The Edmonton Oilers' improbable run toward the Stanley Cup came up just short on Monday night in their Game 7 showdown with the Hurricanes in North Carolina.
Edmonton entered the post-season as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Few observers predicted the Oilers would win their first-round series against Detroit. An appearance in the Cup final wasn't on anyone's radar.
Hockey columnist Eric Duhatschek was on-line Tuesday taking questions from Globe readers on Game 7, the National Hockey League playoffs and the off-season.
Duhatschek was the winner of the Hockey Hall Of Fame's Elmer Ferguson award for "distinguished contributions to hockey writing" in 2001. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario's grad school of journalism, he began covering hockey in 1978 and after spending 20 years covering the NHL and the Calgary Flames, joined globeandmail.com in September, 2000, where he writes a five-time-a-week NHL column.
A frequent contributor to Hockey Night in Canada's Satellite Hot Stove segment, he has covered four Winter Olympics, 19 Stanley Cup finals, every Canada Cup and World Cup since 1981, plus two world championships. He is also a member of the Hockey Hall Of Fame's annual Selection Committee.
Editor's Note: The same rules will apply to this live discussion as normally apply to the "reader comment" feature. Globeandmail.com editors will read and approve each comment/question. Not all comments/questions can be answered in the time available. Comments/questions will be checked for content only. Spelling and grammar errors will not be corrected. Comments/questions that include personal attacks, false or unsubstantiated allegations, vulgar language or libelous statements will be rejected. Preference will be given to those who ask questions under their full name, rather than pseudonyms.
David Leeder, Sports Editor, globeandmail.com: Hi Eric, thanks for joining us again. It's going to be a busy hour, so let's get right to the questions.
Scott Fidyk from Victoria, B.C., writes: Hi Eric: I really enjoy your column and frequent visits to the Satellite Hotstove. Anyway, given the fact that half of both Stanley Cup Final teams are slated for free agency, put on your fantasy general manager hat for a moment and, for fun, navigate your way through to set up Carolina and Edmonton for a repeat run for next year. Who do you keep? Who do you develop over the season? Who do you pass over? Have a great summer. I look forward to reading your column next season and seeing you back on the occasional HNIC.
Eric Duhatschek writes: Eric Duhatschek writes: Scott, as your question implies, the Oilers and Hurricanes each have nine unrestricted free agents on their respective rosters, meaning the two teams that played the longest into the spring also have the shortest amount of time to address contract issues, before July 1 rolls around and the unrestricted free agency period begins.
On the Oilers' side, you'd have to assume that Fernando Pisani, their playoff scoring hero (with 14) would be their top priority. Pisani played brilliantly in the post-season and he has the added cache of being a hometown boy. Based on the way the playoffs unfolded, you'd have to think that they'll make a pitch to retain Michael Peca too, after it seemed almost certain that he'd be heading back east — to Long Island or Toronto — following a disappointing regular season. He'll probably need to take a pay cut from $3.99 million, no matter where he goes, and fitting him into his budget will be a challenge for GM Kevin Lowe. In fact, I suspect he won't be able to do it.
My best guess is that Pisani, goaltender Dwayne Roloson and defenceman Jaroslav Spacek re-sign in Edmonton, while Sergei Samsonov heads into the sunset.
On the Carolina side, among the four defencemen set to be unrestricted, Glen Wesley will probably retire, Aaron Ward and Niclas Wallin will probably stick around, and Frantisek Kaberle may move on. But the Hurricanes had a couple of extra D-men, Anton Babchuk and Oleg Tverdovsky, hanging around, who'll probably play regularly next season; and they may push to sign collegian Jack Johnson in the summer after Johnson turned down a chance to go pro after his college season ended. As for Mark Recchi and Doug Weight, for the right price, they'll be retained. If they want to go for top dollar, there's probably little chance they'll stay.
James Cooke from New York City writes: Eric, always enjoy your hockey reports. I wondered what you think the Ottawa Senators will do to recast the team after this year's most recent disappointment. Will it able to keep both Redden and Chara? And what about the Rangers? What do the Rangers do to build upon the past regular season's success while creating a team that is prepared to compete in the playoffs, rather than not win another game after qualifying for the playoffs as it did this year?
