GOING MOBILE
Lowetide
April 21 2013 02:30PM
The Edmonton Oilers procurement department is delivering an interesting and diverse group of young blue to the pro ranks these days. Oscar Klefbom (in photo) leads the way for the "mobile" defensemen of the future and the club added another with footspeed yesterday in Martin Gernat. Edmonton has also invested in big, gritty defense-first defenders. How important--for defensmen--is speed and ability to move the puck in today's NHL? Is it more important than grit, physical play and playing the enforcer role?
NUGENT-HOPKINS NEEDS SURGERY
Jason Gregor
April 21 2013 11:25AM
Ryan Nugent-Hopkin's season is over. He will have shoulder surgery, as early as this Tuesday in Cleveland.
Sometimes, you get surprised
Jonathan Willis
April 21 2013 06:26AM
The Oklahoma City Barons are loaded with relatively high NHL draft picks, and a lot of them are bigger forwards. The 2010 trio of Tyler Pitlick, Curtis Hamilton and Ryan Martindale were all exceptional junior age players, and represented the second tier of rebuild hopefuls. Two years into the professional careers of that group, things have gone badly awry; Martindale leads them with 14 AHL points after being consigned to the ECHL last season.
Instead, one of those itty-bitty forwards the Oilers took a flyer on a few years back leads the pack.
Edmonton Oilers sign Martin Gernat
Jonathan Willis
April 20 2013 11:57AM
On Saturday, the Oilers locked up a prospect who could have re-entered the draft this year. The team announced that 2011 fifth-round draft pick Martin Gernat had agreed to a three-year entry-level contract.
ONE FOR KRUEGER
Lowetide
April 20 2013 07:41AM
Edmonton Oilers fans have one eye on the standings and one eye on the draft lottery (where young men like Sasha Barkov--in photo--are available) as we hit the final stretch of this season. Oilers coach Ralph Krueger's goal may be the exact opposite of the Nation. Or is it?
