Goat this year will be shawn horcoff. May be a good leader but damn he has looked slow so far and sorry but 5.5 mil for a 30 point guy who isn't as good at faceoffs as he used to be. It's almost as easy as picking the bulin wall.

There are too many Goat candidates on this team to pick logically, so I'm going to go with my heart:
Ben Eager
Dirty, stupid and nothing special fight-wise, I was against the signing when it happened. I don't think he'll be important enough to really hurt the team, but I think we will soon regret the wasted roster spot.
Hero: Ales Hemsky. If he plays great and gets traded anyway for a great return that's still heroic, though for the record I hope we keep him.

Nothing like reasonable expectations.

Only three teams in the league had 4 players with over 60 points last season.

In Philly it took guys like Giroux, Briere, Carter, and Richards to accomplish it.

In San Jose it was Marleau, Thornton, Pavelski, Heatley, and Clowe.

Anaheim - Perry, Ryan, Getzlaf, Selanne, and Visnovsky.

I'm glad all Gagner has to do to earn his keep is become as good as one of these guys.

It is extremely difficult to put up 60 points as the 4th best scorer on a team.

Edit: I should add that my goat is Jones

Afetr giving some serious consideration to the question of the goat, I have narrowed the field down to 3 acceptable options:

1. Theo Peckham - will likely be used in situations that he is not ready for. However, as this is not really his fault, I dismiss this as an invalid option for what I believe the goat is and all it stands for.

2. Amber McCormick - once ranked among my favourite writers on the nations, I cannot count the number of times I have opened the page (or pounded the refresh button) thinking to myself, "perhaps NOW there will be an article from her!". However, the perpetual heartbreak of OVER A YEAR (??!!) has hardened my heart to her feminine wiles. Still, an apology (or even an article) would pretty much mean all is forgiven, so that hardly counts as the enduring hatred befitting a true goat.

Thus, the only option is: 3. Sam Gagner - His ankle injury is clearly a ruse (often used by players on the brink of goat-worthy seasons) wherein they feign injury early to use as a crutch when their performance falls well below fans' expectations. Add to this his self-reported "off-season skating training" and "renewed focus on the details" and I suspect that #89 is setting himself up for another dissappointing season. (*bonus prediction: total points = FO% at 43)

Wayne, You're a Gilbert hater too? This is getting exhausting, Gilbert is not the problem the rest of the d-corps are(Exception Whitney; Smid would be a great third pairing d-man, but alas it is not meant to be) I'm not convinced that peckham is any good, or Petry for that matter.

That being said...

Goat: Jones, Jones, and more Jones(Terrible!), with just a smack of Barker for good measure.

Hero: Got to be Eberlord!

my goat is Horcoff.

understand this not the fault of said goat but by coach renney and management for putting him in situations that he shouldn't be in. he should not be playing a ton of minutes with the our offensive juggernauts. 3rd line perfect centerman but as per management they will not see this reality.

my big shoulder player is eberle. kid is sick good. period.

The best goats are the ones that play all the time and continue to play all the time, even though they are continually laying GIANT EGGS, game after game after game. Alas that leaves me with Gagne the Goat. .... .....

Goat: Gilbert Hero:Eberle GOAT (greatest of all times): Smyth

Goat = Horcoff, I know he scored in Calgary on the weekend but it was a garbage goal and he whiffed on several passed he got in good spots, not surprising.

He constantly does this.

Khabibulin is too obvious, he is going to get 40 games despite being the clear #2. I guess that would make Renney the goat.

Since Khabi is too easy I'm picking a second.

Goat: Shawn "Mr. Hands of stone yet continuously gets first time power play minutes when there are a bunch of kids who are way better" Horcoff. Which would also make Renney the Goat.

Real Goat: Renney.

As per photoshop - does anyone have Penner's twitter or email - somebody has to send that picture to him - it's one of the funniest things ever.

Bah - my new goat is double posts that are not my fault!

Going to go with Shawn Horcoff. He will be playing with talented players and I'm pretty sure I'll be hearing how it's his fault that his teammates don't have more points.

I agree with a few other posters. If Gilbert needs a helicopter to lift his wallet than my goat carries his paycheck around in a jumbo jet. Mr. Shawn Horcoff.

I can't recall ever having so many good candidates for goat. This year is going to be rough once again.

"Gager"? Wasn't she in a bunch of adult themed movies in the late 70's?

Truth is spot on!!! Renney, Lowe, ST...oil management is with out a doubt a bad smelling goat! I have no faith in their ability to develop young players, or a winning team. Oh!... They talk about this player and what they see in that player, but seriously a diamond PK?... NK MVP....really? A pp that won't drive the net!... Allowing the opposition to adjust not adjusting their team. YES they all say the right words and sound so insightful, thoughtful almost philosophical, seeing thing and traits us mear morals are incapable of noticing... but NOW is their time, with their failures came the mercy gift of high drafts. There must now be some success.. No try! either do or do not!.... Time will tell.... just some teams tell time sooner and better than others

Due to my obsession with Doug Weight, there is only one goat that can be picked; the cursed returns left from his departure from Edmonton.

Originally traded for Reasoner, Horacek, and Hecht, Reasoner got us Samsonov, but despite a brief return as a free agent, his tributary ends there. Horacek never played a game in the NHL and departed for Europe. However, Hecht was traded for the picks that turned into Deslauriers and Stoll. Deslauriers is now gone, and Stoll was traded for Visnovsky, who was then flipped for Whitney.

Therefore, as the last in line from the Doug Weight trade return, Ryan Whitney is my unfortunate goat this season. All glory to the Weight!

Gagne/Gagner Smith/Smyth Gote/Goat

I'm splitting my goat in two, Gagner and Brule.

Gagner if he can't get his sheet together and if Brule doesn't play at least half the season.

I can't pick Ethan Moreau, can I? There certainly are some worthy candidates on the present team - Gilbert not one in my book - but no one is coming even close to invoking the outright rage I used to get out of watching Moreau take an idiotic elbowing penalty in the offensive zone, or steaming in over the redline and whistling an 80 footer into the goalie's chest protector. Those were the days...

So in lieu of Moreau, I'll reluctantly go with Jones, not out of any spite, but more that I think he's going to feel the pressure to repeat last year and will try way too hard and make a whole bunch of errors in the process.

Wow.

“Nuge can do whatever he wants out there. He’s better than me,” said Hemsky.

No pressure now kid.

Goat: Sutton

Horcoff is, was and will continue to be the goat. Making a bazillion dollars and I'm still not sure what he real role is on this team. He carries a stick in his hands for no apparent reason.

1st Runner Up is Play by Play man Jack Michaels. It's agony to listen to this guy. Gave him a year's grace but a P x P man doesn't call the home team ED - MUN - TUN. They are the Oil or Oilers Jack. And the biggest sin of all is that for some reason he doesn't feel the need to say "He shoots, He scores"!!!! He wants to reinvent his profession by saying ".. and Smyth taps it in.." or "...Eberle shoots.. goal"!! Many other examples but I thought they picked the wrong guy a year ago and I still think that.

"Nuge" - good, maybe it will catch on.

Ales Hemsky

Gagner is my goat once more. Talk about underwhelming! I sincerely hope he gets his act together and starts playing like he should but I think he's just going to be left in the dust by our youth movement. By rights he should be PART of that but sadly, he is not.

Wanye wasn't there once a photoshop you did of Gilbert with goat horns on his helmet?

Fixed now - but I seem to be cursed to automatically misspell Gagner whenever I criticize others for misspelling Gagner.

I hope against it, but this years goat

....Cameron Edward Barker III

*made up middle name and numerical suffix*

My goat for the year is MPS. Hard to pin on a second year player, but I think he's going to have a pretty rough year.

My goat is none other than Mr. Whitney. Not only will his (yet another) injury prevent him from starting the season, his lack of pre-season and pressure to be the #1 d-man will eat him alive. Goat.

My goat's Barker. As pointed out several times prior he's a reclamation project who's supposed to improve our disastrous PP.

Prove me wrong, Cam, prove me wrong.

Belanger. So that every numbers guy can find new stats to defend why they thought it was such a great signing.

Couldn't agree more. I think the guy is flashy an what not but I don't think he can pull it off in the middle of a physical game on a regular basis. Omark will be my Goat for the year and I think he will end up getting trade somewhere along in the season.

I want to just say that I'm voting Barker as the biggest surprise this year. I think he is going to start off a little slower but will just keep getting bettter and better as the season goes on. I've liked what I've seen from him so far in the preseason and I hope he just relaxes and keeps on getting better. Full speed ahead Barker full speed ahead.

Khabbi doesnt count we already know hes a goat, maybe if he whiped the vodka from his eyes he could see the puck!

Goat: Brule - they will give him a roster spot, he will flop, but if they come to their senses and don't give him a spot - I'd say Hemsky cause you know he will be injured by December

Hero: Barker - He will surprise being a good PP option and will actually be healthy!

He's been my Goat for years and it's not going to change. I'm with you Wanye. Tom Goatbert

Horcup gets my vote. Slow,needs glasses by watching all the opportunities he misses, and other than faceoffs, is not much better in his own end than any other Oiler.

Gagner is my 1a goat. A younger version of Horc.

That's a tough sell... as long as he's still good in the dot (he's cooking around 50% a few games in) he will be seen as a worthwhile signing.

With our luck, Hemmer will tank this year - a season when we need him to really perform to up his trade value. I'm picking Hemsky to show enough flashes of greatness to make us wonder why he disappears for long stretches.

Oh Wayne! While completely on the mark that Tom "Look like a girl; play like a girl" Gilbert is the undisputed Goat of the year, I think this was just a ploy to get Willis to write yet another man crush article filled with glowing statistics conjured up for Ms Gilbert.

Hero is much tougher but the safe bets are Eberle, Hall and Smyth so I will cop out and pick all three.

couldn't agree more on tom gilbert being the goat. Saw him once at the ranch.......who wears a suit with cowboy hat.....douche

It's a little too easy to pick Gilbert or Gagner just because there has been a vocal group bitching and grumbling about them for a while now. They aren't at the Poti Line yet but they can see it from where they are. Brule may not start the season here let alone finish it and Khabi is......well.....Khabi.

So for me the goat will be Ryan Jones. He won't get the quality minutes he got last year so the numbers will drop, he isn't overly physical, he doesn't scrap much and there are some pretty good young wingers knocking at the door. Being "safe" won't save him for long.

GOAT = Wayne Gretzky

goat = The Edmonton Oiler defense. More specifically, Ryan Whitney - I'm worried he will be a step behind this year...

This one should be easy.

Goat = Barker. Once his plus minus dips into the minus 20 range he will be run out of town Jason Arnott Style.

Hero = Smyth. Anybody watching the Vancouver game saw his takedown at the end of the first protecting Hall. He will score, bang and grow his lettuce long and strong.

Goat: Barker

Stud muffin (hero): Dubnyk (Hall also obviously he is just a beaut)

A goat should be defined as a person not playing near to their potential, whose poor play and apathy limits his linemates and the team as a whole.

Devan Dubnyk is my goat. Not because I'm cheering against him but because the team's success will rely heavily upon him this year. If Dubnyk falters or can't seize the day, do the Oil.

Lol. And here comes the stats already in preseason. Until he proves he is better then horcoff he is the goat. Blocking my future hero pick of lander from being the fourth center is all it takes. With nuge and gagner being one and two, one of horc or Belanger have to go for the future captain lander to take his permanent residence in the line up.

ReKhabibulin until he gets benched

*Takes off white glove. Slaps "bored" with glove*

Pistols or sabres at dawn sir. Your choice.

Omark is my goat. Before the season is over he will be replaced by big #56, Teemu H.

Not many people going out on a limb here. My Goat is Ryan Whitney. I just don't see him as much more than a 40 point dman (which is great) but based on some of the conversations and projections I've seen you'd think the guy was a lock for 65.

Wayne is bang on, Gilbert is my goat-to-be.