Maxbone

"This page is all about the Edmonton Oilers"

Boyle, AB • Canada • 40 Years Old • Male

The Pipeline - July 22, 2009

Thank you for everyone who got involved in the discussion yesterday regarding Oilernomics 101. Much of the comments were in respect to the suggestion that Lubo Visnovsky is the defenseman most tradeable on the team right now, for the purpose being to bring in a Top 6 forward.

The response that blog got me to thinking about a follow-up discussion, which I will title, "The Case for Defense." Ummm, this isn't really an argument about defense; I just thought the titled sounded cool. In truth, this blog explains the rationale behind my suggestion that Lubo should be the person moved for a forward.

Let's start with a little team analysis. The Oilers website currently has ten defenseman listed as being on their team roster: Souray, Visnovsky, Gilbert, Grebeshkov, Smid, Staios, Strudwick, Chorney, Peckham, and someone I know very little about, Matt Nickerson. From reading his bio, I learned he played in Finland last season, that he takes plenty of penalty minutes, and that he's the size of Rhode Island (6' 4", 230 pounds). If Rexall Place was a bar, Nickerson would probably be referred to as The Cooler.

Aside from the ten d-men mentioned above, the Oilers have two highly regarded prospects in their system: Jeff Petry and Alex Plante. Both will be in the NHL one day, and both have the potential to become top pairing players.

Of the above mentioned ten roster defenseman, it is safe to say that if the season was to begin tomorrow, the starting six would be Souray, Visnovsky, Gilbert, Grebeshkov, Smid and Staios. Jason Strudwick would stay with the big club as a seventh D-man, and can also play forward if the team needs muscle. That line-up leaves Nickerson, Peckham and Chorney all headed to Springfield, which is good if you are Bart Simpson, but bad if you are Peckham or Chorney. Time for a little sidebar regarding those two players.

It is fair to suggest that Oilers brass see Peckham, Chorney, Petry and Plante as Oilers starting defenseman in a few years. Peckham is often compared to Matt Greene with better skating ability and offensive skill. Chorney is most often compared to Wade Redden, only, ummm, good. Both players have grown as much as they can in the minors, and now need NHL exposure to continue to develop. Having seven other defenseman ahead of them on the depth chart is cause for concern. The only thing worse than sending them back to the minors is making them sit in the Edmonton press box all year. Something has to give.

Of the Oiler defensemen above mentioned, it is fairly safe to suggest that Plante, Petry, Chorney and Peckham will not be moved because of what they represent to the team. If everything goes according to plan, in three years, four of the teams six starters will be in place. And what a group! Young, big, mobile...very few teams can match what the Oilers have in their system in respect to defenseman. I just can't see management tampering with it.

So the idea is to get one or both of Chorney and Peckham into the line-up this season. To do it, the Oil must eliminate the obvious problem off having too many d-men on the team. Who stays and who goes? Let's look at the current Top 4:

Sheldon Souray is a poor man's Chris Pronger. He has size, a canon of a shot, can hit and will fight. He brings leadership to the team, and last season, was one of the few Oilers that seemed to show up every game. It is known that he can be beat defensively, is not known for his skating, and has a habit of losing his cool sometimes and fighting more than he should be. Because he has a combination of size, offensive skill, and leadership qualities, he is tradeable. There are a few teams that could survive his $5.4mil cap hit, with the LA Kings often being rumored as having an interest in him.

Lubomir Visnovsky is someone the Oilers wanted to add last season to quarterback their powerplay. He is one of the smoothest skaters in the league, he also has a canon for a shot, and is a great puck mover. The downside? He's not big and not physical, which on a team that has a habit of being pushed around is a concern. It is hard to say how tradeable he would be, as his $5.6mil cap hit is significant for what he brings. But for someone of his skill level, there would be interest if the Oilers started making some calls.

Tom Gilbert reminds me of the new Kevin Lowe. He brings a little bit of everything to the game. He looks good in both ends of the rink, has some size, can skate, can move the puck, and has a great contract (5 years left at $4mil per). He's also a quality individual who brings class to an organization that is often put down by players and fans alike. What's not to like about this guy? There definitely would be interest if the Oilers decided to move him, but doing so would be an extremely bad move.

Denis Grebeshkov is another player that is hard to criticize. He is young, can make unbelievable stretch passes, plays well in both ends of the rink, and imagine this, says he likes playing in Edmonton! There's a first! His contract signing yesterday was a bit disappointing in the sense that it was for only one year, but believe me when I say he will sign a long-term deal eventually. Grebs is growing into a $5mil per player, and moving him would be a huge mistake.

When looking at these four players, one thought comes to mind: Why move any? It would be incredible if the season began with these four, and Chorney-Peckham making up the third unit. Thing is, Staios would have to be moved, and that isn't going to happen. Steve's contract number ($2.7mil per) is high, and his age is 35. Strudwick at his $700k cap hit is affordable, and he brings some needed muscle. He's the perfect #7 guy. Smid is an RFA that hasn't developed as the Oilers have hoped, but has the skill and talent to play in the NHL. He is tradeable, but likely for little return. Smid and Staios would have to be ahead of Chorney and Peckham on the depth chart, and that creates an issue.

Why it is suggested that a Top 4 defenseman should be moved is to bring in a forward. The Oilers will survive if they lose a d-man or two, but their forwards? The quest to find someone to play with Hemsky continues. Can anyone on this team score 30 goals this season? No. The Oilers might lead the league in having second-line players. Hemmer is a clear Top 3 forward, but after him, the Oil may have 8 to 10 second line players on the team or in their system. Adding to the problem is the lack of size up front. How many games did we see Oilers forwards get clobbered last season? So not only does moving a defenseman free up space for Chorney and Peckham, but it can also bring in a Top 6 guy (Top 3 if the Oiler thru in picks or prospects to make a major deal).

It is fair to suggest that the Oilers six D-men in three years will be Grebeshkov, Gilbert, Plante, Chorney, Petry and Peckham. Try saying that three times fast. All six should be considered untouchable. Which means Vis and Souray could be moved; perhaps one this year, and one the next? It all depends on who's available. That could be another huge discussion in itself, trying to figure where they could go, and what would come in return. A potential trade partner would have to have cap room, a top 6 forward that they are willing to move, and the need to add an offensive/powerplay defenseman.

All of this leads me to the final question of the night:

Why couldn't Dany Heatley just accept the trade to Edmonton? At least we'd know where Smid is playing, and the whole defenseman discussion would be one player less confusing.

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