THREE BEST EDMONTON OILERS RIGHT NOW
SMOKIN' RAY:
1) Dustin Penner: He's fast, he's skinny and he's on fire. He's leading the team in points and is making MacT look foolish. In a million years, I never would have seen this coming. Never. He's the best Oiler right now. 5 goals, 4 assists for 9 points in 7 games. Wow!
2) Nikolai Khabibulin: He struggled in the start and has been great the last 3 games he's played. He has kept the Oilers in all the games and has looked pretty casual in goal. He just may be the Oilers MVP at the end of the season.
3) Gilbert Brule: He's playing like this is his last chance. Which it very well may have been. But if he keeps playing like this, he's not going anywhere. He has 4 goals, 3 assists in 7 games. 2nd on the team in points.
Honorable Mentions: Sam Gagner/Patrick O'Sullivan/Zack Stortini
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PAQ TWINN:
1) Patty-O His point totals aren't where they need to be, yet. This guy is flying out on the ice EVERY game, you can't help but notice him. He's even throwing his 5'11" 190 lbs around like some kind of power forward. Its only a matter of time before he starts lighting the lamp with regularity.
2) Ladi Smid on a team with few "shutdown" D, this guy is pulling his weight and then some. Once heralded as an offensive type, and almost being traded away, Ladi is cementing his place on the Oilers blueline for years to come.
3) Zack Stortini This guy flat out competes every game. When he broke in few years back, all he had to do was fight, and he wasn't the best at that (huggy bear). This guy has taken his game to a new level, doing everything he can to help his team win, even score PP goals. He is turning into everything some guy named Georges wanted to be for the Oilers.
Honorable Mentions: Gags, Chorney, JDD.
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THE THREE WORST EDMONTON OILERS RIGHT NOW
SMOKIN' RAY:
1) Ales Hemsky: This Oilers Superstar is far from it. He's not a star and he's not very super. He maybe getting points but that doesn't mean anything when your gliding out on the ice and looking useless. Last year he pissed me off by blaming MacT for turning him into a checker. He also wanted to be the "man" of the team. Where are you this year Hemsky? *crickets chirping*
2) Mike Comrie: Mrs. Duff might be putting up points like Hemsky is, but his effort and skating speed sucks. All his points come in the 1st half of the game. Look at him in the 3rd when they show him up close. He can barely breath. He needs to get better. Or at least his conditioning.
3) Shawn Horcoff: Other than winning faceoffs, he hasn't done a thing to live up to his $5.5 million dollar cap hit. He has a whopping 1 goal and 1 assist and he's -2 so far. Maybe I don't know jack about hockey, but a 1st line guy needs more than 2 points in 7 games.
Honorable Mentions: Ethan Moreau/Steve Staios
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PAQ TWINN:
1) Hemsky Normally I wouldn't pick a guy that has already been done, but Hemmer has been the biggest disappointment so far this year. I once had high hopes for this guy (as did everyone else). But I'm starting to wonder if trading this guy isn't the Oilers best option. He's worth more in the trade market right now then in an Oilers uni. Hemsky needs to man up to his "soft" predictable play. STOP circling out of the offensive zone you dolt.
2) Moreau His bad play is being covered up by his line mates superb play. But this guy has lost everything that I used to like about him. Speed-gone, Tenacity-gone, Leadership (by example or otherwise)-gone. Why is this guy our Captain again? Oh ya Jason Smith said he'd be good for the job. Who's "Quinn's" Captain?
3)Gilbert After a great rookie campaign (set Oilers rookie goal scoring record), Gilby has taken some steps backward. I expected more from this guy this season, he hasn't been awful but he's not where he should be either. I don't think its too high of an expectation, that he should get 15-20 goals this year, and with Souray out for some time, Gilby needs to step up on the PP, which he hasn't.
Honorable Mentions: Staios, Horcoff
*Graham walks into the room and slams his fist on the table*
GRAHAM MARTIN: Gilbert does not belong on that list! He has been much better than Staios when he has been in the lineup. I definitely agree with Hemsky, Moreau and Comrie though.
PAQ TWINN: I did say that Gilbert hasn't been awful, just not progressing the way most thought he would. I didn't want to start on Staios cause I didn't know what else to say other then he sucks. With the way the Oilers have been playing, I was hard pressed to think of guys that are sucking. Gilbert just hasn't stepped up, with Souray out. He has been that bad, I just think he can be a lot better.
GM: Gilbert has done the one thing that he is paid to do really well. He makes a great first pass out of his own zone. Him and Grebs are so patient and have such great vision back there. That is one reason why the Oilers are scoring so much, their transition game has been fantastic. They move through the neutral zone with speed and that is a direct result of the first pass.
PT: I don't particularly agree with Horoff being on the bad list, he's had to endure a winger (Hemsky) that has shown NO desire to be the player he can be, and has had a revolving door on the other side. He's not 1st line material, but he has never demanded anything. All Horc does is compete game in and game out, even when Hemmer is dragging his ass, Horc still does his job. He's not a goal scorer so I don't expect that much offense from him. Its like expecting Strudwick to win the Norris, its just not their game. How ever -2 is unacceptable in the role I see Horc in.
I don't have a problem with Gilby's passing. He needs to shoot more though, he should be the point shot on the 2nd pp unit when Souray is on the 1st unit.
I don't have anymore arguments on Gilby, but when picking 3 worst Oilers, and 83x2,91,10,and 18 are already done, who could you come up with, besides Staios cause everyone knows that he SUCKS. So come on GM, who's your top and bottom 3 for the Oilers this season?
GM: Top three have been Penner, O'Sullivan, Brule hands down. and bottom three have been Hemsky, Horcoff, Moreau. As for Horcoff, you should expect offense from him cause HE IS A 5.5MIL A YEAR GUY! He is payed like a first liner and he has shown in the past that he does have a nose for the net. He has a very quick release, he just needs to use it more. He does compete game in and game out, but he has shown so much more in the past. his game three against the sharks in the playoffs that year, was one of the best performances by an oiler that I have ever seen. I will never forget the game that he played that night. He is so much better than what he has shown.
SMOKIN' RAY: Horcoff sucks on the 1st line. He's a great 3rd liner, and ok 2nd liner and a below average 1st liner. End of story.
PT: If Hemsky's not the cornerstone of the Oilers franchise. Who should the Oilers build around for the future? I personally don't think we have one, so I think we should trade Hemsky and change, for one ie; Ilya Kovalchuk, Jordan Staal, or Alex Semin.
GM: Jordan Stall is definately not the guy. Semin....maybe. But Kovalchuk is the guy, that if there was ever a chance of bringing him in, you jump on it!
SR: I don't know who I'd take. Rick Nash maybe. I really like Milan Lucic. He'd be nice to have (he was drafted with the Oilers draft pick that they gave up for Samsonov). Maybe Vinnie out of Tampa?
But Brownlee is right, we are not going to get a top guy out of this trade. Maybe the guys we have already mentioned are not attainable with Hemsky as the key piece? Maybe he's not as good to the rest of the league like the Oiler fans all believe he is? Maybe his value isn't that high after all?
PT: The only way to find out what the value is, is shop him around, kick some tires so to speak. Hemsky alone would not land a Kovalchuk or a Nash but if you include a couple other guys like Pouliot and Nilsson, maybe. It'll be interesting to see if Atlanta can extend Kovie's contract or not, if not I think they'll trade him, then anything is possible.
SR: As far as building around a player... what do you mean we don't have one Paq Twinn? We have two. Gagner and Eberle. Both are going to be integral cogs to this team moving forward. Both are going to be stars in the NHL and both will be the leaders of this team in the next 5 years, long after Hemsky turns into a pair of old balls. It's going to be the 14 and 89 show.
**Ray, Paq and Graham all decide to head over to Fat Larry's Bar and Grill for a few beers and wings. No more fighting for tonight. It's time to party.**
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**This was all played out on Facebook. Add Smokin' Ray Burnt and Paq Twinn as freinds and join the fight.**
