Golf and the Oilers go together like Jack and Coke these days, so why not a blog about both? Better yet, grab a Jack and Coke and read on.
Was the Masters missing some lustre this year?
Absolutely -- and I'll tell you why. We ruined it. 94 Golfers teed off at Augusta last Thursday morning but there was only one story the media cared about and the worst part was that it had nothing to do with the Masters.
About the only thing we concerned ourselves with last week was the first leg of the Grand Slam as it related to Tiger Woods and that is an absolute shame. This isn't the Preakness, it's the Masters. Call it pure laziness, call it a pack mentality, call it tunnel vision - take your pick. All are reprehensible in covering an event of that magnitude.
So it should have come as no surprise that when Tiger was out of the running (despite what CBS led you to believe in the name of ratings), the tournament was doomed, as we all waited for the Wood-man to pull off a miracle.
Did anyone hear Gary Player call eventual champion Trevor Immelman the greatest ball striker since Ben Hogan after Round 1? From the looks of it, Trevor was the only one listening.
This is just speculation on my part and it has no factual basis whatsoever, but is it just me or has Mathieu Garon's trade value never been higher? He's coming off a career year and turns 31 next season.
Take nothing away from his performance, he was brilliant at times, but Garon is due to make just $1 million next season, and that, in itself presents great value to potential suitors.
Despite the tremendous offensive potential the Oilers showed late in the regular season, the only team that allowed more goals in the Western conference was the LA Kings. So it's safe to say the Edmonton blue line is still a work in progress. Even with the return of Sheldon Souray, the defence corps could still use an injection of talent next year, especially if Pitkanen does not return; Perhaps that hole is something Garon might fetch in a trade.
The Oilers aren't ready to win the Cup just yet, and the last time they got close, the goalie was the last piece to Kevin Lowe's puzzle. Then again, I took Phil Michelson in my Masters pool.
first time ive heard an oiler fan say "trade garon". whats up with that??? roli is clearly unable to play well early in the season and our young goalies arent ready yet. 1 million for garon is a bargain at this point and we need him way more than roloson. had garon played as the starter all season we would have made the post season IMO. theres no reason lowe cant sign pitkanen ta a 1 or 2 year deal for close to 5 million right now. your suggestions for what the oilers should do have about as much credibility as your playoff predictions.
ok, then who do you see playing goal next year? Roloson didn't exactly carry the load this year and he isn't getting any younger.
Couple that with the fact that exactly NONE of the Oil's goaltending prospects are anywhere near capable of playing in the NHL next season, I'd say trading Garon is about the last thing the Oil should do.
I agree with Badge that it is probably a bad move to trade him. That is especially true if you consider what you could actually get back. Sure he is a good goalie, but on most teams he would probably be a backup. Nobody is giving up a key defenceman for Garon, and if you are not getting a long-term difference maker, why downgrade your goaltending?
Wow! Worst idea ever. Let's trade our only decent goalie. The guy who was perfect in shootouts and the only reason the Oilers finished with a respectable record.
You hit the nail on the head Sean, Garon's value has never been higher. The problem is that unless we get a quality goaltender in return or sign a UFA like Huet, Theodore or Ellis then were stuck with Roli and I no longer believe him to be capable of carrying the team for an entire season.
P.S. - Had to love the game in Calgary last night! Burn Flames Burn!
Why not trade Garon? Are the oil faithful happy with the same # of points as the 07/08 Nucks. The 07/08 Nuck’s finished with the fewest points of any Canuck team in nine seasons + has subsequently given their GM the 9 of hearts. The Oil have a weak defense with zero depth. Made of glass Souray is not the answer. In the last four seasons, the Canucks have been champions of the narly Northwest Division twice and won more games than the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild or Edmonton Oilers. But Vancouver is the only franchise that has axed its general manager, and it has done so twice. It’s going to be either trade Garon or a couple of the young guns for D, otherwise they will be golfing again early next spring.
Ummmmmmm "the only team that allowed more goals in the Western conference was the LA Kings", how does that equate to trading Garon? He was great on a lowsy LA team 2 years ago. Had he played more games earlier in 07/08 we'd still be on the ice...not the course. More Garon, less goals against...you get the picture.
hey canuklelions - in 05-06 alone, the oilers won more playoff series than canucks have while being "Northwest Champs" 2 of the last 4 years, so until you put out a team who A) can score and B) go far in the playoffs, your team is in the exact same situation...or are canucks fans happy with just winning the division?
I would never trade Garon at this time! His value in shootouts alone is unquestionable! He's well liked in the room as far as we know & is equal in talent to the likes of Theodore, Ellis etc.! I think Rollie will be the one who is shopped & moved if possible. Rollie played ok down the stretch at times but he had a lot of offence to work with! Vive' Garon!
canucklelions: "The Oil have a weak defense with zero depth" ha ha ha.
Good thing that Vancouver has axed their GM twice.. what does that tell you? Perhaps the ownership is not hiring the right one? Good argument. Typical, jealous Canucks fan holding onto the dream of greatness with the mediocre Sedin sisters and a washed up Naslund.
Maybe the Nucks should trade Luongo for some offense?
The ideal situation would be if they could dump Roloson's salary for whatever they could get and then use the money towards signing a free agent D-man. That said, I hate the Oilers so I hope they don't do anything productive.
canuklelions - You best do some homework before spouting off so much. The Oilers have depth at every position EXCEPT goal. How do you think they finished the season where they did with over 300 games lost to injury?
http://mirtle.blogspot.com/2008/03/official-man-games-lost-to-injury.html
If anything you should appreciate the importance of having two serviceable NHL caliber goaltenders. We all got a good look at the double digits the Flamers put up when Lou had enough of holding the team on his back.
wow mccormick i'm surprized the canucks haven't lured you away from sportsnet to make you the new gm. you're smrt.
Hey educatedfan, Kudos to the Oil for their run in 05/06. Too bad it turned out they didn’t have the horses to do the job. Did they go out + get them? No, K Lowe moved key assets out of town. The Nuck’s are not happy tying the Oil, so the GM paid for it.
EdmontonJay, the sheer # of goals against allowed by the Oil indicates a weak back end. Garon plays a decent game + may have a high trade value, but he’s no Luongo.
Julio999 Man games lost to injury should be top 12 players to top 12 only. I understand the Nuck’s lost 180 man games amongst their top 6 D alone. If the Oil’s top 6 is weak to start with, how could they have depth? I agree the Nuck’s could use a better caliber back up, especially if Roberto gets hurt or ends up adding to his family.
@ Canucklelion:
Turned out that having your top goalie go down with an injury in the 1st game of the finals can make all the difference. If Roloson did not get injured it is a 5 game series in the Oil's favour. How do you like your Nucks chances if Luongo goes down? Not very good are they...same thang here and yet they almost did it anyway...but that is the past...
As for man games lost...Souray 50+ games lost...Pikanen 20 games lost...Greene lost almost 40...Horcoff 30, Moreau 50 and Pisani 30. There is 3 top D-men and 3 veteran Forwards (and top line center to boot). I am sure we can both moan about lost players, but it is then that others are supposed to step up. I never injuries as an excuse.
Right now garon is the goalie of the league..forget lou and kipper and those other overpaid stiffs garonis making 1 million, is a shootout master.having said that i would keep him.We have deslauriers ready to play and our D is young and deep need to develop thats all and we saw that later part of the season.Lou wants out of loserville vancouver a.s.a.p, Nonis fired cause he was a burkie in disguise(nuff said)...poor organizations hire the wrong people(nonis, burkie, suter, keenan)...
"The Oil have a weak defense with zero depth."
LOL you must be mistaking your team canuckelion with mine. All you have for depth was an all star goalie who didn't really look like the all star he use be in the last half of the season. Plus lets face it, this same goalie blamed his team whenever the Canucks lost.
Granted I know you're still bitter that the Oil ruined your playoff dreams with a team full of rookies, but at least Nashville is putting up a fight. Van would just have been slaughtered and everyone is already tired of listening Luongo whine.
Garon should stay. Rollie deserves some time in the sun, lining up as a number 2 in LA as part of a deal to get Cammalleri. I see a trade with Ottawa to get Emery here,(How about Raffi, or Shremper?) and before you laugh, remember how done Salo was on the Island before he came here, or Ranford in Boston? We always like them a shade on the whacky side in Edmonton, too.
The back end will take care of itself with Souray in good form and one more outstanding rookie in Petry. Looks like Pit is gone .
Stallion: How could you possibly say that Burke and Sutter were the wrong guys? Burke took a sub-par Anaheim club and turned it into a Stanley Cup Champion. Sutter took over a hopeless Flames team who were mired in a record long playoff drought and during his first full season as GM/coach led them to the finals. Burke may be an arrogant blow-hard, but he is a very good GM.
One aspect of great blogging is the fact it gets people talking.
Speaking of people talking, where are all those senator fans these days? Come on Spartans I want to hear more about how the Leafs are golfing this summer.
Anyway, your terrible Oilers have a major problem. They are not built from the net out (thanks for partially pointing that out MacCormick). But as of now the solution seems to be Garon for Edmonton. This team is missing reliable defense and should focus the next few drafts on this aspect while acquiring veteran d-men who could fill in until the up and comers develop. The Habs did this and now have a very good crop of defensemen for the next few years (not to mention the core group of the present). Learn or feel the burn McCormick!
First off flamers went to the final playing clutch and grab hockey-cant do that anymore and their lack of talent and depth shows that.
second Murray built that duck team burkie only got it as it developed, neidermayer only went to the ducks cause his brother already played there,he lost penner for a mid round pick...soo much for great g.m's...
Sorry Stallion, but I think you are completely wrong. Sutter built a team that fit the style of the league they were playing in at the time. That only made complete sense and it was succesful (and it was more hard work than clutch and grab). Then he made the right adjustments and the Flames came out the next season and won the division under Sutter despite the crackdown in the "new NHL". He has taken the Flames from nothing to 3 consecutive playoff appearances and has locked up the heart of the team long-term.
In Anaheim, Murray built a decent team, but it was Burke that made it a champion. He hired Randy Carlyle as coach, signed Neidermayer and Selanne, got Beauchemin for an overpaid Federov, and made a great trade for Chris Pronger. He also added some of the small but important pieces that added grit, such as Moen, Marchant, and May. The team he took over, albeit young, had just finished 12th in the conference and he molded it into a champion. The Penner decision was correct given their cap situation, and it is only hindsight that allows us to know that he will receive a mid-round pick instead of a top 5 (and even a mid first round pick is not something to scoff at). Burke made similar improvements to a Canuck team before being fired due to politics (his team won the division the year he was fired).
Beauregard, are you serious??
OIlers should focus on drafting some defensemen?
I do believe we have Gilbert, Greene, Roy, Grebeshkov, and Petry who is almost ready. I am quite sure they will will be solid on the back for years to come.. Get your facts straight, oh and, thanks for coming out.
Ah c'mon big dude! In Garon, you've got a guy that's been a nice surprise who just happens to be at a bargain basement price. Oh - and he wants to be here! Why trade that?
We're strapped to Rollie's salary for another year, so you almost have to look at it like our goaltending is costing us Rollie's 3.6ish and Garon's 1mil - that's 4.6 on goaltending until Rollie's contract is done. Then it frees up space to either re-sign Garon (depending how he does next year) or sign someone new. You can't afford another goaltender at 4ish mil next year and still have Rollie's contract - and who's going to take him right now?
I think they make a good tandem. The D is still young so there's been nights where the goaltenders were left out to dry - but that'll get better.
I like Garon. Didn't he tie LAs single season winning record? We're lucky they weren't smart enough to sign him. He's got talent and the quickest legs in the NHL - just look at his shootout stats. They'd have to give up a ton to get a 'name' goaltender, when Garon is building a name here.
Sorry big dude, I'm usually with you, but not on this one. This is one of your worst ideas ever! Getting rid of Garon would only add to our problems. The 38 year old Roloson soon to be 39 is way past his prime, although he shows sign of still being able to put together a small string of good games he`s inconsistency is much too reminiscent of the Tommy Salo era!
Having him for only 1 million is exactly why we would want to keep him. He is probably the best goalie for such a bargain deal in the league. He showed signs of potentially being one of the elite goaltenders in the league last season. I`ll guarantee you one more thing, if he would have been our starter from game one of the year we would have made playoffs. Rollie was brutal at the start and Matty surely would have stolen a couple of those games early on as he did throughout the year for us. Goaltending is the last of our worries right now, let worry about signing some defencemen with our extra cap space and new owner!!!!!GO OILERS GO!!!!!!
I think you're right. Too much focus this year has been on Tiger. He's probably the greatest player to play in the last 20 years, but he's human. He can't win every Tournament. That would just be boring.
Oh, and I wouldn't trade Garon. Although, I do agree his value is high. Lowe knows he has some tweaking to do this off-season. We'll see what transpires.
In case you have'nt noticed the playoffs are on so why is anyone talking about the Oil anyway.
Eddie Jay,
It would seem paradoxical that the Oilers are so stellar in the offensive end, on D and in net (as every Oiler fan seems to be bragging about). In my eyes this team is not ready to go anywhere unless it can preserve its roster for a while without too many modifications. The defensive crop you've mentioned is not a proven one and this is why, as I had mentioned, they will need some key veterans to help these rookies develop. If not, their selections will go to waste. Get the facts... biased Oil fan. Your team never preserves its drafted players because there is an integral flaw with Edmonton's farm team to the NHL Oiler system. The kids do not have time to truly blossom. This is why 2006 was a major fluke. Where's Pisani now?
You guys are terrible and it all starts with Lowe and his extra desperate moves. Lowe acts and reacts as though the CDN $ is worth a penny and that Oilers' ownership is in constant question. They are not moving the team Lowe! You can actually develop and keep your young blood!
And by the way, thanks for coming out of the dodo-box Jay. Or Jack. It must be fun to watch rookies develop on the golf course while your Albertan rivals are going to a game 7 with their fans hitting the pubs. In one word the Oilers are? Farcical!
Beauregard
Trash the Oilers all you want. But were you droped on your head as a baby. You say where is Pisani? Think before you say something jackoff "ulcerative colitis" do you know what that is? Is not fun idiot. At one point they thought his carrer in the NHL was over. And he's not the best player I'll admit that. but he came back through that and was way under weight and had a decent season for someone who went through that.
You won't find many players in any sport with that much determination and heart. So think before you talk
Beauregard,
In supporting my Alberta rivals, I just wanted to say I really enjoyed Game 7. Plus Keenan throwing Kipper under a bus for losing the series is stuff I couldn't have made up myself.
Bring on next year when the flamers will miss the playoffs and finish dead last in the division.