See What You Want In These Edmonton Oilers
Jonathan Willis
February 20 2013 01:45PM
What order the wins and losses came in really doesn’t matter. The Oilers went 4-2-1 in January, and optimism abounded; so far they’ve gone 2-4-2 in February and consequently optimism is in short supply. What matters is that the team is 6-6-3 on the season, sits 11th in the Western Conference, and is just one win out of either the final playoff spot or second-last.
And that means whatever viewpoint one subscribes to – the ‘yes, they’ll make the playoffs’ or ‘Draft Lottery IV: This Time It’s Personal’, there’s something there to back it.
Big Decisions: Signing Ales Hemsky
Jonathan Willis
February 18 2013 03:57PM
There are those who believe that the Edmonton Oilers made a mistake when they re-signed pending unrestricted free agent Ales Hemsky to a two-year/$10 million contract extension just under one year ago.
Those people are wrong. The Oilers made the right decision.
Too good for the ECHL?
Jonathan Willis
February 18 2013 07:53AM
Early last week, the Edmonton Oilers assigned two prospects of note from Oklahoma City to Stockton of the ECHL. One was goaltender Olivier Roy, who was trapped in a three-way battle for playing time with veteran Yann Danis and newcomer Niko Hovinen. The other was defenceman Brandon Davidson, back on the ice after missing most of the early season due to cancer.
Both have impressed early.
Best of the Nation: 2.17.13
Jonathan Willis
February 17 2013 11:15AM
After the jump: the single-biggest story in the NHL last week, a mess of trades, injuries, and trade rumours, how bloggers are once again undermining Western society, and Graphic Comments. Also - and this is important - the Winnipeg Jets' all-time greatest moustaches.
The Things I Like About Ralph Krueger
Jonathan Willis
February 16 2013 11:51AM
When the Edmonton Oilers decided to hire Ralph Krueger to replace Tom Renney as head coach, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, they knew Krueger better than any of the external candidates, and Krueger’s résumé was excellent (if unconventional). On the other hand, my preferred choice was Jon Cooper for a variety of reasons.
I still like Cooper, but I’ve been very impressed by Krueger so far.
