Monday Mailbag – September 1st

Whether you’re reading this tonight, or you waited to read it on company time I welcome you to another edition of Mailbag Monday.  This feature is all about you guys, if you have a question you’d like ask just email it to me at baggedmilk@oilersnation.com. Sit back, relax, and learn something.  Enjoy!

Robin Brownlee: 

The Oilers have been in the spotlight more because they’ve had six consecutive picks in the top 10, including three first overall picks. Increased scrutiny by fans has no impact on player development with the Oilers or any other team. Teams have increased staffing in player development over the last decade because that’s how hockey-ops has evolved — roving/organizational coaches etc. I see no connection.

Jonathan Willis: 

There’s no question that Edmonton has had a first-class seat to the rise of the draft, but I don’t think it’s something that Oilers fans are imagining. Increasingly, hockey is a 12 months/year obsession, with prospects and the draft rising in importance as a direct result of that change in cycle. But I’m not convinced that’s changing the way hockey teams operate – I think the increased focus on the draft is a direct result of teams having way more money (the players only get 50% of HRR, the lowest total in years and years) and the salary cap forcing them to spend it unconventional ways.

Jason Strudwick: 

There is 100 percent much more pressure and spotlight on these kids. The media is a young players worst enemy. I get so frustrated when I see an “expert” say player X needs 1.5 years in the minors and he will be an NHLer. It is as if he is going to NAIT to get a degree. If a prospect buys into that he won’t do the work necessary to make that next jump.

Lowetide: 

It’s always been important. The difference now is that there are more dweebs like me following it, and we can yell and scream and act like lunatics when things don’t work out. That’s about it. Seriously, teams are much better at drafting now because the teams cross check more and there’s more consensus. NHL scouts are damn good at their jobs though, the cream is gone by No. 100 pretty much every year (aside from the wonky years when Russians were taken 250th overall and then came over 5 years later). 

Jason Gregor: 

More scouting, more money and more focus on the draft has forced teams to ensure their first round picks pan out. No team will ever be perfect, because the draft is still a major wildcard. You are drafting 17, 18 and 19 year old kids, so a lot can change before they make it to the NHL.

Brian Sutherby: 

I think it’s definitely heightened the pressure/scrutiny. The scrutiny was always there I’m sure, but players likely didn’t hear it or feel it like they do now. If you didn’t read a newspaper or listen to John Short Sportstalk you could probably get away from it. You can’t now, and have to be very strong mentally as a young player breaking into the league.

I think TV is one of the biggest reasons for the draft being as popular as it is.  TV has basically turned the NHL draft into a month long event.  Before anyone even steps up to the podium, you’ve got the draft lottery, the pre-draft rankings, mock drafts, etc… It’s amazing that sports websites/radio/TV are able to generate so much content from a two day event, and it’s only going to get bigger.

Robin Brownlee: 

No. There are better markets available here — Las Vegas and/or Seattle come to mind. Why add the expense of flying across the Atlantic when you can roll the expansion dice in Sin City?

Jonathan Willis: 

Eventually, yes, but we’re talking long-term, decades down the line.

Jason Strudwick: 

Very good question. The biggest issue would be the time change. It would be so hard on the players to go back and forth. They would all suffer from Dead Legs!

Lowetide: 

Sure. Why not? You could have the NHL NA and NHL Europe, and the winners meet for the Bettman Trophy.

Jason Gregor: 

If they want to grow the league globally, you bet. They’d have to expand with an entire division or the travel would be too much for one or two teams. Money talks, and eventually it will happen. One of the four major pro leagues will try it, and I’d bet hockey or basketball will attempt it first.

Brian Sutherby: 

I know the NFL wants to do it, but no. I just don’t see how the travel would ever work. Teams in North America have a hard enough time as it is. 

Why? So the Oilers can suck on two continents? I don’t like it.  

Robin Brownlee: 

Rob Schremp. I keed. Rem Murray would get some votes from me because of his versatility on some mediocre teams. Todd Marchant drew a lot of tough defensive assignments without putting up great numbers, save for his last season here. For the Stanley Cup teams, Charlie Huddy was the unheralded anchor, though I wouldn’t call him under-appreciated.

Jonathan Willis: 

All-time is really tough and I’m just not old enough to really comment on the glory days teams, or even really the late-90’s teams. I will say that Mike Peca doesn’t get enough credit for his work in the 2006 Cup run. He had a lousy regular season – I wish we had underlying numbers for 2005-06 because I wonder what they’d show about him – but he was money in the playoffs. One thing people don’t realize is that only two forwards – Ryan Smyth and Shawn Horcoff – played more minutes overall during that playoff run. Peca was playing more than 4:00 per game on the PK – he was the glue on that unit – and at evens only Horcoff averaged more than Peca’s ~14/game. In a very real sense (minutes played) it was Peca rather than Stoll who was the No. 2 centre for that team, but he kind of gets forgotten when we talk about the team.

Jason Strudwick: 

Wayne Gretzky. He was that good.

Lowetide: 

Hmmm. GREAT question. I’ll say Charlie Huddy. A brilliant player for a long time, wide range of skills and never, ever got recognition. 

Lowe would be close, but my pick would be Charlie Huddy. He was on all five Stanley Cup teams, and was underrated both defensively and offensively. He was a solid all around player.

Brian Sutherby: 

In my days of growing up in Edmonton it was Kelly Buchberger. I know he was named captain and in some peoples minds overstayed his welcome on the bench, so that may mean he wasn’t underappreciated, but for me there wasn’t a more selfless player willing to do absolutely anything for his teammates or fans to help win a hockey game. He did all the unsung things many players don’t want to do and others don’t appreciate. 

Todd Harvey. I give Todd Harvey’s dirty pornstache all the credit for the Oilers’ Cup run in 2006. It’s about time that we finally get to recognize him for it.

Robin Brownlee: 

Doug Weight. Ales Hemsky.

Jonathan Willis: 

That’s a tough one, but I’m tempted to say Mario Lemieux is the best player I’ve ever watched (if we’re nixing Gretzky). I really got into watching hockey around 1999, and I remember being blown away by Lemieux’s brain when I watched his Pittsburgh comeback – the guy had this incredible ability to control the things going on around him.

Jason Strudwick: 

Peter Forsberg/Eric Lindros. Both big and strong, so skilled. 

Lowetide: 

Most skilled player I ever watched? Bobby Orr. No question.

Jason Gregor: 

Pavel Bure. He could do things at top speed that no one else could. Ridiculous skill.

Brian Sutherby: 

Most skilled: Alex Semin. 

Best Player: Mario Lemieux. 

That’s an easy one… Mario Lemieux was a very special hockey player. Can you imagine how many points he would have ended up with had he not battled illness and injuries?  The guy had the puck on a string, and was amazing to watch.

Robin Brownlee: 

Strudwick by a landslide because of his wardrobe alone.

Jonathan Willis: 

Boringly studious and lacking in social skill? Well, says the guy who looked up the dictionary definition of nerd before answering, I don’t think anyone on this site qualifies.

Jason Strudwick: 

We all have an inner Nerd deep inside us.

Lowetide: 

Me or Willis. I don’t think there’s any doubt about it. Unless Brownlee has a train set. Maybe Wanye, he’s got 4,000 things going so he might have a collection of ceramic elephants or some such. Sutherby and Gregor are pretty normal, near as I can tell. If we ever had a contest, I’d start by listing off the entire Montreal Expos starting lineup for their first game ever, mention the winning pitcher (Dan McGinn) and win within 2 minutes. My only concern is Willis might have something even more strange to pull out.

Jason Gregor: 

Too many view the term Nerd in a negative light, I don’t. I’d pick Wanye because he knows how to write code to develop the site. Smart and funny dude.

Brian Sutherby: 

Wanye, and it’s not even close.

ME! I’d put my stamp and coin collections up against anyone’s. Besides, they say that nerds shall inherit the earth, and I could do a lot with that kind of power.