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Steve Tambellini: A Model, Idiot

January 11, 2013, 4:04 PM ET [150 Comments]
Richard Cloutier
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The firing of Leafs GM Brian Burke had a number of Oilers fans asking the question: Just what does a GM in Edmonton need to do to get fired? As bad as the Leafs have been over the last number of seasons, the Oilers have been worse. They've been the worst team in the league over the last three seasons. There have been bad trades and a bunch of questionable signings, plus plenty of non-action at times when most GM's would be frantic. Steve Tambellini is a terrible general manager.

Or is he?

There was a blog put up today from my friend Lowetide on the Oilers Nation website suggesting the Oilers should deal for one of three goaltenders from Ottawa. Another buddy, Travis Yost, agreed with Lowetide in his blog posted. I'm here to tell you the likelihood of Tambellini making a deal for a goalie is low, if not non-existent. It's not that a deal is a bad idea; it's just that Tambellini and the Oilers have been working an intentional reorganization strategy for a few seasons now. The timing of a goalie deal is all wrong.

The Oilers are purposefully keeping Nikolai Khabibulin around. If he plays well this season, I could see him being offered $1mil next season to stick around in 2013/2014. In heavens name, why? Because Khabibulin has two jobs now: He's there to be Dubnyk's backup, but more importantly, he's there to look after Nail Yakupov.

The Oilers love Yakupov's talent...They like his drive and determination, even if it means he has a well developed case of swagger. Like all young stars entering the NHL, the challenge is almost more off the ice than on it. Yakupov has joined the best league in the world, in a country where he's only lived a short time, and English is his second language. The media in Edmonton and the interest level in the Oilers is huge. In Junior, Yakupov was a big fish in a small pond. In the NHL, there's 40 or 50 guys already here who have the skill level he does. If Yakupov gets cocky, he could get clobbered on a regular basis. Cocky players like Evander Kane paint a huge target on their back by how they act off the ice.

The easiest way to help Yakupov develop properly is to surround him with support: Solid citizens like Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins taking time for him; Ryan Smyth acting like a mentor in the locker-room, and Russian speaking Khabibulin playing the role of big brother away from the rink. If Khabibulin can play well for, let's say, 10-15 games this season, if Dubey turns into a legitimate starter, and if Khabby is willing to re-sign for much less money, he absolutely could be back for another season in Edmonton. Think of the Oilers more as a family developing into a functioning unit, and not as a group of individual players just there to earn a pay-cheque.

Keep in mind what the main issues in Edmonton have been in recent seasons. Goaltending is not necessarily one of them.

Issue #1: The defense isn't good defensively; and

Issue #2: A roster is filled with small forwards who can't physically control the flow of games.

It's altogether possible Devan Dubnyk and Nikolai Khabibulin are better goaltenders than we've given them credit for. Now that the Oilers roster is improving, it will be interesting to see if our perception of Dubnyk and Khabibulin will change. Maybe deals to upgrade the team are still required, or maybe the Oilers have enough of the pieces now. The short 2012/2013 season is an experiment more than anything else. If required, Oilers management will make huge adjustments to the roster during the summer of 2013.


Tambellini: Is he or isn't he?
Getting back to the topic of Oilers GM Steve Tambellini, ask yourself a question: Would you rather have Toronto's roster? Or Calgary's roster?

Tambellini could have tried to keep the Oilers respectable. He could have moved prospects and draft picks for established players. Would the Oilers have been the league's worst team over the last three seasons if he did? No. But we wouldn't be looking at Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Nail Yakupov in Oilers jerseys either.

Losing can purposeful, as it's the easiest way to acquire elite talent. The Oilers are not the type of team that can just go out and attract franchise UFA's...Every time we tried to sign someone, we finished second in the beauty pageant. Finishing 2nd is pointless when attempting to sign a player. 2nd is not 1st. Only 1st gets the player. Since the Oilers can't attract elite UFA's, they need to draft and develop them. Best way to do that is to suck for a while. Which we have.

What makes life so bleak for fans of teams like the Flames and Leafs is that they can't see where the future is headed. There's roughly the same number of fans who see the situations there as being beak and hopeless as those who feel optimistic. Almost everyone who follows the NHL, regardless of which team they cheer for, sees the Oilers roster of elite prospects and understands just how good this team will be in time. It's all optimism in Edmonton now.

The person to thank for it is Steve Tambellini. You have no idea how much it pains me to say this. Tambellini has been brilliant by being completely inactive. He's ignored the fans, the media, and all of the other pressures involved in order to stick with the plan. Three seasons from now, Oilers fans will wonder how we survived without this guy.

Don't expect any big trades, Oilers fans. Not now at least. We might...and I say "might" go out and get a 5/6 defenseman...but word is competition is huge for the few defensemen who are available and teams will overpay for them because of it. The last thing the Oilers want to do now is overpay for anyone.

The Oilers could make a few big deals at the trade deadline (April 3) if it looks like we'll be in the playoffs, and if there was quality rental players available at a reasonable price. Call it the "2006 Approach". If management feels it's worth trying to win a round or two, they'll make available a few mid-level picks and prospects for the sake of a playoff run. It's about time.

I feel the Oilers are still away from being a playoff team. What this translates to is us perhaps moving a few rental players (upcoming UFA's like Ryan Whitney and Ryan Jones) to acquire more draft picks. Organizationally, the Oilers have depth issues in goal and at center, so the more picks the better come 2013. During the summer of 2013, I suspect two huge moves will be made, because the time is right. Deals for a goaltender, if required, will certainly occur then.

One last note...Keep in mind the glut of quality goalies that exist. There must be 30 reasonable NHL backup-level goalies out there that the Oilers could sign as UFA's for $1mil or less in the summer. If Dubnyk looks like a legit NHL starter, there's no reason for the Oilers to offer up any assets to acquire a back-up.

Oilers fans will be treated to the most young and exciting team in hockey this season. Will they be good? Likely no. It's a win-win situation in Edmonton: If they're good, UFA's in the summer will want to sign up, and the Oilers roster will get strong. If they're bad, they draft someone named MacKinnon, Jones or Barkov, and the pool of young talent gets deeper and more ridiculous. It's all good.
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