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20 Questions for September |
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Whenever I feel an episode of writer's block coming on, I go back to my old favorites, which in Hockeybuzz terms is my playing with myself. Err, I mean, playing "20 Questions" with myself. It's almost September, when training camps start and life is fine because it's only a month away from television worth watching. Have any of you wasted time watching Big Brother this season? It's the worst yet, and that's saying something. I'd rather watch a Hugh Grant movie marathon than sacrifice any of my life to the horrifying Big Brother franchise that should have been ended after Season 3.
Have a read, and post your answers to any or all questions. I love picking the brains of hockey fans.
1. How bad (or good) are the Calgary Flames going to be this season? They went out this off-season and acquired a boatload of former Flames. Their roster appears to be improved from last season, but Calgary is quickly turning into the New York Rangers of the new century - A modern-day retirment home for hockey players. Will this finally be the season the Flames break thru, or will this be the beginning of a very slow and painful death of a franchise (until they are reborn, a la Oilers-style)?
2. And the rookie of the year in the NHL will be? My money is still on Magnus Paajarvi, but there are a stack of interesting names to choose from this season. The Oilers themselves could have three or four in the hunt; the Sabers have Tyler Ennis, the Leafs have that Kadri-Cola guy (He hits the spot!)...Brayden Schenn could play for the Kings this season, and have a great intro season; or maybe Tyler Seguin is going to be motivated enough to make the Oilers look stupid for taking the wrong guy.
3. Speaking of rookies, what number will Taylor Hall be wearing? I keep looking for hints, and there are very few to be found. I personally want him to wear #8, because it would look cool in between Coffey's #7 and Anderson's #9 someday in the rafters of Rexall Taxpayer's Place.
4. How many wins will the Oilers finish with this season? I see them finishing with 38 wins, 38 regulation loses, and 6 OT loses. And as far as the OT goes, the Oilers have some real slick players in the line-up. They might be near impossible to beat in the shootout this year, and that could bring their win total over 40. And no, I'm not smoking anything...right now.
5. How many games will Sheldon Souray play in Edmonton this season? Trick question, I realize. If they deal him before the season begins, none. If they can't deal him, he could be in the line-up, or he could be at home feeding Frosted Flakes to his welsh corgi. And if he does play, he could get hurt and miss action. What's my prediction? 40 games in Edmonton before he gets dealt at the trade deadline for a bucket of pucks.
6. Place your bets on the Nikolai Khabibulin court case. If Lindsay Lohan can be released from rehab early, Khabby can be in and out of jail before the beginning of October. Look for The Bulin Wall to be in full effect in Edmonton on October 1st, until his back flares up again and his bar tab has been cleared.
7. Will the Oilers make any deals before the season begins? Survey says...yes. One of the goalies will be gone, because he'll be lost to waivers otherwise. Jeff Deslauriers is my guess, but he and Dubnyk are neck-and-neck for the back-up job. Even though I post rumor-type stuff on here on an almost daily basis, I don't believe any of it. The Oilers have made enough changes for one off-season.
8. Will the Oilers sign a UFA before the season begins? Yep. I still think Mike Comrie plays in Edmonton again, just because the crowd kinda likes him. Look for Dy-Na-Mike to be centering the second line with Hall and Jordan Eberle on the wings. Also look for a baby-bump on Hilary in about six months. Name your first three kids after me, Mike.
9. Will either of Ales Hemsky or Dustin Penner be dealt before the season begins? No. They won't even be dealt if the Oilers stink up the NHL this season. As much as I have questioned whether the Oilers should hang on to their two best veteran players (or deal them to increase the number of youngsters in the stable), Oilers GM Steve Tambellini will hold on to them this season, attempt to sign them to extensions before the NHL Draft in June 2011, and will only move the players at the draft only if they won't sign extentions. It's hard to imagine the Oilers getting good in a few years, and Hemsky and Penner not being there for the ride. Hemsky in particular, who is going to be a 90 point player if he can stay healthy, and if he has players like Hall and Paajarvi on a line with him in a few seasons.
10. All of this doesn't mean the Oilers won't try to pull off a major deal before the NHL season begins. Who are their primary targets? Think defensemen. Think Karl Alzner, Thomas Hickey, and/or Luke Schenn. Think a deal between the Oilers and any team that has one too many quality young defensemen in their system.
11. Where will Ilya Kovalchuk play in 2010/2011? The KHL. This whole thing has been about money, and the KHL will open the floodgates in an effort to make the NHL look bad. Sorry, Comrades...It's the KHL that is looking dull offering so much money to players when the heat of the top hockey league in the world gets too much for them. In the words of Homer Simpson, "if you don't like it, go to Russia!"
12. What does Donald Fehr as the Executive Director of the NHLPA mean? I'd say one big, ugly lockout when the CBA needs to be renegotiated. Does anyone like Fehr's apparent hiring? This screams disaster to me.
13. Is there anyone out there who thinks the Vancouver Canucks won't finish first in the Western Conference in 2010/2011?
14. Who wins the east? My money right now is on the Pittsburgh Penguins. They've done nice work in the off-season filling in holes, especially on defense. And Crosby and Malkin are pissed about last season's showing. In 2010/2011, don't call it a come back...
15. Most improved team in the NHL? Easy one...the Oilers, point-wise. But they're still going to miss the playoffs, so calling them "most improved" is a bit of a stretch. In the West, the Canucks, Red Wings and Kings will be the most improved teams. In the East, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Boston will be better this season. Especially Tampa Bay. They don't call their GM "Steve Wonder" for no reason. And no, it isn't because he eats alot of bread.
16. Which teams will disappoint? In the West, Chicago, San Jose and Phoenix will be taking a step back. In the East? Montreal is going to miss the playoffs because they've botched their goaltending situation. The NY Rangers and the Atlanta Thrashers are going to fade into the abyss. I look at the rosters of teams like the Thrashers, Panthers and Hurricanes, and I wonder how anyone can say the Oilers are going to finish 30th in 2011. The Oklahoma City Barons would beat these three teams on most nights.
17. Speaking of the Barons, they will be the best team in the AHL this season. Daryl Katz did everything possible to buy the best farm team this season, and the franchise will be rewarded.
18. Who is the first call-up from Oklahoma City? If Linus Omark, Eberle or Paajarvi starts down there, it will be one of those three. If not, I'd bank on Shawn Belle getting the call...or Martin Gerber if Khabby's back is bad.
19. Where is much-rumored Tomas Kaberle going to end up by the end of the season? In Boston, for their #1 draft picks in 2011 and 2012. Sorry...just making a funny. Kaberle is going to resign in Toronto for a boatload of money, and GM Brian Burke will state publicly that he never, ever intended to trade Kaberle, and the whole situation was made up by the media.
20. In an unrelated story, Leafs Head Coach Ron Wilson will be the first NHL Head Coach to be sacked this season. But it will have nothing to do with Tomas Kaberle.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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