Which of these teams do you think the Oilers are better than this year? Please comment.
Detroit Red Wings
Brendan Shanahan - Robert Lang - Steve Yzerman
Henrik Zetterberg - Jiri Hudler - Tomas Holmstrom
Kirk Maltby - Kris Draper - Darryl Bootland
Jason Williams - Johan Franzen - Mark Mowers
PB: Tomas Kopecky, Matt Ellis, Kevin McDonell
Nicklas Lidstrom - Chris Chelios
Mathieu Schneider - Jiri Fischer
Andy Delmore - Andreas Lilja
PB: Niklas Kronwall, Jamie Rivers
Manny Legace
Chris Osgood
VS
San Jose Sharks
Marco Sturm - Patrick Marleau - Jonathan Cheechoo
Nils Ekman - Alyn McCauley - Milan Michalek
Scott Thornton - Wayne Primeau - Niko Dimitrakos
Lukas Kaspar - Marcel Goc - Scott Parker
PB: Pat Rissmiller Mark Smith Ryan Clowe
Brad Stuart - Scott Hannan
Kyle McLaren - Christian Ehrhoff
Tom Preissing - Rob Davison
PB: Jim Fahey Doug Murray
Evgeni Nabokov
Vesa Toskala
VS
The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Rob Niedermayer - Sergei Fedorov - Petr Sykora
Todd Fedoruk - Joffrey Lupul - Teemu Selanne
Travis Moen - Samuel Pahlsson - Ryan Getzlaf
Chris Kunitz - Andy McDonald - Craig Adams
PB: Kip Brennan
Scott Niedermayer - Sandis Ozolinsh
Ruslan Salei - Keith Carney
Vitali Vishnevski - Jason Marshall
PB: Aaron Rome Ladislav Smid
Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Ilya Bryzgalov
VS
The Calgary Flames
Tony Amonte - Daymond Langkow - Jarome Iginla
Chris Simon - Steven Reinprecht - Chuck Kobasew
Marcus Nilson - Stephane Yelle - Shean Donovan
Jason Weimer - Matthew Lombardi - Darren McCarty
PB: Lynn Loyns Byron Ritchie Craig McDonald
Robyn Regehr - Roman Hamrlik
Jordan Leopold - Rhett Warrener
Andrew Ference - Dion Phaneuf
PB: Steve Montodor Zenith Komarniski
Miikka Kiprusoff
Philippe Sauve
VS
The Phoenix Coyotes
Ladislav Nagy - Petr Nedved - Shane Doan
Mike Leclerc - Mike Comrie - Brett Hull
Mike Johnson - Mike Ricci - Krys Kolanos
Oleg Saprykin - Boyd Devereaux - Fredrik Sjostrom
PB: Jason Chimera, Jeff Taffe, Michael Rupp, Tyson Nash
Derek Morris - David Tanabe
Paul Mara - Denis Gauthier
Cale Hulse - Sean O'Donnell
PB: Brad Ference, Chris McAllister, Matthew Spiller
Curtis Joseph
Brian Boucher
VS
Nashville Predators
Paul Kariya - David Legwand - Scott Walker
Steve Sullivan - Greg Johnston - Scott Hartnell
Martin Erat - Randy Robitaille - Scottie Upshall
Adam Hall - Scott Nichol - Jordin Tootoo
PB: Darcy Hordichuk, Kris Beech, Jeremy Stevenson
Kimmo Timonen - Marek Zidlicky
Dan Hamhuis - Danny Markov
Mark Eaton - Jamie Allison
IMO Phoenix and Anaheim will surprise and SJ and Detroit will drop off quite a bit. If Horc can step it up and be the player that I think he can, and Schremp and Pronger can add the PP dimension that we've lacked, AND we get solid goaltending I like us over all of these teams. IF our PP still sinks, we are below Calgary and Phoenix IMO, If our goaltending sucks, then we are below most. In terms of potential, I like our team very much, however we shall see!!!
I'm not going to correct your lines for Nashville(aside from pointing out that Jamie Allison is not likely to see very much ice, whereas Suter is playing in camp like third pairing won't be good enough and could very well be on the second..i.n fact, hell, so is Weber, though I see him with big minutes in the minors..anyhoo)..but...
Edmonton >
Anaheim
Detroit(No Dats)
Edmonton =
Detroit(With Dats)
Phoenix(underrated, IMO)
Edmonton <=
Nashville
San Jose
Edmonton <
Calgary( I hate to say it...I hate this team as much as you guys do, but they look like the strongest team in the west to me, top to bottom)
on second thought, i'm bored...and i seem to get asked this a lot anyway...so...here's my stab at Nashville's opening night lines...
Paul Kariya David Legwand Scott Walker
Martin Erat Randy Robitaille Steve Sullivan
Scott Hartnell Greg Johnson Adam Hall
Darcy Hordichuk Scott Nichol Jordin Tootoo
Jeremy Stevenson, Kris Beech
Kimmo Timonen Danny Markov
Dan Hamhuis Ryan Suter
Mark Eaton Marek Zidlicky
Jamie Allison
Tomas Vokoun
Chris Mason
Line 1- Nice balance...sniper in Kariya, two-way sniper-scorer in legwand, grinder-scorer in Walker
Line 2- Trotz wants to break up the scoring threats, hence Sully moves down a line and plays with Erat, who showed signs of breaking out last season and has added a lot of size and skill during the lockout. Robo is someone we scoffed at, but is having a camp that makes us wonder if he found Jesus and God is blessing him or something.
Line 3- Similar icetime to line 2, more like "line 2b". Hartnell is a similar story to Erat, and has been the best player in camp not named Kariya or Sullivan. Johnson does nothing outstanding, but everything well. good playmaker and great breakaway speed\moves, Hall is the dirty-nosed grinder that pops in the garbage.
Line 4- the energy line, and there's actually some decent skill there. Hordy and Nichol have impressed everyone with how well they skate and move the puck...but overall...no one is going to enjoy playing this pest line.
pairing 1- markov watches timonen's behind when kimmo jumps up.
pairing 2- both are excellent at both ends of the ice, so if one jumps up, the other can stay home
pairing 3- rock solid eaton can guard the fort while the zidlicky does his thing
