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Oilers to Complete 17 Trades After MOU |
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Pot, meet kettle. Kettle, meet pot.
I read yesterday a few different rumors about Oilers deals to come once the Memorandum of Understanding is completed. Speaking of the MOU, I, like the rest of you, am sick of lawyers holding the game hostage. I thought today was going to look more like the trade deadline; not more of the Donald and Gary Show. If I wanted to see wooden puppets dance I'd watch Howdy Doody.
Recently, I've read Oilers rumors coming from a range of different websites/Twitter accounts/people...
- Oilers dealing Ales Hemsky to a team in the Eastern Conference, mostly because he's overpaid ($5mil per season) he's finally healthy, and he played well in Europe during the lockout.
- Oilers dealing Linus Omark to Detroit;
- That entire Luongo to Edmonton thing;
- Oilers dealing Nail Yakupov for PK Subban;
- Oilers dealing Shawn Horcoff, I'm assuming because there's a huge market for under-achieving, often complaining 3rd line centers with $5.5mil per season cap hits.
Make it stop, people. Make it stop.
Now I'm going to say something so unbelievably hypocritical, I can't believe I'm going to post this. Random bloggers and wannabe hockey media types are making me nuts lately. I can't stand them.
Maybe if I explain where this comes from it I won't seem like I'm being so hypocritical.
When I first started writing for Hockeybuzz, I made plenty of stuff up. Rumors. Whatever. Stuff to keep life interesting for hockey fans. Why I did it is because I was trying to be entertaining and keep people interested. For some reason I still don't quite understand, people started reading my blogs. I have a sizable, loyal and involved readership here, and I feel so fortunate for it, especially considering how my journey started.
If readership numbers build to something significant over time, you start to acquire actual, legitimate sources. The good news is, the quality of the information in my blogs improves as these sources materialize. You don't have to make stuff up to make it interesting. The bad news is, well, it's like the Boy Who Cries Wolf, isn't it? The main thing I battle now is readers and media types working with the knowledge that I'm just some nobody who got here by making stuff up. Am I entertaining? Perhaps to some people. Legitimate? No. I'm not asking for sympathy. I did it to myself.
One thing I realized about...oh, I don't know...about 18 months ago...is that I needed to start being very honest and transparent about who I am and what this is. So I starting saying in my blogs openly and unapologetically that I'm just some huge Oilers fan (pun intended) who sees my blogs as entertainment. I started telling readers to take what I write with a grain of salt. I've been much prouder of my work here ever since I started being more specific and direct about what I'm doing and how I'm doing it.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is, I have no problem with people making up rumors...Ales Hemsky here, Sam Gagner there...as long as they're honest about what they're doing. It's easy to speculate. Look at the January 11, 2013 interview with Pierre McGuire on Team 1200 from Ottawa. In the interview, McGuire speculates that the Oilers will be busy once they're allowed to make deals, because they need to find pieces. I heard the whole interview and understood what he was saying was SPECULATION; nothing else. He mentioned no specific rumors. He suggested the Oilers could look at teams with certain assets to acquire certain assets in return. He suggested the Oilers won't part with Hall, Eberle or Nuge, but other prospects could be in play to acquire legitimate, veteran players. Was he lying? No, he was speculating. Yet I read on some Facebook site a few hours later how McGuire has said the Oilers are going to make a big trade. That's how fake rumors often are invented: From people reading whatever they want into a blog or interview.
Example: Look at my Nail Yakupov blog from a few days ago. I wrote that Yakupov could be moved to acquire a major piece. Why? Because he has yet to play in Edmonton, and therefore, he's not established here enough to be missed. Further to this, I explained that sometimes you need to move significant assets to acquire significant assets. Was I saying the Oilers are shopping Yakupov? No. Was I offering up specific rumors? No. Yet I read numerous reactions to my blog saying the Oilers are shopping Yakupov. It made me feel like slamming my head in a car door.
Some Edmonton-area bloggers and websites (I won't name them, but if you follow my Twitter feed, you can read for yourself how people act towards me) treat me with such arrogance. They're exactly what I am: Pedestrians. Actually, scratch that...I'm actually getting to the point where I'm established enough that people are sharing with me real information that doesn't suck...I'm moving past the "I'm just some random wannabe blogger" stage. So being treated with absolute arrogance, distaste, and in some cases disgust by people who can't admit what they are and what they're doing really bother me. There's one website in particular that's complete fiction, and the writers for it treat me like I'm completely beneath them. It's so unbelievably sad and embarrassing.
One final thing before I slightly change topics: Some of you might think I'm taking shots at Eklund and/or the writers on Hockeybuzz with this blog. Just keep in mind that Eklund broke the lockout ending story five hours before TSN did. I defend Eklund frequently and sincerely. As one source of mind put it to me after the CBA was signed, "your guy Eklund did a pretty good job covering the lockout". This site has plenty of quality writers who have plenty of quality sources.
Oilers Randoms
- The Oilers are looking for a left-handed veteran depth defenseman once trades are allowed to occur. The Oilers also may look to do a little spring cleaning (moving out players who don't fit into the long-term plans, like Ben Eager, Eric Belanger, Linus Omark, Theo Peckham, Alex Plante, Colten Teubert, etc). I've heard the Oilers could consider moving Anton Lander and Alex Plante because they aren't developing as hoped, but it's still early days to give up on a guy like Lander.
- Perhaps the highest quality roster player I've heard that could be moved for the right return is Nick Schultz, which made me sad. I don't think it has anything to do with Schultz, the person. He's nearing the end of his contract, and he's a $3.5mil cap hit who likely will play 3rd pairing minutes this season. If the Oilers can use Schultz and/or prospects to find a younger, less expensive defenseman, they will.
- So I'm suggesting that the Oilers won't do anything major for now. If the Oilers are in a playoff position come the beginning of April, there could be some serious rental talent acquired. If the Oilers are well out of the race, you could see guys like Ryan Whitney and Ryan Jones dealt, as they're in the last years of their contracts and getting something is better than giving them away. If Hemsky has a big year but the Oilers are well out of the race, he could be dealt for 1st round draft pick or a prospect of quality who is immediately ready for the NHL.
- Lots of people asking me about Shawn Horcoff arriving so late in Edmonton for camp. First, I don't think anyone actually knows why Horcoff is taking his time getting here. I don't think it necessarily indicates anything negative. It's possible, but this is only my opinion, that Horcoff realizes his days are numbered in Edmonton and that he's no longer seen as team leader. Maybe he's avoiding coming because he feels unwelcome or unwanted?
- Like all other members of the Oilers roster, Horcoff's fate is in his own hands. If he can put up 30pts and play solid two-way minutes this season, the Oilers might consider not buying him out. It's just like Ryan Whitney: He's set to become a UFA this summer. Oilers management likely don't see him as being there next season, but their opinion could change if Whitney plays brilliantly. Ales Hemsky, Sam Gagner, Devan Dubnyk, Nikolai Khabibulin...all players who could stick around if they play well.
- With all of this, I'm not saying the Oilers can't/won't make a big move this week. They just won't be the team calling around. If someone calls them and makes a crazy offer for, let's say, Sam Gagner, they'd be stupid not to listen. Never say never in the NHL.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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