The final days of #83 in Oilers silks

Listening to the Edmonton Oilers Ales Hemsky discuss his immediate future in what was a brief scrum with local media following Friday afternoon’s practice, was arguably one of the true low points of the 2013-14 season. The writing may have been on the wall for some time but hearing the former 2001 thirteenth overall pick pretty much refer to his days in Oilers silks in the past tense, could not have been easy for fans of the talented winger to stomach.  

The man who calls it as he sees it

Prior to being shipped off to the Calgary Flames in early November, defenceman Ladislav Smid could always be counted on for telling it like it was in the media. While many of his now former teammates would try to make excuses or simply refer to some “bad breaks” or “bad luck” when it came to the teams play, the former blueliner would usually come clean.

What a game....not so much

There is nothing quite like watching the Edmonton Oilers lose to the Minnesota Wild. Of all the teams in the National Hockey League, there is likely none I despise watching more than the Wild…especially when they are on the road. As if watching Dallas Eakins’ crew dish out yet another disappointing performance on home ice wasn’t already enough, last night’s 3-0 loss was almost impossible to sit through.

Trade Speculation - Ilya Bryzgalov

Earlier today I posted my first in a series of columns on Edmonton Oilers players who could possibly be on the move leading up to or at the NHL Trade Deadline over at HometownHockey.ca and focused on potential suitors for one Ales Hemsky.

Trade Speculation - Ales Hemsky

As we get closer to the March 5th NHL Trade Deadline, rumours surrounding the 29th place Edmonton Oilers will continue to grow.  With roughly 85% of the league either firmly planted in a playoff spot or in the midst of fighting for one, you can bet many of those teams will be targeting players off the rosters of the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers.

Hot Stove had zero sizzle

Heading into Tuesday evening’s Edmonton Oilers Meet and Greet with players and Hot Stove event with Dallas Eakins, Patrick LaForge and Craig MacTavish, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. While tons of fans enjoyed the opportunity to meet their hockey heroes, grab a quick snap shot and take advantage of a free meal on the club, it was the Q and A portion of the night that interested yours truly.

Is Ben Scrivens really the answer?

When the Los Angeles Kings decided to trade Ben Scrivens to Edmonton Oilers for a third round pick back in mid-January, the Spruce Grove native must have felt as though he had won the lottery. While the Kings may have been battling for top stop in the Western Conference at the time of the deal, the former Toronto Maple Leafs netminder was clearly #3 on the depth chart. 

64-93-4

Two games prior to the Olympic break, Edmonton Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins decided to make a switch to his top line. Instead of continuing to truck along with his regular #1 unit of Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the rookie bench boss decided to replace Eberle with none other than Nail Yakupov.

GOLD, GOLD, GOLD!!!

Perhaps it is just in our nature but worrying about nothing is something Canadian hockey fans specialize in. After watching Team Canada struggle to put pucks in the net against inferior competition, many were fearful of a semi-final matchup against the USA in Men’s Hockey.