Oilers not about to purge roster

While many fans might want the Edmonton Oilers to get out the wrecking ball or a wheelbarrow full of dynamite and completely blow up the current roster, don’t count on it.

As disgruntled as you might be, you can’t knock it down all at once.

“You can’t move out 20 players and bring in 20 new ones,” said Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini.

That said, Tambellini has likely gone through his roster, put check marks beside the keepers, slapped Xs beside “It’s-been-nice-knowing-you” guys, and jotted down question marks beside other bubble players.

Tambellini has started his due diligence. And when you finish 12 points behind the 29th-place team in a 30-team league, nobody is completely safe.

How many from this year’s roster will be back next year? Ballpark?

“I don’t want to give you a number right now,” said Tambellini on Thursday.

“I’ll let you go there … .” OK, so we will.

Let’s start with the ones returning for sure next season:

– Goal — Nikolai Khabibulin .

– Defence — Tom Gilbert , Ryan Whitney and Ladislav Smid.

– Forwards — Ales Hemsky , Dustin Penner, Shawn Horcoff , Sam Gagner , Gilbert Brule .

And the ones about 75 per cent likely to be back:

– Defence –Theo Peckham.

– Forwards –Andrew Cogliano , Zack Stortini, Ryan Jones, J.F. Jacques (if his back gets healthy).

Not returning:

– Defence — Sheldon Souray.

– Forwards — Ethan Moreau, Patrick O’Sullivan, Robert Nilsson.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/sports/Oilers+about+purge+roster/2923884/story.html


9 Responses to Oilers not about to purge roster

  1. albertateams says:

    Trade: Khabibulin & Moreau to Chicago for Huet, Aliu & Sopel saves Chicago 2.2 million on the cap Edmonton picks up Aliu for the cap relief.  

    Trade Souray and a 2nd (NSH) to LA for Handzus and Hickey or Teubert.

    Trade Cogliano, Penner and Deslauriers to Montreal for Price and Hamrlik, Montreal gets Penner to play amongst the Smurfs and adds more speed in Cogliano and a back up goalie. Edmonton gets there goalie of the future and takes Hamerliks contract off of Montreals's hands. You could make the same trade for Halak dempending on who you think Mtl keeps. 

    Hall Horcoff Hemsky
    MPS Gagner Eberle
    Brule Handzus O'Sullivan
    Jacques Potulny Stortini

    ex)Aliu Nilsson Pouliot

    Gilbert Whitney
    Smid Hamerlik
    Sopel Hickey

    ex) Peckham Chorney

    Price Huet 

    ex)Dubnyk

    Will probably still be one of the worst teams in the league but they have added some nice long term pieces and be in line to draft Sean Couturier next year. 

    Summer 2011 they lose alot of baggage salary and can look to add in free agent pieces around a core of: Hall, MPS, Gagner, Hemsky, Eberle, Couturier, Aliu, Whitney, Gilbert, Hickey, and Price. 2011 free agent crop looks very promising with some big names that could potentially hit the market.  

  2. nordiques100 says:

    trade Marc Pouliot to Montreal for S Kostitsyn (Kostitsyn has previous history with Gagner in London. nice chg of scenery for both players. wing depth in case prospects not ready)

    trade Nilsson and Smid to Detroit for Hudler and Meech (high end skilled guy to play with Hemsky)

    trade Cogliano and Souray to ST Louis for Jackman and Boyes (even up salaries. proven goal scorer in Boyes to go with defensive presence and grit of Jackman. both players in prime of their careers. Cogs is a good up and coming player to give up.)

    trade O'Sullivan to TB for Anaheim's 3rd round pick. (salary dump)

    trade Moreau to ATL for a 5th round pick. (salary dump)

    Had approx 15 mil in cap space before trades.

    Dropped 2 RFAs and 12.3 mil off the books. Added 3 RFAs, 2 picks and 7.5 mil in salary.

    Thus have approx 20 mil in cap space.
    Re-sign:

    Gagner 2.25 mil
    Hudler 3 mil
    Kostitsyn 1 mil
    Meech 600K
    Jacques 600K
    Brule 1.75 mil
    Deslauriers 800K
     
    total of 10 mil. add in Eberle and the 1st overall pick, both possibles to make team and that would add an additional 1.187 mil and say a base salary for the top pick of 875K. So rounded to an additional 2 mil added for these 2 players.

    that's 12 mil of the 20 used up, leaving say 8 mil to fill out rest of roster.

    sign Chris Mason for 3.5 mil per if Khabibulin cannot go. I would sign Mason anyways as Bulinwall looks finished with a bad back injury.

    sign Adam Burish for 800K to provide them with a checking centre and some grit. 

    sign Shaone Morrisonn at 2.9 mil. physical blueliner. can move puck.

    whatever $$$ left over plus cap increase will be their cap space to use for in season moves + bonuses + whatever.

    Hulder-Horcoff-Hemsky
    Penner-Seguin-Boyes
    Gagner-Brule-Eberle
    Stortini-Burish-Jones

    depth: Kostitsyn, Jacques, Potulny, Stone, O'Marra

    Whitney-Gilbert
    Jackman-Morrisonn
    Chorney-Peckham
    Meech

    depth: Plante, Petry, Motin

    Mason-Deslauriers (otherwise Khabibulin if healthy).

    depth: Dubnyk

    3 scoring lines, more depth at all positions (maybe could use another veteran dman though) and basically more to work with, less dead wood in Edmonton.

    They arent a big team but have lots of skill

  3. cam7777 says:

    After the Post-Season:
    ================

    -place Nikolai Khabibulin on permanent Long-Term Injury (ie. Mike Rathje)

    To OTT: Sheldon Souray, 3rd in 2010
    To EDM: Pascal LeClaire, Chris Kelly, rights to Anton Volchenkov

    -sign Anton Volchenkov, 6 years, 27 million (4.5 cap hit)

    LeClaire gets boo'd every time he touches the puck in Ottawa.  Elliot is the starter there, and there is a large market for goalies this summer, so LeClaire's salary would be nice to move.  Kelly has out-lived his usefulness with the emergence of Regin.  It looks to me like Volchenkov won't resign in Ottawa with Cowen coming up, and Carkner filling in nicely as a shutdown D.  He could easily be pricing himself out of Ottawa.  The salaries even up pretty nicely here.

    At the NHL Entry Draft:
    ================

    To PHI: Andrew Cogliano, Patrick O'Sullivan, 1st in 2011, 2nd in 2010 (NSH)
    To EDM: Jeff Carter

    This is a good return for Carter, especially since, like the Kessel trade, that pick could be pretty high – it's a risk for Edmonton.  Thanks to all the NTC's in Philly, Carter will likely be the one on the outs, as he is really the only moveable body.  They will look for a shakeup this summer in all likelihood.  This season was too stressful to not make adjustments.

    -resign Gilbert Brule, 2 years, 3.5 million (1.75 cap hit)
    -resign Aaron Johnson, 2 years, 2 million (1.00 cap hit)
    -resign Jeff Drouin-Delauriers, 2 years, 1,7 million (0.85 cap hit)
    -resign Sam Gagner, 2 years, 3.85 million (1.925 cap hit)

    -select Taylor Hall 1st overall

    -waive Robert Nilsson
    -waive Ethan Moreau (try to lose him on re-entry so he can play in the NHL)

    July First / Free Agency:
    =================

    -sign Sergei Gonchar, 3 years, 16.5 million (5.5 cap hit)

    Roster for 2010/2011:
    ================

    Penner (4.25) – Carter (5.00) – Hemsky (4.1)
    T.Hall (3.725) – Gagner (1.95) – Eberle (1.12)
    Horcoff (5.50) – Brule (1.75) – Stortini (0.70)
    Jacques (0.7) – Kelly (2.125) – R.Jones (0.975)

    Gonchar (5.5) – Volchenkov (4.5)
    Whitney (4.0) – Gilbert (4.0)
    Johnson (1.0) – L.Smid (1.3)

    LeClaire (3.7) – Drouin-Delauriers (0.85)

    CAP HIT – 56.75 million

    Now, that's a pretty damn fast turn-around.  I would look to sign another fighter as well, as the small forwards will continue to be an issue in Edmonton.  However, Gonchar manning the point on the PP, complimenting the team's skill and size, will really be ideal.  Likewise, Volchenkov taking people's heads off helps to keep other team's a little more honest.

  4. broc says:

    I love the end line-up. Will Philly trade Carter though?

    I like your reasonings for the Ottawa guys departing, but Souray with his injury history, and petulant personality… after the Dany Heatley "I want a trade" fiasco, I can't see the Sens trading for Souray, who is essentially pulling the same stunt as Heatley.

    Souray has major injury concerns on top of that. I think Souray's value is extremely low right now, and Murray doesn't touch him with a 10 foot pole. I don't think the Sens are really sold on LeClaire or Elliot as a true starter anyway.

    Souray might go to Columbus who desperately need a PP quarterback, or Dallas might take him since they're clearing a bunch of salary this year.

  5. cam7777 says:

    Souray's trade demand comes from management being totally useless though, whereas Heatley's just came out of the blue because the coach wasn't playing him enough.  Souray's injuries are all minor ones – broken hand was the most recent.  He can still play.  It's not like Ottawa is giving up any value – Elliot is worthless now, he's just another Toskala.  And Kelly is a fine player, but 2.125 million for a 4th line center is a salary dump.

    Dallas might take him though, you're right.

    And yes, I think Philly will consider trading Carter this summer unless they win the Cup, or take the Conference Final to 7 games.  Their regular season was too close to call to just carry on without changes.  There's also rumors that Carter slept with a teammate's wife, so that might explain all the trade talk that constantly circles him.

  6. reinjosh says:

    I can't see Dallas wanting Souray. He might be a little expensive for their tastes and with his injury problems I cannot see them taking any chances on him. Like if he went down for 50 or 60 games it could be a nightmare to have to pay him for being injured.

    Where do you find these rumors on players? Not doubting you or anything, I just would love to read them too.

    I would agree they look long and hard into trading Carter and would bet good money he isn't a Flyer next season. I can't see them trading him for anything other than a goalie though. Maybe a deal with LA for Bernier and picks/prospect or to LA for Schneider and picks/prospects.

  7. broc says:

    That would make Carter the new Craig Janney..

  8. cam7777 says:

    One of the bloggers from Maple Leafs Hot Stove will occassionally mention rumors like that.  He has connections, as he often gets interviews from players, scouts, and so on, and he usually knows what he's talking about.  He said it was just a rumor, and so, who knows if there's any truth at all to it, but the rumor was it was Hartnell's wife, which explains Hartnell's 14 goal season and completely lacklustre play.  Could be total rubbish, but it's still interesting.

  9. TimTheBone says:

    yeah i totally heard that too….. hartnells wife is a fine piece as well!…. interestingly enough!

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