The World's Highest-Paid Opportunistic Forward Who Doesn't Play Defense

Our friends in the frigid tundra known as Edmonton now have them selves a shiny new toy: Dustin Penner. At the cost of $4.3M a year for five years. And a first round draft pick this year. And a second round draft pick this year. And a third round draft pick this year.

There really is no point in discussing the stupidity of such a deal. Here's the Coles Notes Version:

• This guy is unproven. He played with super-talented linemates on a stacked team. He's undrafted with one decent year (what is it, about 0.5 points per game?).
  
• How the hell do you become a minus player on the Ducks last season? That takes talent. I haven't exactly studied Penner, admittedly, but I'm not convinced he's a very solid defensive player at all. And, as I've pointed out earlier, the Oilers are severely lacking on solid defensemen in general with nary a plus-rated d-man in the entire group.
  
• Edmonton is essentially in a re-building mode. I don't think there's anyone expecting Edmonton to make a run for the cup next year, yet they've given up an enormous amount of draft picks

So who will he play with? From what I've been hearing, it's Hemsky. This is starting to look a seriously defensively-deficient team, and one hell of a porous top line. I'm really giddy right now, I'm terribly excited about the prospect of playing such a top line eight times next year. In their defense, a dangler like Hemsky may just work well with a "goal scorer" like Penner (note: 29 goals isn't really that much, in terms of being a top line scoring threat). But I'm still not convinced, at all, that this will materialize into anything substantial. I think the massive defensive liabilities of that top line will certainly keep their +/- deep in the red, even if they can pot a few goals.

And really, folks, I don't care if Hemsky gets 60 assists and Penner gets 60 goals if they are responsible for 120 goals against.

Dear 2007-08 Oilers,

Not to steal Dave or MG or Duncan's thunder, but are you guys really serious? All those draft picks and the big pile of cash for Dustin Penner? After all the other crazy attempted signings and things?

I'm sure the hugs and kisses from Brian Burke over your latest will make it all better.

Best. Summer. Ever.

Love,

Not (really) a hater.

PS. Dave may never take another vacation in the summer, the way this week has gone.

Dear 2006-07 Flames,

Are you spending your summer being the 2007 Stampeders?

Dammit.

With lots of sighs and fretting,

Leanne.

The Dog Days of Summer

Ick, it's that part of summer which makes it feel like hockey will never come back.

So here's a couple of items which have caught my attention lately:

• WI's posts about the prospects camp.
• A couple of re-signings, here and there. Are you celebrating, WI? Are you???
• Chris Clark's contract renewal. One of the ex-Flames out there who I find it impossible to hate on. Good on him for his awesome Ovechkin-juiced year.
• Andrew Ference's summer vacation: Another ex-Flame I find impossible to hate. Less for his on-ice play, but more and more for the man he is off the ice.

(Don't any current members of the Flames roster do anything interesting?)

I don't really have anything deep to say - at this point the offseason seems a long, long ways off.

Oh. Keep an eye on Duncan's fantastic series about the competition. Some good stuff there.

The World's Highest-Paid Defenseman Who Doesn't Play Defense

has been signed by the Oilers. 27 mil over 5 years. Edmonton is a defensive powerhouse now, with defensive stalwarts such as: Souray (-28 last year), Tarnstrom (-15), Pitkanen (-25), Smid (-16), Greene (-22), and Staois (-5). Not a single + defenseman on their entire defensive corps from last year, even though half of them are imports from another team.

Shall we place bets on Edmonton's GAA next year? I'm willing to bet it's in the 4.x range.

Bye-bye Stuart | Hello Incompetent Whiners

Dear Brad Stuart,

Goodbye. It's as if I hardly knew you at all.

Sincerely,
Dave

---

So, how 'bout that Lowe? What is it about Edmonton that players simply want no part of? Is it the weather? Is it the media? Is it the fans? Is it the coach? Is it the GM? Maybe it's all of the above.

The GM is making a case for being a top reason for staying away these days. Kevin Lowe and his brainiac counterparts in the Oilers organization seem to think that even with the contract left unsigned, it is binding. Nylander got a better offer (read: a city other than Edmonton) before he signed the real Edmonton contract, so he signed elsewhere (read: "I'd rather play in the US city with the highest crime rate and a bottom-feeding team than play in Edmonton").

Now the Oilers are throwing a very public tantrum. "But you said I could have him! No fair!! I'm telling Bettman!"

But hey, who needs Nylander when you signed Raffi Torres to a 3-year contract?

Glory be to the Oilers.

...Now featuring one less centre...

No more Byron Ritchie.

Not much to say...he impressed at times last year, far exceeding the expectations you'd have for a third liner, but is he a key guy?

Really?

Whatevers.

Dave, didn't you ask me last night whether Dave Nonis had a vacation scheduled for the first week of July? I think you have your answer.

I remember a time where we were short on centres

Yelle
Langkow
Conroy
Nolan
Lombardi
Primeau

Who is going? Who is staying? What are we getting?

Let's have some late-night fun with these questions:

Primeau: Seeing as he just signed a new contract, I'd reckon he's staying. (Projected: 4th line)
Nolan: Seeing as he just signed a new contract, I'd reckon he's staying. (Projected: 3rd line) [Edit: He's a RW, not traditionally a centre. My bad.]

That leaves us with two more starting centers to place, and four players: Conroy, Langkow, Lombardi, Yelle.

Lombardi: I have to believe he's staying, because I love him. The other part of me thinks he's probably going to be traded. Lombardi was never really a Sutter type of player...and he's certainly not a Keenan type of player. Plus after the Conroy acquisition he's sort of been the odd man out. [Edit: Seeing as Nolan's not really a centre, I say Lombardi stays.]

Yelle: I love the guy, but I think Primeau's liable to replace him, seeing as he's younger, potentially more durable. A lot of teams could use Yelle's PK expertise and leadership, so he may be moved. My prediction is he is going to be moved this summer.

Langkow: He's going to stay. (Projected: 1st line)
Conroy: He's going to stay. (Projected: 2nd line)

Now, I'm well aware Primeau is also listed as a LW...so potentially one of these guys can stay for 5 centres. But 6? There's no way. Expect a trade.

Some Quick Free Agent Frenzy Updates

So, Hamrlik to Montreal. I'm not terribly upset, but still...I'd prefer Hamrlik to Aucoin. I'm still not ready to render a serious opinion, I need to sit on these new moves for a bit.

I'm still somewhat smirking about how bad free agency has been to Edmonton and the New York Islanders. Though Colorado got their shit together.

Where are they now?

On a completely different note (I need a breather from all that free agent action), for those of you who've wondered "Where are they now?" ... well... I have a partial answer (courtesy of Kukla's Korner):

Tanzania. Seriously.

A couple of ex-Flames doing some terrific work. Kudos to them.