Music: {allcanada} Edmonton Oilers preview: No fit for Souray yet

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

{allcanada} Edmonton Oilers preview: No fit for Souray yet

In an ideal world, Edmonton Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini hoped at least one NHL team would work its way through training camp and realize a need for Sheldon Souray and his booming shot. Then a trade would be consummated and both the Oilers and Souray could move on.

Souray requested a trade last season. The reality is that Tambellini has been trying to move the 34-year-old defenceman with no success for a year-and-a-half.

There has been recent speculation that a Souray deal is close. Last week, the talk was that the Columbus Blue Jackets wanted to ship Edmonton native Mike Commodore to the Oilers in exchange for Souray. In the past 24 hours, the gossip was that maybe the New York Islanders would attempt to make a deal now that power-play specialist Mark Streit is out long term with shoulder surgery.

When healthy, Souray has demonstrated he can be an offensive force. He checked in with 26 goals in 2006-07 and 23 more two years ago.

But there just doesn't appear to be a market for the oft-injured blue-liner who still has two seasons remaining on his contract worth a $5.4-million US salary cap hit and can be an adventure in his own end.

Souray is in Los Angeles, working out on his own. While he is hopeful of finding a new NHL address soon, the Oilers can't move him until there is interest out there. In the meantime, there is no chance that the Oilers and Souray will reconcile.

After last season concluded, Souray had some strong words for the organization. "They've soured on me. I've soured on them," he said.

The Oilers could put him through waivers again and have him report to the organization's AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City to at least stay in playing condition. But don't expect the Oilers to give him a way through re-entry waivers.

Getting something in return is the goal here. The Oilers have put themselves on the path back to respectability with youngsters Taylor Hall, Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson and Jordan Eberle on the roster, the return of Ales Hemsky and Nikolai Khabibulin from season-ending injuries and a rebuilt defence that will include newcomers Kurtis Foster and Jim Vandermeer.

But until another team is willing to take a chance on Souray, all that remains is hope.

Off-season development - After 67-year-old Pat Quinn steered the Oilers to the league basement, Tambellini replaced Quinn as Edmonton's head coach with Tom Renney. This is Renney's third stint as a head coach in the NHL after turns with the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers. He is a sound teacher who will install a system that the young and restless Oilers will benefit from.

Key player - Entering his fourth season, forward Sam Gagner has been unable to surpass his rookie-season production of 49 points. He also has scored only three game-winning goals in 223 career NHL games. The 21-year-old Gagner needs to be a consistent contributor this season.

Telling stat - With Khabibulin limited to only 18 appearances because of his back woes, the Oilers goals-against average ballooned to a league-worst 3.39. Only the goalies with the Toronto Maple Leafs had a worse combined save percentage at .892 than the Oilers' Khabibulin, Jeff Deslauriers and Devan Dubnyk at .898.

Prognosis - Edmonton has followed up its appearance in the 2006 Stanley Cup Final with four consecutive playoff-less years and last season was the worst in franchise history. Can they make a return to the post-season? Likely not. However, the Oilers sure can make this rebuilding chapter interesting if the kids - Hall, Paajarvi-Svensson and Eberle - make an immediate impact and Khabibulin rebounds after his health and legal problems.