Barons)? The close competition at camp should have changes a few spots. But nothing changed. Can you spell bogus?

-Written by Smokin' Ray-

7 comments:

  1. You sound so angry in this post, but I can't say I disagree with any points. Hall has looked questionable at best during the preseason, probably the reason why he is my goat for the year. And I think Strudwick was resigned to have some sort of veteran presence in the room, that has been there a while.

    Plante had a good camp, somehow managed 4 points in the 2 games he played, it's a shame management thought they would lose Peckham to waivers, same as the goalies, if Ersburg can clear waivers I'm pretty confident Deslauriers can too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Why is it bogus? That's what happens at training camps all over the league every year.

    1. Hall is the new face of the franchise. He is the youngest of the big three and it showed. But the Oilers are selling hope here. Getting picked first overall is earning your shot. Give the kid a break. You're already making him a victim of our collective expectations.

    2. Exactly.

    3. I like Reddox, but training camp exactly about making 40 guys fight for one spot on the team. I still think he'll be here longer than Jones once the dust settles.

    4. Same with Omark. You have to see him compete against NHLers to see where he's at. Most guys that attend camp aren't making it. But the team still wants to know what they have. Omark will make it if his attitude is right. There are more ways to make it than just A-to-B.

    5. Strudwick is terrible. Not only did they jump the gun with the contract dollars, given that half the league is signing for league minimum, but hey should have made him compete for a job first too.

    6. Someone has to eat all that popcorn in the pressbox. It'll get stale otherwise.

    7. I heard rumblings that if Peckham was waived, he would be picked up. There were a couple of teams interested. That's probably it.
    Plante and Petiot will make it still, I think. Both will see time this year.

    8. Not sure about Ondrus. McDonald was probably given a long last look. If he doesn't make noise this year, he's gone.

    9. Because there were only a couple of spots that were available. 1 Way contracts for fringe players will do that.

    ReplyDelete
  3. in regards to Struds.

    Relax he's only a 7th dmen. he will only play in case of injury and we can't get a guy from OKC in time.

    In fact he's the perfect 7th. Doesn't complain, good dressing room guy and can play as a foward too!

    With so many young players and a need for more positive energy in the dressing room, i don't have a problem with Struds...

    i can probably analyzed, debate and win over your other 8 points but I've written long enough...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Number two draws my ire.

    Why DOES the team have three tenders?

    ReplyDelete
  5. @Neilio and @Brandon lol. Not angry, confused and annoyed. I can't believe it's an open camp tryout, meaning anyone and everyone had a shot to make the team. Yet, it played out just like we all figured it would. That's what was bogus to me. Nobody had a chance. Lipstick on a pig. Bad metaphor, but I think I get my point across.

    I should have noted that my problem with McDonald staying at camp for so long is, he has an AHL deal. He signed with the OKC Barons. He's not one of the 50 contracts. If they thought so much of him, why only an AHL contract? No knock on McDonald. I actually liked him. Better than I thought. I hope he does well with the Barons. That's going to be a good team.

    Thanks to everyone for the comments. Like to hear what you guys would do.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good points. Agree completly. Training camp wasn't fair at all. I call a sham!

    ReplyDelete
  7. It really is a shame that the Oiler brass think so little of the average fans intelligence... Did they think no one would notice that the opening night line up does not match training camp performance where true competition should have dictated? Reddox, Petiot, etc were jobbed, there is no other way to state it.

    Some free advice for Tambs et al - just say 'we have our core, but players can force our hand with exceptional camps, or at the very least dictate the initial call up list' It would be fair, honest, and logical.

    ReplyDelete

Keep it nice, keep it civil. GOILERS!


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