I'm thinking he probably means it in the same manor that last year played out.

ie he might not be on "the first line" but 9/10 he'll probably play more minutes then the other C's.

How about as recently as 2007 when the Ducks won with Andy McDonald as their number one center?

Yeah, so it's just a matter of what criteria you use to make up your depth chart.

"If they took the time to address #1 G, RH 2-way C and a veteran RW this team could make the playoffs."

LT, agree with this but oilers also need a better complete defensive option at #3D.

finding a #1G, 2-way C, veteran RW AND a complete D-man probably isn't possible this year.

thus, playoffs probably aren't possible this year.

i'd be happy if half those slots were filled this season. i think it is likely that the oilers will attempt to land a 2-way C and a veteran RW now, and find the goalie and further improve the D next summer.

Can you people please keep up!! Pisani lied to the team about his UC and should not be back under any circumstances. Look at what his money could have done for the team the last couple of years had he been honest about his illness. Pisani should not be mentioned as a character player or a positive addition to the locker room. He should just not be mentioned!!!

All I know is this year is going to be fun to watch again as a fan. Playoffs would be icing.

Whoa whoa whoa. Lied to the team? Give me proof that he maliciously deceived the club about his condition.

Dont bring him back because you have no reason to believe he can be healthy all year, not because he's a "liar".

Just wondering what your definition of a star/elite center is because if it is based upon offensive skill I agree with this list but I see a star NHL center like the 5 Tool Baseball player. A NHL elite center has to be a great faceoff man, at least a PPG player, and can play in all situations (PP, PK, ES, 4 on 4, etc.) So I would agree with most of the names except Jeff Carter, Eric Staal, Brad Richards, and Jason Spezza(they are all star level offensive players but have some holes to their game). Also I don't know too much because I don't watch Tampa games but does Stamkos play on the PK? Because he's an elite offensive player but I'm not sure he's a complete center quite yet.

Hey LT,

What about Olivier Roy? I know he isn't ready yet but he is eligible to play in the NHL isn't he?

I believe that Dubnyk will have a breakout year this season. His performance towards the end of last season pointed in the right direction. His previous game in Los Angeles was unbelievable.

With that depth chart, who kills penalties...besides Horcoff I mean? Maybe Penner & Cogs (if he is still around). Does Brule? Will they be good enough or will we be killed?

" Jeff Drouin Deslauriers will never be a starting NHL goalie " Oilers training staff

Now we all know he played last season as a starter for a long stretch, why would training staff inform me( business associate ) this then the Oilers play him ? Did they plan on losing ? Was the communication between trainers and coaching staff that bad ? Was I informed BS ?

I'm not willing to name the name of the trainer, this conversation was last season in October. My family has many business transactions with Oilers staff and players.

No where is LT's blog did he say the Oilers would make the playoffs, all he said is if a few things were to happen they might make the playoffs. Whats the deal with you NATE ? Can't you friggen read or understand what you read all you do is whine and complain about everything,all your fancy e-mails on the radio and all your fancy posts on the internet,trying to make it sound like you know everything about the Oilers and hockey and how they should rebuild the team. Well let me tell you something ASSWIPE! your not the only one with an opinion but the difference is most of us listen to others and understand what we read and hear.So why don't you get a clue.

~I think they're planning on not taking any penalties so there is no need for anyone else~

If the training staff didnt realize that JDD would be starting a majority of games for the Oilers last year it is because they had neglected to read Khabibulin's medical history. Just another Oiler employee not doing his or her job.

So to make your list they have to play on the PK?

Why don't we take a quick look at how much PK time these guys log. I'll post regular season 09/10 PK minutes per game, then how they ranked on their team in PK minutes among forwards.

Datsyuk - :44, 8 Zetterberg - 1:03, 7 Crosby - :53, 6 Malkin - :18, 7 Backstrom - 1:05, 8 Sedin - :39, 10 Thornton - :58, 6 Kopitar - 1:35, 3 Toews - 1:32, 3 B.Richards - :27, 11 Getzlaff - :31, 11 Stamkos - 1:20, 9 M.Richards - 2:09, 3 Staal - :50, 9 Spezza - :24, 9 Carter - 1:47, 4

So out of this entire list only Kopitar, Toews, M. Richards, and Carter are one of their respective teams top 5 options at forward on the PK.

You could be correct since Khabibulin has had a medical history. Not doing his job ? Not sure where that came from ? This guy has been employeed by the Oilers for years and a stand up guy. I just wonder if the communication is that bad within the organization ? I read all the articles on the Nation and they are all really good. I don't buy into alot of the " Insider info " since everything that has happend in the last season no media or beat writers had a clue.

Wow did you come up with that by yourself ? I had to give you props since your so brilliant !!!!

Have a look at Dubnyk's numbers after he came back from Springfield following the Olympic break. Tell me if there isn't reason for optimism that he just might be like a Steve Mason or a Tukka Rask.

His numbers over his last 10 games were outstanding and got better and better over that period.

I agree Dubnyk's game was way better after the Olympics. I wish Quinn gave him more opportunities last season instead of playing JDD.

you are kidding yourself if you think no beat writers or media had a clue.

there is no way, however, they report it or make it public. The oilers are very,very good at trying to keep certain info out of the public realm.

beat writer with no access=no job=beat writer keeps quiet

~Yeah, I am sure that is what happened.~

People, LT starts a perfectly good thread, and a bunch of you seem determined to turn it into the Lugnut Olympics - again.

There is too much hate in the world, and too much Hate on this site. Lets stick to making reasonable points based on evidence.

That's the problem when we try and list off who is a "star" and who isn't.

Everyone has differenct criteria/cut-offs.

That said though, my main point was that the center position is very very deep in the NHL, off the top of my head theirs probably 15 centers that are as effecitive (or more) then then the top 7 wingers.....which should then indicate that most good teams are going to have a really good center, because theirs alot of them.

Hur Hur.

Let me make sure I have it right - you mock it for being a weak shot and then take the same shot back at me? Brilliant. I was kidding around, but now I'm not so sure I was wrong.

Let me ask you this - why would the training staff have any idea if he would make it as an NHL starter or not unless he has an injury of some kind?

Feel free to inform me anything they knew. Yes they have access to the players and staff. They aren't informed anything. How many of Jim Mathesons BS trades come through ? Did the Oilers ever want Seguin ? What a suprise trainers and scouts fired with no clue from the media. In fact they wrote articles and blogs whinning about it.

He had a good 10 games. Let's maybe wait for a slightly bigger sample of success.

Even then 30 of the last 10 cups were won by lower tier #1 centers.

In my opinion depth at center is more important than the peak abilities of the top one.

Dude you always get worked up. That's what I like about your comments. I'm not sure if it had anything to do with injuries. I took it as he has seen lots of young tenders and felt JDD wasn't going to be a NHL star. He could be wrong he works for the Oilers and everyones opinion is different when it comes to hockey players etc.

im not really sure if you are being sarcastic or just an idiot. lets try and use just a touch of common sense for 1 second.

1) seguin was stu macgregors choice up to about a month before the draft. perhaps the source brownlee, matty, stauffer etc was someone around macgregor? head scout likes a guy, good chance he might be the one picked? no?

2) mathesons bs trades? he never says they are fact. please show a link where he says player A will be traded for player B.

3) the oilers for the last 30 years have tried to control the info that comes out in the media. go read up on bob mckenzies comments about the aftermath for the "oilers drug problem" articles from the 80s. you have a source you claim? ask him about the number of reporters that have been blackballed by the team and lost their jobs because of it. Ever wonder why tencer and the crew always try and find the positives?

It's dissapointing to see some of those names still on that depth chart. 4 yrs being on the outside looking in has marginalized many of their values. I know Tambellini tried his darndest to ship out the likes of Penner and Hemsky but these guys should be moved sooner than later or we'll and up with a Kaberle situation.

where did you get these numbers? also maybe i should clarify, they should be strong two way centers. Also I said they should be able to play in all situations not that they necessarily have to. In that list how many of those centers are good defensive forwards. Thornton, Backstrom, Sedin, Spezza, and Malkin wouldn't be included on that list. But those guys are all capable of being 90+ point players.

But let's face it there are so many minute details to being a no.1 center which is why they are so rare. The list could go on and on as to what makes a no.1 center. But we can't argue that they don't grow on trees. But that argument has nothing to do with the fact that you need a great team, not just a no.1 center, to win cups.

When the same person continues to trumpet him as a #1 centre, what do you expect? It's like a broken record with Lowetide when it comes to Horcoff.

I don't have a source, I know one of the team trainers. Seguin was McGregors choice up to about a month before the draft according to who ? If you come up with trade rumors every day your making yourself less reliabe as an insider when you have no information to go by. It doesn't surprise me the Oilers control the information going out to the media, so where is the insider information ? Made up from a opinion after a conversation nothing more. I don't listen to Tencer. Souray talked to the media just not the Edmonton media. Is it possible the new younger team doesn't interact with the media and beat writers like the past years ? None of the insiders you said are employeed by the Oilers so if they have information why don't they write about it ? That's how they get paid.

How do you get "worked up" from my reply?

Truth is I am exactly the opposite. Pretty much nothing gets me worked up. I just enjoy lively conversation.

The team is going to be young for the most part and a lot of how good they are will hang on just how good these guys are. How good will Paajarvi be, Eberle be, Hall be, Dubnyk be? This answer to this question will have a direct influence on the chances of making the playoffs this year.

I would like to choose to believe that the already established young players will continue to get better (ie: Gagner, Brule, Cogliano, Peckham, Smid, etc.)

Brule and Penner found some good chemistry last year and have the makings of a good line and obviously having a healthy Hemsky will go a long way towards determining the chances of a playoff spot. I'd like to see the Oilers make Gagner our #1C and let him run with it. IMO Gagner is on the verge of rewarding us handsomely if we could just give him the role and quit screwing around with him.

So I choose to go with optimism that Dubnyk's last 10 games last year weren't a fluke and he arrived late last year. I choose to believe that Paajarvi, Eberle and Hall can have some immediate impact into improving the lineup we had last year. With so many new faces there's no way of knowing at this point but it's possible that this could be a pretty good club this season.

Sure it's possible that the entire group falls flat on their faces, but then again, maybe not.

NHL.com.

#1 centers aren't aren't that rare though. If you can win a cup with Andy McDonald or Scott Gomez as your number one center I'd suggest that perhaps you are overstating what goes into the job description.

It's reason for optimism...I saw things in his game and about him that tells me he's going to be a good NHL goatender yet most on here already have him written off.

Fair enough. Just don't count on a big season next year.

Besides, that way you'll get a nice surprise if it happens.

Yes I agree...I'm not actually counting on anything but I do believe the chances are there for the makings of a pretty good team...so if it happens it will be a nice surprise but it won't be a complete surprise.

But as I mentioned it depends on how good the 3 new young guys are and either of how healthy Khabibulin is or how good Dubnyk really is.

Oh and Hemsky has to stay healthy.

Don't you mean Hemsky has to GET healthy?

I don't think horcoff is a number 1 center. What line is he best suited ? All the talk here is we need a three center. So horcoff is second line ? Do we put that much on Gagner and make him number one ? Did Gagner prove he is ready ?

Well unless he's had some recent problems in his rehab I do believe he's there now so when the season starts he will be healthy and needs to stay that way.

Why did you quote my post for this response? Was it by mistake?

The comment you quoted was in response to an anonymous poster claiming a member of the training staff told him that he didnt think JDD would ever be a starter. Considering the scheduled #1 starter has a storied career of injuries and was over 35 at the time, I think it's safe to say that the trainer in question (who was apparently giving information to outsiders and was also on the staff that allowed a club record of injuries to occur) was not performing his duties to the best of his abilities, as it was perfectly reasonable to assume that JDD would be playing a lot last year.

I believe that Hemsky's injury is the same as Horcoff's, so there is no reason to believe he is goint to be healthy this season.

Winning cups has nothing to do with no.1 centers to that I agree. But just because your team has depth and is a great club in the case of Anaheim and New Jersey, that doesn't make McDonald or Gomez no.1 centers. I think the Rangers and the Canadiens would attest to the fact that Gomez isn't a number 1 center. He isn't capable of carrying the load as his numbers have fluctuated greatly depending on who he's played with. McDonald has yet to show that he can consistently put up 75+ points per year over a full NHL season.

While others like a Joe Thornton, Sedin, Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, etc. have all shown that they can carry the load when their clubs need them to as they consistently put up numbers despite roster changes, injuries, and other factors that come into play during the course of a season.

It's a case of the team playing so well that GM's and coaches wrongfully tag players with a superstar label. Look at Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, and in the Oilers case Shawn Horcoff.

While number one centers aren't necessary to win a cup that doesn't make them a common commodity.

My comments were to inform Nation readers on what I have heard. I don't think that any team going into a season is expecting the starting tender to be injured for 3/4 of the season. The trainers work hard to improve the players during the season and rehab the injuries, was there a article on the nation regarding the training staff ? Did you not defend the trainers and side with the writers about how the trainers were fired in a wrong matter ? Do you think the Oilers staff and players don't have personal or business relationships and chit chat ?I can see where I was wrong, I'm not a media guy or beat writer. I shouldn't have wrote anything regarding the matter.

Really? NO reason at all?

Well, lets see, Horcoff has taken 2 full seasons and he is not fully recovered. Hemsky got injured part way through last season, so IF the injury is the same, then I would not expect Hemsky to be healthy until next season earliest.

I'm not blasting you, I just think it's comical that a club with an injury prone goalie in the twilight of his career would think their backup wouldnt be a starter.

I know the trainers work hard. My issue wasnt ever that they got canned, its that they got canned with the explanation that the team needed a culture change. Not that they were canned, but how they were canned.

You can write whatever you want, just as I can do the same, we just cant expect our interactions with Oilers staff to bear any weight because we have fake internet names like archaeologuy and oil_loc8tor.

In his interview with nhl.com he stated he had been diagnosed with UC before signing the big deal. Did he reveal this to the oiler doctors? He said he did not. How would you feel as an employer if you gave a contract to a person who knew that he might not be able to fulfill that contract? Would you offer them another contract?