Edmonton Oilers Offseason Game Plan

"Just let the boys play"

After being written off in early February, the Edmonton Oilers went back to basics. While icing the youngest team in the league, coach Craig MacTavish decided to let his team roam the ice.

There was no game plan, no systems, and most of all, no pressure. The idea was to let the younger guys develop chemistry and have fun playing together.

Funny thing is that they made a playoff push and were in the race until the last week of the season.

Is this a sign of things to come? I sure think so.

It's not even close to next season and everybody has the Oilers written off already. I know these guys aren't reminiscent to the young team they had in the '80s, but this year's edition is showing promise.

Last season held many firsts for many Oilers. For rookies Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano, it was their first time in NHL uniforms. For Dustin Penner, it was his first time being relied on as a team leader. And for Ethan Moreau, it was his first time donning the captain's "C" on his jersey.

This team wasn't picked to make the playoffs this year and is also slated to miss them again next season. For myself, I have no idea why.

Up front, the team is well balanced. There might be some players that aren't quite at their potential yet, but they're maturing to an NHL level every day. Shawn Horcoff is finally feeling the pressures of being the No. 1 center and hopefully it'll light a fire under him.

Ales Hemsky is without a doubt their most talented player right now. He can skate, shoot, dangle, and drive the net. The one concern among Oilers' fans is that he is inconsistent and needs to work on his game in his own zone. If he can do that it will help the team at both ends of the rink.

On defence, there seems to be holes. In reality, there isn't. Sheldon Souray was limited to 26 games this season, and it showed. If he played a full 82-game schedule the Oilers would have stability from the back end while having a No. 1 defenseman.

Lubomir Visnovsky was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday for Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene. This move provides the team with another top-four defenseman. He will be a very valuable asset for the team going forward and making a playoff push this upcoming season.

Tom Gilbert, Denis Grebseshkov, Joni Pitkanen and Mathieu Roy are all part of the 1983 birth year. The defensive core is growing together and going forward. Ladislav Smid is still learning the ropes of the league, and Steve Staios is there to deliver guidance and leadership to a young defensive corps.

In net, there was thought to be controversy, but once again that is mistaken. Mathieu Garon has proven that he can provide stellar goaltending when needed, but will have to adjust to playing a heavier schedule. This move pretty much spells the end of Dwayne Roloson's time in Edmonton, unless he agrees to stay as a backup goalie. If he departs, the Oilers will have to use either Devan Dubnyk or Jeff Deslauriers a the backup netminder.

With free-agency looming, many people think that the Oilers should stock up on anything available with hopes of being competitive once again. Bringing in Visnovsky fills the need of a top defenseman, but with Jarret Stoll gone there will be a forward spot up for grabs.

This slot would ideally be used for either Marc-Antoine Pouliot or Rob Schremp to be NHL mainstays. Both possess a great deal of talent, but inconsistency at the top level has plagued them both for the past two seasons. Pouliot has the edge in games played, but the team could benefit from Schremp if the game goes to a shootout.

For many people who don't get a chance to watch games in the Western Conference, you wouldn't believe how exciting of a team the Oilers are. They were by far one of the best teams to watch this year, and the people who did watch seen the growing pains this team endured.

Even though they finished last in the Northwest Division, they were only 10 points behind division-leader Minnesota Wild. That is only a matter of five wins, or four wins and two overtime losses, or three wins and four overtime losses—you get the point.

People in Oil Country, be patient. This team is still young and they are developing at the right pace. This doesn't mean that they'll win the Stanley Cup next season. But they will be back in the post-season this season.

Look for this team to emerge as the breakout team of '08-'09.