One Final Oilers Wish

I’ve been a noted basher of a lot of things that the Oilers have done over the last nine seasons, I’ll fully admit that. I’ve harped on them for terrible coaching decisions, worse player decisions, and complete lack of urgency, but this summer was different.

We got a strong veteran GM and a strong veteran coach. We also got a strong veteran top-pairing defender, a strong veteran bottom six forward, a franchise forward, and many other pieces that could contribute in a big way, mainly in net and on the back end.

Was the summer successful in Edmonton? You’d better believe it. Could the summer have been better? I’ll say yes to that too.

Ideally, I’d like two more players added, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it likely won’t be happening. I’d love for the Oilers snag Cody Franson off the UFA market, but he appears Buffalo bound at this time.

There are other UFA defenders I think could help, but the Oilers are clearly hellbent on giving Justin Schultz one last chance to prove himself, and are stuck with Nikita Nikitin and Andrew Ference until further notice.

So, what’s that other move? Well it’s recycling a forward who fits a lot of the holes Edmonton still has up front.

The Oilers have a talented bunch of forwards, but they have a lot of the same player type. They have tons of skill, but most of these guys lack a two-way game.

There are players who are the exception, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Benoit Pouliot really stand out while Lauri Korpikoski could fit the bill as well if he can produce offense like it’s 2013 again.

That said, Edmonton could use another player like that, and I nominate Curtis Glencross for the role. Glencross is good enough to play in a team’s top-nine forward group, and he possesses many of the traits the Oilers are lacking.

Glencross is a forward with speed and who plays a physical game. He’s not the biggest guy, but he battles hard and goes to the dirty areas to keep plays alive and to create offense.

This is a player who also has a real goal scoring ability and who can play on both special teams units. Defensively, Glencross is described as being a guy who “takes care of his own end” which is a different description than most in Edmonton’s lineup.

The Hockey News has a wonderful scouting report on Curtis that profiles his strengths and weaknesses.

Assets:	Is an industrious, physical forward who usually keeps the game as simple as possible. With good speed, he can score goals in bunches and is a solid role player. Takes care of his end, and can even contribute on the penalty kill.
Flaws:	Will always need to outwork opponents, as he can’t make it on pure talent alone. Inconsistency has plagued him, especially early on in his career. Can occasionally take a bad penalty that hurts his team.
Career Potential:	Gritty two-way winger.

I’ve wrote about the former Oiler and Flame twice this off-season already, here and here. I stand by what I wrote then, Glencross would be a great add to the Oilers forward group.

He’d likely start on a third line with Anton Lander and Nail Yakupov, but he’d have the ability to move up the lineup should injuries occur. On top of that, he’d add the net front presence to Edmonton’s power-play, something currently lacking.

So, you’re probably asking Alex, why are you bringing this up now? Well camps open in about two weeks, and guys like Glencross are going to start to find homes, whether it comes via a contract or a training camp invite. I think it’s safe to say Curtis finds a home by the end of the week, and I hope it’s Edmonton.

Adding Glencross to this hockey club is exactly the kind of move that might not seem like much, but could pay huge dividends as the season progresses. You can never have too many players in their prime who can deliver, especially up front.