“As You Said” track 3 from “Upchurch” by Phil Upchurch (1969), feat. Donny Hathaway on piano.
So far this Spring, I’ve taken a pair of longish looks at Oilers’ prospects still playing hockey. Since we last spoke, a number of prospects have found the exit door. In this article, I’ll have a look at how their exit from 2013-2014 hockey went and who’s still fighting for glory.
The OKC Barons
After squeaking into the playoffs to end the season, the Barons drew the Holy Roman Empire in the bracket assignments. The Texas Stars (spits) are the juggernaut of the AHL’s Western Conference the last two years running. In a best of five series, the Barons failed to manage a single win. What they did manage to do, however, is make every game interesting and highly entertaining. The first two games were lost in over-time and the final game, the only playoff game the Barons played on home ice, needed a Stars’ (spits) empty net goal to create the veneer of a game played by unequal competitors.
It was a strange year for the Barons.
Oilers’ GM MacTavish tried on a new philosophy (more direction to the farm club); MacTavish insisted on keeping certain prospective re-call options on the farm (part of the build a “winning culture” through the organization philosophy); Barons’ GM Scott got promoted to the big club while still on the job with the little one; they went through goalies and other player transactions (153!) like a hot knife through butter; they welcomed future Oilers’ hopefuls with open arms and found them a cot in the corner of Nelson’s basement; and, after struggling to get out of the basement of the Western Conference for most of the year, they went on a terrific run of wins launching them into their 4th straight playoff appearance.
For a lovely recap of the season, give Teter a read, or pop by Tend the Farm any given day of the week.
The big exit question of the season remains: what happens with the kids?
Two separate questions emerge (though they overlap).
1. Concerning the RFA/UFAs do they get re-signed, have their rights traded, or get cut loose?
Over at cap geek we can see who’s contract is set to expire this Summer and who remains under contract through at least next season.
I think all of the expiring ELC RFAs (Lander, Horak, Pitlick, Hamilton) at the very least receive a qualifying offer (Hamilton may not, but the puff pieces the team ran on him mid-season––before injury struck again––suggest the team may have a rosier view of the player than most would). Whether they take it remains to be seen. Lander could opt to cash in some Euro-dollars.
I’d guess that the team would like to see G Richard Bachman return to hold the fort and insulate the fortunes of Laurent Brossoit. Andrew Miller is a wild card for me. With a bunch of forward prospects probably joining the Barons next year (Khaira, Moroz, Yakimov and potentially the Jones twins, McCarron, Roy, Chase and Holmberg––who could end up with their current club or find themselves with the Condors of the ECHL) and a limited NHL future, it’s hard to suss out the value a player like Miller has to the organization. At this point he’s a depth forward with veteran AHL experience.
2. Of whomever manages to gain contracted status, who plays where?
Since purchasing the Condors (ECHL), the Oilers have increasingly integrated their development strategy.
~Sidebar: their media strategy too:
Good luck to our buddies with the @EdmOilKings closing out game 5 and the @okcbarons in game 2 today! #OilCountry
— Bakersfield Condors (@Condors) April 26, 2014
Given that, I think it is reasonable to expect the Oilers to show no compunction in sending bodies down to the ECHL. Holmberg is almost certain to spend parts of the year there (more on him later).
For the NHL bound, it seems reasonable to expect all of Lander, Horak, Pitlick and Hamilton (assuming they sign) to get at least a cup of coffee in the NHL. Lander, Horak and Pitlick all have a chance at spending serious time in the NHL.
Though he’s not eligible for the AHL next season (per the NHL-CHL transfer agreement, players under contract with a CHL team can only be promoted to the NHL, not the AHL. The purpose ostensibly is to reserve the talent pool for the CHL), Darnell Nurse (who joined the Barons after his OHL was eliminated) has been getting some serious consideration for NHL duty next year.
It seems likely Nurse will at the very least get his requisite 9 NHL games in next year (one more and he ticks a year off his ELC), but the smart money is keeping him in the OHL next year.
Meanwhile, biggest success story of the Barons’ tenure at forward, Mark Arcobello, is looking ahead to his NHL future.
The CHL
When last we checked in on the Oil Kings and Mitch Moroz, the team was flying high and the player was struggling. Since then, the Oil Kings finished off the Medicine Hat Tigers (4-1 in the best of 7 series). Moroz (32nd, 2012), after notching an assist in the opening game of the series, was held scoreless through the next four games. As the above link mentions, Oil Kings’ coach Laxdal moved Moroz off the Samuelsson line to try and insulate the struggling winger and get his game headed back in the right direction.
Currently the Oil Kings are matched up with the mighty Portland Winterhawks. After dropping the first two games, the Oil Kings have stormed back and won the last two, knotting the series up at evens (2-2). For his part, Moroz finally seems to have snapped out of his funk. After going pointless and -3 in the first two games, Moroz is 1-2-3 and +1 in the last two. Here he is last night celebrating a goal
(Photo via David Bloom/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency)
Have a look at Moroz’ goal-mouth scramble goal here:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQC0HGA9wBU&w=560&h=315]The Oil Kings play next Friday, May 9th in Portland.
Out in the Q, Marco Roy’s Armada took the Drakkar the distance but lost the series in 7. Roy (56th, 2013) added a pair of assists in the final few games of the series and finished the post-season with 20 4-8-12 for boxcars. Overall, injury and modest production combined to make for a lack-lustre season for Roy. While there is a chance he jumps to the pros next year, Roy (who turns 20 in Nov.) will likely spend an overage season back in the Q. Ultimately, it depends on how well he shows in Oilers’ prospects and training camps and how MacTavish decides to employ his roster depth and number of contracts.
The ECHL
Despite the best efforts of the Oilers media flacks to encourage our fan interest in a group a very fringe pro hockey players, the real reason to tune into the Condors’ playoff run remains singular: goalie prospect Laurent Brossoit (164th, 2011 Flames pick; part of return on Smid trade).
After eliminating the Utah Grizzlies (4-1 in the series), the Condors are now paired up with (irony of ironies) former Oilers’ ECHL affiliate the Stockton Thunder (the more dedicated Oilers’ fans among you may even recognize the odd name on the Thunder roster: Garet Hunt anyone?). The Condors currently lead the Thunder 2-1 in the series after losing last night (6-2 Thunder).
Needless to say, Brossoit (8gps 6W 2L 3SO; .937SV%) is having a heck of a playoffs:
Condors stat of the day: Laurent Brossoit has more shutouts in 7 playoff gms than the @Condors had in their previous 74 playoff gms.
— kb (@KevinBartl) May 5, 2014
That said, he struggled mightily in last night’s loss, stopping only 17 of 22 shots (.772SV%).
Meanwhile, Mitch Holmberg lost the WHL player of the year title to Sam Reinhart (simply being nominated is a real feather in Holmberg’s cap) and was nominated for the CHL’s Chrysler Dodge Top Scorer Award.
Aside from contemplating hardware, Holmberg has been stuck riding the pine in Bakersfield. After playing a regular season game with the Barons (and recording his first pro point), Holmberg started the first two playoff games with the Condors. Since then, he’s been healthy scratched. I’ve speculated that he might have been injured. But it turns out, the Condors’ coach Troy Mann simply doesn’t have confidence in Holmberg (yet, at the very least).
With the blow-out loss last night, Holmberg may get a chance to play again this season if Mann decides to shake up his line-up post loss. If he doesn’t, however, I don’t think we should read too much into the benching. Mann is surely comfortable with the team that got him into the playoffs and appears to favor the “don’t change a winning hand” strategy of roster construction.
The Condors next play Friday, May 9th in Stockton.
The USHL
Aiden Muir (133th, 2013) and the Indiana Ice are now through two rounds of the playoffs. Muir hasn’t managed to be much of a factor (7 1-0-1 with 13 shots on net).
The Ice play their next game Friday, May 9th in Waterloo.
Headed to Waterloo for game 1 of the Clark Cup Finals #USHL #IndianaIce
— Aidan Muir (@AidanMuir59) May 8, 2014
A New Field of Combat!
The World Championship of Hockey in Minsk opens this weekend and gives us one more opportunity to watch Oiler-related hockey players.
#Oilers players confirmed for the upcoming World Championship are Perron (Canada), Belov (Russia), Marincin (Slovakia) and Petry (USA).
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 13, 2014
Since that tweet, Perron has backed out with an injury and Belov (tears) has moved back to the KHL. Oh, and Marincin is a gem:
(open in a new tab to watch the magic!)
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