The Oilers knack for the worst luck in the league continues with Khabiboulin's recent DUI arrest. What an absolute horror story that contract has turned into. Horcoff is playing the worst hockey of his career, meanwhile earning a paycheck of $7 million. Sheldon Souray decides that since he is on the trading block, he might as well put himself on the IR as well, so much for wanting to help the team. Then to just place the cherry on top of the giant pile of shit the Oilers have amassed, Gagner goes down with a knee injury just as he is playing his best hockey all season. With the Oilers luck the way it is, MPS and Eberle will be on their way to training camp in August, and being on the same plane, it crashes and they die. *Fingers Crossed*. Anyways, gonna give you my "Stars Align" Oilers future lookout, and the "Hole gets Deeper" future lookout....
The Stars Align
With three days from the end of the Olympic trade freeze, til the trade deadline, Steve Tambellini will be a very busy boy. Dealing away both Ethan Moreau and Fernando Pisani, receiving a 3rd rounder and a prospect. Then he deals Sheldon Souray for a roster player and a prospect/pick (to WAS for: Alzner and David Steckel). Then in the most shocking deadline deal of all, Tambo sends Deslauriers, Cogliano, and Grebeshkov to Montreal for Carey Price and Ryan O'Byrne.
Post Trade Deadline Lineup:
Penner Gagner Nilsson
Potulny Comrie O'Sullivan
Steckel Horcoff Reddox
Stortini Pouliot Jacques
Visnovsky Gilbert
Smid Staios
O'Byrne Strudwick
Price
Dubnyk
Season ends, Oilers finish dead last. Win the draft lottery and have first overall pick. On draft day the Oilers send Lubomir Visnovsky to Carolina for the 3rd overall pick. The Oilers select Taylor Hall first overall. Then Boston selects Tyler Seguin, then the Oilers select Cam Fowler with their 3rd overall pick. Post Draft Lineup:
MPS Gagner Hemsky
Hall Horcoff Eberle
Penner O'Sullivan Nilsson
Steckel Potulny Stortini
Fowler Gilbert
Smid Staios
O'Byrne Strudwick
Price
Khabiboulin
With all the trades the Oilers have made, they bring their total cap hit to $31.2 million. They use the leftover money to resign Sam Gagner to a 6 year $20 million deal (cap hit of just over $3 million). Then they sign Carey Price for a 4 year $14 million deal ($3.5 million per year). They sign Jason Strudwick to one more year at $.700 mill. They sign Ryan Potulny to a 2 year 3 million deal (1.5/year). Now they sit at $40.23 million before free agent season.
Free agent season begins with the Oilers dipping into the KHL and signing Jaromir Jagr for a 2 year $8 million dollar deal ($4 mill/year). They also sign Nashville defensman Dan Hamhuis to a 3 year $11.5 million deal (3.8 mill/year).
Post Free Agent Season Lineup:
Jagr MPS Hemsky
Hall Gagner Eberle
Penner Horcoff O`Sullivan
Steckel Potulny Stortini
Fowler Gilbert
Hamhuis Smid
Alzner Staios
Strudwick O`Byrne
Price
Khabiboulin
Dubnyk
Cap Hit:~$50 million
The Oilers then sign MPS, Eberle, Fowler, Hall, all to entry level deals. Same Lineup as above. 2010-2011 season begins.
"Hole Gets Deeper"
After the Olympic trade freeze, the Oilers are unable to find any takers for some of their veterans, trading away only Ethan Moreau for a 5th rounder. They finish dead last at seasons end, however lose the draft lottery to Boston. Boston then selects Taylor Hall 1st overall, and the Oilers take Tyler Seguin.
Post Draft Lineup:
MPS Gagner Hemsky
Penner Seguin Eberle
O'Sullivan Horcoff Pisani
Potulny Cogliano Brule
Stortini Pouliot Nilsson
Visnovsky Souray
Gilbert Grebeshkov
Smid Staios
Strudwick
Khabiboulin
Desaluariers
Before the free agent season begins the Oilers manage to sign Gagner to a 6 year $24 million deal. They also sign Cogliano to a 4 year $10 million deal. They sign Potulny to a 2 year $4 million deal, and Deslauriers to a 3 year $3 million deal. Gilbert Brule gets a 3 year $6 million deal. Cap hit now sits at: $55.725 million. Pisani retires.
The Oilers then sign Pouliot, Jacques, Stone, and Dubnyk to 2 way deals and send them all to Oklahoma City. They Release Grebeshkov, Strudwick and Comrie.
Post Free Agent Season lineup and Cap Hit:
MPS Gagner Hemsky
Penner Seguin Eberle
O`Sullivan Horcoff Brule
Nilsson Cogliano Potulny
Stortini
Visnovsky Souray
Gilbert Chorney
Staios Smid
Peckham
Khabiboulin
Deslauriers
Cap Hit: ~$55 million
The Oilers then sign MPS, Eberle to entry level deals, and assign Tyler Seguin to Oklahoma City.
-Sporer
