
Jonathan Willis
Nov 19, 2008 Dec 18, 2009 694 647
I cover the Edmonton Oilers for SBNation at the site I manage, the The Copper & Blue, as well as for OilersNation.com. My work appears (albeit infrequently) at both CanucksArmy.com and at FlamesNation.ca.
website: The Copper & Blue
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"Hitchcock just didn't give me a chance. You score the game winner with seven minutes of playing time, and it means nothing. The next game you get four minutes of ice time. And it's normal."
16 days ago
Jonathan Willis
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HI: So if they had ultimately given you an apartment, that would have been enough to keep you from fleeing to the NHL?
Fedorov: I think so, yeah. Even if they had just provided me with a car, that probably would have been enough for me to stay.
Sergei Federov talks about how close he came to staying in the USSR
25 days ago
Jonathan Willis
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"I don't care what Mike Milbury has to say. He's on TV for a reason."
Patrick O'Sullivan, via Dan Tencer's Twitter Feed
27 days ago
Jonathan Willis
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Ales Hemsky: Boat Anchor
There's been a lot of talk about how the Edmonton Oilers can't win with Ales Hemsky on their team. Many internet commenters have suggested the team would be well-advised to trade him and move on, or that the Oilers are better off without him, or things of that nature.
Others have suggested that he's a flawed player with some good points but not enough to justify the esteem some hold him in.
While he's probably playing through injury right now, I'm not sure any of them appreciate how truly awful Hemsky's been this season. Let's run the numbers.
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Steve MacIntyre on Waivers
Steve MacIntyre: How to Fight (via ABS1B)
The Oilers have placed journeyman enforcer Steve MacIntyre, who joined the team after a prolonged career in the minors, on waivers. Also on waivers this morning: Adam Mair of the Buffalo Sabres; I wonder if he might not be a fit in Edmonton.6 comments | 0 recs
I didn't much like the way Horcoff looked filing into the dressing room after he got starched by Sutton.
Horcoff was definitely favouring his left arm after the game -- what I saw had shoulder separation written all over it. That's just speculation on my part right now, but it's worth keeping an eye on.
PDO Numbers
There's a theory out there (which I subscribe to, with certain caveats) which states that NHL players have no noticeable impact on on-ice save percentage, and a small impact on on-ice shooting percentage.
Therefore, since these things fluctuate quite a bit between players on the same team, we can chalk much of it up to luck, bounces, and other unrepeatable stuff - and these things can make us regard players as either better or worse than they really are.
Enter PDO numbers. The PDO number is a simple measure of even-strength on-ice shooting percentage and save percentage. The league average, for obvious reasons, is 100. After the jump: those numbers for the Oilers so far this season.
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First Line LW: Penner vs. Jacques
There's been some griping in certain quarters (including this one) about the use of Jean-Francois Jacques as the left wing on this team's first line from the start of the season. Last night, Pat Quinn switched out Jacques and Shawn Horcoff for Dustin Penner and Sam Gagner.
I just thought I'd contrast the level of talent the first line was working with, versus what it had last night.
- Dustin Penner, last night: 1 game played, 2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points, +3
- J-F Jacques, career: 69 games played, 2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points, -18
I'm beating up a little bit on Jacques, who had a much better start this season than he ever has previously, but the fact of the matter is that Dustin Penner - just like last year - is better suited to the role than anyone else on this team.
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A Quick Note on Rob Schremp
Rob Schremp, the controversial ex-Oilers’ prospect who was a healthy scratch Wednesday night as the New York Islanders won their first game of the season (4-3 in a shootout over Carolina) hasn’t been terribly impressive through five games in Long Island. This has prompted some to write him off – and I think that’s a mistake.
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If Chorney continues to show he's ready to play, does it make sense to trade Gilbert? Yes, I've heard the rumours about a swap with Buffalo for Drew Stafford.
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