Wait and See?

This Oilers team has many people scratching their heads. Questions abound about their skill, their 'crust', hell even their jam. Is there enough physicality on this team to stand up to other more physical teams? Are the small skilled players taking the right (and enough) steps that are furthering their development. Can our blue line survive night after night without Sheldon Souray? With the injury to Shawn Horcoff, their only complete player, one might think with pessimism in relation to these questions.

I am going to go out on a limb and say that once the flu runs its course, with or without Horcoff, this team will get its shiz together and OTC will put his stamp on this team. Just give them a few weeks.

Horcoff's Career Trajectory

Meet Orland Kurtenbach. A journeyman's journeyman. Although Orland 'only' played for 10 different teams, he played for the Rangers on two separate occasion, and the Canucks three. He was defensively responsible, a big hitter, had good size (6,2 200lbs) and later on in his career, before a series of injuries eventually ended his career, he found a great scoring touch after the Vancouver Canucks took him in the expansion draft. That Canucks team was horrible. He was the best centre on a team without much depth at centre, and although he put up decent numbers (in his first two seasons he scored 45 goals), it obviously was not enough to stop the team from going on to win only 90 of the next 312 games.

Shawn Horcoff has been inspirational to many hockey fans. From a grinder to a first line forward, to the all star game. Its hard not to be happy for him and his accomplishments, crooked nose and all. That being said, his career trajectory is looking to be similar to Orland's. As soon as he finds a scoring touch, injuries seriously threaten to derail his career. Lets hope his injury is minor, and he keeps producing a reasonable levels. Because we really don't want to watch the 70-71 Canucks team play the next 70 games.

Meet Kyle Mclaren

Now honestly, why are we throwing Theo Peckham to the wolves, when we could call up vetrans such as Dean Arsene. Beyond this, as the call seems to be loud for the signing of a higher quality 3rd pairing Dman.

Meet Kyle Mclaren.

While his underlying 07/08 stats

(GF/ON60 2.55, GA/ON60 2.43) were just a little worse (the GA/ON) than the team average, you have to take into account that he had the highest qualcomp, and the worst qualteam on that Sharks team, at

Qualcomp 0.041,QualTeam -0.185.

The only other defender on that years team that was getting close to the competition that Mclaren was facing, was ME Vlasic, with a QC of .34 (and it should be noted that he had much better qualteam).

6'4, 230lbs, only 32 years old. Invited to rangers training camp, but was unable to make it due to an unspecified injury.

He has a long stride, is very strong and has a good stick, seems very sourayesque (i made the word up, ok?). As a plus he also has a booming shot. Please, tell me that this would not a be a cheap, easy pickup for the oilers that would fill a massive hole on the backend (yes that sounds bad).

Plus check out this bodycheck.

Yeah, thats what i thought.