You are correct sir. I said that he is on the Olympic team radar right now because they are watching all the canadian goalies until the final camp invites. and to get invites they have to show they can win and Smith despite tinight is still winning. Ward is over there because of his winning background. But each Player has to show some respect to the Canadian Hockey federation also. After last years when a bunch of big name players turned down the invites to the worlds there was a big stink about it and Yserman has told the NHLPA there will be no excuses anymore as they still have an obligation to sell the game internationally: IE the Worlds and the Olympics.
- longbottom

Other thing I think we really gotta factor in when choosing our goalie is how is this goalie successful. Is he the type of goalie that is successful getting 40-50 shots a game? Or is he a goalie that can get 18-22 shots a game and still make those big saves at key times like say a Brodeur in his prime. Because to me that is the type of goalie we need on our Olympic team.

Cujo was amazing on the leafs because he was the type of goalie that needed to have 40-50 shots a game to keep him sharp yet whenever he played for Canada he was never that good (also the Red Wings) because no goalie playing for a powerhouse like Canada is going to get over 40 shots every game.

That's why I think Carey Price probably will be the one. I've seen him play in games where he was amazing with 20 shots and 50 shots and I it's so seldom that he costs the habs games that I can't even think of one. (However I do hate him on the shootout, wow..... awful)

I will give Luongo credit for when he played for FLorida, maybe he is the type of goalie that needs a ton of shots but as we can see on Vancouver...... tendency for the bad goal at bad times........ and we cannot put a goalie on team Canada that is a high shot high success goalie but fumbles when he only faces less than 25 shots a game

OMG all the women on my Twitter feed are doing is moaning about Desperate Housewives's final episode that showed on Sunday. That show stopped being interesting about half way through the first season. Geez, get a grip.

Fleury has crapped the bed three years in a row in the playoffs. SV% in the 800's.
- Jack-artist

He's interchangeable with Ward. That's what winning a Stanley Cup does for your reputation. If you can name a better young Canadian goalie who's won when it counts the most, I'm open to suggestions

OMG all the women on my Twitter feed are doing is moaning about Desperate Housewives's final episode that showed on Sunday. That show stopped being interesting about half way through the first season. Geez, get a grip.
- Maxbone

Tell them to watch a real show like Sons of Anarchy..........

You touch on a key point. Klefbom and Musil are projected to be 3/4 guys. I think Smid is a 3/4 guy. Petry could turn into a 1/2 guy but is more likely a 3/4. Fedun has the brains to be a 3/4 guy. Gernat and Marincin are wild-cards...who knows where they end up on the depth chart. Teubert who was brought in is a 5/6 at best.

Lots of depth here, but no clear top pairing guys. It's an issue the Oil will need to deal with before they move forward.
- Maxbone

Fedun? He's never even played a regular season game ffs. I feel bad for the guy but come on..

kevin lowe said ryan murray is A top prospect not THE top prospect. big difference. they replayed the interview time and time again on bob stauffers show so dont act like you dont know that richard!
- howamidointhis

It is exactly like when a player asks for a trade. If the oilers make it look like they want murray then why trade with them? Nail is available. Unless they think other people want Murray. For your theory to be correct they should be calling the forwards that the other teams want. Then they will get calls. Teams need to think the player THEY are going to pick is going to be gone for them to offer a trade. The oilers saying that their pick is safe is no incentive.

You forget the Taylor/Tyler year. Tambi and Lowe said from the start they know who they want to pick but they still interviewed everyone and flew both kids out to the city. They spent a fair amount of time with these two. In the end when they made their pick they said they picked the player they always planned on from the start.

I think the Oil are going to pick Nail but they are going to make certain he is the right player for the team. I have seen his interviews and him play. Nothing to indicate that this kid is anything less than humble and yet plays with everything he has. He has a mature game play both for play making and back checking. He takes the body but doesn't leave himself exposed the way Hall does. He is a smart player. Murray is playing on team canada and has racked up 2 shots and is plus 1 with no points. Dumba looked better in the under 18. Murray is being scouted, just like Tyler was and will to the end.

But the oilers won't be offered what the first spot is worth. They haven't been in the past and I don't see it changing. People covet their draft picks lately and Tambi thinks his is worth a first liner. Only Burke doesn't care about them and even he is starting to learn. So the Oil will keep checking on the number 2 which IS Murray until they pick Nail who they always planned on picking just like when Hall was drafted. Its the way he has always done it and no Plus 1 and 2 shots on net paired with Duncan Keith on the second line of a winning Team Canada is going to sway him.

Tell them to watch a real show like Sons of Anarchy..........
- Sheppy99

Or Mad Men or Game Of Thrones

On Matters concerning trades, picks he has said several times in the Past he has a voice and an opinion but the final say is the G.M.'s unless it has Financial implications that have to be brought to Katz. So in other words Lowe is president of Hockey operations and Tambellinni as G.M. runs the day to day operations of the club. It's confuseing but Katz wanted a differnt guy in charge of the Day to Day stuff. Hence Lowe being moved out of the G.M.'s chair.
- longbottom

K.

First of all, Kevin Lowe moved Kevin Lowe out of the GM's seat. The Oilers wanted to adapt a more Detroit Red Wings sorta management group, which meant increasing the size of management and bringing in a different range of hockey minds.

Katz is the owner. And just like every other owner, Katz needs to be given a chance to nuke any moves of financial significance. I've heard it said by Lowe and others that Katz does a pretty good job of staying out of their hair when it comes to operating the team. As long as his freaky kid gets to hand out hats and sammiches at the Entry Draft, Katz is happy.

Keep in mind Lowe left the GM job at a time that was politically right to do so. Or worded another way, he was doing a crap job of managing the team, and ran the risk of getting fired if he didn't put someone else in the hot seat.

In summary:
1. Lowe has final say on everything and always has.
2. Tambellini is there in case the team fails so Lowe has someone to blame.
3. Tambellini no doubt contributes to team management, but Lowe could win any arm wrestle he wants, if he really wants to.
4. Katz's kid was hilarious in the movie Bad Santa

Fedun? He's never even played a regular season game ffs. I feel bad for the guy but come on..
- TheTaoOfSemenko

If Fedun wouldn't have got hurt last season, he had earned a spot onto the Oilers starting roster. Was best D man in camp.

You touch on a key point. Klefbom and Musil are projected to be 3/4 guys. I think Smid is a 3/4 guy. Petry could turn into a 1/2 guy but is more likely a 3/4. Fedun has the brains to be a 3/4 guy. Gernat and Marincin are wild-cards...who knows where they end up on the depth chart. Teubert who was brought in is a 5/6 at best.

Lots of depth here, but no clear top pairing guys. It's an issue the Oil will need to deal with before they move forward.
- Maxbone

Holy $hit, is there one Canadian in that bunch?

K.

First of all, Kevin Lowe moved Kevin Lowe out of the GM's seat. The Oilers wanted to adapt a more Detroit Red Wings sorta management group, which meant increasing the size of management and bringing in a different range of hockey minds.

Katz is the owner. And just like every other owner, Katz needs to be given a chance to nuke any moves of financial significance. I've heard it said by Lowe and others that Katz does a pretty good job of staying out of their hair when it comes to operating the team. As long as his freaky kid gets to hand out hats and sammiches at the Entry Draft, Katz is happy.

Keep in mind Lowe left the GM job at a time that was politically right to do so. Or worded another way, he was doing a crap job of managing the team, and ran the risk of getting fired if he didn't put someone else in the hot seat.

In summary:
1. Lowe has final say on everything and always has.
2. Tambellini is there in case the team fails so Lowe has someone to blame.
3. Tambellini no doubt contributes to team management, but Lowe could win any arm wrestle he wants, if he really wants to.
4. Katz's kid was hilarious in the movie Bad Santa
- Maxbone

So..you dont actually have any idea about who's running what, do you?

Holy $hit, is there one Canadian in that bunch?
- Sheppy99

Musil is, sorta. Klefbom has great English kills and they call him a rock star. Close enough to being a Canadian. Petry is a yank. Smid liked Edmonton and wants to say. Fedun is Canadian as is Teubert. Marincin and Gernat are from no where near Berlin.

If Fedun wouldn't have got hurt last season, he had earned a spot onto the Oilers starting roster. Was best D man in camp.
- Maxbone

Arguable and doesnt mean a thing. Remember when MPS had a hat trick in training camp? Remember earlier in the year when Corey Potter was the new savior? And now Fedun, coming off of a complex femoral fracture and having never played an NHL game, just slots into the top 4?

Ok

So..you dont actually have any idea about who's running what, do you?
- TheTaoOfSemenko

That's a weird question. Truth is, all main decisions are made more my committee than a single guy. Tambellini, Lowe, other people working in scouting and player development and the coaches all give their opinions on where things should go. Sometimes one side wins arguments over the other. Lowe has final say, but he goes with what the group collectively decides. They are a very forward-thinking organization.

Arguable and doesnt mean a thing. Remember when MPS had a hat trick in training camp? Remember earlier in the year when Corey Potter was the new savior? And now Fedun, coming off of a complex femoral fracture and having never played an NHL game, just slots into the top 4?

Ok
- TheTaoOfSemenko

I assume Fedun, if not injured, would have done like most prospects as they earn their first NHL defenseman season: He'd play five games well because he'd be on a high. then the specialness wears out and players need to get into the grind of a pro schedule. Usually by game 15 to 20, the rookie is down to 3rd lin duty and more likely a trip to the AHL to play greater minutes.

I assume Fedun, if not injured, would have done like most prospects as they earn their first NHL defenseman season: He'd play five games well because he'd be on a high. then the specialness wears out and players need to get into the grind of a pro schedule. Usually by game 15 to 20, the rookie is down to 3rd lin duty and more likely a trip to the AHL to play greater minutes.
- Maxbone

Please make another funny trade proposal involving Subban.

I was just talking to Kevin Lowe, and he was telling me that Columbus offered Umberger + their 1st pick for our 1st...

In other news, Murray and RNH are hitting it off.

I was just talking to Kevin Lowe, and he was telling me that Columbus offered Umberger + their 1st pick for our 1st...
- laughs2907

I do that in a heartbeat.

Musil is, sorta. Klefbom has great English kills and they call him a rock star. Close enough to being a Canadian. Petry is a yank. Smid liked Edmonton and wants to say. Fedun is Canadian as is Teubert. Marincin and Gernat are from no where near Berlin.
- Maxbone

did they molest horses IN BERLIN ?

"Strome + Murray...clear win for the Oilers. It might be the only feasible trade scenario that results in a bigger Oiler win than just taking Yakupov 1st overall."

Sooooooooo, why wouldn't the Islanders want to keep Strome and possibly draft Murray 4th if he's still around as your blog suggests? It works both ways, the Islanders "win" AS WELL "than just taking Yakupov 1st overall."

Who the (frank) is Kevin Lowe, and what's a "Yakupov"?

I don't think the Islanders do that richard, though it would be nice.

I do see the Ducks as the more likely team. With Selanne and Koivu nearing the end of their careers, they are looking very thin in the front. Share a pretty big market in southern california, and may have a couple defenseman available. They do have a couple good center prospects, Emerson Etem and Peter Holland.

They need NHL level center depth, so maybe a 1st and gags for the ducks pick, Etem and Luca Sbisa?

If you had to chose today, knowing what you know now

Would you rather have ?

Hall/Nugent-Hopkins

or

Seguin/Landeskog

You guys need a goalie pretty bad. Now is the perfect chance to get a good one who's locked up for the length of all your young stars careers.
- Scooby_Doo

Actually the Oilers need a good goalie that will grow with their youth. Not an over paid senior goalie.