Oil Country, running dry?

Marty Reasoner - 10 goals: Avg TOI 15:30, 19.4 shifts per game, total PP time on ice 5:12

Shawn Horcoff - 14 goals: Avg TOI 21:33, 27.5 shifts per game, total PP time on ice 258:12

Jarret Stoll - 18 goals: Avg TOI 17:01, 24 shifts per game, total PP time on ice 205:16

Just look at those stats for a moment...So Shawn Horcoff has been our first line center the last 3 years? Yup. The last three years where have the Oilers ended up in the standings?

05-06-8th

06-07-12th

07-08-9th

08-09-Currently tied for 7th

So, with Shawn Horcoff taking up $5million in cap space next season, and for the next 4 seasons after that. How can Oiler fans feel that this team can/will be competitive? We are lucky in the fact that we have drafted some quality young centers in Gagner and Cogliano. Hemsky has been trying to tell us for a few years now, that he needs someone better then Horcoff to lineup with. The writing is on the wall. The Oilers are not a top contender with Shawn Horcoff playing first line center, end of story. So unless we want to keep on with these mediocre finishes, its time the Oilers management put aside their love for hard working, blue collar guys, and go out and get that number one center we so dearly need. We are barely going to survive this season.

Now its a little harsh, and I have to admit to being a Horcoff fan myself, but seriously, as an Oiler fan, I am tired of the roller coaster ride seasons. The late season playoff pushes. I want to win the division! I want to be in that top 3! Shawn Horcoff is not a number one center, and never will be. Now the fact is too, that the Oilers cannot just go out and get a 1st line center. They either have to buck up some big dollars and sign one (though there aren't any big names this summer), or be willing to part with some players/prospects of their own, via trade. Lets take a quick look at the top teams this year, and who is at their helm, their 1st line centers...

Detroit Red Wings: Pavel Datsyuk: 25G, 54A

San Jose Sharks: Joe Thornton: 20G, 54A

Patrick Marleau: 34G, 32A

Boston Bruins: Marc Savard: 21G, 52A

Washington Capitals: Niclas Backstrom: 18G, 53A

Philadelphia: Jeff Carter: 38G, 30A

Mike Richards: 26G, 42A

Yes all these players mentioned are in the NHL's top 20 scorers. Where is Shawn Horcoff? 89th overall. Now everyone reading this is screaming at the fact that all these players have tons of assists, and we need a goal scorer for Hemsky, because he already gets all the assists. Sure whatever, if you want to limit yourself to that kind of thinking. Have you watched an Oiler game? Have you seen Hemsky let it go? This guy can shoot just as good, if not better then a lot of good goal scorers. Why cant he become the trigger man?! To tell you the truth, if you were to line Hemsky up beside a guy like Joe Thornton, or Jason Spezza, I believe Hemsky's goal output would triple! If not quadruple! Hemsky is a goal scorer who has been looked at, as being a play maker for far too long. This is because he has played with players such as Shawn Horcoff, Ryan Smyth, Dustin Penner. I feel sorry for Ales, he hasn't been able to unleash his true skill set because the players beside him slow him down.

So as a message to the Oilers: go out and please get this team a number one center!


Dustin Penner is back in the Oilers lineup tonight. Recently myself and Smith had a dicussion on who is the bigger bust; Penner or Gomez? Gomez making $11 million this year, and Penner making $4.25 million. As far as Goals per Dollar go, Penner is being payed just over $300,000/Goal, while Gomez makes over $700,000/Goal. Now these are just two players, there are many other busts in the NHL as well, here are a few:

Maxim Afinogenov: $1.167 million/Goal

Martin Havlat: $285,000/Goal

Ryan Smyth: $300,000/Goal
Brad Richards: $487,500/Goal**
Michael Handzus: $285,000/Goal
Saku Koivu: $365,000/Goal
Brain Rolston: $400,000/Goal**
Chris Drury: $400,000/Goal
Mike Fisher: $545,000/Goal
Michael Nylander: $785,000/Goal
**denotes a player who has been injured

Those are some pretty big busts, making Dustin Penner not look soooo bad, however any team with one of these guys in their lineup needs to give their heads a shake and either; a0get rid of them, or b) hope they have a very rich owner who is willing to buy out their contracts, because we all know that the economic uncertainty will hit the NHL, and the salary cap will go down, and when it does, you don't want to be stuck with any players like these. These players are the BIG examples, however to me, any player making over $100,000/Goal, is overpaid. That means, a 50 goal scorer should be making $5 million. A 20 goal scorer now makes $2 million, and a $10 goal scorer just breaks $1 million, its a beautiful way to encourage players to score.

-Sporer