The seemingly worst signing of Tambellini's career could become his best. I am not looking at the morality of Khabibulin's legal issues just looking at this from a hockey standpoint so no need to think that I am rooting for jail time for Khabibulin even though what he did IMO was incredibly stupid.
If Khabibulin gets significant jail time the Oilers could sever ties with him when he fails to report to camp, or they may stick by him despite the fact that he has a deal that is less than flattering in a rebuild situation. Either way his services will be missed on the ice. Unless they have ice rinks in Arizona penitentiaries whenever Khabibulin gets out he will be both rusty and out of shape. Either way unless the Oilers get some exceptional goaltending from Deslauriers, Dubnyk, or Gerber they are looking at another season around the league basement.
Khabibulin's injury helped the Oilers get Taylor Hall, could his prison sentence help the Oilers to get Larsson, Couturier, or Nugent-Hopkins? If so, while the signing may have initially looked like a train wreck, it could end up being the Oilers saving grace long term. Hell if we end up with one of those players we should all buy Khabibulin a round and then hide his keys.
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