Anyone that has known me pre-HF Boards knows that I was a huge Horcoff backer on Oilfans back in the day and he was my favorite Oilers prospect pre-Rob Schremp. Dennis (Matts back then) and I both held the young man from Michigan State in high regard before he ever stepped foot on Oilers ice.
I've been very happy to see him progress and show that he can be a solid 2-way contributor to the Oilers. Well, as of this moment, I am not very pleased with his game. Watching Derek Roy tonight showed me what we should be expecting of #10. Both are speedy centers, both play on the PK, both are key to their teams success, both are getting paid like top line players, however only Roy is backing his part of the bargain up.
Horcoff has limited himself to leaching off of Hemsky for offense. At this point IMO they should be split up so that Horc can be more than a cross ice onetimer option and a faceoff guy. Where is the slick passer that I remember? Where is the guy that showed game breaking speed in the '05-06 playoffs? Where is the guy that last year shot out the lights?
Shawn Horcoff needs to find himself and look to continue to improve his game. Many of the same people that rag on Dustin Penner praise Horc to the high heavens. Well on Penner's worst nights he can still create a mother of a screen in front of the net and that helps our offense, when Horc is off his game he brings nothing but a guy that has his shooting lanes closed for business.
It's time for Horc to up his game, his extension calls for him to play more like Derek Roy, a guy that is an offensive catalyst, not a guy that is towed along by a player making similar $.
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