Bleacher Report - Articles by Salim Valji

Salim Valji's Best Bet: NHL Games on Monday, October 5

Salim Valji — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:43:51 -0400

This is the first in a series of bi-weekly articles where Salim Valji gives the breakdown of the NHL games on schedule for that night, and gives you his picks.

Game One: New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils, 7:00 PM EST

The New York Rangers boast a very deep and talented forward corps that includes Chris Drury, Marion Gaborik, and Brandon Dubinsky. And to boot, they have one of the best goalies in the league in Henrik Lundqvist.

That's what makes the loss of John Madden via free agency that much more important; as Rod Pelley has yet to prove he can handle shutting down opposing stars as Madden did.

Despite the fact that Sean Avery is out and that New York is facing arguably the greatest goaltender of all time, New York will win this one and upset New Jersey at home in a high scoring affair.

New York Rangers, over 5.5 goals

Game 2: Columbus Blue Jackets at Vancouver Canucks, 10:00 EST

Vancouver has gotten off to a slow start, and the play of Roberto Luongo has been suspect. 85.7 percent might look good on a Biology test, but not when you're an NHL goalie; and both he and the offense have to start producing.

Vancouver looks far better on paper, but Columbus has played better thus far. I'm going with Columbus in a low-scoring affair.

Columbus Blue Jackets, under 5.5 goals.

There you have it, folks—two games on schedule and two underdogs.

Should the Edmonton Oilers Go After Nikolai Zherdev?

Salim Valji — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:35:32 -0400

Despite the Edmonton Journal reporting that the Oilers have no interest in him, the question has to be posed as to whether or not the Edmonton Oilers should attempt to sign enigmatic winger Nikolai Zherdev.

And despite the new coaching staff with not one but two very experienced and capable men behind the bench in Tom Renney and Pat Quinn, let's be clear: Edmonton is not a playoff team, not even close.

That begs the question as to what the team needs in order to become a playoff contender, and does Zherdev fit the bill? Regardless of the obvious lack of commitment to the game that Zherdev brings to the table, he is a top six forward and would provide immediate help to a team who's top six includes Shawn Horcoff, Dustin Penner, and Robert Nilsson; not exactly offensive dynamos.

The only player within Edmonton's top six that you can safely bet will get better than 70 points this season is Ales Hemsky; he led the team with 66 points last year. Aside from him only Shawn Horcoff and Sheldon Sourray had more than 50 points. The need for offense is clear, and Zherdev fills that need.

The signing of Zherdev might also do wonders to Hemsky's game. For years now all that's been said is that Ales is one of the most talented playmakers in the game who just needs the right linemates; and Zherdev just might unlock this talent we've heard of but seen only glimpses of.

If the Oilers do sign him, Robert Nilsson would most likely be the odd man out and be relegated to 3rd line duty; thus the Oilers first line would be Zherdev-Horcoff-Hemsky and the second line would be Penner-Gagner-Cogliano, a significant upgrade from before.

There are obvious issues when debating about whether or not to bring a player with Zherdev's reputation aboard, but with the pathetic state of the Oilers forwards and not to mention an impatient fan base; any change is good change and Steve Tambellini would be a fool not to atleast consider it.

Thank the Good Lord I'm a Toronto Blue Jays Fan

Salim Valji — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:11:53 -0400

It was 60 years ago that Joe DiMaggio uttered those famous words, "I want to thank the good lord I'm a Yankee." In that light, I, Salim Valji am going to write the words, "Thank the good lord I'm a Blue Jays fan."

Everyone goes through tough times, it's a necessary evil in life. Right now is one of those dark periods in my life, and if not for the love in my heart for my Blue Jays, I'd have nothing to fall back on.

I was raised in a very religious household, both my parents were practising Muslims and my family was and still is very devout to the religion. Unfortunately, I never truly identified with the religion, and didn't really consider myself a true member. I was and still am a Toronto Blue Jays Fan first and foremost.

They believed in Allah, I believed in the Baseball Gods; they thought the mosque was a place of worship, my place of worship was the baseball diamond; Mecca wasn't the holy land, Toronto was.

My family had the Prophet Mohammed to believe in, I had Joe Carter's magical world-series winning home run to believe in. I couldn't help the fact that I identified with that logo more than with my religion.

My love for the Blue Jays has provided me with a sense of unity and belonging that few things on Earth can offer.

Even in the darkest and most terrible of circumstances that life presents you, when that final out is recorded and a win is sealed and knowing that hundreds of thousands of fans are rejoicing with you over the same event; those circumstances evaporate and are replaced with feelings of brotherhood and harmony with every other fan. And it's very hard to put that into words as to how that feels.

The one thing that sports gives us is something to believe no matter the situation we're in, and you can't put a price on that. People say they have religion to believe in, well sports is a religion.

It's a religion that can give you tears of joy seeing that beautiful Carter home run and give you heartache seeing Scott Downs blow another save; and that's the magnificence of it.

So it's a statement that everyone can say in unison no matter what colours lie in your blood or what sports venue occupies your heart, "Thank God I'm a Sports Fan."

It's a statement we baseball fans can share with the football fans, the hockey fans and whoever else wants to join us; and something we can be united on. And that, my fellow sports fans, is the greatest belief of them all.

What Moves Should the Atlanta Thrashers Make This Off-Season?

Salim Valji — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:43:26 -0400

Another season, another disappointment for the Atlanta Thrashers, who failed to make the playoffs in back-to-back years.

Any team with the third and fourth overall selections in back-to-back years has more than a few needs, and that's certainly the Thrashers' case.

Up front, aside from Bryan Little, Ilya Kovalchuk and Vyacheslav Kozlov, there are no true top-6 forwards.

Basically, the Thrashers are down an entire scoring line, and that should be the biggest priority going into the off-season.

One very good fit is Brian Gionta, a playmaking center who it seems would complement Kovalchuk very well.

Assuming they give one of the top-6 forward roles to Angelo Esposito, there is still one spot open, where they could use a player of good size who can drive to the net as well as play a solid two-way game.

Erik Cole or Bill Guerin would both fit well here, both bring size and experience to a young Thrashers group. Cole's value is very low, and he could be quite a bargain.

Also, the Thrashers should try and retain Marty Reasoner, an invaluable third line player.

Atlanta's defense looks surprisingly good for next season. Zach Bogosian is a solid two-way player who is still very young, and the team has a great mix of puck-movers (Ron Hainsey, Tobias Enstrom) and stay-at-home defensemen (Boris Valabik, Garnet Exelby). The team could add a depth player, but there are no major needs on the blueline.

Atlanta's goalie situation is one of transition, as it looks like the Kari Lehtonen era is over and the Ondrej Pavelec regime is about to get underway.

Hold that thought though; Pavelec will certainly not be ready for a full workload for at least a couple of seasons.

A great stopgap in the transition period is Matthieu Garon, a very capable 1B goaltender who's numbers on a weak Edmonton team in 2006-07 cannot be disputed.

He is another UFA who's value would be lower than normal because of a substandard contract year, and he would certainly help make Ondrej Pavelec's transition to the NHL a smooth one.

Angelo Esposito is the Thrashers best prospect aside from Pavelec, and he should be given every opportunity to crack the team's top 6 at training camp.

The Thrashers system has some solid two-way prospects in Daulton Leveille, Spencer Machacek and Riley Holzapfel but no true offense-first forward aside from Esposito.

After drafting a franchise defenseman in Zach Bogosian last year, the Thrashers have to go all out offense with their first round pick. A couple of options are Evander Kane, Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson and Jordan Schroeder.

Of all these three players, Paajarvi-Svensson seems to be the player that would complement Bryan Little the most.

The Thrashers already have Ilya Kovalchuk and Little in terms of snipers, now the focus should be on a playmaking forward feeding them pucks.

It may be considered a reach, but the Thrashers have no budding playmakers among their prospects, and Paajarvi-Svensson is the best pure passing forward in this draft.

After the first round the Thrashers should still place a premium on offense-first forwards.

What Salim Valji would do:

-Re-sign Marty Reasoner

-Sign Brian Gionta

-Sign one of Erik Cole or Bill Guerin, preferably Cole

-Sign Matthieu Garon

-Give Angelo Esposito a top-6 forward spot by default and let him run away with it

-Draft Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson with the 4th pick, and make it a priority to draft skilled offensive forwards this draft, as well as blueline depth

Stay tuned for more in this series of articles.

Salim Valji, Anaheim Ducks General Manager

Salim Valji — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:57:04 -0400

Considering how close the Anaheim Ducks were to dealing Chris Pronger at the deadline, a second round playoff exit should be considered a success.

If anything, the 2009 playoffs showed the Ducks management just how good of a goaltender they have in Jonas Hiller. That being said, there certainly are a few holes they will have to fill by training camp.

It seems that every team is looking for a top six forward, and that certainly is the Ducks case as Teemu Selanne is once again considering retirement.

Even if Selanne stays, there is still room for another scoring forward; Mikael Samuelsson fits the bill well. Samuelsson is a skilled second line forward good for 40-50 points and brings championship experience from Detroit. His numbers would probably be inflated if he wasn't sharing ice time with the likes of Pavel Datsyuk, Hennrik Zetterberg and Marian Hossa. Samuelsson has been overshadowed by star players throughout his entire career and would be a great fit amongst the Ducks forwards.

Another name to be mentioned is Maxim Afinogenov, the Buffalo Sabres castoff. Although he was run out of the city he played in for nine years, he posted very solid numbers, including a career-high 73 points in 2005-2006.

Even if his point production has decreased the past four seasons, he is a playmaker, something the Ducks have lacked since Chris Kunitz was dealt.

Another need is for the Ducks to replace/resign two of their checking line players, Todd Marchant and Rob Niedermayer. If they cannot come to terms with Marchant, Marty Reasoner is a good option.

On defense, Francois Beauchemin and Scott Niedermayer are UFA's.

On paper this looks like a bad loss for Anaheim and it definetly is, but with Ryan Whitney and Brendan Mikkelson, along with Brian Salcido coming up from Portland, they have enough depth to get them through those departures.

Retaining at least Beauchemin should be a priority, as well as signing a depth blueliner such as Greg de Vries.

Eric Tangradi was the only real skilled forward prospect the Ducks had before they traded him to Pittsburgh, so they should definitely try and acquire another one with the 15th selection. Scott Glennie is an option here, he had a solid 2008-09 season in the WHL where he garnered 70 points in just 53 games.

Another player is Zach Kassian, a power forward similar in many ways to the aforementioned Tangradi. The Ducks love size up front, so he would be an intriguing option.

The Ducks have many solid role players in their farm system but they lack any true stay-at-home defensmen. This should certainly be a priority in the second round.

What Salim Valji should do:

Retain Francois Beauchemin

Sign either Mikael Samuelsson or Maxim Afineganov, as well as Marty Reasoner

Sign Greg de Vries and another depth blueliner

Draft Zack Kassian and another offense-first forward, as well as blueline depth

Stay tuned for more in this series of articles.

Edmonton Oilers' Recent Autograph Session Reveals True Colors

Salim Valji — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 13:08:28 -0500

Erik Cole hasn't had the year any Edmonton Oilers fans predicted. At times he looks fantastic and like someone who can carry the team on his back, whereas at other times he looks like a complete waste of $4 million. But I have all the respect in the world for him, and here's why.

The Oilers held their annual autograph session this past Sunday at West Edmonton Mall and fans came out as early as 7 a.m. for the signing that started at 1 p.m. Even then, some still weren't able to get their favorite player's coveted signature.

I was at the session, and despite arriving three hours early, I still was unable to meet Ales Hemsky and Tom Gilbert.

After the line was cut off, I was annoyed and enraged that on the one day I got to meet my heroes, I still couldn't.

So I "settled" for the next best thing, and hopped into the line for Kyle Brodziak and Erik Cole. By this time it was around 2:10 PM., so I was crossing my fingers that I could get my jersey signed by someone.

I managed to get through the line and see Brodziak and Cole. I talked with them for a couple of seconds, and they signed my white RBK jersey, "To Salim. Best Wishes."

At the time I could have cared less. That day all I wanted was to see Ales Hemsky and Tom Gilbert.

Anyway, after the autograph session had ended, I was walking around the mall, and lo and behold at 3 p.m.—a half hour after the session had ended—there was Cole still signing autographs for the fans.

Cole had no need to stay afterward and sign autographs; it's not as if he'd been an Oiler for very long. Yet he did. He did something that Ethan Moreau, Hemsky, Steve Staios, and other veteran Oilers should have done automatically.

What Cole did was he showed the fans that he cared about them and that he did not want them to go home empty-handed. And he showed that he appreciates all the fans do for him and his colleagues.

The value of goals and assists are one thing; the value of respect is something completely different.

What Cole did is something severely lacking in pro sports. Every athlete should follow Cole's example, yet almost none ever do.

It's funny, thinking about what I said when I got Cole's autograph. I told him that I was going to be a sports writer someday, so he'd better start sucking up to me right now. Turns out he didn't have to.

I have all the respect in the world for Erik Cole, because he has the decency to respect me.

Canada Needs To Start Embracing Black Athletes

Salim Valji — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:16:57 -0500

Here, in Canada, we pride ourselves on the acceptance of others. Heck, to many, it’s our identity as a nation.

But do we embrace these other people, or just accept and tolerate them? For that matter, do black athletes get the same publicity and admiration their white counterparts do?

Has anyone ever heard of Ferguson Jenkins? He was born in Catham, Ontario, in 1943, and pitched 18 seasons in the majors—a pretty good accomplishment for a Canadian.

But he didn’t just pitch at the major league level, he won there as well. His career record was 284-226, with a 3.34 ERA and more than 3000 strikeouts. That’s more wins than Bob Feller, more strikeouts than Cy Young, and a better ERA than Mike Mussina.

In 1991, Jenkins, who happens to be black, was the first and only Canadian ever elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I first heard about Jenkins not through a magazine, not through a television set, not through a newspaper, but through a math textbook.

Everyone knows who Justin Morneau, Russell Martin, and Jeff Francis (all white players and fellow Canadians) are, just because they get that much more attention from the media.

For all they have done thus far in their big-league careers, these players have not received baseball’s greatest honour. Jenkins has, however, been bestowed with that honor, yet as a black man from Canada, he has received very little attention from the media.

And what about Lennox Lewis?

Even though he wasn’t technically born in Canada, he still represented the country countless times on the international stage, including the Olympics. He won a boxing gold medal in the 1988 Olympics, was the world heavyweight champion, and successfully defended his title against many great fighters, including Mike Tyson.

When he retired from professional boxing, Lewis boasted a record of 41-2-1, with 32 K.O.’s. Do we ever hear of him in the media, though? No.

Israel Idonije? Does that name ring a bell? Well, all he’s done is start a Super Bowl as a mainstay on the Bears' defense. Yet, do we ever hear of him in the newspapers or on the sports TV shows?

Never.

We, as Canadians, may think we accept people with different skin colours (which we do), but that’s only half of it.

We have to learn to embrace these people, regardless of what skin tone they have. What sort of identity is that for a country?

Preview of Tonight's Edmonton Oiler's Game

Salim Valji — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:20:12 -0500

The Edmonton Oilers come into tonight's tilt against Los Angeles to try and shake off an embarrassing 4-3 loss against Detroit last Thursday, where they gave up three goals in the first period alone. Both these teams have struggled lately, with only one win in the past five games for each team; which means a fast start is crucial for both clubs.

Aside from a seven goal outburst in Columbus last week, the Oilers have struggled mightily to score goals, which is the primary reason why tonight the kids will be reunited for the first time since the beginning of the season. All three have struggled to find the game that made them an exciting trio in the latter part of last season, and have struggled to find the right line mates.

The kids aren't the only ones who are struggling, as both Erik Cole and Dustin Penner have been major disappointments. Regardless of whether or not Penner leads the team in +/-, the fact is that he's not getting paid $4.25 million to lead the team in that category; he's getting paid to be a top six forward.

He hasn't nearly lived up to expectations, with only five points in 18 games. Cole was another guy who was supposed to be a top six forward when he got here, yet he's been toiling on the third line for a good portion of the season. In order for any success to come to the Oilers, these two have to step up their game big time.

One of the few positives this season has been the offensive production of the blue liners for the Oilers. Sheldon Sourray and Lubomir Visnovsky have contributed in the offensive zone, combining for 27 points, 46 penalty minutes, and a +5 rating. Denis Grebeshkov looks like he's developing nicely so far, with eight points and a respectable -2 rating.

Tonight Mathieu Garon is expected to get the start in net after Dwayne Roloson and Jeff Deslauriers have overtaken him in the depth chart. His last win came against Calgary on October 18. This season his goals against average is 3.40 and his save percentage is below 0.900.

Also tonight, Tim Sestito will make his Oilers debut. In an effort to get more energy and high-tempo play, Sestito was recalled from Springfield of the AHL. This season in the AHL, he has two goals and one assist in 16 games, while serving as an alternate captain. He will most likely play on an energy line featuring Liam Reddox and Zach Stortini.

Edmonton Oilers Season Preview, Part Three: Forwards

Salim Valji — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:18:31 -0400

Projected Lines:

Erik Cole-Shawn Horcoff-Ales Hemsky

Robert Nilsson-Andrew Cogliano-Sam Gagner

Dustin Penner-Fernando Pisani-Ethan Moreau

Kyle Brodziak-Marc-Antoine Pouliot-Zach Stortini

The first line features newcomer Erik Cole playing with Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky. Eric Cole and Ales Hemsky should benefit from each other's strengths this season. Hemsky is one of the best one-on-one players in the league, and Cole should reach the 30-goal mark this season.

The trouble is that Shawn Horcoff, no matter how great he played last season, is not a first line center. First line centers are players who have exceptional offensive abilities, and their stats prove it.

Coming into this season, Horcoff has roughly 0.6 points per game, whereas a true first line center averages at least 0.9 points per game. Although he has a very good defensive game and is very versatile, Horcoff has been thrust into a role to which he is not suited. And, with his hefty new contract, expectations will be raised dramatically. The reality is that he will never be able to get more than 80-85 points in a season.

One thing to consider is that this line could hold more of a defensive responsibility than most top lines in the NHL. Craig MacTavish plays a very defensive brand of hockey, and, depending on how he chooses to match lines, Edmonton's top line could very well see Jarome Iginla, Joe Thornton, and Pavel Datsyuk with 20-25 minutes per game.

Both Cole and Horcoff have excelled in a shutdown role before, so defensive responsibilities are not out of the question.

Line two is all about the kids. Cogliano, Gagner, and Nilsson all had surprisingly good seasons last year and have shown great chemistry thus far in training camp and preseason. This could be one of the most exciting lines in all of hockey this season.

Sam Gagner's offensive instincts and hockey sense are brilliant, Andrew Cogliano is one of the fastest skaters in the league, and Robert Nilsson can play a solid all-round game. One thing that could be an issue for this line is toughness and whether or not they can handle being pushed around. For now, the main focus of this second line should be only on offense, with minimal expectations on defense.

The third line should excel in a shutdown role similar to what Fernando Pisani and Ethan Moreau have been trusted with their entire careers. Both are exceptional defensive forwards when healthy, and Dustin Penner will add size, toughness, and offense to this line. There will be very minimal offensive expectations for this line as long as they play well defensively.

The fourth line features former first round draft pick Marc-Antoine Pouliot with Kyle Brodziak and Zach Stortini. Pouliot and Brodziak both play solid two-way games and have the ability to produce on the score sheet every so often. Stortini can drop the gloves whenever necessary.

At this point, this line’s entire role will be to give the top six forwards a break and eat minutes. If they can contribute on the score sheet, it’s an added bonus.

Overall, this set of forwards looks very good. A strong top six, with two solid defensive forwards in Pisani and Moreau makes this set of forwards look like one of the best in the Western Conference.

Overall Grade: A-

Edmonton Oilers Season Preview Part Two: Defense

Salim Valji — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:02:14 -0400

Projected Pairings

Visnovsky—Souray

Gilbert—Staios

Grebeshkov—Smid

There are two major aspects of defense: the offense of defense, and the defense of defense. The latter should be of major concern to both Oilers fans and management.

The projected first pairing is Lubomir Visnovsky and Sheldon Souray. Visnovsky had a bit of a down year, finishing with 41 points and a dreadful minus-18. Souray wasn’t nearly as effective as his fat contract last year would suggest, playing in only 26 games because of shoulder issues.

From the outside, this looks like one of the better top pairings in the Western Conference. You have a guy who scored 67 points not even three years ago in Visnovsky and you have another guy with 60-plus points not even two years ago in Souray.

The trouble is that both Souray and Visnovsky are average, at best, in their own end. Souray can be mean and nasty and throw an occasional hit here or there; but up against the likes of Jarome Iginla and Joe Thornton every night, he doesn’t look the least bit like a defenseman, but rather more like a defenseless man.

He may have good, if not great, offensive instincts, but he is well below average in his own end. More than 60 points is great, but if Souray is your top defenseman it's definitely not a risk worth taking.

Visnovsky is the other half of the projected top pairing, and he is better than Souray in his own end, but is still quite average by the league’s standards. Iginla won’t be helping Visnovsky make the SportsCenter Top Ten Plays of the Night by any means, because Visnovsky’s defensive instincts are far better than Souray’s.

It’s not very often you see Visnovsky get caught flat-footed, and his skating ability is much better than Souray’s as well. The trouble is that Visnovsky is very undersized for a defenseman in today’s game. Because of his lack of size, he is usually very shy about doing the dirty work a top pairing defenseman is supposed to do; that is, going into the corners, and getting physical. However, he is better than Souray.

Pairing two looks to be Steve Staios and Tom Gilbert. Question marks surround this pairing as well.

Steady Steve, as we have come to know him here in Oil Country, had another solid season with the copper and blue. He tallied his usual offensive numbers and continued to play the old-fashioned, in-your-face brand of hockey we have come to expect of him over the years.

This season, Staios will be mean and nasty and will continue to do the dirty work Visnovsky tries to avoid, but he will contribute much less on the offensive end. He plays a mean style of hockey, and strong defense is his forte. He won’t end up with jaw-dropping offensive totals, but will contribute here and there; and his leadership makes him invaluable to this young team on the rise.

The real questions are with Gilbert. After four years of seasoning in the NCAA, he looked quite sharp in his rookie season, tallying an Oiler-record 33 points as a rookie defenseman. He looked quite sharp in the defensive end as well, playing in all situations even as games got more meaningful toward the end of the year.

The trouble is how to evaluate how much of his success was due to a depleted blue line and how much was of his own. Obviously he has the potential to be a top-four defenseman for a few years, but much of his ice time this season will go to Souray and newcomer Visnovsky. The main reason is that, barring an injury related setback, those two are almost guaranteed more points than him.

Also, Gilbert’s defensive play may be better than Souray’s, but his offensive ability is not. Gilbert will have to swallow his pride this season (or at least part of it), take a minor point decrease (he will still play on the second powerplay unit), and learn to play a defense-oriented brand of hockey until MacTavish tells him to do otherwise.

One of the keys for the Oilers' success this season will depend on this second pairing’s ability to limit the attack on the mediocre Oilers' goaltending, and Gilbert is a huge part of this.

The third pairing is easily my favorite. I love both Ladislav Smid and Denis Grebeshkov. Even though they won’t play more than 15 minutes per game, they will still account for at least some of the success the Oilers have.

Smid looks like he’ll be a full-time stay-at-home defender for this season (and probably his career), and Grebeshkov will be an offensive defensemen with above-average defensive abilities.

Even though Smid didn’t have a good season last year, his role was dramatically reduced from the year before (2006-2007), when a rash of injuries gave him upwards of 22 minutes per game. With his role firmly in place as a third^-pairing defenseman who will play against some of the better forwards in the league, he should improve greatly in all aspects of his game.

Grebeshkov was easily one of the better Oilers defensemen in the second half of the season. Thought of to be a one-dimensional offensive defenseman, he surprised us with his great defensive instincts; and his offensive abilities continued to improve as well.

Responsibilities will be increased this season, as he will get more ice time both at even strength and on special teams. Last season he looked like he could be a very well-rounded top-four defenseman, and he will only improve this season.

Aside from Visnovsky, Jason Strudwick is another newcomer. Unfortunately, this signing does little to improve the back end. Strudwick is a washed up veteran who can play a rough, stay at home style of hockey similar to Steve Staios; but with no offensive upside. Strudwick will be, at his very best, a fifth defenseman called upon only in the event of an injury.

The Oilers' defense looks to be somewhat thin on the defense and thick on the offense. Visnovsky and Souray are hardly what you call shut-down defensemen; therefore a large portion of the shutdown duties will lie in the hands of Staios and Gilbert.

Smid, coming off a tough year, and Grebeshkov, coming off a fantastic year, will look to contribute more this season than last as the Oilers make the march toward postseason hockey.

Overall Grade: B-

Still to Come:

Part 3: Forwards

Part 4: Future Watch/Springfield Falcons Report

Part 5: Everything Else

Edmonton Oilers Season Preview Part One: Everything Starts in the Crease

Salim Valji — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:42:36 -0400

Everything starts in the crease, and in Edmonton, everything starts with Matthieu Garon and Dwayne Roloson.

It seems as though Garon will enter the season as the starter, with Roloson as an adequate veteran backup. Regardless of how these two played the final part of the regular season, Edmonton is still below average in net.

Garon is no more than a 1-B starter deserving of not more than 35-50 starts. This season, he could start up to 60 games; far too much for a netminder of his ability.

He has outstanding lateral movement and a bounce-back ability, but he cannot handle 60 games; it's just a fact. The season in which he played the most games was in 2005, when his goals-against average was 3.22 and his save percentage was under .900. And he's not getting any younger.

Some may say that last season he fully matured into the starting goalie everyone thought he was when Montreal drafted him 44th overall way back in 1996, but last season he only played in 47 games. He is nothing more than a 1-B goalie.

If he sees under 55 games, count on a .900 save percentage; if over that, don't count on a very successful postseason run (if they even make it).

Dwayne Roloson has, over a span of two-and-a-half years, gone from zero to hero back to zero and up to somewhere in between. This season, he should see 20-30 games, and it's anyone's guess as to how he'll fare.

Roloson got off to a horrible start last season, but ended on a high note. The Oilers aren't expecting much out of him, just to keep the team in games long enough. If Matthieu Garon tires out and Roloson is expected to start a healthy portion of games, watch out. It could either go over spectacularly or be a train wreck; you just don't know with Rolly.

The third-string goalie, Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, makes for an interesting situation. Not once has he started an NHL game, and he has spent the past four years in the minors. Overall, he looks technically sound, and has great size for a goalie; however, his glove seems to be his biggest weakness, along with the mental aspects of his game.

Unfortunately, the Oilers don't seem to be sold on this young man, so don't look for him to get much of a shot at playing this year.

Overall Grade: C+

Part 2: Defensemen

Part 3: Forwards

Part 4: Future Watch/Springfield Falcons report

Part 5: Everything Else

Brett Favre an American Icon?

Salim Valji — Wed, 28 May 2008 03:53:17 -0400

Nowhere in the Ten Commandments does it say, "Thou shall not criticize Brett Favre."

At least I don't think it does, but maybe I'm wrong—there is absolutely no negative press about him.

He throws four interceptions in a game, and it's the offensive line's fault. A fumbled snap? Blame it on the center. Swearing at the media? It's the stupid reporter's fault.

Well, right now I intend to change that. I am proud to write the first ever negative article about this supposed American Icon.

But before I get started, I would like to say that I am a proud Green Bay Packers fan and have been since day one. So now that we've cleared up allegiances, let's get started.

Brett Favre will get into the NFL Hall of Fame the moment he is eligible, no doubt. He has broken records and accumulated stats that only the greatest quarterbacks have sniffed; and no matter how much one may hate him, this they have to admit.

However, in the final days of his illustrious career, I can't help but feel that he screwed me, a long time and die hard Packers fan, the Packers franchise itself, and ultimately the city that saw him all these years.

When we dissect his retirement, we have to ask ourselves the question, "How long is too long?" Did he really, in fact, overstay his welcome in Green Bay?

The answer to that is a very matter-of-fact "yes."

But he didn't just overstay—he ate all our cookies, broke our delicate china, and drank all our fancy wine. He showed us the most classless form of the "selfish athlete" that we hear of so often in the media, and yet no one noticed or gave a care.

In football, the quarterback is arguably the easiest position to build a team around, and ultimately success lives and dies with the position. If you have a garbage quarterback, chances are you won't win many games.

For many years, the Packers had their team built around Favre. But at some point you lose the ability to build your franchise around a certain player—that's when the franchise takes a new direction.

The Packers lost that ability the moment Favre decided to come back and play in 2007-2008. The result of this decision was the loss of a potential top 10 pick, another year of waiting for Aaron Rodgers, and another year of waiting to remodel a franchise that's...well, in need of remodeling.

The moment Aaron Rodgers slipped all the way to the 24th pick in 2005, the Brett Favre era (in Green Bay at least) was officially over.

In short form, that mean that Favre was out, and Aaron Rodgers was in. But, did Favre accept this fate of reality? No he did not.

He played not one, not two, but three years after Rodgers was drafted, thus increasing the franchise's need to move on and go in a new direction.

But what I wonder is, why did he do this? Did he do it purely for the love of the game? Or did he do this to increase his legacy?

There's no doubt he would have made it to the Hall of Fame even if he had retired early. So was it really dedication? Or was it the psychological need to increase an already immense legacy among the American people?

Well what some people may call commitment or devotion, I call selfishness—Brett Favre is the epitome of a selfish athlete.

During the final three seasons of his illustrious career, he showed us the worst in the American athlete. Too bad no one noticed.

Oilers in the Playoffs? A Distinct Possibility for Edmonton

Salim Valji — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:16:08 -0400

Playoffs? Who cares about the playoffs in Edmonton? Heck their season ended a month ago when they were 14th in the Western Conference. Why are they so excited? Don't they know they're seven points back of the eighth spot entering play on Tuesday? Don't they know that the team is on pace to break the NHL record for man games lost due to injury? Don't they have any brains, these Oilers players? Are they taking the crack? Why are they playing hockey right now when they should be watching Seinfeld reruns?

Try telling that to Robert Nilsson. Entering play on Tuesday, he had 12 points in his last 14 games, including a seven game point streak in that stretch. Not only has he shown up on the score sheet, he has given Coach Craig MacTavish another weapon to use on the NHL's 5th best penalty killing unit. From the American Hockey League to the National Hockey League, it has been one long journey for Nilsson, and it finally looks like the Ryan Smyth trade is paying off.

Try telling that to Andrew Cogliano. At the ripe age of just 20, he set the NHL record for most consecutive overtime winners, with three. And to add to that, he has 10 points in his last nine games, pushing the Oilers to within striking distance of the playoffs. He has given the coaching staff so much confidence that his average ice time per game has shot up to 18 minutes during the past four games. Without a minute of pro hockey experience before this season, he has stepped in and been the backbone of this team during the stretch run.

Try telling that to Sam Gagner, the league's youngest player. He, also without a minute of pro hockey experience before this season, has contributed 44 points entering play on Tuesday and has the most shootout-deciding goals by a rookie this season.

Try telling that to Steve Staios, Tom Gilbert, Ladislav Smid, Marty Reasoner, Matthieu Garon, Dwayne Roloson, Curtis Glencross, Denis Grebeshkov, Matt Greene, Ales Hemsky, Dustin Penner, Fernando Pisani, Joni Pitkanen, Zach Stortini, Goeff Sanderson, Jarret Stoll, Matthieu Roy and Marc-Antoine Pouliot. I don't think they hear you.

What sets this crop of players apart from the rest of the league is their ability to believe and their willingness to go in, night after night, to fight and scrap for every point on the schedule. They know that the playoffs are a long shot, yet they still believe it can happen. A team without its captain, first line center, and all star defenseman and with 7/25 players under 25 years old can still make the playoffs according to them. They're not in it to be spoilers; they're in it for the real thing, to make it into the NHL's "second season."

Cheer these boys on. They've done you, me and everyone in Edmonton proud. Whether you're watching on TV, listening on the radio, or have the privilege of going to the remaining games, scream your lungs out for these young men.

Turning the seemingly impossible into a real possibility isn't something to scoff at and we Edmontonians should realize that we are watching something truly spectacular.

Edmonton Oilers' Woes: A Free Tour of Rexall Place

Salim Valji — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 02:34:54 -0500

For those who have never been to Rexall Place, I am happy to offer you this free, once-in-a lifetime tour of one of Edmonton's greatest legacies.

Welcome to Rexall Place, everyone. My name is Salim Valji and for the next hour I will be showing you everything there is about the home of the Edmonton Oilers.

Please don't touch anything, as items here are VERY fragile, especially the players.

If you break anything, we will escort you out of the premises and sentence you to a lifetime of watching Oilers players recover from their injuries. Thank you.

Our first stop is the arena itself. Currently, the Edmonton Oilers have won five Stanley Cups, with four in the 1980's and the last one coming in 1990. The 1980's were known as the glory days of the Edmonton Oilers, where they won four Stanley Cups in the decade.

Players during the glory days included Kevin Lowe, Charlie Huddy, Wayne Gretzky, Craig MacTavish, and Mark Messier, among others. We Oilers fans are VERY grateful that most members of that team are still alive and kicking. What we thank God for even more is that those very players are still playing on the team.

If you look around you'll see a white banner commemorating 100 consecutive sellouts for the team. An entire half-hour ceremony was devoted to raising this banner. As if we Oiler fans don't have enough to be proud of; what with that three-game winning streak we had a couple of months ago and that winning season we had way back in 2006. Heck with a winning season, 100 consecutive sellouts is something you can REALLY brag about as a sports team.

Next we come to the Management Office. This is the powerhouse of the entire organization where all the destruction takes place. Here, offer sheets are given out on a whim, first round picks are thrown away and good young players are traded for more useful items such as hockey sticks, pucks and facemasks.

It is in this office where the hopes and dreams of thousands of fans are shattered every year. You’ll notice two men in the office practicing their golf swings. They’re Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish, two of the most powerful men in the organization just preparing for an early summer vacation.

Our final destination is the locker room, where five replica Stanley Cups greet you as soon as you walk in. They serve as a huge motivation tool for the players. "We’ve already got five, why go through the trouble of getting another one?"

This part of the arena is the sight of bear hugs, tears and plenty of Kleenex boxes, and is where the players go to recuperate after moseying through an entire 60-minute hockey game. Activities such as movie-watching, bingo-playing and craft-making are the main focus of both the players and the coaches.

But, then again, the first goal is having fun, right?

That concludes a tour of Edmonton’s greatest gift to the world, Rexall Place and I hope you enjoyed this unique experience. It has been a pleasure being your tour guide for today.

Please make your exit to the right and try to avoid all the golf bags. Someone forgot to tell the players that the season isn’t over just yet.

Mathieu Garon Rises to the Top in Edmonton; Dwayne Roloson Sent to Oilers' Bench

Salim Valji — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 03:31:50 -0500

Halfway through the season and the Oilers have made Matthieu Garon their starter—at least for the time being.

Garon had descent numbers BEFORE he came to Alberta, but when I saw Edmonton had signed him in the summer; I couldn't have cared less.

I just figured Kevin Lowe was trying to make himself look good by signing someone—before we got Souray.

Fans thought Dwayne Roloson would be the one leading the march towards a playoff spot, but how wrong we were.

Now, Roloson has been relegated to backup duties while Garon steals the show—and more often than not, two crucial points a team like Edmonton relies upon so desperately.

But come to think of it, was Roloson ever a real starting goalie?

On March 8, 2006, with his team in the middle of a tight playoff race and without a bona fide number-one goalie—and with the likes of Curtis Joseph and Martin Biron available—Lowe chose to go with Dwayne Roloson, a career backup having a career year with Minnesota, as the starting goalie for the Oilers to rely upon for the rest of the season.

And Kevin struck gold, as we all know—the Oilers squeaked into the playoffs at the 11th hour, shocked the President Trophy-winning Detroit Red Wings in six games, pulled another upset by beating Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks, and eventually came within 60 minutes of hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup.

Much of this was due to the play of Roloson, who had several spectacular games that propelled the Oilers to this height of success.

But he was never the team's true number-one goalie. Sure, he filled the role last season—but there was never a five-year plan for this guy when we acquired him. He was a reliable, 36-year-old career backup, whose best playing days were far behind him.

Roloson did a damn good job hiding this from the folks in Oil country, what with the spectacular saves during the '06 playoffs, and showing up night after night last season, allowing the team to win even after the loss of Ryan Smyth.

But the has magic run out, and Roloson will most likely retire the way he played his entire career—sitting on the bench.

Fans in Edmonton are now seeing another career backup enjoy success, as Matthieu Garon has been the driving force behind the playoff hunt in Edmonton. He's been their most consistent player by far, and is the backbone of the team's success in shootouts, stopping 21 of 23 shots thus far.

And unlike Roloson, the Oilers have the ability to plan for the future around Garon, as he is still relatively young and has several good playing seasons ahead of him . He certainly is not a franchise goalie by any means, but with the young team the Oilers have, having Garon as the nucleus wouldn't be such a bad idea—and that's something we could not do with Dwayne Roloson.

Garon will most likely start the rest of this season and is the odds-on favourite to get the job next year as well, as the Oilers wait for Jeff Drouin-Deslariers to develop in Springfield.

Garon was only expected to play a minor role with the team this season, but instead has taken the team and the league by storm as well. He's been one of the most consistent players on a young squad with little experience, and has produced enough 30-save games to erase any doubt that he won't be starting for the next couple seasons.

Meanwhile, Dwayne Roloson has lost the lustre he once had, and is now sitting on the bench with no real shot of starting again in the NHL. The team acquired him as a backup, he was a backup even when he was the number-one goalie the past two seasons, and he will retire as a backup as well.

I'm just shocked it took Oiler fans that long to realize it.