I’m gonna move past the CHL F drafting issue, I promise. Last post on this topic before I move on to the D (and I’ve got a pretty cool one lined up about lines in the sand, I think). From Lowetide’s comments: Woodguy: The age thing imo (and the subject of my research), hinges on not only physical maturity, but mental maturity, and much less on games played. That’s why I’m more inclined to give late birthdays a slide. Bruce McCurdy: You and I are on the same page w.r.t. that last comment, WG. “While Pitlick, Hamilton and Martindale are all struggling to score in their 19->20 year-old seasons, let’s just say this...

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Lowetide has a typically thoughtful response up to my post yesterday and Bob Stauffer discussed it on the radio. Both guys made a similar point with respect to Tyler Pitlick and Curtis Hamilton. I’ll quote from Lowetide; you’ll have to trust me that Stauffer made the same point. I think the Oilers are icing a more veteran AHL team this season and have changed the way they’re going about their business. We’ll see how things roll next season, but it’s never a good sign when the guy you selected 31st overall in 2010 can’t make your everyday AHL lineup a year later. I have asked a couple of times about TOI totals for these...

…there’s no questioning the job he’s done in promoting Stu MacGregor to head scout, the acquisition of extra draft picks so far and the drafting itself. -Terry Jones, January 23, 2012 There seems to be a belief, strongly held by a lot of media and some bloggers (ENTIRELY UNRELATED: a search for the phrase “Magnificent Bastard” turns up 53 posts on lowetide.ca, that Stu MacGregor has constructed some sort of infallible drafting machine. I’m not entirely sure how this belief came to be but I’m not entirely sure it’s merited. MacGregor, who became the Oilers’ head scout in September 2007 (and is...

Scoring Chances for NHL Game Number 20646 Team Period Time Note EDM Opponent EDM 1 18:13 89 4 20 28 35 58 89 1 5 7 15 21 5v4 ANA 1 17:31 5 12 24 35 42 55 1 5 10 12 17 63 5v5 ANA 1 16:35 20 25 33 35 57 91 1 5 8 15 17 39 5v5 EDM 1 14:46 4 4 35 44 58 83 89 1 4 11 16 23 39 5v5 ANA 1 13:46 5 10 28 35 58 94 1 5 9 10 15 17 5v5 ANA 1 12:01 Goal 4 25 33 35 83 89 1 4 8 11 23 33 5v5 ANA 1 10:08 ...

So, um, does anyone else kind of have the sense that the Oilers are pushing local media to highlight how awesome the Oklahoma City Barons are doing? Mark Spector’s piece on Tambo and Renney needing extensions indicates that he contacted the team and that it was unwilling to discuss the futures of Renney and Tambo but he did mention this in defending Tambo: The farm team: Traditionally a sore spot in this organization, the Oklahoma City Barons have sat atop the American Hockey League standings for much of the season, despite the constant phone calls for replacements from Edmonton. Terry Jones managed to get an unnamed source to talk to...

Scoring Chances for NHL Game Number 20734 Team Period Time Note EDM Opponent EDM 1 19:10 83 4 10 24 25 40 83 1 3 7 17 20 23 5v5 VAN 1 16:40 4 10 24 25 40 83 1 2 3 7 17 20 5v5 EDM 1 15:28 14 14 24 25 40 56 89 1 6 14 22 23 33 5v5 VAN 1 11:32 14 40 44 56 58 89 1 2 3 14 22 33 5v5 VAN 1 10:50 20 24 25 40 91 94 1 4 7 17 20 29 5v5 EDM 1 9:56 4 4 6 10 40 44 83 1 2 3 27 32 40 5v5 VAN 1 9:36 Goal 4 5 10 40 58 83 1 2 3 14 22 33 5v5 EDM 1 9:10 89 14 24 25 40 56 89 1 6 9 21 23 36 5v5 EDM 1 7:30 16 16 24 25 28 40 57 1 4 17 20 27 29 5v5 VAN 1 6:24 4 5 10 40 58 83 1 2 3 7 17 20 5v5 VAN 1 3:45 ...

Scoring Chances for NHL Game Number 20720 Team Period Time Note EDM Opponent SJS 1 15:48 4 14 24 40 44 89 1 12 22 39 44 78 5v5 EDM 1 15:30 20 25 28 37 40 41 1 5 10 28 43 60 5v5 SJS 1 11:11 5 10 40 56 58 83 1 3 17 26 64 88 5v5 SJS 1 9:22 4 14 25 40 41 89 1 3 8 19 69 88 5v5 SJS 1 8:44 post 10 40 41 58 91 94 1 3 17 26 64 88 5v5 SJS 1 8:00 25 40 41 57 91 94 1 5 12 39 78 88 5v5 SJS 1 7:03 20 25 28 37 40 41 1 10 22 28 43 44 5v5 SJS 1 7:02 20 25 28 37 40 41 1 10 22 28 43 44 5v5 EDM 1 1:41 14 4 14 24 25 40 89 1 10 22 28 43 44 5v5 SJS 2 19:14 25 40 41 57 91 94 1 17 22 26 44 64 5v5 SJS 2 18:27 ...