Bostonoiler: Racki, question for you my man. How many more years do you think the Oilers will be out of the playoffs for? I really think we would have made it this year if healthy….Hate to blame it on that but I really think with everyone healthy we are a pretty good fucking team.Penner-Gagner-HemskyO’Sullivan-Horcoff-StoneCogliano-Brule-ComrieStortini-Nilsson-PotulnyJFJSouray-GilbertVishnovsky-SmidStaios-GrebeskovPeckhamKhabibulinJDDThis same team was great at the start of the season. I really think this lineup could get us the 5-8 seed. This lineup as 6-2-1 then injuries showed up. You almost have to blame the season on injuries. Guys that no one thought would see anytime this season played (I.E. Arsene, O’Marra, Chorney, McDonald) Last night I said re-build, but I’m split. I think we have a playoff team here. Tambi was right when he said he thought we could make the playoffs. I think we give this lineup a shot next year. I think Tambi knows what he is doing, and will make the right moves. Its will be an interesting rest of the season, and VERY interesting off season. Just sit back relax and watch this team either stay the course and make the playoffs next year (Or maybe this year but I doubt it, still a shit load of hockey left), re-build and maybe win a cup soon, or see Tambi make a shit load of moves and re-shape this team……again. BTW I gotta stop with these long posts lol

Playoff team…yeah. If everyone plays out of their mind a la Dustin Penner we’ve got a playoff team. But no higher than 6th-7th. We saw what happened last night against a cream of the crop team. Yes, we’re missing our most talented player and our number one goalie, but we just don’t stack up with the great teams (San Jose, Washington, Pittsburgh, Chicago, hell even Calgary).

You bring up an interesting point about the beginning of the year. Yeah, we were off to a scorching start, but we were not playing superb hockey by any means. Outshot every game by a 10+ margin, meaning the Bulin wall likely stole a bunch of games for us. We’re scrappy, but when it comes down to playoff time, we’re simply outmatched against the higher ranked teams in the conference.

Jonathan Willis over at OilersNation had a pretty interesting article after last nights loss, stating that when we’re throwing out a checking line consisting of Horcoff, O’Sullivan and Stone against Ovechkin and co., what chance do we really have? We don’t have the depth or the drive/desire/testicles to battle with the best teams out there.

So while I agree with you that on paper we’re a playoff team, we’re bound for first round exits like it’s the 90s again.

I’m not suggesting blow up the team. But we need help. Everyone can see that.

Penner-Gagner-Hemsky
O’Sullivan-Horcoff-Stone
Cogliano-Brule-Comrie
Stortini-Nilsson-Potulny
JFJ

Souray-Gilbert
Vishnovsky-Smid
Staios-Grebeskov
Peckham

Khabibulin
JDD

This same team was great at the start of the season. I really think this lineup could get us the 5-8 seed. This lineup as 6-2-1 then injuries showed up. You almost have to blame the season on injuries. Guys that no one thought would see anytime this season played (I.E. Arsene, O’Marra, Chorney, McDonald) Last night I said re-build, but I’m split. I think we have a playoff team here. Tambi was right when he said he thought we could make the playoffs. I think we give this lineup a shot next year. I think Tambi knows what he is doing, and will make the right moves. Its will be an interesting rest of the season, and VERY interesting off season. Just sit back relax and watch this team either stay the course and make the playoffs next year (Or maybe this year but I doubt it, still a shit load of hockey left), re-build and maybe win a cup soon, or see Tambi make a shit load of moves and re-shape this team……again. BTW I gotta stop with these long posts lol

I am going to go against the grain and say that Staios and Moreau each do have a bit of value at the trade deadline, but it’s more likely to be next years than this year, unless they’re thrown into another deal with a bigger name player (Cogliano, O’Sullivan, top 4 d-man, etc.).

But I do agree that any cash we give up will be coming back in the form of someone else.

As far as Horcoff, yes his contract is bad value, but I still think he’s a valuable component to the team. The guy is playing better than a lot of players on the team, with one bad arm. It sucks that he’ll need surgery again. That all could take a toll on him like it seems to have with Moreau. I hope not though.

I can see it being a tough next few years unless the GM (Tambellini or otherwise) bites the bullet and forgets about signing those long term, big dollar contracts. If this team is going to eventually be re-building, we can’t be signing Khabibulin contracts or giving guys big pay raises for one year of performance (unless its a 1 or 2 year deal).

now that his trade’s off the table, I doubt we’ll see any moves from the Oil. Best they could hope to do at this point is “aim at 9th” and mess up their draft picks yet again. They need to either be in or out – after years of being on the bubble, we’ve not had a lot of chance at top prospects. Give up already, it ain’t gonna happen this year.

It’d be great to unload a contract like Horc’s. He’s not a bad player, but his has to be among the worst in the league – no way anyone is touching that… bring up more rookies, get some experience in, watch them drop in the standings and hopefully draft well. Hate to say it, but this year is over. (Man, would I love to be wrong, but I have to be realistic at this point. We’ve been “rebuilding” since the mid 90′s. Let’s put an end to it and get things going again.)

Lowe’s crappy deals and ridiculous ‘if we pay them more, they’ll play better’ contracts are almost behind us. Let’s get on with it – let the new management have a go and see what can actually happen.

Horpensky: A lot of teams that jumped on the ’spend to the cap right away and we’ll be contenders’ are in trouble right now (us, Rangers, Habs). A team like Nashville has gone 22-4-2 since October 24th. And they still have $13 million cap space left. They are definitely one of the best bang for buck team out there because I’m sure they have a self imposed cap and the GM doesn’t go crazy spending money. Also because of the market they’re in, nobody cares if the GM doesn’t go big game hunting.

Exactly. You could say the same about Phoenix and the Isles. Lots of cap room, but they are unlikely to use it because of self imposed caps. Who would have though that the salary cap would one day be a limitatiion to the Oilers? Vis and Souray are likely the only players teams will take on at this point because they are good. Moreau and Staios, I pray, will be of interest at the deadline. Getting salary back seeems the only solution, and I have to think that we will not be getting much in the way of expiring contracts with the value of cap room likely more valuable than players in some teams’ payrolls.