Hope you had a great weekend, folks. I am doing well...day two of my new employment is tomorrow; long story about what I am up to now for my "day job" but I hear part of it has something to do with me driving around a college hockey team on weekends. Why do I have this image of me fighting to get a beer bong off my head in the middle of a checkstop? Just call me 'Bulin 2.

A few randoms to start the week:

- Sam Gagner signed on Sunday a two-year, $4.55mil ($2.275mil cap hit per season) deal with the Oilers. I like it. Perhaps it is a bit of a high deal considering Gagner's numbers to date, but if he lights it up this season with all the new talent on the team, it could end up being a steal of a deal in year two. Great to have this situation settled.

- Oilers GM Steve Tambellini told Sportsnet over the weekend that Mike Comrie will not be resigned by the team. Further to this, Tambi said last week that the Oilers have enough, if not too many, forwards coming to camp. Forget about the team adding someone like Owen Nolan or Bill Guerin, apparently. I am thankful he cleared this up, but I am not completely convinced something won't happen. Reason being? The Oilers still have an RFA left to sign, and the Souray situation could shake up team chemistry in the sense that a forward might come in return as part of a deal. There is, oddly enough, a number of different options still available to teams should they want to add someone...so don't close the book on possibilities just yet. It's too soon to do so. There are too many good players out there to do so.

- There is no news on Andrew Cogliano's contract status with the Oilers. Perhaps that matter will be sorted now that Sammy's deal is in the bag. Or perhaps, Cogliano's future with the team is linked to a potential deal occurring between the Oilers and the Washington Capitals or the New Jersey Devils.

- In respect to Washington speculation, word is the Caps are interested in Sheldon Souray. Hmmm. I am not sure how this situation would work out, as the Caps only have around $5mil of cap room remaining. The only way I can see an Edmonton/Washington tap dance is if the Oilers receive a bad contract as part of the deal, and if the Oilers offer someone in addition to Souray to make things happen. Would the Capitals deal Alexander Semin, who is one year from being a UFA? Not likely, as it seems Washington is making a serious push to win a cup in 2011. I suppose Tom Poti could be the player coming to Edmonton, and there could be a worse result than that (Poti has 1 year left on his deal at $3.5mil). Could a deal look like Tom Poti and Tomas Fleischmann for Sheldon Souray and Andrew Cogliano? It would be close to a wash salary-wise, and both Poti and Fleischmann would be UFA's...I am certain the Oilers would try hard to resign Fleischmann, so that would be their interest in the deal.

- In respect to a possible New Jersey deal, there is still no official word from the league if they have accepted Ilya Kovalchuk's contract. My information suggests it will be accepted, and the Devils will have a $3.5mil to $4mil salary cap issue to deal with. The Devils want to deal with their financial situation by moving Dainius Zubrus and Bryce Salvador, but if either or both were offered to the Oilers, I'd just say no. Zubrus is a big body, but he wouldn't bring much offensive improvement to the team. Salvador is a big, stay-at-home defenseman which the Oilers could use, but he's also 34 and is paid $2.9mil per season for two more years, making him old and overpaid.

Now if the Patrick Elias would be open to a deal, or if the Devils would be willing to move Travis Zajac or Henrik Tallinder, the Oilers would offer up Cogliano and more. Sadly, there likely are teams out there that would make deals for Zubrus and Salvador, so the Devils won't be forced to give up any of their core to make the Kovalchuk deal a reality.

- Finally, sentencing for Nikolai Khabibulin is scheduled for Tuesday. An article in the Edmonton Journal over the weekend suggested that Nikky will only get 30 days for the crime, but my understanding is that he could be looking at more of a 90 day stay in the sin bin. However, the court could take his line-of-work into account, and make him serve his sentence, for example, next off-season. Regardless what the outcome is, the Oilers will look at the result and discuss the matter with the league before they officially react. Khabibulin may also face a fine or suspension from the league. A suspension would be frustrating for the Oilers, as Nikky's back is much better (apparently), and the other goaltending options in Edmonton aren't the greatest.

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