STAR PICKING TIME
Wanye
September 20 2010 02:26PM
It is one of our favourite days here at the OilersNation. The day where we all go out on a limb and declare our Star for the upcoming season.
For the uninitiated, we started picking our favourite player and our designated whipping Goat back in 2005. We did so as a means of being able to later gloat "man, did we ever pick the best Star this year" and also be able to gleefully flay our Goat night after night, game after game without mercy or concern of "being a bad fan" during the season.
Picking your star and making him "your guy" for the year can be richly rewarding. We always think back to our buddy Lee who picked Pisani to have a breakout year back in 2006. As he tore the playoffs a new corn chute, Lee was held in equally high regard as Saint Fernando himself. With each passing goal, we would shake our heads in wonder.
Not at Pisani having an out of body experience for two months - but at our buddy who had the foresight to call it. That's the kind of glory Star pickers can get if it is done right.
HISTORY
Generally our Star will fold under the immense pressure of living with our fanboy endorsement and we will spend the season shaking our heads at what we were thinking back in early September. It's virtually a kiss of death.
2005-06: Chris Pronger (had great season, broke our collective hearts after)
2006-07: Ryan Smyth (traded at during the season, broke our collective hearts)
2007-08: Shawn Horcoff (lit the lamp like crazy, got hurt)
2008-09: Erik Cole (played like crap, demanded to go back to Carolina)
2009-10: Mike Comrie (led the league in preseason scoring, spent majority of the year on the shelf, signed elsewhere)
With a track record that stellar, we spent the weekend in deep, deep meditation thinking about who would be the Star for 2010. We like to go with players that aren't the obvious choice. Picking Ales Hemsky to crack the 50 point barrier takes about as much brains as calling Lindsay Lohan to be in porno within 3 years. Likewise picking Taylor Hall to have a good start to his illustrious career is equally safe. We like to find the unsung hero, the guy who is going to exceed his potential and show us all what he is made of.
Take a read of our pick and then name your own. If you are right you will be celebrated for all eternity in the pantheon of hockey geniuses. If you are wrong, well prepare for your own personal end of days.
CELEBRATED STAR PICKS OF 2009
Last year's Star picking generated some awesome drama. Horcoff boosters came out in droves as did many a Hemsky fan. Insults were traded and enemies made.
Here is a look at some of the better picks from last year:
Heh heh. Well played TB.
We respect this pick from bingofuel because he went out on a limb. But that is the risk part of "risk & reward."
The best Star call of the 2009-10 season clealy goes out to anyone who had the stones to pick Penner. The big man shook off a disastrous 2008-09 campaign and lit the lamp 32 times during the campaign. If you had told us this time last year that the Oilers would finish last in the league and yet no one would be mad at Penner we would have punched you squarely in your face for lying to us.
Not only did Victoria call Penner as her Star, she also called injuries on Khabibulin and named her the Goat for the year. This is basically a perfect game and the best combo of the 2009-10 season.
2010-11 STAR
Picking Jordan Eberle - a 20 year old rookie who hasn't played a single game in the NHL - might seem like a bad idea. But on a team with more teenagers than a Justin Bieber concert, going with youth is probably the best move. We feel it is extraordinarily important that everyone understand that Jordan Eberle is going to be our boy. He's ours dammit. Go get your own Jordan Eberle. This one is all ours!
TOMORROW
Picking the goat.
BAAA
My star of the year is Sam Gagner. He takes the contract and the reins on the first line and shows that he can be the beating heart of this team. PP time and chemistry with the young guys earn him top spot when all is said and done.
Star: MPS 61 Points 78 Games
Hes big, fast, and has hands!!!!!
Star-Tommy Gilbert. If the end of last year was any indication of how he's going to look this year, he will be our best player, hands down. Gilbert and Whitney could put up big numbers if any of these speedy wingers learned how to catch a pass on the fly this summer(here's hoping)
Llike many others, I'm picking Sam Gagner as my star
Star player for the Oilers this year will be Linus Omark..lets just hope Tom Renney doesn't bury him on the fourth line all season, even then he'll light it up like Nobody's business. That's what I'm talking about.
Well, I don't comment much (at all really) but I love this site. It's pretty much the 1st place I stop in the morning for all my Oiler info!! Keep up the good work team! Being this is my 2nd post EVER on the Nation, I wanted it to be a good one but have been flip flopping immensely. I'm trying to heed Wanye's advice and not take the safe bet. I was originally going to take Whitney as I think with the repaired foot and how well he played last year before the surgery he is going to have a great year. That being said and being from O-Town, (drum roll please) I'm going to take Darth Gerber (homage to your SWvsST video Wayne). I think Gerbs was the shizzel here when he started before Crazy Ray Emery got the nod and is going to show all the nay-sayers wrong. So book it, Martin Gerber for this guy's star pick this year!
Ryan Whitney, At the end of the year there gonna say "should have made him captain"
Well, if going out on a limb is rewarded, I'm picking Cogs, this is his year to show us something.
Star: Eberle. He was ready to play last year, but the Oilers chose to send him back to junior (SMRT)
He's going to impress people this year.
star- Renney. the team will play so much better with systems, line matching and other forms of witchcraft* *as Quinn sees it
I am going with Andrew Cogliano He has a new attitude and I think he has learned a lot from two places What not to do from Patrick O Sullivan and what to do to be a pro from Sam wise #89 I really don't expect his points to be better than say MPS but he will endear himself to this team, city and even us on the Sphere. We are not going to have a clue where this new Andrew was hiding all this time.But we are going to love him!!! I am officially now out on a limb!!!!
The other player I am expecting a surprise from is the Big Mac He has dropped some weight and I bet really cranked up his cardio in an effort to be less of a liability. He will never be a man with soft hands but If I see him in more then 10 games this year and scoring 3+ goals I will consider that a great improvement. I am predicting 6 goals in 15+ games.
Star: Cogliano Goat: Strudwick
I'm going to go with the best player on the team to be the best player....Ales Hemsky.
The kid finally has some talent to play with, the possibility of 3 lines that can score, and some serious team toughness to protect him.
If he stays healthy, this is the year we find out how really good he is....
If MacIntyre scores 6 goals in 15 games, he'll play a lot* more then 15 games....
(* does math 82/30x6= 16 goals)
I want some of the kool-aid you're drinking brother!
Star = Cogliano. Renny's style and his own new-found determination will help this year.
Shawn Belle.
Book it.
Looks like I'm not the only one
Star = Gagner
Taylor Hall will become Andrew Cogliano's body gaurd this year. 30 goals 30 assists for Cogs and 4 fights for Taylor Hall.
Star - I have to go with Penner again because he has to prove last year was not a fluke.
Ender and Arch - I totally agree with you - should have been Seguin.
Unfortunately I do work sometimes. That's why I didn't see this until today.
*rubs hands in anticipation of making his goat pick*
DARTH GERBER
Loves it. You should post more often with this kind of term coining going on!
Big Ups
@Wanye
OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!!!!!! Wanye talked to me!!!!
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE :-)
The last Canadian to be drafted 1st overall AND win the Calder - The Magnificent One.
Some greats couldn't do it (Sidney, Vinny, Jumbo Joe, Stamkos, Nash) but I think Hall has the gusto to getter done.
For that he is my STAR.
Star - Cogs all the way, finaly he is going back to playing with someone who can skate and will show he's a player. Goat - Horcoff, worst contract in hockey
Trust me*.
Mr Horcoff will get the 'C', net 20 goals, take 128,393,246 defensive zone faceoffs, mentor a pile of young kids, and finish near 0 in +/-... that's star material for a 30th place team.
* Trust me at your own risk, I chose JFJ as my star last year.
star- brule goat- all of our goalies
Star: Taylor Hall
He is the golden boy and face of the franchise. He is a star in the making in the NHL and he is the person most Oiler fans are clamoring to see. Regardless if he is outscored by Eberle and/or Paajarvi, Hall is the center of attention.
Like I said I am out on a limb here I agree its just a little nuts but I really expect to see him more than last year because the kids are such important assets and them getting hurt is more of a liability than loosing and having another top draft pick. As far as the Kool-aid goes if I'm looking really stupid at the end (Very likely) Well then I will have to eat more than KoolAid, Crow comes to mind or a boiled flames hat. but is that not the whole fun of it! If it was safe where is the fun in that!
My Star for 10/11 is Ryan Whitney. His experience on the back end will be a calming influence. GOILERS!!!
I think this is the year big Devan Dubnyk steps up and shows he was worth that #14 pick. He'll let in some bad goals but cement himself into the #1 role.
Star - Devan Dubnyk
Alrighty, boys and girls, I'm ready to get in on this (lil late, pardon moi). Mark my words, you've heard it here first. My star prediction for this year is the one, the only: RYAN JONES! Ya, that's right, he will have a Glencross-like year for the Oil, bringing some major peanut butter and jam to our bottom nine. Not as many goals as the "real stars" of the team, but I'm calling him to step up in a major way with some BIG goals at big times and to be a penalty-drawing machine.
***I'm also calling Hemsky to become Renney's Jagr this year and have the best season to date of his career. MPS for Calder!***
@Wanye
Dont you just hate it when there is nothing left for round TWO!!!
Star: Souray-Tambi-Cogs (this trio will be responsible for us getting the help we need in shutdown dman to play with and mentor Smid)
@Reijo Ruotsalainen's wicked slapper
Ummm...are you spiking your KoolAid? :)
6 goals in 15 games works out to 0.4 goals per game, and would be approximately 32 goals over the course of an 82 game schedule.
@Sheldon Oilers Fan for Life!!!
If Big Mac can average 3 goals over 10 games and not be a liability in his limited 4th line ice time he would be a 20+ goal man. Somehow I just don't see that happening, more likely he ends up with 2 goals over 15 or so games and averages close to a 10 fights over the same 15 games.
MAGNUS! MAGNUS! MAGNUS!.....best name ever. Star for sure.
Sammy Ganger. It's totally gonna be his year this year after the end of last season.
Star= MPS Goat= The boozin wall
Star = Horcoff.
He will be a determined mo'fo', own the 'C' and will stay off the shelf.
Star = none other than #83, Ales Hemsky. 24G, 58A for 82 points. You'll see.
I just can't resist picking Stortini as my star. It is not so much the soft hands and scoring prowess that makes me want to choose him, but the intangibles that he brings to the game. I predict a Dustin Byfuglien sort of season, and that my friends makes him my star.
Star Runner Up: Cogliano who will make a Penner like transformation once he joins a line that is offensively minded (of which there shall be three).
It is written.
Star : MPS he will be the top rookie on this team
Goat : Horcoff, one year older does not make him any faster or improve that awesome one timer.You know the one where Hempsky's beautiful passes go to die.
My Star will be Horcoff. He will make everyone remember why Lowe signed him to that ridiculous contract with a career year netting 74+ points and having a 55% faceoff percentage. Look out world here comes Scorecoff.
Star - Horcoff (though Hemsky and Cogs - yes Cogs - will also shine)
Goat - Wanye and Eberle - not really a true goat, but a guy whose year does not live up to the hype - some of it could be in the AHL.
Whitney will be the Star this year on his way to the captaincy.
Penner gets my vote for star. He has lost weight (what, no more wheat based beverages?) and that takes motivation and discipline. I expect he will put up even better numbers than last season as a result.
Ales Hemsky - Is healthy, has something to prove after hearing his name bounced around in trade rumours all off season and he finally has skilled players to play with.
Kurtis Foster. He is flying under the radar somewhat right now but I think he will surprise a lot of Oiler fans this year. He has a hard shot but more importantly his shot is very accurate. I think he will only trail Tom Gilbert in pts by a d-man at the end of the season.
Lots of great options for stars this season, but if they hope to have any success, they'll need a goalie to step up and provide consistent netminding. When (not if) Khabi goes down, I'll pick Gerber as my star to put in a Roloson-like effort to elevate this team into an 8th place contender.
But really, the real star this season is going to be the three-headed rookie monster Ebhallarvi. Can't wait - this season should be a treat...