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The Oilers Bottom 6: Fix It.

July 31, 2013, 5:48 PM ET [228 Comments]
Richard Cloutier
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
I'm of the opinion Oilers GM Craig MacTavish shouldn't be done making moves this summer. We're not talking about anything as dramatic as the Paajarvi for Perron deal, but almost just as important. The Oilers Bottom 6, which was terrible last season, hasn't been improved. Oh, it will look different, but be better?

Here's where we stand as of now:

Out - Shawn Horcoff, Lennart Petrell, Jerred Smithson, Eric Belanger, Teemu Hartikainen

In - Boyd Gordon, Jesse Joensuu


So who might be in the Bottom 6 this season? Gordon, Joensuu, Ryan Jones, Ryan Smyth, Mike Brown, Ben Eager, Anton Lander, and Ales Hemsky

Yick.

As much as I ripped on Shawn Horcoff constantly, Gordon is not a better center. He's a different type of center, and his cap hit is much lower...but better? Horcoff did a good job playing two-way hockey against some pretty good lines last season. He had value and Gordon has work to do to fill Horcoff's skates.

Ales Hemsky has plenty of talent as we all know, but is he a third-line, two way winger? Not remotely. He's stuck with us until we can deal him. His contract might expire first before a deal happens.

I've seen nothing that suggests to me Joensuu is anything more than another Petrell. We're hoping we have the Ryan Jones from two years ago, and not Jones from last season. Ryan Smyth might be adored by fans, but he ran out of gas a season and a half ago. Eager is a headcase and Brown is extremely limited as a player. Our Bottom 6 has some serious issues.

So our Bottom 6 to start the season will look like...

L3: Jones - Gordon - Hemsky
L4: Smyth - Lander - Joensuu

I'm not exactly thrilled with this, but what can be done?

Not much, due mostly to contract issues. Should Craig MacTavish move out Ales Hemsky's contract for prospects or picks (if an immediate 3rd line player is not an option), the Oilers would open up all sorts of cap room. The team also has nine or ten defensemen competing for six or seven jobs. Significant cap room could be saved should someone like Nick Schultz be moved for a prospect or a pick (if an immediate 3rd line player is not an option).

Let's say what the Oilers could get is a 2nd round draft pick each for Nick Schultz and Ales Hemsky. I'm confident they could make those deals before the season began if management wanted it to happen. By doing so, you've just lowered the Oilers Salary Payroll number to just over $50mil. "Salary Payroll" is the number that counts against this season's $64mil cap. Keep in mind this season with the new CBA, bonuses don't count immediately against the cap number.

What I'm trying to say is, the Oilers could have $14mil in cap room without doing anything that disrupts the current roster in a meaningful way. You'd go in with a group that looked something like...

L1: Hall - Nugent-Hopkins - Eberle
L2: Perron - Gagner - Yakupov
L3: Jones - Gordon - Joensuu
L4: Smyth - Lander - Eager
ex: Brown, maybe Rajala

D1: Smid/Petry
D2: Ference/JSchultz
D3: Belov/Grebeshkov
ex: Larsen or Potter

G1: Dubnyk
G2: Labarbera

I know...I still haven't answered the question of how we can improve the Bottom 6. It's coming.

$14mil in cap room gives the Oilers the unique ability to take advantage of teams who have cap-locked themselves going into the new season. According to CapGeek at this very moment, 14 different teams are within $3mil or less of the cap ceiling. If the Oilers moved Nick Schultz and Ales Hemsky without taking contracts back, the Oilers would be 29th in cap spending. They'd have all the space in the world to add anyone they want. They'd also have two - 2nd round picks they could shift for teams looking to dump cap. The Oilers would be in the position to add solid players, not just scrubs.

Of course, the likelihood of all this happening is remote. It's an ideal situation. What is more likely is that teams would accept Schultz or Hemsky in trade, but would force the Oilers to take a decent salary back. Fine by me if the guys coming can actually play 3rd line minutes. I'll try to find you some examples.

- I'm not a huge Jordan Tootoo fan, but what about moving Schultz to the Wings for Tootoo? The Wings need another D-man before the season starts.

- Would the Florida Panthers, who have lotsa cap room, move Sean Bergenheim for Ales Hemsky? Bergenheim was suspended all of last season while getting hurt in Finland during the lockout. He's not tall, but he's got strength and knows how to throw hits. He's a legit 3rd line winger.

- Maybe you deal Schultz or Hemsky to Dallas for reclamation prospect project Scott Glennie?

- I know Jason Chimera wouldn't like it, but what about sending Hemsky or Schultz to Washington? Chimera is a big winger who knows how to drive the net and throw some hits. He makes more sense on the 3rd line than Hemsky does.

So if the Oilers came into camp with Bergenheim and Chimera as their 3rd line wingers, and Jones and Joensuu as their 4th? I feel better already.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the Oilers are loaded with contracts. At about 48 now after the Nurse signing? Signing UFA's like Brad Boyes or Peter Mueller might be difficult until Hemsky and Schultz are shipped out, and provided they are moved for draft picks, not players. UFA's to improve the Bottom 6 are still an option.

Oilers management still have work they can do. So do it.
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