Wanye picks his star
Wanye
September 14 2009 02:23PM
Today is a most glorious day – a day we uphold one of the most beloved traditions in the OilersNation. No today is not the day we collectively turn on some drive by commenter and cause him to run back to the Jonas Brothers forum. Today is 2009-2010 Star Picking Day©. So let's gather round the Star picking tree and have ourselves a think shall we?
Picking a Star – and later a goat – for the season has been a long standing tradition with our crew of pirates. For the duration of the season if your Star does something mad decent – lights the lamp at a key point in a game for instance – you get to bask in the glow of the Star as he is “your guy.” Should your Star go stone cold – or get traded as was the case last year when we picked Erik Cole – you are forced to sit quietly in the corner, speaking only when spoken to as you wait for the regular season to end.
Picking a star is a tricky business that requires a great deal of thinking. Anyone can pick Ales Hemsky and be reasonably assured that they will look quasi intelligent throughout the whole season. But be like our buddy Lee in the 2006 Season who famously picked Fernando Pisani as his playoff Star – and your genius will be praised from the highest tower for years to come.
We have basically the worst luck picking stars. Not only did we pick Cole last year, we also picked Ryan Smyth the year he was traded, Chris Pronger the year he left town due to family reasons and Eric Fichaud so many years back on the hunch “he could make it as a starter in the NHL.” On that note of taking needless risks, we have deliberated the options before us, crushed a few dozen BLs over the weekend, and decided on our Star this year. Give ours a read and then go on record with your own Star for the season.
2009-2010 Star
This year took a little bit of soul searching, but we believe we have come up with an unlikely but deserving pick this year: Mike Comrie.
Yep, that’s right. The very same Mike Comrie we have taken delight in booing these past 6 years. There are many folks around town that are of the mind that Comrie is a spoiled brat, a silk suit wearing dandy, a non-Oiler type more interested in dating celebrities than putting the biscuit in the basket. These same people might tell you that signing Comrie to a one year deal is akin to tendering an offer sheet to Lord Satan himself, except that Satan (as we all know) is eleven feet tall and could probably be of more use than another diminutive forward on a team that is already microscopically small.
Be that as it may, we just can’t help but think that if we were Mike Comrie, we would have stayed far, far away from the City of Champions. A City that had not only turned its back on a guy who had seemingly done the same to us, but one that has seemingly had its fill of his family as well.
Instead he has done the impossible and returned to E-town and is shopping for a house as we speak. This takes some serious stones and we for one are impressed by this.
Yukon Jack, host of local radio and an all around funny guy had a take on Comrie returning to Oiler silks a few weeks back:
“Faced with the very real prospect of one of the most hated ex-Oilers in history returning to the team, I'm a little torn. Mike Comrie could show up at Rexall in 29 different sweaters and I'd go home hoarse from three periods of chirps regarding La-Z-Boys, Jay Leno jaw lines and Hilary Duff's cankles. But if he's in Copper 'n' Blue silks, then what? I'm not just booing a spoiled little turn- coat, I'm booing my favourite hockey team, and I don't do that, ever. I feel like my buddy broke up with his two-timing ex-girlfriend and I told him he's better off without her and what trash she was and that I never liked her anyways and that she really needed to do something about her moustache, and then he got back together with her. Awkward. What will I do if Mike Comrie once again dons the jersey he doesn't even deserve to wash, never mind wear? I don't know. “
We would like to throw out a suggestion to all of the fans facing a similar dilemma.
Cheer
Cheer like this guy does. Cheer on a guy who may have had limited options but could have gone elsewhere, yet he chose to come home. Cheer on a guy that may throw up a front similar to most Pro Athletes, speaking about playing hard, skating to the net etc but has to be mildly concerned at the reception he faces throughout the year.
Edmonton has been plagued with players giving us the collective Royal Screw Job. Turning down offer sheets, signing 5 year deals and bouncing after year one, or refusing to come altogether though Edmonton was most definitely on his list of destinations. This has become all too familiar around these parts and we stand in the front of the line to boo these idiots off of RX1 ice each and every time they visit our grand City.
But returning to face the angry hordes? Faced with the very real prospect of missing the playoffs for a fourth year in a row? That takes some balls. Balls that we can applaud.
Yep, Comrie you are our Star for 2009-2010. You have our full and undivided attention and when we take our seat in Section 315, Row 96 Seat 1 on opening night, we will put our money where our mouth is and cheer you onto the ice.
Tomorrow: Picking the Goat.
Star: Dustin Penner (Book it)
Star: Gagner, dark horse Nilsson
Goat: One of Souray/Grebs/Gilbert.
You stole my pick. So as my second choice I'm going on record as picking one young fellow by the name of.......
Dustin Penner... 29 goals and 34 assists for a grand total of 63 points.
Star: O'Sullivan, dark horse JDD (despite Willis' fancy figurin')
@ Moony: I'm with you, I'm taking Penner.
I agree with Wanye. He will be the best signing in Edmonton in the past 3 seasons. Cheapest & most productive.
Star: Penner Goat: Gilbert
Star: O'Sullivan and I think that Comrie is back so he can break the curse. Both Comrie and the Oil have been cursed since he left. Think of it as Bostons Curse of the Bambino.
For the record, Comrie will score 33 goals and 38 assists for a total of 71 points. Oh you can book that.
Our boy Hemsky is going to be at 1.17 points per game. He'll probably miss 10 games but that's the number.
I pick Patty O' Sullivan to be my star.
Im taking Cogliano.
Star: Shawn "Deserving First Line Center" Horcoff
You heard it here first. Horcoff has a career year.
Ok...That guy in the video really needs a life.
Goat: Pouliot. Off the team by December.
@ JeffG:
Did you see the end when the lights dim and all the goal lights went off? That was pretty decent.
Star: Cogliano Goat: Staios
Wanye,
I'm with you on Comrie being a positive suprise for the Oil this season.
After hearing it was official I really wanted to pick Comrie as my star too... But I just have to be a little different.
Star: Stortini
Goat: Gilbert - he cut his hair and has lost his boy-band magic. He has gone for NKOTB to B44 with one haircut and that ain't good.
Nilsson
Star: The guy who used to be able to dance shirtless to Cotton Eyed Joe back in the day
Goat: Alanis Morisette.... or is that a horse?
Stars: Hemsky, Nilsson Goats: Horcoff, Smid
Steve from Yellowstone wrote:
Going on those standards..it could be Sara Jessica Parker!
Travis Dakin wrote:
Well I guess I better not take the easy way out & agree with Wanye. Even though MC will pay dividends in the next couple of years - even if he doesn't play here for more than a year.
My star is going to be Tom Gilbert, because he has a new haircut. It appears trying to shake the *tween* heart throb look & kick Zac Efron in the nuts look in his eyes.
I think he gets traded for another player who will then be my star by default I guess.
I'm taking Khabibulin... Might seem perilous, might seem obvious, but there it is.
Star: Gagner - reaches his potential Goat: Grebeshkov - returns to sucking
I was going to pick Patrick O'Sullivan or Dustin Penner, but everybody's picking those guys, so...
Star: Lubomir Visnovsky.
Star: Stortini - He will be the agitator, a mean SOB that nobody wants to play against. About time we had one of those.
Star: Gagner Goat: Pisani
Oh Sullivan!
Wanye Gretz wrote:
First of all, we know that is you Wanye. Second.... That is the greatest room EVER!!! I want that setup. Where do you get those lights and horn?
Jonathan Willis wrote:
Penner has to shine.... he just has to right? BUCK75 wrote:
Like I said, MC is my first pick. I think he is going to shine bright this year and as you know, I've been on record (ever since our boy Wanye pulled that rumour out of his wazoo) as saying it is a very good thing for the Oilers to bring him back. On multiple levels.
I'm going with Horcoff...
... With a little more support, he wont be so over used
(of course, i'll deny this the first time he whiffs on a Hemsky setup)
Goat - Staios
Star: Horcoff. He's due for a good year if you look at his good year/bad year roller coaster of a career.
My star for this year is Theo Peckham, who will popularize the phrase "Bash 'em like Peckham". He'll be our next Jason Smith.
My goat will be Kevin Lowe, if this team doesn't look good by Christmas.
Caveat: I was going to pick Nilsson, but frankly the only position he'll be fighting for is stick boy by the time the season starts...and my money's on Joey.
Funny, I just bet my buddy a Rexall beer that Comrie will get 2 points in the season opener.
Star: O'Sullivan Goat: Grebeshkov
humantorch wrote:
Not statistically he won't. He is going to play all kinds of tough minutes, take tough defensive zone draws (because who else will) and likely end up with 50 points or thereabouts and have a minus next to his +/- number. Is he valuable as hell to the team? You bet he is but there are tons of people that will only look at his points total next to his cap hit and will call him the goat.
Travis Dakin wrote:
Do you honestly think I have the financial means for an actual HOUSE with an honest-to-goodness BASEMENT!?
I am shocked at the faith you have in me Travis. Shocked!
Star- Gagner or Cogliano Goat- Probably O'Sullivan because he won't get first line points and everyone will be pissed.
@ rubbertrout: Yes because we could sign Malhotra for 2mil and he'd do the samething as Horcoff except he'd get 15 less points and win more faceoffs.
Star: POS The real star (I hope) will be Quin. For this ship to turn around, it will need to be the new coaching staff getting everyone to meet/ exceed expectations.
Honourable mention: Wayne, for those mad Paint skills.
Wanye Gretz wrote:
If you can afford to quit your job then you can afford that set-up. Don't wreck the dream for me Wanye.
Star: Sheldon Souray Goat: The Bullin Wall
Star: Penner Goat: Moreau
Star: Gagner
Goat: Khabibulin
Wanye, don't ignore my emails or I'll double your child maintenance payments!
jeff wrote:
I think JW could crunch the numbers on the tough minutes played and I'm pretty sure it isn't even close.
Star: Gagner
Goat: Moreau
@ rubbertrout: I'd be interested to see as Malhotra was the main defensvie center in CBJ. It would have to be pretty close although Peca would've taken some time away from Malhotra.
Star: Visnovsky
Goat: Nilsson
Apparently I missed the goat picking of tomorrow part. Oops!
Star: Mr. Sourray Goat: Ms. Horcoff
jeff wrote:
Don't get me wrong, I like Malhotra (and have suggested here that we try to sign him) which would free Horc up to get more offensive time but it's not as though everyone is rushing out to sign Manny. Maybe that's why you and I post on the internet instead of running the team!