Springfield....Isotopes?
Today it was announced that the Oilers have a new minor league affiliation agreement with a team in Springfield, Mass. Its good news considering this season we have had our prospects playing on 5 different teams and there is more players on the way for next season. So i thought I'd take a stab at next seasons AHL roster. Let me know who I forget.
Forwards
Trukno-Schremp- F/A
Pettersson-Brodziak-O'Marra
Umicevic-Spurgeon-Bodie
Radunske-Sestito-Goulet
Defenceman
Gilbert-Hrabal
Syvret-Roy
Young-Bassillion
Goalies
JDD
Dubnyk
So that is the line-up i'd go with our current prospects. Though I could see signing an AHL veteran or two to provide stability and leadership. I've given credit to Nillsson and Grebeshkov as guys who will be playing in the NHL next year. Its tough to keep guys like Gilbert down cause they are NHL ready but we just have too many rookies. One thing I did notice is that we are very weak on the right side. O'Marra is a natural center and has the tools to play the position well so someone else should probably move to the wing over him but thats just the way i put it. Bodie has had a decent ECHL season and Goulet has had a below average season for the points he put up in the 'Q' last season. I don't know if Umicevic will be coming to NA next season, i'd like him to, but if he doesnt i'd say its about time to give up on the guy. Does OK for himself in Europe (22 years old, SWE, 28pts/51gp).
I know lots of you are going to flame me for putting Schremp on our AHL team, but I truly think this is where he belongs. I would say he was having a below average AHL season (for his pedigree) until Nilsson was traded here and since then has been hot. His overall season is actually better than Pouliot's rookie campaign (though Schremp plays on a much better team) but he hasn't been asked to carry the mail offensively where Pouliot more or less was. When he's bad there have been other players scoring (Pouliot, Jacques, Filewich, other pens players). He has greatly improved his overall game (is a +2 last i checked which is better than both Pouliot and Jacques in their rookie years). But he needs to be deemed the first line center and given that responsibility to play against the top checkers and still deliver. Make him earn every inch he gets in this game. I'd like to do the same with JDD, so thats why I have him there. We'll see how the summer shakes out.
P.S. The team will continue with the name it had before. The Springfield Falcons.
10 comments:
My stab at the roster:
Trukno-Schremp-O'Marra
Jacques"A"-Petersen"C"-Almtorp
Bodie-Brodziak-Stortini
Reddox-Spurgeon-Goulet
Syvret-Roy"A"
Gilbert-Young
Bassallion-Chorney
JDD
Dubnyk (maybe Glenn Fisher if Dubnyk shits the bed)
I am not sold on Petersen staying in the NHL yet, especially since the Oilers SHOULD aquire a big player in the off season. Personally I am not a fan of Sestito or Radunske, despite Reddox's size he would be a good 4th liner, and Stortini and Jacques are too slow for the NHL, yeah Stortini hits sometimes and fights once in a while but that's not enough. Now that we have our own affiliate we can get guys out of the NCAA, I think Chorney would do well with Bassalion who will make an easy jump to the AHL from the Q, but I do not know too much about the Euro prospects except for Almtorp and Mikhnov (we all know where he is headed, "ding fries are done ding fries are done".
And there you have it......my starting lines, sit Ubu sit, good dog.
It looks good, I totally forgot about Almtorp. The only reason i'd be skeptical about him is whether he comes over from Europe or not. Hrabal is a very very good defenceman over in Europe and I could see him making a lot of NHL teams next season, but with our depth I see him in the AHL. And I'm not sold on Chorney leaving college, the only person I ever heard say that was McGuire at the WJC and then everyone starts talking about how everyone is saying it. McGuire is a tool, and just said it to sound smart. And there is no way Reddox is ready to play AHL next season. He has been brutal in Stockton this season (17 pts in 60 ECHL games). Hes not a checker, he was drafted because he scored more goals than Schremp in their draft year. And Brodziak has got to be playing top 6 minutes, hes our leading prospect scorer in the AHL right now.
"I am not sold on Petersen staying in the NHL yet,"
Seriously this guy should not be on our AHL team, I hope he walks to free agency
HE HAS PEOPLE SKILLS!
In case you did not realize Mac-T and K-Lowe do not care about stats, they will put anyone anywhere they please, and they may give Reddox a shot at the little big leagues. Yeah Petersen is a people person but he is so ugly (he's no Horcoff though, what an ogre), so yeah maybe he does belong on the Oilers.
Does he have bo-staff skills?
Don't think so but maybe he has wicked nun-chuk skills, just awesome.....incredible.
Or MacT blowjob skills
No those do not get you anywhere, Darryl Sutter BJ skill maybe, then you can get a guy like Conroy for the league doorknob Jamie Lundmark.
So because i'm too sick to finish what i'm writing for this site, I'll give you something to chew on. Just realize it is much better than anything I could write. Enjoy:
http://hockeysfuture.com/articles/9517
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