SumOil

First thing you would ask is how is this relevant to us. It isnt. But regulars at C&B would remember the praise Derek shelled out on Pete Deboer as he was marking the scoring chances for the Florida Panthers. Devils either read through all his praise or made similar conclusions about the coach. Good on NJ to make a smart hire in an era where Junior/Minor league coaches are leading the way in terms of new hires.

In a blockbuster trade, the Flyers have sent Jeff Carter to Columbus for Jakub Voracek, the 8th overall pick and another 3rd rounder. Now they can sign Ilya Bryzgalov in peace and get comparable goaltending to Bobrovsky for the cost of Carter and 5+ million. Well more relevent part is that Oilers will now have a tougher time getting another pick in the top 10 as one of the most available picks is now gone.

RNH not only was numero uno in the latest BM ranking's he was the 1st place choice of 9 of the 10 scouts making Bruce a very happy and satisfied man. Despite numerous stories out there, I believe that Oilers will end up drafting RNH and it is time to get excited for him in copper and blue colors!

Dougie Hamilton had a very successful showing in the regular season setting a new record for points by a Niagara Ice Dogs defenseman. Great junior player and he is a smart guy too. "Hamilton maintains his phenomenal average in six Grade 12 level courses: 97% in calculus, 95% in physics, 95% in personal and fitness 92% in English, 92% in biology and 91% in chemistry." Furthermore, he has 14 points in 9 games in the playoffs as Niagara continues to decimate opponents. A case can be made that he is the best prospect to come out of the team.

I went and checked the nhl standings going back 20 years and this is the first time that the 8th seeded team(NYR) have a better goal differential than the 1st place team( Washington Capitals)

Oilers lose another body as Sam Gagner is not done for the season. So the new narrative now will be that he has not been able to surpass his rookie totals! Its really sad though as he had a good shot at eclipsing it and might even had hit 55!

I think now is as good a time as any to revisit this work. This was done at a time when most of the fanbase was anti Penner and he was coming off his worst season as an Oiler. Then a very few us Penner supporters were looking for ways to defend him and this was a big gift from C&B!

Bob Stauffer reports that Nikolai Khabibulin is injured and Martin Gerber has been called up from OKC. DD/Gerber tandem = more wins? Well lets see!

"I think he(Larsson) is his own player. He has really created a style of his own style of play that combines it all - great skill and patience with the puck and hockey sense" Gabriel Landeskog on fellow Swede Adam Larsson. Its a pretty good interview and the first thing that jumps at you is his lack of swedish accent when he talks

Ryan Strome, a 2011 draft eligible prospect is leading the league in points. Now there are talks whether he should be the front runner for the Ohl MVP honors.

At the all star game, the guardian project was unveiled and I must say, I am amused. I dont hate it and I am sure that if I was a 10 year old kid with delusions of grandeur about my team, I will be out there buying these comics and debating why my Oilers kicks the Flames' and the Nucks' backside

Jim Matheson reports that Horcoff's recovery is ahead of schedule and maybe back in the next two weeks. However, given that Hemsky and Vandermeer both returned ahead of schedule only to be injured again, its hard not to think that same might happen with Horcoff too. Furthermore, since this season doesn't really mean anything, shouldn't everyone make sure that extra precaution be taken?

"I understand why many cheer for Reddox. He is undersized, isn't blessed with the a lot of natural skill, works his ass off every shift, fearlessly blocks shots and he's a ginger. The good news for Reddox is that he doesn't have to be the saviour for the PK. The Oilers are a respectable 86% on the PK in their last 13 games, so Reddox won't be asked to block every shot by himself".

"Jordan Eberle’s left ankle is not broken — so revealed the X-rays that were done on the Edmonton Oilers winger Saturday night. But he did leave the rink in a boot cast, so do not expect to see him back in the lineup on Tuesday when the Oilers host the Detroit Red Wings." Joanne Ireland, EJ