Comments on: Whhhhaaaaaaaaaa…?!?

By: Smokin' Ray

Smokin' Ray — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 03:00:01 +0000

@Racki Matt Thomas, the head coach of the Stockton Thunder did say a few days ago that the Oilers and the Sharks will provide the Thunder with goalies this year. I scratched my head and was confused. How is this possible?

Then the Oilers sign Gerber and now it all makes sense. Bryan Pitton — who I had pegged to be playing with JDD in OKC — will be the odd man out and will go down.

So like you said, Khabibulin and Dubnyk in Edmonton and Gerber and Deslauriers in OKC. If an injury or another complication arises, Gerber gets called up.

Tencer did say yesterday that Tamby is serious about not starting the season with 3 goalies. See ya JDD!

SIDE TOPIC: Just for fun I went through the potential Barons roster and added up the contracts in a post. $2,270,000. And that is without JDD or DD. That’s a lot of loot.

By: chucker

chucker — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 17:34:32 +0000

The other thing is that this gives us flexability when it comes to the liklihood that Khabbi may go down for conditioning stints as he is coming off of back surgery. Gerber gives reliable tending should Khabbi have issues which seem almost certain given his history.

BTW the site looks really good on the BB.

By: Racki

Racki — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 16:50:00 +0000

Very good insight into the goaltending situation here, in an interview with Olczyk and the Sun:

http://www.edmontonsun.com/sports/myoilers/2010/08/06/14947581.html

Basically to sum, the team has every confidence in Khabi, so get past the morals clause stuff because it’s not happening (not that we haven’t ever seen a team say one thing and do another). I actually do still think Khabi will be a good goaltender for us, I just have questions about for how long, is all.

Also, Olczyk says: “We’re going to have two darn good goalies in OKC”. Pitton isn’t what I would describe as a “darn good goalie”, even at the AHL level… so I wonder if that is alluding to Deslauriers or Dubnyk being demoted. I think they had intent on sending one down all along (although it baffles me that neither of JDD/Dubnyk have a 2-way contract). And Gerber will be extra strength down there.

I’m pretty sure that by November we’ll see Khabi/Dubnyk in the NHL and Gerber/JDD in the AHL. Not spectacular in net at the NHL level, but if they’re both healthy and in the line up, I do have confidence in them holding their own.

By: OilSlick

OilSlick — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 05:19:49 +0000

Steve-O, you are either smoking something funny or are totally insane. Niemi? For the role we will be paying Gerber to play, Niemi would never agree to it. There isn’t a chance in hell he would sign a 2-way contract.

Gerber will play a valuable role with the organization. He will start the season in OKC, providing some stable vet presence in goal there for our young team, as well as being able to be an injury fill-in for the big club.

You are WAY off base in this article. You’re also completely wrong about the 4-headed goalie monster because 1 of JDD or Khabibulin will not be Oilers by the time TC rolls around – and Gerber won’t be for quite awhile – maybe never.

By: Racki

Racki — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 05:16:20 +0000

Minor detail, but from what I understand, Foster plays the right side..

Add to that, you’re missing Peckham… no way we put him on waivers (req’d to go to OKC). I’d hope our D would have something more like:

Whitney-Gilbert
Smid-Foster
2 of Strudwick/Vandermeer/Peckham

I guess with Souray being on this team, we’d have 8 d-men, so I’d say he’s gone one way or another, even if we have to try and send him to OKC.

Also, sounds like Shawn Belle will do everything in his power to make the team this year too.