Wow, does this get an L(2) or just and L(1), lol? I saw this on Oilers Nation and it certainly got my attention–but I thought he was only joking. If Tencer is saying maybe, well then who really knows???

Ok, if we signed Comrie, it does NOT mean that Katz was the guy doing it. The man is a businessman and unless we have evidence that he is acting like a 12 year old boy, we should probably assume it to be an embellishment on the story.

Just like Pronger wasn't having an affair, nor was Comrie sleeping with someone's wife, etc.

There are reasons to believe that the team would sign Comrie. Cheap, big upside, etc… You can start the year with an unbalanced team and make a trade part way into the season.

Anyway, I think we need to be careful of believing rumours.

bookie: One assumes that if Dan Tencer is reporting it there's some kind of truth. As for the Katz portion, there are signs everywhere. He's a kid in a candy store, hey I'd probably be worse.

But history tells us it's a bad idea.

"No comment" from Ritch Winter when asked by Robin Brownlee – according to nanook on HF.

It's a dangerous game when the owner who lacks technical expertise begin making hockey moves (so far, we've heard through the grapevine that the Horcoff extension, Hossa persuit, Laraque offer, and now Comrie deju vu). You could probably put the Heatley persuit under Katz too.

Difficult what to make of this move though. Comrie is coming off a pretty bad season (10 goals, 27 points in 63 games). He certainly can't be used as he was back in the early 2000's in a PVP role, but there is potential to outperform the contract at 1.3M.

Then again, it boils down to this: we already know Comrie's ceiling – is it prudent to get rid of Nilsson, who has demonstrated some ability to be a solid 2nd liner? He had a good season in 2007-2008, and it was only 1 summer ago everyone was praising his 3 year contract. New coach, etc. and as per Gregor/Tencer, he's worked exteremely hard in Sweden this summer to improve his game. I'd like to hold onto him for at least half a season under quinn before considering getting rid of him.

The other point is if there is room for Comrie at 1.3M, then the Oilers can find room for Malhotra, Lang, Moore, or Bonk.

Darly Katz must love bossing the Oilers senior management to extract maximum enjoyment on his shiney toy. He's Daryl f****** Katz – that's why.

PJ: I think the move here may involve a Heatley acquisiiton. Deal Cogliano and replace him with Heatley.

Comrie-Heatley-Hemsky
Gagner-O'Sullivan-Nilsson
Horcoff-Moreau-Pisani
Pouliot-Jacques-Stortini

Ribs:
You send him to the minors and let him, Pouliot and Schremp light it up.

There are rumours everywhere, not signs, big difference. I am sure Daryl Katz is in the room when they are making decisions, but we have no evidence that he is overiding his management or ignoring his managment and making deals on his own. Its just the Old Ladies of Edmonton making this town a less attractive place to play.

Lowetide – I've given up on the Heatley saga. While Heatley didn't outright note in the press conference that he'll never accept the Edmonton trade ("we need options"), I still can't see it happening. He has already acknowledged his intent to go to Ottawa's training camp if a trade doesn't get done – doesn't seem like the guy is keen to accept the Oilers offer.

Perhaps you're more in the know?

LT, what if it isn't that drastic. What about Comrie in, Nilson dealt elsewhere?

What if it's Comrie in, nobody dealt, and then someone bitches around the trade deadline that we have too many contracts and no flexibility to make a move!

I'M SO EXCITED!

PJ: Then we're talking about someone else coming in because if Comrie arrives. Too many small forwards.

bookie: You may be right in regard to Katz but can you agree it appears to be a concern?

Overall, I like the deal but would hope the Oilers make a followup trade in order to increase the size and range of skills among the forward group.

PJ: Then we're talking about someone else coming in because if Comrie arrives. Too many small forwards.

You're rational LT. I'm not sure management is.

The most recent example is trading Kyle Brodziak, a type of player the Oilers needed more of, and have yet to replace him.

For all we know, the Oilers may be considering Comrie to play the 4th line instead of Brule. Brule to the minors for another year (has that been cleared up whether he's waiver eligible?)

Following the Oilers since 2006 has not been pleasent. Just an unfortunate situation all together, and little indication things are going to change.

I'm on the same page as LT.. I think this just screams "replacement for Cogliano."

Too bad, really, I love watching him… but depending what's coming back, you gotta give something to get something, so we'll wait and see.

… and why does everyone assume the worst with Katz here? If you're Tambs, and you think getting him involved in the process gets the deal done, then what's the harm in saying "we want to do this, we have this available… have at 'er."

Yes, but we both know that. Moreau and Pisani won't evolve, Pisani won't go very far from that 30 point line if he stays healthy and it's the same for Moreau. Give Pouliot a chance, give Brule a chance, give Shremp a chance. The thing that great teams posses actually, are 3rd lines that can score. The Oilers would be perfect to run and gun with 3 lines, i wonder why you still grind and play some defensive like that. Don't adapt your team to the style, adapt the style to the team. Be like the 07-08 Canadiens, it seems to be, it's the only way the Oilers will make it. Do run and gun, give your youngsters a chance to do it. You know your old Geezer won't be able to, and you know they won't be around when you will eventually win, so why the hell not? Montreal gave guys like lapierre et latendresse chances and responsibilities, and look now, one is a candidate to being captain, and the other is labeled as the next Power Forward. Both have been given chances on the 3rd line, and both have improved each year. Something you need to do with Pouliot Brulé and Shremp. The only way to do it, is like the Habs, a trade seems not likely, well not a major one, and the only chance is in the intern, Gagner, Nilsson and Cogliano must be like Plekanec and the Kostitsyn Bros, destroy the expactations, and i think they can, and i think they have the upside, i think you should give them the chances and say ''know what kid? It's your time, go out there and do your best, sleep safe, your job in INSURED'' Who knows? You could be first or 13th, but i think, it's still more damn worth, than knowing youre gonna be 9th-10th or barely squeeze in .

As for Nilsson, i think Quinn likes the kid, he always privilegied Talent, with those kids, being critized a lot in Toronto, for using Poney and Antropov, but they did turn out good. I think he could do the same for Robert Andrew and Sam.

Mike Comrie is very good friends with Dany Heatley…. why do i keep convincing myself that this might actually happen? glutton for disappointment i guess.

I will agree that is could be a problem because we do not have anything to go on. I just don't think there is much real evidence that Katz interferes. I KNOW this city however and I KNEW that as soon as a single owner took over this team that everyone would do their best to make a drama out of it.

To me Katz thus far has seemed involved but in no way dominant. I think he gets along really really well with Lowe and co and in many ways they are like buddies so it doesnt surpise me that they might brainstorm together, etc.

The one possibility that I see here is that Comrie could not get signed elsewhere. Katz said to the Oil Management. Look guys, I want you to sign him and give him a chance. After that, its up to you-send him to the farm if it doesn't work out, but the Comrie's are big business in this city and a good ally in the arena fight so we need to earn favours where we can.

Now, just because it is possible and I can rationalize a way that it would work, does not make it true. That is something we need to remember.

Two items:

1) I'm a sucker for a bargain NHL'er. Just am. Comrie at 1.3MM would qualify. It's a good contract, if true.

2) Comrie isn't remotely what this team needs, and the deal only makes sense if it's in conjunction with a trade. Or two trades.

Lord Bob:

I was in a hurry when I did the latter comment, so it's worth noting that Comrie put up a 3.56 PTS/60 in 2007-08. That sounds lousy, but it was easily the best on the Islanders.

If he's been signed, it's at least partially in the hope that his powerplay numbers will reflect 2007-08 than 2008-09. It seems like a gamble with a reasonable chance of working.

Bob:

And it's better than:

Penner – Horcoff – Hemsky
Nilsson – Gagner – Cogliano

Insert POS onto the 2nd line if you wish, regardless…

Just got a text from Katz confirming that we're signing Comrie to try and sweeten the pot for Heatley.

Unfortunately Mike's a bit iffy on coming back to the Oilers, so we've offered a 9-year, $45-million contract to Paul Comrie.

Someone needs to perform an intervention here, this is like watching an episode of "Hoarders".

If you already have a hundred and five empty ice cream buckets piled up in your bedroom and you happen to find another empty ice cream bucket kicking around in some ditch when you're out on the town, you might think to yourself "Hey, free bucket! And it's got a lid and everything!", and totally snarf it up for your collection.

Do you need it? Not really, but hey…what a deal! You never know when you might need a hundred and six ice cream buckets, there's always THAT possibility…

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=7335

We should get that guy, lot of experience, cheap, plays tough

Mr DeBakey: You've got some bonus money in there (Gagner, for instance) and they do indeed have enough room.

http://lowetide.blogspot.com/2009/07/ciphering.html

The Oilers have $1,176,667 in cap space and then of course the dollars from the player Comrie will replace.

Send Smac down and if you lose him on waivers you have the other tank you picked up earleir today! Hmmm, wonder why they picked up the AHL tank.

Apparently Heatley was the only player recipient of loud boos during player introductions tonight. He's also getting the Mike Comrie treatment every time he touches the puck. In his hometown.

Mike Comrie must have strong mental make-up to consider signing here, give the fans vehemently lament him every time he comes back.

I need a case of genital warts or a shortage of Amaretto

I hear that Katz was seen driving down 118th ave in his limo with a sign that said

"Will Trade Amaretto for F@#ks"

Well. Its been said already but this club doesn't need another player like this.

But the contract is exactly the type they need.

Better if it were Maholtra.

Anyways if this is a precursor to a Heatley deal they still need to move some money out to get under the cap, regardless.

As for the fans if Comrie came back they will cheer for him, seen the error of his ways and all that. Plus he's getting a bit of a comeuppence, no? Nobody else will have him.

Win-win, he is going to try and get his career on track with cherry minutes, Oilers get a cheap option for same, presuming they move POS or Nilsson out.

Mike Comrie is not my favorite player. He has a narrow set of skills and is, or at least was, a bit of an ass (or say so tens of people in my age bracket who played hockey with him or went to school with him).

But for $1.3 million I think he is under-priced. And I would give him grudging respect for coming to the 780 to play after all that has gone done, even if desperation would be a partial cause.

And we'd have balance issues, of course.

Lowetide: how about just sign Malholtra, ditch Moreau (I continue to say that O'Sullivan is the better LW option for an uber-toughies line with Horcoff and Pisani, and that Ethan cannot be relied on for this role) or Nilsson, and go from there?

Seems a lot simpler to me.

Lowetide: I like most, if not all, the individual players (save Moreau and Staios, and if those two were paid half of what they are, no issues).

It's the overall makeup that concerns me. Upside is that I don't think it's a terribly hard thing to fix, but I think the current management has an obsession with sizzle over steak at times.

Manny Malholtra or similar would help this team WAY more than one could imagine. He's not a hard piece to add.

Lowetide said "Hockey Noob: Well, one thing it will tell us is that Kevin Lowe isn't in charge"

I've thought that since Katz got his fingers on the club. Actally, once we were going full bore for Hossa/Jagr. I started to wonder if we were going to see a trend where our owner pushes hard for the team to acquire a certain player. And really, that's got to be pretty rough for a GM to deal with. What's he going to do, say "it wasn't my idea… Katz wants him". We'd never know if that's what was happening, but I kind of can see that happening. It just seems funny that we often seem to be zoning in on one specific player always.

Anyways, my thoughts are this: signing Comrie looks good on the organization, so long as the fans can put everything behind them (which could be a stretch), however it does nothing to help this team. He's small, he's got ok offense, but a marginal upgrade on Horcoff, if at all, and he's too small.

Having been privy to some insider information when the EIG was running things, I understand that they were pretty hands on in terms of management. They gave Lowe NO room with Ryan Smyth.

All owners affect management, some of you seem to be suggesting that Katz is overriding management.

Lowe has gone after big guys before – Remember Pronger?

Lowetide: I had a 20 month lag between when I bought my condo and moved into my condo (stupid construction boom and lack of skilled labor). While living at home rent-free, I had time to stockpile money for good furniture.

So I did it up front. Not only is this place a stone's throw from Whyte Avenue AND full of booze, it's also well furnished and decorated (I think you'd appreciate the two 18"x24" framed photos book-ending my TV wall – an autographed Horcoff pic in the retro jersey and the painting of Messier holding up Cup #5 against the downtown skyline backdrop).

Guys like the place. So do the ladies. It's the perfect bachelor pad.

I mean that Katz was negotiating with Laraque & added a year to the offer during a personal phone call…

I remember that because I almost hit the brakes in the middle of rush hour traffic – my wife wondered why I started cursing out of the blue…

There's also the possibility that Tambellini has a trade in the works and he's doing what he can to build Pat Quinn's kind of team, a team that can roll four lines.

Maybe Nilsson and company are being dealt for a checking center and Comrie is going to round out the team as a cheap, offensive option for 4C? I certainly would feel angry if for some stupid reason Horcoff was playing on the third line.

That would give us enough run and gun to roll four lines, I think. It'd look a lot like the Detroit model, that's for sure.

1.3 million would only be a shade more expensive than either Brodziak or Reasoner.

$1.3 million isn't awful for a fourth liner, but it's not cheap. Gil Brule ($800,000) or Blair Betts ($1 million-ish?) is closer to what we should be looking at.

(Reasoner and Brodziak only make slightly less, but Brodziak is more of a #3B than a #4 and Reasoner is pretty badly overpaid for what be brings onto the ice).

Plus, of course, Comrie is entirely the wrong player for the position. He could be making minimum wage and that wouldn't change.

I don't disagree that Comrie is the wrong guy for position, but that's only if the Oilers system remains status quo. If it becomes a more offensive four-pronged attack, it might be possible. Emphasis on the might.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still on the "I hope this isn't true" side of the fence.

Guys that brag about their personal possessions on the internet are so cool.

THere is a difference between Katz being INVOLVEd in managment decisions and Katz DOMINATING managment decisions. One means that he works with his management team, the other means that he works against them.

Katz has been personally involved in negotiations, we have some evidence of that, but we do not have evidence that this was not supported by Lowe and the rest of the management team.

We just need to be careful here because otherwise we will soon be talking about how Katz slept with Lowe's wife….

Guys that brag about their personal possessions on the internet are so cool.

Guys that make their first post to berate someone for bragging on the internet are so cool.

Especially when the person 'bragging' was having a legitimate, on-topic conversation with the owner of the blog about housing furnishings.

This isn't high school, nobody's going to be your friend because you picked on someone else.

Jayman: We're guys for crying out loud, we brag about stuff. No harm done, although if my wife ever punts me I'm knocking on HBomb's door.

She's had plenty of opportunities and passed on all of them. A good woman, that one.

Understanding too, because Diane Lane drops by often and it's not for tea if you know what I mean.

Comrie is back? Sweet. We can call the new barn "The Brick" that's a pretty cool name.

What is his faceoff percentage?

41% on 417 sorties.

Ugh.

Mike Comrie…. an Edmonton Oiler again? Wow, this truly does fall within Lowe's trusty saying… "Expect the unexpected".

I have no ill will toward Comrie so that isn't the issue for me, it's what LT and others have already said, he is not really what this teams needs most, but at that term and price he can certainly be a useful complemtary player.

And as long as this means another trade follows to actually fill one of those needs, most notably the 3line C spot of course.

Also have to give Comrie props for landing such a beautiful woman, she's about as beautiful as they come…. http://fashionbride.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/hillary-duff.jpg

Black Dog said…
You guys realize that LT has slept with all of these women whose pics he keeps posting, right?

Fine by me, because he hasn't yet posted any of my girl, Michelle Pfeiffer. Stay away from here, LT.

;D

LT:
"Jayman: We're guys for crying out loud, we brag about stuff. No harm done, although if my wife ever punts me I'm knocking on HBomb's door."

Hahaha.. you guys got each others back eh.. too funny.. making some friendships slugging it through the era's of oiler-dom… great blog LT!

My problem w the comrie rumour is that he was in the paper (last week?) talking about getting a contract in place with ottawa.. obviously he hasnt yet, but wouldnt a heatley trade signify a comrie contract in ott, not edmonton?!?

Anyways.. can someone spell this one out for me.. "I'm thinking Steve Tambellini is the Golden Man."

Golden man?!

I understood it to mean that he was the golden man for resisting making more crazy changes as dictated by the owner, but I was not too sure.

Nice.. skrew science fiction.. sign me up for some 'fantastic fiction'..

hehe..