Today the Oilers finally announced that Tom Renney would not be returning as coach next year. Although I don't agree with the amount of time it took to make the decision, the outcome is the same for both Renney and the organization as if it had been done a day after the last game. Tom is now searching for a new spot to coach and the Oilers are looking for a new coach.

Tom Renney is a good coach and great person. I hope he gets a job somewhere in the NHL where the team is ready to compete and not developing. I never understood some of the abuse he took from fans and media alike here in Edmonton. The Oilers were not a playoff team the last two years. Let's face it, Scotty Bowman would not have done much better with the team Renney was given.

Whoever is chosen as the next coach will be the fourth in five seasons. Steve Tambellini inherited Mactavish and then hired Pat Quinn who was replaced after a year by Renney. After the next coach is hired, Sam Gagner will have had four different coaches in his first six years as a pro. There is no continuity and for an organization looking to get back to the top of the league this is a big issue.

A New Personality

Developing a team identity is nearly impossible when the coach is frequently changing. Having an identity is very important. Stability behind the bench allows the players to embrace a system and begin to play by reacting rather them thinking about where they should be on a given play. When players think too much on the ice they can freeze up and be that all important step behind.

It would seem that the L.A Kings run this spring with their new coach Darryl Sutter spits in the face of my theory. This is a different scenario. The Kings had been building up for a few years to get to this point and they felt a change in coaches after having Terry Murray for roughly three years would get them over the hump. Darryl Sutter is what I would call a closing coach. He is very good at motivating his teams to get that extra bit juice out of them. He has only slightly adjusted their style of play to a more aggressive forecheck. The blueprint for Kings hockey was there before he arrived, a heavier and cycling style of player and hockey. All the Kings players knew this.

Does the current roster of Oilers know its style or is it still searching? This is the biggest decision that Steve Tambellini will have to make during his time as GM of the Oilers. Finding the right coach will not be easy because he and Oiler fans should expect that the one he chooses should stay for a while. His choice for bench boss should not only believe in the type of team that Tambellini is building, but also be able to coach a style that fits with roster he is assembling.

With the current group of forwards, the Oilers will most likely have the most success with an aggressive uptempo forechecking style similar to how New Jersey plays. Hiring a coach like Guy Boucher of Tampa Bay would not be a great fit. He chooses a more defensive style that would not allow the Oilers skaters to fly.

The Oilers and Steve Tambellini are at a crossroads. Pieces of the puzzle for a successful team are starting to fall into place but without the right coach behind the bench for next season and beyond it could easily not got anywhere.

The Hat Trick...

Could Brett Lawrie of the Blue Jays make his helmet bounce right into the umpire again if he was given a hundred tries? I doubt it. The umps reaction was hilarious!

SCOUTING REPORT

• Ryan Murray is advanced beyond his years with well above-average hockey sense and the rare kind of game-processing ability and vision that makes him a significant two-way threat even without elite offensive tools. Murray is a great presence on the back-end with the puck because he rarely makes a mistake and even though he doesn’t limit himself to the basic plays, he not will force the big passes if they are not there. He doesn’t get rushed by opposing forechecks and is one of the best outlet passers in this draft. Murray makes smart reads defensively, takes his assignments well, and will not shy from using his body to separate his check from the puck. He’s an above-average to plus skater although he isn’t the kind of player to threaten regularly with a speed game on the rush, rather he relies on a great first step and all-around mobility to keep the play in front of him and close on the puck. Murray’s puck skills are solid, and while he’s not a dangler, he can certainly hold his own in open ice. On the power play, he is a pass-first guy who makes the smart plays and the difficult passes with consistency. He also has a pretty hard shot and can wire it through legs when he needs to. While Murray does not project as an elite prospect, he has a low risk tag on his projection. He will be the kind of player to log over 20 minutes a game while playing tough minutes against the opposition’s best players while still managing to put up impressive possession numbers.
• Grant McCagg, tsn: Strengths: A real ‘Steady Eddie’ on the blue line; rarely makes a mistake and displays a poise well beyond his years. Smart, dependable rearguard who will be on the ice protecting leads at the end of games. Strong skater with a powerful stride. A team leader with high character. He moves the puck with short, accurate passes. Hard to beat one-on-one. Weaknesses: He’s not a punishing guy who will provide a physical presence while his offensive skills may be limited and he may be more of a stay-at home defender. NHL upside: A No. 2 or No. 3 defenceman with leadership qualities who will be relied upon to shut down team’s top players, kill penalties and protect leads.
• ISS: Murray has been a model of consistency for the Everett Silvertips since returning to the lineup. The maturity and composure he displayed earlier this season continued to shine. His defensive hockey sense separates him from most in this draft, and is considered the draft’s most complete defenseman. He’s generally matched up against the most teams’ top line, logging upwards of 25 minutes per game. Has more offensive upside than given credit for and bright future ahead of him.
• Central Scouting’s BJ MacDonald: “I think Murray is more like a [Scott] Niedermayer; he just does everything under the radar and so smooth you hardly notice it. His skating is probably the best in the [WHL], but you don’t really notice that so much because you almost take it for granted he’s been there for three years. He never gets out of position and I’ve never seen him lose a one-on-one battle. He’s always, defensively, in the right spots. He just does everything so seamlessly that he reminds me of Niedermayer only because he does everything so well at such a high level and after a while, you don’t even notice it.”

DESJARDINS NHLE (per 82gp)

1. Ryan Murphy 10-21-31
2. Cam Fowler 4-21-25
3. Dougie Hamilton 4-17-21
4. Brandon Gormley 4-14-18
5. Ryan Murray 5-12-17
6. Nathan Beaulieu 4-12-16
7. Erik Gudbranson 1-13-14

• I think Murray’s offense is a little underrated at this point, he played on a junior team that scored just 185 goals (2.57 per game). Dougie Hamilton’s team (in his draft year) scored 273 goals, or 4.01 per game.
• I’m not certain how to adjust for that, but would suggest that there’s enough of a gap to consider Murray and Hamilton to be much closer in terms of offensive ability.

THE GOOD

• Another terrific scouting report, excellent speed and a very good defenseman. Most of his value comes from the redline in, and the advanced stats we value don’t reward players for it.
• The BJ MacDonald scouting report above is exceptional. If Murray can live up to that, his drafting team should be very pleased with him.
• 6.01, 195 and will turn 19 on September 27. He’s an older prospect, a positive and a negative.  However, since we’re not talking about offensive development with this player, his ability to play defense and advanced maturity is a positive.
• Intelligent player. I don’t think we should overlook this aspect of his resume, as we know the Oilers highly value the cerebral.

THE BAD

• Mostly revolves around lack of offensive ability. If we can agree  that the hardest thing in the world is to score goals, then drafting #1 in a season where there’s another Taylor Hall should make the decision an easy one. That’s nothing against Murray, but I do believe Oiler fans have perhaps overlooked Murray or underrated him based on a view viewings. Saw him bad is about as poor a reason to pass on a player as saw him good. No?
• His injury–high ankle sprain–is a tough one but he should be fine overall. The injury does serve as a reminder that drafting defenseman can be a sticky wicket. When we say things like “defenseman take time to develop” we should add “and some  of them fall away because of injury” because it is such a difficult position to play.
• This is not Denis Potvin. Ryan Murray has a glimmering scouting report, but I think the comparisons to Scott Niedermay may set him up for disappointment among the fanbase. I think he’ll be more offensively capable than Chris Phillips, and he does have a good shot acccording to the scouting reports. But a guess at an outer marker should probably  use Dougie Hamilton as a comparable. We’ll see.

THE REST

• I know you’re tired of hearing it, but it is probably wise to at least allow for the possibility that the Edmonton Oilers select Murray #1 overall. Stu MacGregor told Dean Millard weeks ago that they would draft Murray #1 overall if they felt he was the right choice. He also told Robin Brownlee “but I think (GM) Steve Tambellini was pretty clear that, you know, maybe we do have to make an organizational decision . . .”
• A lot has been made about Murray being NHL ready. I think that kind of thinking is a mistake. Should Murray come in and shoot the lights out, the smart move is to send him back to junior. The Oilers need to fix the blue before this blue chipper arrives and then bring him in as a 6th man with a veteran partner like Schultz. That’s the right play.
• The Oilers have an extreme need on defense and that may counter the gap in talent between Yakupov and the rest of the pack.

RYAN MURRAY WILL GO IN THE TOP 3 SELECTIONS AT THE NHL DRAFT

Tambo, Quinn, & Renney

It has probably been 6 months since I wrote something on this blog that I supposedly helped create. Now Swin and Mo deserve all the credit, all I have ever done is write 2 or 3 crappy posts and come up with the first brainstorm variation of what we now know as Oilersaddict.com My short term memory is long gone but I’m pretty sure my idea was oilersjunkie.com I prefer what Swin came up with. To be quite honest I bet most of the regular readers didn’t even know I existed. I was able to go pretty much the whole 29th place year without going on a rant like I am about to today. Well, great job Oiler fans because most of you and the media have caught my attention.

Today Steve Tambellini announced that The Edmonton Oilers would not be renewing Tom Renney’s contract as Head Coach. Now I do need to apologize to my fellow addict, Brody before I go and do this but, pull your heads out of your behinds Oiler fans. Tom Renney is employed by the Edmonton Oilers until June 30, 2012. Now unless I have gone through some sort of time warp Tambo just served Renney with roughly 6 weeks notice. Not only that but has allowed him to go find more work while Tambo still signs his paycheques for another 6 weeks. When was the last time you heard of a large corporation or even a small Ma and Pa operation giving an employee 6 weeks notice that services will no longer be required with pay?

I heard it all over the local sports radio station today that the Oilers handled this wrong. They should have allowed Renney to go find a job elsewhere. Blah Blah Blah.

Now I do not claim to be a CBA expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I am pretty sure that the players that become UFA’s on July 1st are not allowed to start negotiating before that day comes. Now I am sure Ryan Suters agent has already made lots of calls but by rules it is not permitted. Why should a coach be any different?

Personally, I do not think the Oilers made the right decision by letting Renney walk. I feel he deserved another year to see if he could push the new horses. Both of his seasons as bench boss were injury plagued years and, lets face it, the Oilers have been limited in experienced talent for a number of years not just his 2 years behind the bench. When your best players are out for an extended period of time, you’re doomed, I don’t care if you are the Detroit Redwings you are F’d. Renney can only be as good as what he has to work with, plain and simple. His 2nd year as bench boss showed major improvement, not only in points but the special teams made huge leaps and bounds, the power-play finished 2nd in the league if I am not mistaken. I do not hold a press pass like some bloggers out there so I do not get the inside track on the ongoings in the room but it did not appear that Renney had lost the room.

With all that being said, Renney did not get a raw deal. Contrary to what my fellow addict Brody mentioned, the Oilers did not come out of this with another stain on the organization. They gave notice to an experienced NHL Head Coach, who will find a job no problem somewhere. Even if it isn’t in the NHL, he will find work. Lets face it Tom Renney probably isn’t too worried about making next month’s mortgage payment. I do not expect to see him in the bargain store like most people. Stop feeling sorry for him Edmonton and start getting ready to win. It appears that Tambo is getting ready….

To win!!

follow me on twitter at @danoilersaddict

How many coaches does Edmonton Oilers GM Steve Tambellini get to send down the road before he takes the fall and joins them on the unemployment line? I'd hope Tambellini reached his limit with today's announcement Tom Renney won't be back.

Having pulled the trigger on a good man and a good coach in Renney, the next bullet in the Oilers organizational gun has to have Tambellini's name on it -- a lot of fans would add the name of president of hockey operations Kevin Lowe -- if the rebuild doesn't move forward into the new phase the GM talked about at his availability at Rexall Place today.

It's time for some buck-stops-here mentality and that means that Tambellini, who has a new contract in his pocket from owner Daryl Katz, had better get it right with his next coaching hire. I believe that hire, all circumstances taken into account, will be Brent Sutter.

That won't play out, we’re led to believe by Tambellini, immediately. He'd only say today he wants to have somebody in place before the NHL Entry Draft, which is June 22. Every instinct I have tells me we'll have a new man in the hot seat before June 1 and that Sutter is the leading candidate.

I don't know for sure if that's the right move, but it better be because the next guy out the door if the rebuild goes sideways absolutely has to be the guy who delivered the bad news to a good man today.

Over to you, Steve.

Listen to Robin Brownlee Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the Jason Gregor Show on TEAM 1260.

The team announced Thursday afternoon that Tom Renney's contract won't be renewed.

Renney joined the Oilers for the 2009-10 season as an associate coach under Pat Quinn.  He was promoted to head coach one year later.  Under Renney, the Oilers went 57-85-22.

General manager Steve Tambellini praised Renney's coaching ability, but said he's not the right fit for the Oilers as they try to improve.  "We just want to prepare us going into a phase where we need to get to a different level of compete, a different level of competing for playoff spots," Tambellini said during Thursday afternoon's news conference.

There are a few people Tambellini is considering to take over behind the bench.  He said, ""I would hope to have something prior to the draft.  If it's sooner, great.  If not, that's okay.  We just want to be sure we get the right person."  The draft is June 22. (jrw)

Today's result in the WHC is a great disappointment. Canada lost and the young gun Oilers are on summer break. What's an Oiler fan to do? Cheer for Finland of course!!

Edmonton's love affair with Finland began with this man, Jari Kurri. His career was a groundbreaking item for Finnish players and the National Hockey League. Here's a 1981 interview with Barry Fraser, Oilers head scout. He's talking about Kurri and what he needs to do in order to "make it."

That's a January 31, 1981 article by Terry Jones in the EJ btw, thanks to him for being there to chronicle. At that time, there were FIVE Finns in the NHL. This past season, there were 26 Finns in the NHL, with Teemu Selanne being the most famous and possibly Edmonton's Teemu (Hartikainen) being the least famous. The Swedes still have way more (54 this past season) but at least the gap has closed and Finland has their own Salming's and Hedberg's in men like Jari Kurri and Teemu Selanne.

In the older times, before the Oilers owned the city the young soldiers were pretty much like everyone else. During the early 80s I was on the fringe of Edmonton sports media. Did an afternoon show just before John Short came on CFRN radio and of course the Oiler game would start at 7 or 7:30. I would meet a lot of the Oilers and Eskimos of the era as they came in to record or do live hits with John when the club was at home or in the summer.

I remember Jari Kurri very well. Extremely nice person, not at all a prima donna or arrogant. Spent about an hour with Mr. Kurri in a voice booth voicing a commercial and well remember him trying to read a script (this was early in his Edmonton career) and he worked very hard to get his lines down. My read was before and after his and the producer wanted to get it all in one take (the technology today allows terrific cuts to take out breathing and slurs but back in the day it was a razor and splicing tape) so poor Mr. Kurri had to stand there take after take.

I bet he read it 30 times, patiently. His read ended "tell them Jari sent you!" and during the final take as he nailed everything I cheered for him just as hard as I did when he was an Oiler. To this day I can't imagine trying to read a script in foreign language.

Jari Kurri was a class act, left his footprint on this city and its people. It could have ended there, but the fact is that with each Finn arrival the bond grew stronger.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

I can't explain to you all the reasons why I'll be cheering for Finland from here to the end of the WHC. All I can tell you is that it had a lot to do with Jari Kurri and his countrymen who have played in our beloved copper, orange and blue.

Go Finland! I know your party is already rocking. And if you're lucky enough to be at the WJ and people notice you're cheering for Finland, tell them Jari sent you.

Taking The Fall – Farewell Tom Renney, Alas We Hardly Knew Ye - Oil On Whyte - Oil On Whyte - An Edmonton Oilers blog

What will be the requirements of the new coach? Do we know? What did Tom Renney do wrong? I have about 40 questions I’d love answers to, but will settle for the answers to three:

1. Is Craig MacTavish under consideration?
2. At what point does the GM begin to be accountable?
3. Will this coach get a balanced roster to start season one?

Today Tom Renney was informed that he will not have his contract renewed by Steve Tambellini and The Edmonton Oilers.   By waiting this long to make the decision, The Oiler’s come off looking bad yet again.  It is ridiculous to leave a coach hanging this long.  They obviously knew their decision before today and this is yet another kick in the junk to the image of The Edmonton Oilers!!!

When is this going to end…???

Brody McIntyre

The Oilers have made it official, Tom Renney will not be returning next season. They announced it on their twitter feed earlier this hour.

"Edmonton Oilers General Manager Steve Tambellini announces the club will not renew the contract of Head Coach Tom Renney."

With every passing day it became more clear that Renney wasn't returning. I find it interesting that they made the announcement hours after Team Canada was eliminated from the World Championships.

Do you agree with this move, who would you replace him with?

Whoever takes over this team, he will be taking over a much better team than Renney had in 2010, and if the Oilers have more success, which I expect them to, I'm not going to give the coach all the credit.

I think Renney did a great job of developing the young kids, and the only critique I've heard from players, who've played for him in other cities, is that for some reason he doesn't have that "wow" factor that players will go through the wall for him.

I'm not sure the Oilers have enough players right now who would run through any wall, regardless of the coach, so until they add a few more pieces I'm not expecting the new coach to bring instant success.

We will have more on this later.

Now that Canada is out at the World Championships with a loss to the, ahem, powerhouse Slovakians, might we be hearing in the next few days that Tom Renney is out as coach of the Edmonton Oilers?

While there's still no indication of a pending announcement from the Oilers media relations staff, the timing is right for GM Steve Tambellini, who was at the World Championship, to fit a news conference announcing Renney is out clarifying the coaching situation into his busy agenda before he jets off for the NHL combine in Toronto May 28.

Renney has been left to twist long enough. The question now, as Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun tweeted this morning, does Canada's elimination at the WC make selling coach Brent Sutter as Renney's replacement a more difficult pitch than it should have been to already disgruntled Oilers fans?

Stay tuned.

UPDATE @3:25:

According to the Oilers Twitter feed, Renney will not be back as coach. More to come . . .

Listen to Robin Brownlee Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the Jason Gregor Show on TEAM 1260.

OK, maybe Tambellini will want to see the Oklahoma City farm club against the Toronto Marlies for a few games.  But he can’t procrastinate on the coaching decision much longer.  Surely a decision has to come before, say, the NHL Scouting Combine inToronto May 28-June 2 where Tambellini will be talking to Nail Yakupov, the best talent according to all the scouting lists, and other possible first-round picks.

The Oilers’ season ended April 7. It’s now May 17. If you start the clock on April 8, the day after the final league game in Vancouver, this is now 40 days Renney has been waiting. There is due diligence and there are other things on a GM’s plate–I get that– but I think it’s disrespectful to keep a good man who has coached almost 600 NHL games hanging this long.

This isn’t some interim guy waiting to see if he’s hired full-time. Renney has coached in Vancouver, New York and here. Not only is Renney waiting for the thumbs up or thumbs down but so is his staff–associate coach Ralph Krueger, assistants Steve Smith and Kelly Buchberger and goalie coach Fred Chabot.

There are other jobs out there; the Washington Capitals are looking for a head coach as is Calgary. We’ll leave Montreal out of it because they’ll be hiring a Francophone with Bob Hartley and Guy Carbonneau in the mix.

The Hawks are looking for an assistant/associate coach after letting Mike Haviland go. Todd McLellan in San Jose is supposed to be changing his staff somewhat. The Islanders are looking for an assistant after Dean Chynoweth was let go. Todd Richards in Columbus, who just got a two-year deal after filling in after Scott Arniel was fired, needs two assistants.

The Oiler coaches, whose contracts end June 30, deserve to be looking for other work rather than sitting around here, waiting for a decision here. Renney has not talked publicly about his situation since the players dispersed on April 9. Tambellini talked the next day to the media and said Renney was “his coach now.”  He said they would be having a sit-down to talk about the season past and the direction the club would be going in 2012-2013. Have they had such a meeting? I don’t know. I do know that the coaches are still in the dark.

I suspect Tambellini will come back from Europe, the club will announce he’s got an extension (two years, three?), and at that time he will say if Renney is returning or he’s not.  Two pieces of news, at the same time.

If it’s not Renney, is it Brent Sutter who coached Canada’s world championship team? Or are the Oilers looking at farm coach Todd Nelson, who has his club in the AHL semi-finals in his second year there?

In recent years, the Oilers have a pattern of addressing defense relatively early in the draft. With Nail Yakupov far-and-away the consensus choice for first overall, is that something they should look at doing again, perhaps with their second round pick?

While there have been some critical words about the 2012 Draft, one thing it isn’t short of is defensemen. Red Line Report, for instance, lists eight of the14 best prospects as defensemen in its latest bulletin. Over at NHLNumbers, Derek Zona has a consensus draft list updated for May, and finds six of the top 11 prospects on the blue line.

An interesting thing happens on Derek’s list around 30th overall, though. Of the five players ranked between 28th and 32nd, four of them are defensemen. Assuming that the Oilers a) take Yakupov first overall and b) want to address the blue line early in the draft, who might they be interested in? Here are some possibilities:

Damon Severson, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)

• Stats: 56GP – 7G – 30A – 37PTS, +6, 80 PIM
• Vitals: Born August 7, 1994; 6’2”, 198lbs.
• Consensus rank: 28th overall.

Over at Copper & Blue, Derek Zona has already profiled Severson, interviewing Dan Lizee of The Scouting Report. It’s an interesting interview, and Severson comes across as a good prospect, but with a skillset similar to Oscar Klefbom or David Musil. Lizee compares him to Eric Brewer with a chance at more offense; he’s a horse at the WHL level, playing in all situations, but it’s fair to ask how much he’ll add to the attack at the NHL level. Red Line Report has him ranked at 27th overall, and in October described him as making “quick, intelligent decisions” and playing with “flawless positioning.”

Michael Matheson, Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)

• Stats: 53GP – 11G – 16A – 27PTS, 84 PIM
• Vitals: Born February 27, 1994; 6’0”, 170lbs.
• Consensus rank: 29th overall.

Matheson, a Quebec native, would be playing in the QMJHL except that he has opted to go the college route. The Pipeline Show has had him as a guest blogger at times this year, and describes him as “a solid skater with strong passing skills and a calm, mature demeanor on the ice.” Size is a question mark, and I mean that literally – he’s variously listed between 6’ and 6’2”, and between 165lbs and 180lbs.

Ludvig Bystrom, Modo (SEL)

• Stats: 20GP – 0G – 1A – 1PTS, 8 PIM
• Vitals: Born July 20, 1994; 6’0”, 187lbs.
• Consensus rank: 30th overall.

Bystrom’s puck skills, skating and hockey sense are what raise him on this list. His physical play is what knocks him down. Draft expert Corey Pronman profiled Bystrom for Hockey Prospectus and noted that the physical questions aren’t so much due to a lack of effort as they are to size – Bystrom just doesn’t have the frame and the strength needed to be above average in those areas. My favourite line of Pronman’s review was this one: “He has a very low panic threshold and really knows how to evade checkers, find his outlets through tight steams, and if he has a short window to make a play, he normally is able to execute.” Of note: Bystrom ran up flashy totals in Swedish junior hockey, where he got more minutes – he was a hair under the point-per-game mark, and had over 100 PIM.

Jordan Schmaltz, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)

• Stats: 54GP – 10G – 31A – 41PTS, +19, 29 PIM
• Vitals: Born October 8, 1993; 6’2”, 190lbs.
• Consensus rank: 32nd overall.

Schmaltz has dropped a bit on most lists since the start of the year, and has been tagged as something of a project. That’s not a crippling label – Schmaltz has his heart set on college hockey, so he has a few years to round out his game. The Scouting Report gives him credit for improving defensively, but questions whether he’ll be able to combine a reliable defensive game with offensive production. Meanwhile, Corey Pronman writes that he’s a “high-end puck mover, averagish at best everywhere else.”

Dalton Thrower, Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

• Stats: 68GP – 18G – 36A – 54PTS, -4, 103 PIM
• Vitals: Born December 20, 1993; 6’0”, 195lbs.
• Consensus rank: 35th overall.

Despite Thrower’s very respectable offensive totals and small frame, there’s no question about what makes him really attractive as a prospect. Red Line’s capsule on him back in October used the phrases “hard-nosed,” “prototypical WHL blue-liner,” “plays with an edge,” “physical,” and “in-your-face” before concluding “Really strong on his skates and makes the big open ice hit. Also a willing combatant who will drop the mitts and can throw ‘em pretty well.” The questions on Thrower generally relate to hockey sense and vision – Red Line describes the latter as “good enough” and The Scouting Report says that he “needs to continue to show that he can make quick decisions and show improved decision making.”

Any of these players could be Oilers on draft day, and the odds that one of them gets picked improve if Edmonton does the expected thing and chooses Yakupov with the first overall selection. There’s something to like or dislike about all of them, but in each case these are picks made for the long-term – Bystrom needs time, the college players need time, and Severson and Thrower are both primarily defensive players who likely need time too. If the Oilers go this route, these are players that aren’t going to solve defensive problems immediately.

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Sami Lepisto is proof that blocking shots can hurt, but in some media and blogger's eyes the Rangers have taken shot blocking to a level the NHL has never seen. Fact: the Rangers are willing to block shot. Myth: They block more shots per game than Wanye has pictures of Jordan Eberle.

Every year during the playoffs many seem to jump on the bandwagon of one topic and beat it to death. Usually it is something that is supposedly ruining the game. It's gotten so annoying that I'm hoping someone hijacks the comment sections and debates the value of Sam Gagner for the millionth time. Actually I will block you if you do that today, but you get my point.

I decided to look at the Rangers games and see if they are supposedly ruining the game. I too find their games boring, but  it isn't just their shot blocking that has me nodding off in my chair.

NYR v. OTT    blocked shots        Results
Game 1:           20-12                   Rangers win 4-2
Game 2:           25-10                   Sens win 3-2 (OT)
Game 3:           21-17                   Rangers win 1-0
Game 4:           30-8                     Sens win 3-2 (OT)
Game 5:           19-10                   Sens win 2-0
Game 6            17-15                   Rangers win 3-0
Game 7:           23-8                     Rangers win 2-1

Rangers clearly blocked more shots than the Sens, but two of the Sens three wins came when the Rangers blocked the most shots.

NYR v. WSH    blocked shots        Results
Game 1:           15-15                   Rangers win 3-2
Game 2:           14-24                   Caps win 3-2
Game 3:           41-40                   Rangers win 2-1 (3OT)
Game 4:           7-26                     Caps win 3-2
Game 5:           10-25                   Rangers win 3-2
Game 6            6-24                     Caps win 2-1
Game 7:           19-15                   Rangers win 2-1

In the four Rangers wins, they never once blocked many more shots than the Caps. In fact, they only blocked 20+ shots in one of their four victories. The Capitals blocked way more shots in this series and lost.

NYR v. NJ      blocked shots        Results
Game 1:           26-15                   Rangers win 3-0
Game 2:           16-7                     Devils win 3-2

Blocking more shots helped them in game one, but didn't alter the outcome in game two.

The Rangers blocked way more shots than the Senators, but there is more to it than just shot-blocking. The Sens had the puck more in the offensive zone most games and directed way more shots on net.

Here are the same stats, but with total shots directed on net in the new column.

NYR v. OTT    blocked shots        Results                                 Shots directed on net
Game 1:           20-12                   Rangers win 4-2                     64-59 Sens
Game 2:           25-10                   Sens win 3-2 (OT)                  74-49 Sens
Game 3:           21-17                   Rangers win 1-0                     76-48 Sens
Game 4:           30-8                     Sens win 3-2 (OT)                   85-49 Sens
Game 5:           19-10                   Sens win 2-0                            61-60 Sens
Game 6            17-15                   Rangers win 3-0                     53-50 Sens
Game 7:           23-8                     Rangers win 2-1                     63-51 Sens

Is it fair to say that the Rangers blocked more shots, because the Sens took way more?

Now look at the Caps/Rangers series again.

 NYR v. WSH    blocked shots        Results                               Shots directed on net
Game 1:           15-15                   Rangers win 3-2                       49-47 Caps
Game 2:           14-24                   Caps win 3-2                             65-46 Rangers
Game 3:           41-40                   Rangers win 2-1 (3OT)           115-107 Caps
Game 4:           7-26                     Caps win 3-2                             52-40 Rangers
Game 5:           10-25                   Rangers win 3-2                       78-35 Rangers
Game 6            6-24                     Caps win 2-1                             68-42 Rangers
Game 7:           19-15                   Rangers win 2-1                       57-55 Caps

In games two, four, five and six the Caps blocked way more shots, most likely because the Rangers directed way more shots on goal. The Rangers are willing to block many shots, but based on the shot totals it's also fair to say they do so out of necessity as much as willingness. If they are continually playing in their own zone, and allowing the opposition to fire a lot of shots they will be forced to block more.

In games 4 though 6 when they only allowed 35-42 shots directed on net, they only had to block between 6-10.

The Rangers block more shots, but not just because they want to, usually it is because they play more in their own end than they do in the offensive end. They haven't re-invented the shot-blocking wheel, instead it seems they do it out of necessity and circumstance more than anything.

THURSDAY THOUGHTS

• Most refs or umpires could wear that pin and feel safe. Complaining about bad officiating seems to be another annoying daily, even hourly, topic in social media. While most fans of a sport have played it at some level, I'd say that maybe 2-5% of people have ever officiated their favourite sport, and they really have zero clue how hard it is. The best way to stop the endless whining and complaining, at pro and amateur games, would be to make it mandatory that once a kid turns 12 they have to ref/umpire at least three games within the next two-three years.
  
  Their parents would have to go watch and listen to other obnoxious parents yell at their son/daughter because she/he missed a call during an atom, novice, peewee or bantam hockey game. They'd quickly understand it isn't a good feeling, and likely wouldn't be so quick to yell at a teenager who made a supposed bad call. If your child plays lacrosse, ringette, baseball, soccer or football the same rules should apply when they register. The kids would actually have a better understanding of the rules, and they'd realize quickly that being a ref isn't easy, especially when you have coaches, parents and players yelling at you.
   
• John Tortorella's act has become a waste of time, but the media constantly complaining about him is just as old. If you know Tortorella won't say anything post-game why go? Take a stand; don't go or stop complaining. You have a choice, so why not just boycott going. Trust me, if the media snubbed him for two days the NHL would step in. Right now, Tortorella's actions are getting as much press as the game, so the NHL loves it.
   
• From one immature, arrogant coach to a refreshing one. I loved Darryl Sutter's response after the Kings' victory over Phoenix in game two. When he was asked about the Shane Doan and Martin Hanzal hits, rather than try to make it bigger than it was, he calmly said,
  
  "Doan's hit on Lewy, I think Lewy is turning back. It's probably more of a hockey play. It's a tough one. I didn't really have a big problem with that. But the one on Browny, it's hard to say from the bench. I didn't get a good look at it, but
  I don't think the puck was even close, was it?  That's about it."
  
  Nice to see him not freak out and demand suspensions. We knew the Hanzal hit was awful, and he calmly made his point by saying the puck wasn't even around. In our day and age where most are quick to announce they were wronged, and then turn around and do the same thing the next game, I really appreciated Sutter's response.
   
• The more I think about it, the more I think the Oilers should slide down and draft Galchenyuk. They desperately need a centre with size and skill. I wouldn't criticize them at all if they took Yakupov at #1, but the more people I talk to about Galchenyuk's skill and desire the more I'm intrigued by him. Especially because he's a centre.
   
• I don't see a weakness in the Kings. They'll take out the Coyotes in four or five games, and barring any injuries I don't see them losing to the Devils or Rangers. With the Lakers and Clippers likely to lose their respective series, the Kings will be the toast of LA for a few weeks. It would be great to see an organization that has never won much finally raise the Cup.
   
• It's great for Edmonton to have two teams going for championships right now. The Oil Kings already won the WHL and their quest for the Memorial Cup starts Friday at 5 p.m. MST v. Shawinigan. You can listen to it on the TEAM 1260 or watch on Sportsnet.
   
• The Edmonton Rush battle the Rochester Knighthawks on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. MST in the NLL final. You can watch the game on Bell Express Vue channel 413 (SD) or 1432 (HD), or on Shaw channel 303. You can also listen to yours truly on TEAM 1260, pregame starting at 5 p.m.
   
• Hate to break it to you Oiler fans, but there is no way that Plymouth forward, Tom Wilson, will drop to the 2nd round. The hulking winger, 6'4", 200 pounds, plays with an edge, hits incredibly hard and has some decent skill, but every scout I talk to says he'll go in the first round because there are few players like him in the draft. If the Oilers want him they'll have to trade up from #31 (based on Devils forfeiting 1st round pick) to grab him. 
   
• I had a caller named Doug call my show on Monday and declare that, "I'd never want a Russian on my team (Oilers). Historically they are bad news." He wasn't joking, and he was certain that Russians are bad seeds. This got me thinking. If we made a list of bad seeds, guys who didn't care how would they match up to the solid Russian players?
  
  Perceived bad seeds:                  
  Radulov, Filatov, Zherdev, A. Kostitsyn, S. Kostitsyn (I know they are from Belarus, but many assume they're Russian), or Yashin. Yashin produced in regular season, 781 pts in 851 games, but he wasn't great in the playoffs. There is a long list of Canadian players who fall into the same category, so I personally wouldn't say he was a distraction in the room his entire career. I'm sure there are others with a bad rap sheet, but not many come to mind. Do you have any who really stands out? Not guys who didn't produce, because not being productive is not exclusive to Russians or any Nationality.
  
  Solid players:
  Larionov, Federov, Bure, Fetisov, Konstantinov, Mogilny, Kravchuk, Kasparaitis, Korolev, Samsonov, Nikolishin, Datsyuk, Malkin, Ovechkin, Kovalchuk and Semin come to mind. You can say Semin is a bit lazy at times, but his lowest goal total in six NHL seasons is 21. Many different players from various Nationalities don't always play hard, so let's stop pretending that Russians are the only ones guilty of that.
  
  It is more accurate to say that they, unlike the Czechs, Swedes and Finns, Russians have a legitimate option to play in a league outside of the NHL and make good money doing it. That is fair, but the best players will want to play in the NHL. We likely won't see as many 3rd and 4th liners anymore, because they can make more money playing in their homeland where they know the language and the culture. I don't blame them for that, nor does it make them bad seeds. 
  
  Sadly, I don't think Doug is the only person who feels this way, and I think that perception of Russians is incredibly inaccurate.  
   
• Can we please refrain from making comparisons between the World Championships/Olympics and the NHL. Suggesting that when Canada loses at the WC or Olympics it reflects bad on a GM is ridiculous, just like it is to suggest that because Yzerman won gold in 2010 that he's a great GM. There is no correlation in how you run a NHL team for 365 days a year to a single elimination tournament. Sorry, but there isn't.   
   
• Here is a great read from former NFLer George Koonce. Concussions aren't the only reason former players get depressed. Great stuff, give it a read. The NHLPA should read this.

Nail Yakupov is a dynamic player. Last year the draft profiles looked something like this.

SCOUTING REPORT

• Corey Pronman, Hockey Prospectus: “He’s a well above-average skater with plus speed and tremendous agility. He has the ability to push the tempo up the ice and keep defenders on their heels, but he’s probably even more dangerous at a standstill with high-end agility, first step acceleration, and a real slippery aspect to his game. He has such a powerful stride that he can take a handful of strides and already have travelled half the distance of the ice.”
  
• Ross MacLean, Head scout ISS: “Yakupov is a gifted goal scoring forward, something that really doesn’t seem to come around that often, so when one does he is a hot commodity. His explosive bursts of speed and understanding of scoring principles off the rush is very similar to that of what we saw from Taylor Hall a couple years ago, but also has some people thinking Pavel Bure. He is a dynamic and electrifying player that can bring fans to their feet and is a prime talent for marketing the sport in any locale or market. He is a player that should be able to step into the next level very quickly and continue to progress. Put all that together and you still only have a glimpse of what makes him such a desirable prospect and the number one ranked for us at ISS.”

DESJARDINS NHLE (per 82gp)

1. Taylor Hall 17-29-46
2. Nail Yakupov 18-22-40
3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 11-27-38

• Yakupov’s NHLE suggests another strong Calder candidate and a player “in the range” with Taylor Hall. Yakupov’s equivalency was actually ahead of Hall’s pace before his injury. Yakupov has the most offensive potential in this draft according to Gabriel’s horn.
• TOI is also a concern. There have been reports of 28 minutes a night. THAT could skew things.

THE GOOD

• That’s a wonderful scouting report, I’m going to miss these. There’s no skating issues, no “wide body style slows him down” or “had mono” or “born with a tail” or some of the other maladies we’ve seen in the past with Oiler picks.
• Another finisher, after a long stretch of few or none. This kid shoots bullets.
• He can pass and take a pass and has some spine.
• He lit it up at the WJ’s and scored a big hatty against a tough team same week.
• He should be plug and play; I would expect Yakupov can play in the NHL next season and score goals.

THE BAD

• The knee injury is a concern.
• His performance after the knee injury was well off previous performance.
• Before: 26, 21-32-53 2.04ppg
• After: 16, 10-6-16 1.00ppg
• Lack of size will make it difficult for him to impact the game physically (he has an edge to his game).
• Could use his linemates more, and sometimes tries to do too much (these are kind of the same thing but that’s how it was posted by Grant McCagg).
• There are reports that he could use more work in his own end of the rink, but that’s true of damn near every 18-year old this side of Bob Gainey.
• I’m not sure we’ve read a lot of good things about his play in traffic. I might have missed it in the scouting reports–he is described as a guy who has grit–but most of the highlights of him I’ve seen involve shooting from high percentage areas without a lot of opposition. He might be more of a perimeter player than someone like Taylor Hall, but that’s a guess based on comparing the two youngster’s scouting reports. Performing at a high level when there’s a lot of traffic is an extremly valuable asset; we don’t know–or haven’t been told–he has that gear.

THE REST

• You have to work hard to find something wrong with this kid. Sure, he could end up in Russia but the Oilers would have every opportunity to make sure that didn’t happen. Sure, if you draft him and can’t sign him that’s a problem but everything about him screams NHL. And his value would be exceptional, especially after an impressive year or two.
• The Oilers are deep at RW, but that’s a problem that is easily solved. Trading Ales Hemsky or Jordan Eberle will probably be the better move two years down the road, and Yakupov is very likely to emerge as the #1 RW on this team early in his career (should they choose him).
• The Oilers have an extreme need on defense and that may counter the gap in talent between Yakupov and the rest of the pack.

NAIL YAKUPOV WILL BE DRAFTED FIRST OVERALL.