Edmonton Oilers (NHL 11, Be A GM)

[Psyblast]

Oilers lose one, sign two
Canucks pluck Chorney while Oilers make their play for Weber

July 3, 2011

EDMONTON, AB - The "Europization" of the Oilers continues.

The youth movement in Edmonton kept plowing ahead Sunday, as the Oilers signed two young Swedish prospects to three-year two-way deals: 20 year old LW Anton Rödin and 20 year old defenseman David Rundblad. Rödin was the 2nd round pick of the Canucks in 2009, while Rundblad was drafted 17th overall by St. Louis that same year.

"I don't ask why teams don't re-sign prospects," Oilers GM Brian Kudron said when announcing the signings. "I just reap the benefits."

The Canucks got back at Edmonton in a way though, as they signed Edmonton's restricted free agent defenseman Taylor Chorney to a 2-year offer sheet. The Oilers wasted little time in responding, opting immediately to take the compensation of Vancouver's 3rd round pick in the 2012 draft instead of matching the offer.

Meanwhile, it seems the price wasn't too steep for the Oilers, as the rumors of their interest in RFA Shea Weber came to pass. Edmonton confirmed late Sunday they had successfully signed Weber to an offer sheet. The details of the contract won't be disclosed unless the transaction goes through. The Predators have three days to match the offer, otherwise Weber will become an Oiler and Nashville will receive Edmonton's 1st, 2nd and 3rd round picks in the 2012 Draft as compensation.

[Psyblast]

Oilers land their man
The price is high, but Shea Weber is headed to Edmonton

July 10, 2011



EDMONTON, AB - The grin on Edmonton GM Brian Kudron's face said it all.

"Today is, I think, just another step - maybe the biggest step - in the return of the Oilers to the NHL's elite," Kudron said at the press conference at Rexall Place Sunday. "Nothing in this world is free, and we definitely paid a price to obtain the prize we wanted. But we belief beyond any shadow of a doubt that it was well worth the price; we believe we've obtained one of the elite players in the National Hockey League, one of the brightest young stars in our league; a player who excels at every aspect of the game, and is the type of foundation player that championships revolve around. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm proud to introduce, the 18th captain in the history of the Edmonton Oilers, and a native son of Canada, Shea Weber."

With that the GM produced a #6 Oilers jersey with Weber's name on it, and the two posed for photos as the media applauded and cheered.

"I never thought a day like this would occur," the newest Oiler said after donning the sweater and sitting down in front of the microphones. "Growing up in Western Canada, the Oilers always had a mystique about them, an aura of sorts. And when you're born and raised in Canada playing hockey, a part of you always dreams about returning home to play in front of a Canadian crowd, to represent your home country. I loved my time in Nashville, I love the fans there, and I hope they understand that this was an opportunity I just couldn't pass up. It's an honor to don the sweater once worn by guys like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Paul Coffey, and as captain I'm going to make it my mission to lead this team back to those glory days. The young nucleus here was one of the biggest factors that drew me here, and I'm so excited to be appointed captain, to be given the responsibility of leading all these young guys as we grow into what I absolutely believe will be a Stanley Cup Champion."

The Oilers made sure they got involved in the Weber sweepstakes to win, offering a deal the Predators wouldn't be able to match. In return for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd round picks in next year's draft, the Oilers signed Weber to a 5-year, 6.6-million dollar contract, making him the highest paid player on the roster, the 4th highest paid defenseman in the NHL (behind Brian Campbell, Zdeno Chara, and Keith Yandle), and the 4th highest paid player in Canada (behind Scott Gomez, Jason Spezza and Jarome Iginla).

[Psyblast]

Game of chicken forming in Edmonton
Oilers and Cogliano at an impasse in negotiations

August 11, 2011

EDMONTON, AB - There's only one player unaccounted for on the Oilers roster now.

All the unsigned players Edmonton wanted back are signed. All the restricted free agents the Oilers tendered accepted the deals in front of them - except one: 24 year old center Andrew Cogliano. The Oilers offered him a qualifying offer worth around 1.1 million, but rumors are Cogliano is seeking upwards of four million - a deal GM Brian Kudron is unlikely to give.

"We try to operate within the confines of reality here," Kudron said in a terse statement to the press. "We're a very fair organization. We expect rationality and sensibility in return when we talk business."

That appears to be the first salvo in what could become a very messy situation. Cogliano is considered one of the key parts of Edmonton's youth movement, but his production last season doesn't warrant anything close to four million dollars, and the Oilers' sudden depth at center - Nicklas Bäckström, Sam Gagner, Jordan Eberle, Colin Fraser, Anton Gustafsson and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - may make Cogliano's demands unacceptable. Rumors have already begun to swirl that the Oilers are open to trading him and may already be in the process of shopping him around, possibly for draft picks as a way to make up for the picks they lost in the Shea Weber signing.

The Oilers have until December 1st to make a move one way or another with Cogliano.

[Psyblast]

Oilers find a taker for Cogliano
Zero tolerance policy sends Cogliano to Pittsburgh

September 28, 2011

EDMONTON, AB - With the preseason over and the deadline for having rosters set looming, the Oilers were done playing games.

Showing that he will not tolerate any sort of holdout whatsoever, Oilers GM Brian Kudron traded Andrew Cogliano away, sending him to Pittsburgh in exchange for winger Niklas Magnusson. The 20 year old Swede was Pittsburgh's 1st round draft pick last year, and gives the Oilers yet another promising young European to send to Oklahoma City.

Meanwhile, having not bought him out during the offseason, the Oilers continue to shop Nikolai Khabibulin, seemingly determined to get something in return for him. In the meantime, he will spend the season in Oklahoma City backing up Daniel Larsson.

[Psyblast]

2011/2012 Edmonton Roster

Forwards

#	Player	Pos.	Country	Age	Ht.	Wt.	R/L	Birthplace	Salary	Overall
19	Nicklas Bäckström (A)	C		23	6'1	210	L	Gävle, SWE	$6.275M	89
14	Jordan Eberle	C		21	6'0	185	R	Regina, SK	$1.335M	84
16	Colin Fraser	C		26	6'1	193	L	Sicamous, BC	$1.285M	79
89	Sam Gagner	C		22	6'0	192	R	London, ON	$2.735M	86
94	Anton Gustafsson	C		21	6'2	195	L	Karlskoga, SWE	$0.845M	76
4	Taylor Hall	LW		19	6'0	197	L	Calgary, AB	$1.360M	86
56	Teemu Hartikainen	LW		21	6'2	216	L	Kuopio, FIN	$1.285M	77
83	Ales Hemsky (A)	RW		28	6'0	184	R	Pardubice, CZE	$4.560M	88
18	Colin McDonald	RW		26	6'3	205	R	Wethersfield, CT	$1.360M	75
90	Ryan Nugent-Hopkins	C		18	6'0	160	L	Burnaby, BC	$0.900M	76
32	Linus Omark	LW		24	5'9	163	L	Övertorneå, SWE	$1.335M	78
91	Magnus Pääjärvi	LW		20	6'3	201	L	Norrkoping, SWE	$1.360M	80
46	Zack Stortini	RW		26	6'4	215	R	Elliot Lake, ON	$1.160M	81

Defensemen

#	Player	Country	Age	Ht.	Wt.	R/L	Birthplace	Salary	Overall
23	Oliver Ekman-Larsson		20	6'3	193	L	Karlskrona, SWE	$1.360M	76
26	Kurtis Foster		29	6'5	226	R	Carp, ON	$2.260M	83
77	Tom Gilbert		28	6'3	206	R	Minneapolis, MN	$4.460M	80
58	Jeff Petry		23	6'3	196	R	Ann Arbor, MI	$1.310M	76
48	Alex Plante		22	6'4	231	R	Brandon, MB	$1.360M	78
6	Shea Weber (C)		26	6'4	234	R	Sicamous, BC	$6.600M	87
8	Ryan Whitney		28	6'3	210	L	Boston, MA	$4.460M	84

Goalies

#	Player	Country	Age	Ht.	Wt.	R/L	Birthplace	Salary	Overall
39	Anders Lindbäck		23	6'6	204	L	Gävle, SWE	$1.145M	79
33	Jacob Markström		21	6'4	187	L	Gävle, SWE	$1.335M	78

2011/2012 Oklahoma City Roster

Forwards

#	Player	Pos.	Country	Age	Ht.	Wt.	R/L	Birthplace	Salary	Overall
93	Valeri Grebeshkov	LW		19	6'1	195	L	Russia	$0.580M	63
32	Murray Harrison	LW		20	6'5	239	L	Denmark	$0.580M	63
10	Jamie Johnson	C		29	5'11	185	R	London, ON	$0.960	74
34	Mika Kultanen	C		20	6'5	242	L	Finland	$0.605M	64
19	Milan Kytnar	C		22	6'1	180	L	Topolcany, CZE	$1.025M	71
44	Niklas Magnusson	LW		20	6'1	219	L	Sweden	$0.580M	69
18	Anton Rödin	LW		20	6'0	180	L	Stockholm, SWE	$0.900M	72
0	Chris VandeVelde	C		24	6'2	190	L	Moorhead, MN	$1.310M	69

Defensemen

#	Player	Country	Age	Ht.	Wt.	R/L	Birthplace	Salary	Overall
8	Simon Löf		20	6'3	168	R	Gävle, SWE	$1.360M	67
5	Adam Larsson		18	6'3	200	R	Skellefteå, SWE	$0.890M	69
9	Johan Motin		21	6'3	202	R	Karlskoga, SWE	$1.335M	73
49	Theo Peckham		23	6'3	234	L	Richmond Hill, ON	$1.060M	77
7	David Rundblad		20	6'2	199	R	Lycksele, SWE	$0.900M	71
33	Colten Teubert		21	6'5	196	R	White Rock, BC	$1.360M	77

Goalies

#	Player	Country	Age	Ht.	Wt.	R/L	Birthplace	Salary	Overall
31	Daniel Larsson		25	6'0	181	L	Boden, SWE	$1.360M	74
35	Nikolai Khabibulin		38	6'1	206	L	Sverdlovsk, RUS	$4.210M	81

[BlueNGold]

Great updates as usual. You're seriously making me consider buying NHL 11 again with this dynasty.

The Weber signing was a steep price to pay having to give up all those draft picks and it was risky, but if anyone was worth that price I think it'd be Weber.

Can't wait to see how this season turns out.

[Acid]

I love how everyone on your team is like 28 or younger, and then there's grandpa Khabibulin.

[SENS_AK27]

Very nice rebuild so far, I'm a little worried about your goaltending situation but hopefully your goalie won't have to steal games for you.

Are you playing these games in this upcoming season or are you simming?