I would look at getting bigger, adding faceoff prowess, and creating a better balance.

I would do everything in my power to get rid of Horcoff's contract.

I would chase D. Steckel and Z. Konopka for my 3rd and 4th line centers. Both big bodies with 60%+ faceoff percentages.

I would start the AHL season with Eberle, Svennson, Lander and Omark in my top 6. Let them get used to each other and bring them up as needed between next years trade deadline and the beginning of the 11-12 season.

I would build my defense around Visonovsky and Smid.. Try and move Souray for Clowe or something like that. They'll need to replace Blake soon.

Gilbert and Grebeshkov would both be on the block, Smid needs a new contract, and there is no way we let him go.

Chase A. Sutton in the summer to replace Souray's presence.

Moreau and Staois go.

O'Sullivan goes.

Cogliano and/or Gagner are shopped for bigger players. Horton/Carter/Stafford etc. Even if we have to add something in some cases.

Hope for Taylor Hall.

\

That sounds a lot like J.F. and Stortini, only smaller.

Anyone you have in mind from L.A ?

You'd have to think B.Schenn is close to untouchable, who else does L.A have that we may want?

And knowing that rumors have speculated Souray going to L.A, what other prospects should we be looking at

Anyone you have in mind from L.A ?

You'd have to think B.Schenn is close to untouchable, who else does L.A have that we may want?

And knowing that rumors have speculated Souray going to L.A, what other prospects should we be looking at

If we could play dumb and dumber for a moment how about trading unmoveables for unmoveables with Philadelphia.

Horcoff, Cogs,Khabibulin,Moreau and a D man or a variation thereof to the flyers for Briere, Gagne, Carcillo, Emery or a variation of and a bag of pucks. Something that makes sense financially.......atleast change the curtains on the outhouse will ya.

I would keep Gagner he is only 20, but we must move a couple small guys at least. I would try and move Cogs, Nilsson(after how he's played there must be a market for him now) and PattyO. I keep Brule and Gagner adding to them Eberle, MPS, and Omark that's alot of skill on the small side then try and move Souray for picks prospect, and move one of Gilbert, Grebs, Grebs being easier to move because his contract is done at the end of the season. the no brainers are Moreau, and Steve. Keep JFJ, Storts for the bottom six and add from there. If we get into the bottom 5 how big is Taylor Hall? My top six next year are Penner, Gagner, Hemmer MPS, Horc, Eberle, and if you can move Horc (next to impossible) put Hall into the middle Then have Brule centre the third line with JFJ Potulny (he's a keeper can replace Pies) fouth line of Storts, (a good faceoff guy and PK'er) Stone. On D Vis, Smid, Gilbert, Chorney, Pecham and a big shut down guy.

I'd take Tootoo over Carcillo in a second. Ew.

Taylor Hall is listed at 6 ft at 180lbs...he's only 18, he may get bigger especially weight wise.

Ya, if people complained about Moreau's "bad penalties" wait until they say Carcillo's.

Thanks he should hit 200-210lbs over the next couple year he would fit in at centre. If we go this way it would be nice to have the kids come up and grow together.

~Yeah! Let's take this team in a new direction. Let the kids play already!~

RB I have croosed to this side as well, Taylor Hall with Eberle MPS Hemmer, Penner Cogs, and Gags has a nice ring to it but along with the guys you mentioned wouldn't it be a good idea in moving a couple smaller guys. Omark is supposed to come over and if he makes this team that gives us Omark, Eberle, Hall?, Cogs Gags Nilsson PattyO(which you said move)that's alot of small guys. Would you put Cogs in a package with say Souray for a real good return like a couple 1st round picks a good prospect and a third line young faceoff centre(could you get that). What about this other guys at the WJHC like Lander, and the guy from Fin can they make a push for next year as well? It sucks to say that hockey season is already over but watching this team is painful, lets go L.A. gotta hope for some past Oilers, and cheering for Cal, or Van just won't happen.

Is that you, TambLowe?

Chasing the "big fish" only lands the Oilers in deep water with nothing to show for it. Excuse the metaphor, but IMO that's one of the biggest self-inflicted wounds that the organization has brought upon itself.

Volchenkov or Mitchell would be a nice veteran shutdown defenceman, but at what price? If Mattias Ohlund went for $3.6 MIL to Tampa, what is the going rate for one of those two (and both are better than Ohlund)? The idea of a Ryan or Horton is sexy, but again, at what price?

I say it's time the organization got smart with its spending. If you're going to sign free agents, sign some prime-aged/veteran players who give you bang for the buck, value depth players that the organization sorely lacks. Overspending on UFA's is not the way to go. I'd love to see the Oilers take a Buffalo Sabres stance on those kind of contracts, sticking to developing their own talent and keeping that talent around for the long haul.

The deal you want is the deal ANA got for Pronger, Souray and Cogs dont bring that.

I say you're lucky to get a first round pick (low) and a player. Cogs would make Souray more appealing so maybe that player could play 2nd - third line. 2 picks + prospect + fill a need? No chance imho. Likely a 2-3rd round draft pick - a middling grinder type prospect, and a third pairing D man (or shorty FW).

As Bob just put it, a very honest conversation with Shawn Horcoff coming up soon on OilersLunch.

I'm NOT comparing the old days with now but when we first got a team, Sather let the kids play and grow togwther if we want to build a winner it just makes sense to let these guys play and grow up together 2 years from now they will know where each other are before the other guy knows a pass is comming, and this is what i'm talking about having a plan. If the plan is to have Eberle, Omark, MPS, Gagner Penner, Hemmer, Brule, Hall(Hopefully) all play together start next year and do it. Make the trades you can and start this as soon as next year bring the guys up you know can play here and let them play. If the Pats don't make the playoffs can Eberle come up and play here?

"I said a week or so ago my philosophy for the DFF is that landing a 2010 draft lottery pick should be considered an aside to a proper rebuild, not the focus of it. I'm sticking by that because I don't believe a Taylor Hall or a Tyler Seguin is the cure-all for the Oilers, even if it is a start."

it would suck to get that #1 pick and find out hes a flop, patrick steffan anyone? i agree with the above statement but it is a start. im not big on giving up on o'sullivan just yet but even im getting a little choked with his lack of interest. untill they wake up and get rid of horcoff which would take a miracle, this team isn't going any where, hes not a first or second line centremen on any other team so i think it would take quite a bit to get rid of him. i would call getting rid of horcoff a "good start" and going from there...

That's because Sather had multiple hall of fame talents. This group of prospects/young players will be lucky to yield 1/2 regular all-stars.

To build chemistry you don't need hall of famers. What I'm saying is let them play together so we don't have 10 foot passes that are missed. This is not the old Oilers but no team is, it was a refrence to the old days on how to let the kids play, by no means did i try to say the Oilers now could be the Oilers past never will be. If you totaly go rebuild I think the only way this team ever wins is if they learn from each other they can't mix in guys that will be gone a year or 2 from now They should play the guys they have marked for this team long term and get rid of the rest.

That's because Sather had multiple hall of fame talents. This group of prospects/young players will be lucky to yield 1/2 regular all-stars.

As per Dan Tencer...

Fernando Pisani skated with the team today. Steve Staios & Ladislav Smid did not. Mike Comrie took "a twirl on his own".

Sounds good, but completly unreasonable. Every team in the league has a fair amount of turn-over every year.

Magnus Paajarvi would benefit from a year in the minors in my opinion (even the WHL). Look at what the extra year has done for Eberle.

If what we are talking about is a full rebuild we should have little turn over for the next 4 years. Plus the guys I'm talking about will be 8-10 guys that will make up the core of forwards most of them will be cheap to keep around as well. Look at the Avs do you really think they will have alot of turn over they did it last year they might add next year but it will only be 1 or 2 tweeks. If the Oil go with Penner, Hemmer Eberle, MPS Omark Brule, Gagner, Hall? as the core there won't be a big turn over they should be able to play together for the next 4 years easily.

I also read Tencer's report about Comrie's "twirl". Umm, I'm not sure what's going on with MC anymore. a twirl? Sounds a bit faniciful to me. I wonder if he put on his Oilers' "silks" before taking his "twirl"?

Maybe that was just Dan's influence poking through.

You have absolutely NO way of knowing this...why would you say it?

Hemsky already is...why can't Eberle, Hall, MPS, Gagner possibly become stars? or more....

It's not a given they won't

I don't believe Hemsky has ever been to an Allstar game.

It's called reality, the odds of all 4 of those guys becoming "stars" is next to nill.

Hey Swany just wanted to reply to something you asked earlier...yes once the Pats get knocked out of the playoffs and their season is over Eberle can come here if he is under contract.

Great article. Good to hear a few more voices realising how bad this team is, even with injuries factored in.

The one thing I would argue with, is that the drafting side of things has been really good the last few years. Leave them alone to do their thing and keep doing it well.

Trading everyone who can be for whatever you get (bag of pucks included) is imperative. Everything else hockey operations needs to go up in a January Christmas tree bonfire.

People have it in their heads that just because something can happen, it's not only possible, but likely. That's why people buy lottery tickets, and it's the only reason why I touch Sport Select.

Hey RC, or anyone who listened,

What were the coles notes of that caonversation? I didn't get a chance to listen, but did anything enlightening come out of it?

The whole prospect thing (and their expectations) always irks me. Check back to the mock line-ups people were drawing up 5 years ago.

Stoll Torres Brewer Schremp MAP Trukno Miknov Goulet

Were supposed to lead us to the promis land.

Each draft year theirs roughly 20 - 30 guys that have an NHL career of 300-400 games or better, half of those 20 - 30 are are picked in the first round.

In other words for every 25 guys drafted in the 2nd round or lately, typically one has a career. How many "stars" would you say their is league wide? 50? 60? And were are supposed to have 4 waiting in the weeds?

You are right but this year we are talking about the 1st or second pick overall, people are comparing Hall with Stamkos I would take that right now. MPS is already playing pro Eberle is the best talent in the WJHC and adding Hall to to this mix looks good.

Why do I keep hearing about Linus Omark? Do the fans of this organization really need to pin their hopes on an extremely small, one dimensional, "EuroShremp" that's scoring at a mere 0.7 ppg pace in the KHL? Do you really expect him to arrive in Edmonton and put up more than 40 points without being a total defensive liability? Isn't this the same Linus that is refusing to learn the North American game in the AHL? ~Yeah. He's someone I've got slotted in my top six moving forward.~

The whole prospect thing (and their expectations) always irks me. Check back to the mock line-ups people were drawing up 5 years ago.

Stoll Torres Brewer Schremp MAP Trukno Miknov Goulet

Were supposed to lead us to the promis land.

Each draft year theirs roughly 20 - 30 guys that have an NHL career of 300-400 games or better, half of those 20 - 30 are are picked in the first round.

In other words for every 25 guys drafted in the 2nd round or lately, typically one has a career. How many "stars" would you say their is league wide? 50? 60? And were are supposed to have 4 waiting in the weeds?

I agree, I'm pumped about our prospect pool (especially if Hall is added). People need to temper their expectations a little though.

I'm not and I don't think most are saying it's likely, where does it say that. OOB talks like he knows already that it won't happen.

Why can't we have 4 waiting in the weeds? Who is to say it can't happen and yes Hemsky has been this teams best player and only star for quite a few years now despite OOB's way of deciding he's not a star.

Is it not possible for Eberle, MPS and Taylor Hall to become stars?