Out With The Old, In With The New

Posted by: Hongkong Philly

Potential is a word that is thrown around the NHL like turkey on Thanksgiving. The Oilers have 3 POTENTIAL stars coming into camp. As you've probably guessed they are Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Magnus Paarjavi. I can think of three young guns that were supposed to be a solid mould for the Oil a couple years ago. Nilsson is gone, Cogliano is getting ran out of town by the fine people of Edmonton, and Gagner which many people have said that he has hit a stunt in his development. Gagner (although his stats haven't shown it) has gone from a kid learning the game, to a man who has leadership qualities and captaincy ability. He's only 21 people, and he's the second most productive player from his draft year. On the other hand we Bobby Nilsson. Drafted into the NHL with boat loads of skill and was thought to have a promising career poised to follow in Daddy's footsteps. Nilsson is presently...........I actually have no clue what he is up to these days, probably scooping ice cream on Whyte Ave. Cogliano is in the doghouse and seems to be regressing. He skates well enough to be a top six forward, but he just can't seem to put it together. There has been conflicting issues with his new contract and Tambo seems hesistant to sign him. Even if he doesn't get signed i'm sure that Cogs will be traded for a young defensive prospect. My guess is NYR for Ryan McDonagh. My point is we had a 33% success rate on that crop and we are hoping for a 100% on our new crop. Out of the big three, the player that I believe is going to have the most successfull NHL career will be Jordan Eberle. The kid succeeds at everything he does, takes the spotlight at every stage, and his hockey IQ is as high as they get. The thing that I love most about this kid, is that he knows he's good and has that arrogance. As Soulja Boy would put it he, "Hops out of his bed, and turns his swag on." (That sounded way cooler in my head by the way) That is exactly what is needed around here, that swag and confidence that allows championship teams to thrive. Which brings me to Taylor Hall, back to back Memorial Cup MVP's,  back to back Memorial Cup rings. That's not a bad resume if  you ask me. His bones may be made of rubber, but his heart and drive for the game are just a few characteristics that are going to allow Hall to be the leader of this team in a few years. I love what Hall said on TSN's special Oil Change, "I came onto a team (Windsor) that wasn't very good, and rebuilt it, and that is what i want to do in Edmonton." Brings tears to my eyes people, tears of joy. I don't need to give my opinion on thisone because i'm sure all of you know this kid will be something special and i don't want to repeat what all Oilers fans are thinking. Last but not least is MPS, 6"2 205 lbs of big Swede coming at you fast, and when i say fast i mean it. "I score lot's of goals." The first time i heard this i almost ran over an old lady on the side of the rode because i was laughing so hard but that's not the point. It sets in that this kid wants to make an immediate impact on this club. Most experts think he is the most NHL ready and is a leading candidate for the Calder trophy. The drive and heart I see in these players sends chills down my spine, and unlike Nilsson and Cogliano (yes i've given up on him), they will become support beams for the soon to be Edmonton Oilers dyansty. Happy getting over the hump Wednesday! Giddy Up.