Shopping in Condor Country
By Scott Zerr
7 years ago
The big club isn’t the only one going shopping at this time of year.
There’s also a hunt for free-agent talent happening with the Bakersfield Condors, and while the Oilers helped them out on one front big getting hulking Mark Fraser for the blue line, there’s still a little more left on head coach Gerry Fleming’s list.
“We are always looking and we have some needs. We have a list of players we’d like and we’ll approach them. They are players who will make us better and hopefully they’re interested in coming.” – Condors head coach Gerry Fleming
Primarily, the Condors are looking for a top-line centre. Team captain Ryan Hamilton signed a new AHL contract with the club during the off-season and is probably slated for second-line duty. Since Bakersfield is on the hunt for a number one centre, does that mean …
- Big Russian pivot Bogdan Yakimov is out of the picture? He already bolted the team for a spell last season, so it’s reasonable to expect he may not return this fall and go back to the KHL.
- Rapidly improving Jujhar Khaira is going to be given every possibility to make the Oilers, either at centre or left wing? With the Oilers’ push towards size and grit, Khaira might be a better fit on the fourth line in Edmonton than Anton Lander.
Phil McRae could also be suited for the first line as he showed well last season when not sidelined by the crippling Valley Fever virus. He appeared in only 35 games for Bakersfield but notched 15 points and was very effective on the power play.
The Condors/Oilers will certainly go shopping throughout the AHL for potential talent (probably the higher-end European leagues, too), and a list of possibles brings forth a few interesting names:
- Greg Rallo – 44 points with Texas (Dallas) last season; previously played 11 games with Florida
- John Albert – 36 points with Manitoba (Winnipeg) last season; was a 2007 6th-rounder by Atlanta, played nine games with Jets
- Bill Arnold – 22 points with Stockton (Calgary) last season; was a 2010 4th-rounder by Calgary
- Jeremy Welsh – 28 points with AHL Chicago (St. Louis) last season; previously combined for 27 games with St. Louis/Vancouver/Carolina
- Eric O’Dell – 48 points with Rochester (Buffalo) and Binghamton (Ottawa) last season; was a 2008 2nd-rounder by Anaheim, previously played 41 games with Winnipeg
D in, D out
The addition of rugged Mark Fraser came at roughly the same time the Condors lost free-wheeling defenceman Brad Hunt, who signed with St. Louis.
It’s not an unexpected loss and it’s doubtful the Oilers tried hard to sign Hunt (a MacTavish favourite) or counter the Blues’ offer. Hunt’s offensive skills are replicated on the Condors by Jordan Oesterle and Joey LaLeggia, both of whom are cheaper and at least middling prospects. LaLeggia was better at left wing last season which makes him more serviceable.
Search for WMD
While the role of the one-dimensional enforcer is virtually extinct in the NHL, there is still a need for a heavyweight deterrent in the AHL. The Condors/Oilers surprisingly cut ties with two popular figures in Kale Kessy and Luke Gazdic (neither RFA sent a qualifying offer), and had Adam Cracknell depart for Dallas.
Gazdic might be given a try with a new two-way contract or the Condors could go in search of someone new to fill the role of fourth-line heavyweight.
“There is definitely that need in the AHL. It gives your younger guys some confidence, but he has to be able to think the game and be a leader. That element of toughness is important in the AHL and we’ll look at it.” – Gerry Fleming
Lineup
This could change 50 times before training camp even starts, but here’s a perspective glance at things:
GOALIE:
Brossoit
Laurikainen
DEFENSE:
Simpson – Oesterle
Betker – Musil
LaLeggia – Fraser
FORWARDS:
Caggiula – TBA –Slepyshev
Salinen – Hamilton – Pitlick
Allen – Platzer – Russell
Moroz – Currie – Christoffer
“I’m looking forward to seeing the guys who were drafted in the last year or two, see how they’ve improved and how they’re development has progressed. I’m also looking forward to watching Scott Allen and Patrick Russell. Allen got very high reviews last year when he joined Norfolk. Eric Veilleux (former Norfolk head coach) was very high on him. Russell is a big, power forward we saw a little bit of late last year and I want to see more.” – Fleming on the Oilers’ development camp
- Missing pieces: Griffin Reinhart (assuming he’s 6/7 D in Edmonton), Phil McRae (unsigned), Matthew Ford (unsigned, possibly retiring), Greg Chase (AHL/ECHL)
- The Oilers finally have a little depth in goal, enough so that it could make things interesting as far as who plays second fiddle to Laurent Brossoit. Eetu Laurikainen is the incumbent which would put newly signed college free agent Nick Ellis as the starter in ECHL Norfolk backed up by Ty Rimmer. Or…
Brossoit/Ellis in Bakersfield; Rimmer and TBA in Norfolk; Laurikainen to Finland
Brossoit/Rimmer in Bakersfield; Ellis and TBA in Norfolk; Laurikainen to Finland
- Nick Pageau, the Condors’ 7D for a good part of last season, signed in Norway so there could be a minor-league journeyman brought in, most likely depending on where Reinhart winds up.
- Bakersfield carried two spare forwards most of last year. Right now, it’s probable to pencil in winger Joey Benik (AHL contract) and centre Marco Roy (unsigned, AHL/ECHL).
- The Condors lost out on getting back Josh Winquist as the sharpshooter moved to the New York Islanders organization.
Recent articles from Scott Zerr
