Ryan Whitney's look of relief after scoring his first goal in the 2010-2011 season
Ryan Whitney has been the key cog for the Oilers this season. It's not because he's the best player on the team, though he may be (it's a toss-up between him and Hemsky). When Ales went down with the groin muscle tear, the next-best option, Jordan Eberle, is a fair substitution. Eberle still has some way to go before he can fill the top line right wing role, but he's a very complete player.
The drop-off from Ryan Whitney to the #2 defenceman is daunting. That's assuming the Oilers can legitimately be said to have a #2 defenceman.
Whitney hits, he's got very good positioning, he obviously knows how to pass and he's got a good shot. Not a Chris Pronger or Sheldon Souray bomb, but it's good enough. Ryan also provides the Oilers with something they really haven't had since Chris Pronger - an elite break-out pass. This is absolutely vital to the Oilers offense, which is really successful only in two situations: catching turn-overs and in transition.
In short, he's the complete defenceman.
Nobody else on the team comes close. Tom Gilbert's offensive flair comes and goes. He can be a stand-out or simply fade into the background. He can make great stretch passes, but he's not as reliable as Whitney in that regard. More importantly, Tom Gilbert's actual defensive ability is suspect more often than anyone would like. He is capable of being good defensively but this is far less consistent than even his flighty offensive efforts. Tom seems like the guy who might lead the second pairing or be the second defenceman on the first or second, not the man you trust to lead the charge.
After Tom Gilbert, the Oilers defensive corps runs dry on offensive talent. Ladislav Smid and Theo Peckham play similar games. Smid is more about bruising, simple plays and some behind-the-refs'-backs punishment, while Peckham is generally better on the open ice and can line up the big hits reliably. Smid is great on his third pairing, it's not too much responsibility for him and he provides a chippy edge to our defence. Peckham could play on the first with Whitney, potentially lead the second pair but right now is better off as the second man there, and could definitely lead the third pairing with Smid.
Jeff Petry is an unknown at this point. He was on for all four goals against last night versus Buffalo, but was credited with a helper on the Ryan Jones goal. Given that it's his NHL debut, on a bad team in a slump, missing its best defenceman, it's hard to rag on the kid.
Jim Vandermeer and Jason Strudwick are known quantities. Their foot speed betrays them in this league. Both have adapted somewhat, getting better position and playing further back, but they're incredibly exposed on turn-overs or the kind of back-and-forth hockey the Oilers play. A team with a slower tempo and more reliable forwards would be a better suit for either, but the Oilers are what they are.
In short, Whitney is completely irreplaceable. Hemsky and Horcoff have decent substitutes, so does Khabi this year.
If the MRI on Whitney's ankle comes back really bad, as Bob McKenzie has rumoured, the wheels have officially fallen off the wagon this season. Worse, it will likely slow development for the kids, since they won't get those nice break-out passes, and their mistakes are going to be much more costly. The Oilers, rather than compete with the Flames for last in the West, could now find themselves in a competition with the Islanders and Devils for last in the league. The embarrassing loss to a tired Buffalo team, after close defeats against San Jose, LA, and Vancouver, adds to the problem and is a bad sign for the Oilers sans Ryan Whitney.
Let us pray.
No comments:
Post a Comment