Part 02 - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - Defenceman

Part 02 of the 05 piece series.

1) Smid, Ladislav

The Good
-After a rough first half, has showed some progression in the new year. Since January 3, he's been holding his fort at EV (-2).

The Bad
-Failed to crack the team out of training camp
-Offensive numbers show little (no) progression. From 77-3-7-10 last year, he's at 54-0-4-4 this season.

The Ugly
-The stretch from December 2 to January 2 in which he was a -10, getting beat on the back door play repeatedly

Things to Ponder
-If the Oilers make no changes to the defense this off season, there will be 8 of them on one-way contracts. Could the Oilers use Smid as part of a trade package?
-Does he have any offensive potential?
-What is his single biggest strength on the ice? I'm stumped.

2) Greene, Matt

The Good
-The 2.36 GA ON /60 represents strong improvement, and is the team best
-Seems to have settled down 5 on 5

The Bad
-Like Smid, the little offensive game he had took a step back. 77-1-9-10 last year to 34-0-1-1

The Ugly
-Lower body Injury that sidelined him for 37 games

Things to Ponder
-If the Oilers make no changes to the defense this off season, there will be 8 of them on one-way contracts. Could the Oilers use Smid as part of a trade package?
-He will be a UFA in 2 years. Has he made enough progression to warrant keeping with Petry and Chorney close to graduation?

3) Roy, Mathieu

The Good
-In a limited sample size, has a respectable 3.14 GF ON/60

The Bad
-In a limited sample size, has a dis-respectable 3.14 GA ON/60

The Ugly
-It's been a season of injuries
-One way contract in which he will earn $500,000 next season.

Things to Ponder
-Does Katz bury his salary in the minors next season, or is he kept as press box material as a 7th defenceman?

4) Grebeshkov, Denis

The Good
-Strong two way play in 2008.
-10 of his 14 points have been in the new year. Good first pass, and offensive instincts
-GA ON/60 is a respectable 2.50
-Team leading Corsi number (omitting Roy) at 1.4

The Bad
-A bit of a tendency to pass when in a good opportunity to shoot.

The Ugly
-A rough start. -8 in the first 11 games of the season.

Things to Ponder
-Do the Oilers take him into arbitration to protect against any RFA Offersheets?
-Do the Oilers lock him up long term with hopes of contract over performance?

5) Staios, Steve

The Good
-Veteran presence, teaching rookies
-Effective PK

The Bad
-3.30 GA ON/60 and a -21 EV+/EV- perhaps could be an indication that he's a declining player
-His offensive numbers 70-7-7-14 are his worst totals since 2001-2002

The Ugly
-N/A

Things to Ponder
-Does Kevin Lowe move Staios and his 3 remaining years of the contract this off season?
-Kevin Lowe got $1 for $0.30 in the Smith and Niinimaa trades. Is Staios a declining asset, or are his numbers significantly influenced by his defensive partners?

6) Pitkanen, Joni

The Good
-Strong corsi numbers based on team ranking
-Shows dominance and creativity on the ice at times
-Has logged up minutes on numerous occasions (>20 min TOI)

The Bad
-1.68 PPP/60 continue to illustrate that Pitkanen isn't a strong PP performer
-Inconsistent play. Had a good streak from Nov 30 - Jan 2 (+8, 10 points)
-Offensive numbers took a huge step back. From 46 points in 58 games in 2005-2006, to 43 in 77 in 2006-2007, down to 20 in 53.

The Ugly
-Questions about his heart and work ethic arising in the media circles
-Agent rumoured to be asking in the neighborhood of 4.5M range.

Things to Ponder
-Do you sign him long term if given the opportunity? Are the rewards worth the risk?
-Is he committed? Is he coachable? Is he durable?

7) Souray, Sheldon

The Good
-He hasn't been an EV nightmare, and has a respectable (team relative) 2.42 GA ON/60
-Logged up TOI (all games in which he did not get injured in, were above 20 min TOI)
-Veteran presence
-PR purpose

The Bad
-He was brought in to make a difference on the PP. His 1.72 PPP/60 is a big drop off from the 7.0+/60 posted last year. Of course it's a small sample size.

The Ugly
-Shoulder injuries that cut his season to 26 games.
-Injuries have been the story of his career

Things to Ponder
-Is his shoulder injury chronic?
-Can he stay healthy next year?
-Can he improve the PP significantly next season and provide some stability on defence?

8) Gilbert, Tom

The Good
-Strong EV scoring. Respectable PPP/60 (2.92) for a rookie.
-Ability to log minutes, keep penalties to a minimum (14 PIM)
-Showing potential to improve in upcoming years

The Bad
-N/A

The Ugly
-Had a rough month in January. Expected though, with rookies.

Things to Ponder
-Does Kevin Lowe take him to arbitration to prevent an RFA Offersheets?
-Does Lowe lock him up long term, with the player 2 years away from free agency?
-Can Gilbert replace Stoll on the point on the PP?

*Omitted - Dick Tarnstrom (traded) and Alan Rourke (limited sample size)
*Numbers obtained from behindthenet.ca

Part 03 and 04 will tackle the forwards. Part 05 will tackle management/coaching.

Cheers.