Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Striking for Oil

EDMONTON OILERS

2011-12 Record: 32-40-10 (74 points)
missed the playoffs
Captain: Shawn Horcoff

For three straight years, the Oilers have stunk up the joint, and for three straight years, they have had the number one overall pick in the NHL Draft.  Front line help is not the issue, as Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Jordan Eberle are already making an impact.  Throw in hot prospect Nail Yakupov and the Oilers look like they want to recreate the run 'n' gun of the 1980's Oilers squad.  So, why have the Oilers not been as good in recent years?  One needs to only look at the blue line and see that the team needs a lot of help, and the top prospects there are still a year away from contributing regularly.  The wild card of this group is Justin Schultz, the top free agent this offseason who has not played an NHL game, yet because he did not sign with Anaheim after leaving Wisconsin, was allowed to sign anywhere.  If Schultz lives up to the hype, the Oilers will go a long way to solving some of their blue line problems.  Goaltending is another issue, as it is still largely unknown if Devan Dubnyk is the answer.  Yes, he put up good numbers, but that was only 47 games, and now that he will likely play 60 games, will he be the same player or better?

Prediction: 13th in the West


Band: Månegarm

A band that has a lot of potential, yet remains largely unknown.  A new label in Napalm Records will hopefully change that.  The Oilers have potential, but still need that one element to get over the top.  Where they will get the element remains to be seen.



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