In an effort to determine exactly how much I can write and/or take in a 24 hour period the Oilers are going to follow up yesterday's rampant speculation that climaxed into the Smid trade and the Bryzgalov signing with an early game against the Flyers. If some of you are still in shell shock then you arent alone, and I imagine the team is feeling it as well.
RECAP
Yesterday's excitement started off with a connected Flyers reporter claiming that talks with the Oilers were on and one of the names discussed was Jordan Eberle. Just as I said at the time, the Flyers do not have anyone on their defense that is worth Jordan Eberle so if he was in play then it would be one of Philadelphia's high end forwards coming back.
For many of us it was the first time we have tested the question of "Would I trade Eberle?" in a scenario where he could plausibly be moved by the Oilers. I learned about myself that I actually would be comfortable moving Eberle, but only for the right price. Some of us when faced that question answered with a resounding "NO!"
But if Eberle trade rumours are bizarre in Edmonton then what was to transpire next was bordering on the criminally insane. Late in the afternoon the Oilers traded rugged defensive minded Defenseman Ladislav Smid and Goaltending prospect Olivier Roy to the Calgary Flames (?!?!) in exchange for middling prospects Roman Horak (C) and Laurent Brossoit (G). The move was most obviously a Salary dump so the only question left to answer was why they needed Cap space.
We did not have to wait long at all to find out at least one reason the space was needed as TSN reported that the Oilers had come to terms, at least in a verbal agreement, with Ilya Bryzgalov on a one year deal.
ANALYSIS
Ladi Smid's contract is one that MacT inherited from Steve Tambellini and when the new GM needed to make room for his own moves he sacrificed one of the last moves that Tambi made to do it. Unfortunately the Oilers are a much easier team to play against today than they were yesterday because of this move. The Oiler defense is woeful at best and while Smid is not a versatile defender, he IS dependable, tough, and essentially the only Defense-First blueliner capable of playing in the Oiler top 4.
Smid cleared players from the front of the net during AND after play, often being the first Oiler to initiate in a scrum. He is a physical player who can be counted on in his own zone. While his offense is largely negligible he blocks shots in high volume and is a legitimate NHL player. This last part is the most important aspect here.
We have been asked to swallow a rebuild that has taken years to develop from a club that has been out of the playoffs for 7 years. Now, when the Oilers proclaim that they are no longer rebuilding they are trading established NHL players for nobodies and never-will-bes. And while we all expect that there HAS to be more to this move than signing Bryzgalov, the other shoe has yet to drop.
Speaking of Bryzgalov, if you want to see a positive spin with Oiler coloured glasses on then DO NOT watch the TSN panel discuss the move. Punches were not pulled. The consensus is that the signing represents sheer desperation and adding the unstable goalie to this high pressure scenario is a mistake.
Ultimately the Oil had to do something about the fact that Dubnyk has decided to send his career down the toilet and eventually were left with just Bryz as their only option. Until the Oilers add a defenseman via trade this entire situation appears to have happened solely because they have nobody reliable in net. So now the club is worse off in a position that was a weakness before and whether or not they are any better off with Bryzgalov has yet to be determined.
LINEUPS
The Oilers should be getting a couple of forwards back from injury in Perron and Joensuu but will have to overcome the emotions of losing a friend and long time team mate via trade. How much confidence Dubnyk or his teammates have in him knowing he is responsible for this is up for debate. Bryzgalov is not officially signed and will stay away until the contract is signed.
Perron RNH Eberle Hall Gagner Hemsky Joensuu Gordon Arco Gazdic Smyth Yakupov
Ference Petry Belov (?) Larsen N. Schultz Fedun
Dubnyk (?)
The Flyers are struggling as poorly as the Oilers but their issue is a severe lack of offense, however playing the Oil is generally a cure for that. Philadelphia has scored 22 goals on the season compared to the Oilers' 42. It starts with their Captain Giroux and keeps going from there. They have 13 players who have suited up for them that have not scored a goal yet this year, 9 of whom are regulars. Mason is expected to start.
OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME
1) Overcome Emotion. These are wild times for the Oilers. Friends are on their way out and jobs are on the line. They have to ignore everything that's going on around them and focus on the just this game.
2) Dont Stop Shooting. They were beaten by a hot goalie in Tampa but outplayed the Lightning. They cannot stop shooting the puck just because it didnt lead to a win in the last game. Keep the pedal to the metal.
3) Stay Disciplined. Smid was one of the Oilers' best penalty killers. His absence leaves a hole on an already maligned PK unit. Stay out of the box or risk being exposed.
Puck drops at 11:08AM Mountain time on Sportsnet. Game On!
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