"That Guy"
This season the Oilers lacked heart and identity. Usually I like to think they stem from "That Guy", and for the Oilers the last "That Guy" they had was Jason Smith. Jason Smith was one of the toughest sob's ever, including player 2008 playoffs with 2 dislocated shoulders. Since his tenure in Edmonton ended the Oilers have not been able to replace his back-end presence. We had Matt Greene who was looking to become "That Guy" however we traded him to acquire Lubomir Visnovsky. Smid also could be "That Guy" if the Oilers manage to keep him around long enough.This offseason, I hope the Oilers can manage to find that guy. One guy I really hope the Oilers make a push for is Greg Zanon. Coming off a season where he made 0.736 million, Zanon had 237 Blocked Shots (3rd in the league) and ended the season with a +8 rating and with a minimal 38 PIM's. Zanon isn't the biggest guy at 5.11 and 201 but he could very well be "That Guy" for the Oilers next season at a good price.
Another guy who's already built a reputation is Mike Komisarek, he's a bigger fellow at 6.4 and 245 pounds. He blocked 207 shots this season (4th in the league) and had 191 hits vs. Zanons 154. Komisarek is alot edgier when it comes to the gritty stuff and ended the season with 121 PIMs. He's also willing to drop the gloves, but got his ass handed to him twice by Milan Lucic. Komisareks price range is probably gonna be closer to the 4 million mark and with the Oilers budget for the following season being tight I don't expect him to be an Oiler, however if the cap space became availabe by say moving Gilbert, I think the Oilers should place a bid for Komisarek.
Labels: jason smith, komisarek, matt greene, That Guy, zanon
posted by Anonymous at
11:21 PM
3 Comments:
Zanon is definitely a lot more realistic because Montreal is probably going to have just as much trouble trying to replace Komisarek as the Oilers had replacing Smith.
May 7, 2009 at 3:44 AM
There are other pricier options for "That Guy" for Edmonton. Komisarek is definitely a great player for any team that has him but I'm thinking St Louis will look to move one of Brewer/Jackman/McKee with Johnson and Polak moving up. They're not as great a bang for buck as Komisarek but Brewer's a familiar face who's gotten better since we last saw him, and Jackman's a former Calder winner. McKee is also a hardened veteran who was once the subject of a bidding war between Buffalo and St Louis and a few other teams. I know Jackman just resigned in St Louis but I would love to see him in an Oilers uniform.
As for trading Tom Gilbert, I like the player. But if it has to be done, Johnny Oduya is a decent UFA coming off a good season in New Jersey who could be a cheap replacement should Gilbert be traded.
May 7, 2009 at 3:50 AM
Shane Hnidy is also a UFA. He's no Jason Smith, but he's a solid D man.
May 7, 2009 at 3:52 AM
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home