In the 2006-07 NHL season, Edmonton Oilers coach Craig Mactavish had been noticing that too many of his superstars were getting pushed around on the ice. This urged him to bring up a player by the name of Zach Stortini. He was near the top of the list for most penalty minutes in the AHL, and his face showed why.
Over the past two years, this man has truly made little difference to helping players like Ales Hemsky getting hit hard. He can't hit, he can't skate, he can't score, and, most importantly, he can't fight.
With the absence of a grit player, drastic things have happened. A good example is showing Ethan Moreau having to try and take on a fight for himself. This caused him to dislocate a shoulder and remain out of the Oilers lineup for almost a year.
On July 1, one unrestricted free agent will become available that I'm sure Kevin Lowe will have his eyes on. He goes by the name of Georges Laraque. The Penguins enforcer would be a perfect fit on a line with guys like Brodziak and, hopefully, Curtis Glencross, if he remains in Edmonton
Fans living in Edmonton know how much he means to our team. We know how much he wants to come back, as he was on the radio here all the time. The truth is that Georges Laraque has not even sold his home in Edmonton since he left for Phoenix.
With Laraque back in the Oilers lineup, I think the players, coaches, and fans will feel a whole lot better. I will be shocked if it doesn't happen. There will be no thought of opposing enforcers laying even a finger on players like Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff, or Sam Gagner.
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3 months ago
Laraque was a great face for the Oil since they brought him up from the AHL way back when. Like you say, he still lives and broadcasts from Edmonton still and seems to have found his home. The team definitely needs some extra girth and grit, and Georgesie-boy would certainly add that. But is it the direction the Oilers are headed, with all their youth and speed? Perhaps that's exactly why they need Laraque, to cover their tails. If he and The Oilers make it simple, fans may get their wish. But that's not the way it always works in the NHL.
While I agree that it would be nice to have him back, I wonder why fans are so predisposed to wanting only old, familiar faces on their teams. Like I said, sometimes it works to bring a player back into an old fold; sometimes there's a reason the team moved away from a certain guy/team mentality in the first place.
Flames fans are still barking about Martin Gelinas, five years after he left. They are under the impression that he would magically make the team Cup contender, just by playing in Calgary. Many don't seem to understand that just because he was a hero for those 2004 playoffs doesn't mean he is the right fit, or that he could ever reproduce his magic again. Even though he scored 15 points and all those series clinching goals in the 2004 Cup run, during the regular season he only had 35 points in total! Those are the numbers that are expected of him now, so why act like he's the glue of the team. Guys move on, and teams re-shape themselves. It sucks sometimes, but that's what happens.
Of course, having said that, I still hope Andrew Ference comes back to Alberta, so I'm just the same! He was a different situation that Gelinas; he had just signed a long-term, home-town-discount, want to stay in Calgary/Canmore contract when he was shipped to Beantown... but I digress.
What kind of money is Laraque making these days? Was his Pens salary more or less than he made before? Anyway, good info bite. Thanks for writing these!
3 months ago
Laraque was a fan favorite in Pittsburgh, i'm sure a lot of people there would be disappointed to see him go. But as we know from watching the leafs lately, fan favorite means nothing in the big picture. Anyone would be lucky to have a body like Laraque's on their side.
3 months ago
Georges will be dearly missed in Pittsburgh. A fan favorite and a great role model for children in the community with his off ice work. I am disappointed in the Pens management for being short sighted with the signing of Godard.
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