SUMMARY OF THOUGHTS ON DAYS OFF

There has been quite a bit to talk about since my last post. From the win in Ottawa to the Sutton signing. In this post I will summarize my thoughts (if you care) in short paragraphs in no particular order. Read on if you dare…

Last Game Against Ottawa…

Even though I am one of the fans in Edmonton that is not interested in winning, as it doesn’t help us in the standings and only hurts our potential draft position, I must say it is nice to see a victory now and again. There was some good goal-tending in this game which shocked me as I thought Craig Anderson wasn’t playing very well in Ottawa this year. But I have to admit that I haven’t paid any attention the senators at all and am basing that on things I had heard / read. As usual the kids were dangerous all game long and future captain (IMO) Taylor Hall gets the OT winner just seconds into the Over-time period! Which personally was awesome as I got points in my pool too. I will say this though about afternoon games, they sort of piss me off because I feel guilty drinking beer at noon for some reason. All in all I enjoyed the game and was happy to see the win.

Andy Sutton Signs One Year Extension…

While I like Andy Sutton’s game and I am glad he was kept on the team, I am not so sure that the dollar amount for this contract was justified. He is a 5-6th D-Man and I’m not convinced that he is worth the money. Let’s face it, it was only a few games ago that he sat on the bench in favor of playing Cam Barker. Mistake or not by the coaches, it happened none the less when there were other choices for press box duty. I do think it was smart to add a games played bonus that I assume is based on the suspensions he has taken over the last couple of years. The fact that it is a one year deal makes me feel better about the contract. Knowing that we have at least one big, tough D-Man on the roster makes me feel better moving forward into next season.

The Kids and Their Ice-Time…

Everyone it seems, is on the coaching staff (Tom Renney) of the Oilers about the Shawn Horcoff’ and Eric Belanger’s ice-time vs. the like of the Nuge, Hall and Eberle. I, am one of those people. I have tweeted several times in the last couple of weeks that I believe Belanger should be removed from the PP, and only used on the PK where he succeeds. Horcoff on the other hand, has been played too much for too long. I am in agreement with some of the radio hosts in this town that believe he should be a 3rd line centre with 3rd line minutes. He can play on the PK, and on the PP if need be, but he has been terrible for the last 2+ months and it’s time to give the kids some of his ice. Tom Renney commented on the “time-line” for the kids recently as he’s starting to feel the pressure on this topic. The interesting thing is that he mentioned it was “his” (Renney’s) time-line and not the organizations. I didn’t like his comments when I heard the clip on the radio, but I couldn’t put my finger on why, until Bob Stauffer pointed out the “his” time-line comment. That is a little disturbing.

Smytty’s Not Going Anywhere…

There has been some suggestions by fans and media that Ryan Smyth should be traded as a rental to a contender and then signed as a UFA in the summer. Well at the media avail today in Sherwood Park, Steve Tambellini (GM) said that Smytty is not being looked at as a potential trade move. i assume that a deal for Smytty is in the works and will be at a significant discount than what he currently makes.

Hemsky Wager Acknowledgements…

Jon at rinkroyalty.com and Tim at sabrenoise.com have both posted a little something in regards, to my wager with Jason Gregor of the Team 1260’s jason Gregor show on their respective sites. We are all trying to generate a little help for a worthy cause that Jason supports. The MS Bike Tour. Thanks again guys!!

GO Oilers GO!

Jeff: @oilonwhyte

Ian: @ibleedoil

Samson: @threwittki

Me: @realoilfan

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