Fantasy Managers Will Strike It Rich In Edmonton This Season
Club: Edmonton Oilers
Fantasy Impact Rating: Hot
Superstars: None
Big Producers: Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff, Erik Cole, Lubomir Visnovsky
Mid-Level Flyers: Dustin Penner, Andrew Cogliano, Sam Gagner, Sheldon Souray
Rookies/Prospects: Rob Schremp
Sleepers: Gilbert Brule, Robert Nilsson, Tom Gilbert
Avoid The Hype: None
Analysis:
For all of the scrutiny that Kevin Lowe has received over the past year, it really can’t be argued that he has put together a helluva hockey club, and fantasy managers should be benefiting from it this upcoming season.
While the Oilers lack an over the top producing superstar, they have some depth in players that have the potential to put up 65-80 points this upcoming season. Newcomer Erik Cole will play left wing to Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky on the first line to start the season. All 3 players are capable of putting up rock solid numbers, however, you may want to a consider Hemsky over the other two in terms of draft position. Hemsky has steadily improved his game since the beginning of his career, and should be able to continue to produce consistently with the talent he’ll have around him. He is an excellent top right winger for any fantasy team and should be considered starting in the 4th round in a 12 manager draft. Horcoff should be considered next. He missed significant time last year with a knee injury, but was on track to score 70+ points. If you’re building a team around wingers or tenders, and are holding off on taking a center for a few rounds, Horcoff should still be around in the 4th and 5th round in a 12 manager league. Cole, who may be equally as effective as Horcoff and Hemsky, has had a history of injuries, and should be considered 3rd out of this trio. If you do decide to take a chance on him early, make him your number two left winger just as a precautionary to start.
There may be some promise on Edmonton’s back end this season. Sheldon Souray and Lubomir Visnovsky should be anchoring the power play, which may yield significant results this upcoming season. Visnovsky may be a safer play if you’re looking for a top defender to building your core around. He’s in better company here than he was in Los Angeles, which may allow him to hit the 50 point plateau this season. One of the downfalls to owning Souray is that his defensive skills aren’t what they could be, and his +/- suffers significantly because of it. He was a premier defender two years ago in Montreal, notching 64 points and 134 penalty minutes, but managed a -28 for the season. It’s unsure as to whether he’s capable of hitting a similar mark in Edmonton because of a shoulder injury he suffered last year, so treat him as a solid number 2 defender in your draft.
Dustin Penner could very well have a season very similar to his last two. It doesn’t appear that he’ll see much time on the top line, however, he may be of some use to the Oilers right in front of opposition’s goaltender on the power play. Penner is a monster power forward, and is a nice option as a 2nd, maybe even a 3rd left winger on your fantasy team. Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagner are expected to be to Penner’s right on the 2nd line, and may provide solid production as a 3rd center and winger option for your team. Expect Cogliano to go first in your draft, then Gagner. Don’t bite before the 8th round on either player though. There should still be players available that would yield more production at that point in your draft.
The Oilers possess a few sleepers that may be of some value later on in your draft. If you’re looking to add a 5th defender, or if your league runs 5, Tom Gilbert may be a great late round pick. He notched 33 points in his first NHL season and may see a top line pairing this season with either Visno or Souray. He’s got the potential to be a solid offensive defenseman for Edmonton if given the opportunity. Robert Nilsson might have himself another decent season. As a 3rd line winger last season, he was able to amass 41 points in 71 games. He may not be a bad late round draft pick if you’re in need of a winger. Gilbert Brule has the talent to be a solid number two center in Edmonton, however, that’s one position that they are extremely deep in. Brule should start the season behind Brodziak on the 4th line, but if Edmonton catches a series of injuries, it may give him a chance to move up the ranks. Treat him as a stopgap center to start the season.
The million dollar question that Oiler fans need to ask themselves before the start of this season is whether or not Robbie Schremp is mature enough to play in the NHL this year. He has some discipline issues he needs to work out before he sees some serious playing time at the top level. There is no doubt that Schremp is a phenomenal talent and possesses a serious set of puck handling and scoring skills, but he’s going to have to prove himself before he’s up with Edmonton for good. It would be best to monitor his situation and if you catch him in an Oiler uniform, use him as a bench reserve until he gets going.
Goaltending:
Situation: Unstable
Grade: B-
1. Mathieu Garon
2. Dwayne Roloson
The only downfall to the Oilers this season will certainly be their goaltending situation. Mathieu Garon will start the season as Edmonton’s number one, but if this season is anything like last, we’ll see our fair share of Dwayne Roloson throughout the campaign. Garon had a mediocre season in 2007-2008 going 26-18 with a 2.66 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. He should get a little more help offensively this season, but in terms of fantasy potential, he’s a bona-fide number two for any manager. Rolo will probably go late in a draft as sort of an insurance policy or possibly as trade bait, but keep in mind that he’ll turn 39 this year, and his time in the NHL may be coming to a close.
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