This should be a very different team come the trade deadline and an even more drastically different club next season. These are the players that I feel should be kept and moved or potentially moved.
Keepers:
Sam Gagner: IF he is willing to sign a reasonable contract, if not, down the road.
Gilbert Brule: Also needs to be for a reasonable amount.
Ales Hemsky: We need to get him going again and see where the team stands next season, if we are horrible again, look to cash him in at the deadline for additional picks and prospects.
Dustin Penner: Same as Hemsky, if we are competitive next season we keep him, if not we deal him as well. The return for both of these players if they are at or near the top of their games would be significant for a rebuild.
Lubomir Visnovsky: The teams young defensemen need a mentor, Lubo is just that, and unless we get offered a very good deal, or decide to completely blow up the team, he should be kept for now.
Ladislav Smid: Along with Visnovsky, Smid can eat up minutes during the rebuild and add some toughness to the blueline.
Trade Bait:
Sheldon Souray: The big man went about putting his name on the market in the most polite way possible and could be a big addition to a contending team that also has prospect depth to be coming our way.
Ethan Moreau: A bag of chips and a pop, if that's all that we can get, you make the deal anyway, shed salary.
Steve Staios: Veteran heart and soul type that could be a very good player on a veteran team needing a solid 6th dman that can block shots and add some physical play.
Fernando Pisani: Same as Moreau, if he can get back to his old self his expiring contract and playoff experience could make him a valuable depth forward for a playoff bound club.
Nikolai Khabibulin: Salary, salary, salary. If he returns healthy and someone is willing to pay his tab, he should be moved.
Shawn Horcoff: The irresistible player to Craig MacTavish also has a seemingly immovable contract. Not sure how his salary can be shed, but if he ends up the lone bad contract on the Oilers after this season, it will be much easier to handle.
Andrew Cogliano: Maybe he just can't get over the fact that he was almost traded? Maybe it's because of his linemates? Either way if we can package him for a better prospect or a decent pick, then why not?
Tom Gilbert: Shedding his salary and applying it to a player with a better contract as well as a talented rookie like Chorney or Petry would do the team a world of good cap wise.
Denis Grebeshkov: We cannot afford to overpay his like we did Gilbert, a potentially solid trading ship, we should cash in on if Gilbert is immovable.
As you can see, there are a large number of players that I would be looking to move. If even 1/3 of them can actually be moved it would be a big start in terms of rebuilding this team from the ground up.
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