As the February 27th NHL Trade Deadline approaches, there's been some talk of the Edmonton Oilers trading impending free agent Ryan Smyth as a rental, and then re-signing him in the summer. Of course, we also know 'the Mullet' has a No-Move Clause and fully orchestrated his move from La La Land back home to Edmonton this past summer. So whether he has any interest in becoming a rental at this time is unkown.
What we do know is this -- Ryan Smyth is an Oiler. Period. He bleeds copper & blue... err blue & orange... or whatever. He left a playoff-calibre team in Los Angeles for the rebuilding Oilers because his heart simply wasn't in LA. He wants to retire an Oiler.
So how do you think he feels about the idea of moving to a contender?
Perhaps he'd look look at it as one last, real good opportunity to win a Stanley Cup. Maybe 'Mission 16W' with the Detroit Red Wings or Chicago Blackhawks, or the Boston Bruins or New York Rangers, or God forbid, even with the Vancouver Canucks, is something Ryan Smyth would jump at, knowing full well he'd sign a two or three year deal in July and finish his career an Oiler. The chance to sip from the mug and put a ring on his finger could be alluring, so nobody would fault him if he decided to do it. And as a rental, he'd actually bring in an asset of some sort (a 2nd rounder?) that would surely prove more valuable than Colin Fraser & a 7th round pick. Plus, the Oil would re-sign Smytty in the summer, anyways. Win-win.
Or is it? Would all those hard, extra miles Smyth could potentially put on his aging body thru 4 grueling playoff series' leave anything in the tank? Would Smyth still be an effective player after a Stanley Cup run, or would it just take too much out of him? And what if he suffers a career-ending injury? Then what? No swan song in Oiler silks. No veteran winger leading the Baby Oil. No more money in Smyth's pocket. And no more 'Mullet-Mania' at RX1.
Which leads us back to the original question: how do you think he feels about the idea of moving to a contender? It is my belief that 94 has no intentions of leaving. At most, there may be 2 or 3 teams he'd even consider, but I really don't think he's that interested. He came back to Edmonton for a reason -- family. Whether he wants to leave them for a 2-4 month period to chase the Cup or not, I don't know. Especially when an injury could have him leaving money on the table.
So perhaps, what Steve Tambellini and Kevin Lowe (et al) should be focusing on here, is making sure Ryan Smyth remains an Oiler. Forever. After all, Lowe fucked up the first time around; he owes it to Smyth. And he owes it to the fans. This isn't the time to try and milk the asset that is Ryan Smyth for all that it is worth. That ship sailed. Miserably, 5 years ago... right into an iceberg.
So whaddya say... Ryan Smyth extension?
* * * *
Is it too early to look at potential coaching candidates for the Oil? It seems like the sand in Tom Renney's hourglass is running out. His contract expires at season's end, and there's talk of him being made the new fall guy. So, who do they look at this summer? If Steve Tambellini is still calling the shots as GM, does Marc Crawford become a candidate? I'm certainly not sold on him being a good coach. And after the Gretzky fiasco at the 98 Olympics, I doubt most Oilers fans would be on board with his hiring either. This past summer, Tambellini hired Duane Sutter as a pro scout. The two of them have a connection dating back 30 years with the New York Islanders, and Duane has had some, albeit minimal, NHL coaching experience in Florida. I doubt he'd really be a candidate, though I could see him in an assistant's role (something he's had more experience with). And then there's Craig MacTavish. Is there any way they'd bring him back in as head coach - a la Paul Maurice in Carolina? More interestingly, is there any way Kevin Lowe and the Oilers would let him sit on the sidelines without an actual NHL job if he is still available (ie: not snatched up by another team after the regular season)? A lot of the players have changed since MacT was coaching in Oil City (I count six players that were here in April of '09). Or perhaps, as some have suggested, they'd bring him back in a management type role (AGM?). But the name I'm most curious about -- Boston Bruins assistant coach Geoff Ward, who previously worked in the Oilers organization from 2001-2006. With a Stanley Cup ring (or two?!) and a prior relationship with Kevin Lowe, perhaps he'd be the perfect fit...
* * * *
A day late & a dollar short: Happy 50th to Chris Chelios!
Chelios puts a bounty on Bettman
Cheli talks being coached by Pulp Fiction's Jules
Any excuse to post a Ron Hextall video
No comments:
Post a Comment