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Friday Night Randoms

July 12, 2013, 9:49 PM ET [417 Comments]
Richard Cloutier
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
How's it going, eh?

Okay, it's time for Friday Night Randoms, because I'm exhausted from my week and too lazy to attempt to write a "good" blog right now.

- St. Louis newspapers and media absolutely slamming David Perron over the last couple of days. Whatever. Hey, maybe they're right. He wouldn't be the first or the last guy to get into arguments with their employer over philosophy. How many times have I been fired in my lifetime, and look at what a great guy I am. Completely stable.

Sometimes a player needs a new start. Look at Bobby Ryan in Ottawa. I never would have dealt a player as good as Ryan, but obviously, there was some sort of issue there. Rumors existed for about a year that Ryan was going to be moved, and the Ducks lost the deal...perhaps in a big, big way. I have no confidence in the two players they got back.

And if we're going to talk about attitudes, we could talk about Paajarvi. Too nice. Everyone knows this. Part of what makes Taylor Hall good is he's not necessarily nice. You want your star players to be aggressive and a bit cocky. It's good. Perron has some fire in the belly. Sometimes what the team needs is less pretty than what the fans want. Don't worry about the Perron attitude talk.

- Hemsky to Devils trade more than likely won't happen. I can't see at all what player the Oilers want off that roster that the Devils would willingly give up for Hemsky.

- Here's a tip for the 12-15 year olds who read my blog: Don't use disposable razors. Seriously. I bought some the other day and have been cutting the hell out of my face daily. Threw them all out tonight after I mangled my upper lip. You don't need one of those fancy razors with 16 heads like they have now. Just get a good, solid, three blade razor and always go against the grain.

- Dustin Penner rumors are still out there, but here's an interesting thing: Oilers GM Craig MacTavish has been saying lately in interviews that he has Ryan Jones penciled in as the Oilers 3rd line LW this season. So if Hall is on one line, Perron the next, and Jones the 3rd...Yeah, so much for the Dustin Penner rumors.

- I truly don't believe there are any UFAs of interest left for the Oilers. MacT isn't done making moves, as he has Ales Hemsky to deal and perhaps a defenseman to move, too. Here's a concept: What if the Oilers left a bunch of cap room open. If they look to be in a playoff position, they'll go crazy adding rentals at the deadline. If they aren't, well, the owner just saved a bunch of money, didn't he?

- Teams that could have interest in Hemsky? Sure, I'll put the Devils. Not sure what they'd give up for him, but what the hay. Islanders, maybe. Panthers, maybe. Sabres and Leafs, maybe. Predators and Capitals, too. It sounds like the trade market right now is stone cold, so it's becoming more and more likely Hemsky will still be an Oiler come training camp. Awkward!

- Zach Bogosian is to defensemen and Oilers rumors what Drew Stafford is to forwards. Rumored to be coming here for years. Still hasn't. Never well. When I think of Bogosian, I always think of the name of this one Tragically Hip song.

- Boston and their UFA signings: Insanity lives.

- That Sandra Bollocks movie my wife made me go see with her the other days was fricken hilarious. I'm just sayin'...

- I'm not sure if I understand why no one is willing to sign UFA Tom Gilbert. Seriously, he wasn't that bad of a defenseman in Edmonton. In Minnie, he sucked...no argument there. Considering the absolutely UFA starvation right now, 10 teams should have offered him a couple mil per season by now.

- Penner too. As much as I think the idea of the Oilers bringing him back is laughable, if I was MacT, I'd offer him $1.5mil on a one-year deal just to see what happens. Hey, $2mil...I'll go up to two mil. Jones can play either wing, so you bring in Penner and stick Jones on the right side...see what happens.

- More Hemsky and Penner - It would be easier to deal Hemsky if the Oilers were in the position to take a prospect and a pick back instead of an immediate roster guy. Penner would make that possible.

- Even more Penner - It's not like the guy was a cancer in the room. The dispute between he and MacT was always about Penner's potential. Once in a while this huge, brilliant, beast of a player would come out scoring goals and throwing punishing hits. That Penner was amazing. And then, the next game, he'd do absolutely nothing and look to be off in space. That Penner sucked. MacT was frustrated beyond belief at Penner's inconsistency. Maybe someone like Eakins would have success reaching the player? Like I said, worth a shot as long as he doesn't cost too much.

- If the Oilers were to bring back Tom Gilbert for a joke, I hope they force him to get a haircut. Same this with Jones. Dang hippies.

- Ryan Smyth. I give him very little love on here for a reason. He needs to retire. I hate it when a pro athlete who is clearly done continues to play anyway. Of course, he has a right to keep playing, because dumbass Tambellini gave him a multi-year deal. Doesn't mean I need to like it.

There are and always will be Smyth die-hards out there. Guys who say the Oilers should retire his number and he'll be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. No, and no. Smyth is a swell guy, and was a hell of a player at one time. But number retirements are for guys who were legendary. Revolutionary. Phenomenal. Smyth...the bad-skating, garbage-goal scoring, grit machine that he was, was not legendary, revolutionary or phenomenal. He was a very solid hockey player, and let him be happy with that.

Smyth was a blue-collar hero, and in Edmonton, that's a well respected thing. I understand why people feel so much love and attachment to him. But let's be honest here. Doug Weight was a better player, and you don't hear people discussing his number being retired by the club. If I had to choose Smyth in his prime, or a healthy, in his prime Ales Hemsky, I'd take Hemsky. What Hemsky can do with the puck at both ends of the ice is closer to phenomenal. I'll tell you, before Robyn Regehr decapitated him, Hemsky was one of the most brilliant puck-handlers in the league.

Of course, some of you are going to take this as me chopping Smyth and all of that. Captain Canada, right? I'm not trying to dump on the legacy he'll leave when he calls it a career. Hey, if Eric Lindros, who was the best player in the world for a few seasons, can't get into the HHOF, why should Smyth? That's all I'm sayin'.
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