TDL 2012

So here we are. Trade deadline 2012 is here and this is the last opportunity for the Oilers to make a move to improve the team before the draft and the off season. I for one think that there is very little they can do now considering Hemsky has been signed and I still don't think Tambellini has the kahunas to move him now.

In any case, I will be paying attention to the deadline talk and the moves (if any) that the Oilers make and we will go over them here.

Lets see what Tambellini has up his sleeve.

For those that want to see everything that has happened today trade wise click here .

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approx 10:53 am 
Oilers move Tom Gilbert to Minnesota  for Nick Schultz

Well in typical Tambellini fashion this is a sideways move at best. More than likely a downgrade when you consider that the Oilers need more offense from the back end and they removed a guy that has the ability to give that offense for a guy that just can't. Gilbert wasn't offering all that much lately, so it's not out of the realm of possibility to move him, but I think this was a bad choice overall. Unless Tambellini has more up his sleeve This is not going to help the Oilers. The MSM seems to be spouting that Schultz is a "rugged, tough" defender, yet he really isn't the type to punish anyone. Neither was Gilbert but this goes to show that even when people try to find "something" to latch onto they really cant.
Gilbert Stats
Schultz Stats 


01:00
Oilers move ----------------to ------------------ for -----------------------

So the TDL has "officially" passed and there is nothing else to report. Tambellini did nothing to help this team and even though I predicted that he wouldn't I did still think that he would have made a few AHL moves. I will keep paying attention as we all know that the trade announcements usually continue for an hour or two after the deadline. So here is to hoping that there was a delay on a fax machine or two...



02:00
Oilers move ---------------- NADA!

Well this concludes the TDL for the Oilers. I don't know what to say other than that I am yet again disappointed. Steve Tabellini did nothing to actually help this team. Rather he made a "keep face" move that was at best a sideways move. Nothing special about that.

I don't know where they go from here. Sure people are saying that they can make moves at the draft and of course there is the free agency market.... (ya, we all know how well THAT works out for the Oilers)

Oh well. At least my worst predictions didn't come true. Tambellini didn't move any prospects, and he got a slightly better than 7th D. What still bothers me is that the MSM is saying that Schultz is this tough rugged guy that will help the Oilers defense in their own zone. Well I don't know how a guy with a -10 rating on a defensive team is going to help. Especially when he can't do anything offensive to help offset the +/- . But now I can see so many fans rejoicing that Gilbert, who has been a whipping boy in the past has been "upgraded" on. And how Tambi made such a "great move". I really hope not, as this will just go to show that the fans no longer understand what it takes to build a solid team, and they will simply just follow what people tell them.

I guess we will revisit this leading up to the draft.

until next time.