Top Left Header
Header
Sports
Arrow
Columnists
Arrow
NHL Columnists
Arrow
Follow OurHometown.ca on... Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Follow us on RSS Follow Us with E-Mail Updates!
Oil Notes: Oilers acquire Fistric from Dallas and debut Yakupov on left wing
By Rob Soria
OurHometown.ca

Oil Notes: Oilers acquire Fistric from Dallas and debut Yakupov on left wing
On the day the Edmonton Oilers debuted Nail Yakupov on a line with Sam Gagner and Ales Hemsky, GM Steve Tambellini was busy upgrading the team's blueline. Edmonton acquired hard-hitting defenceman Mark Fistric, from the Dallas Stars, in exchange for a third round pick in the 2013 Entry Draft.
PHOTO CREDIT - Dallas Stars.com

Edmonton - January 14, 2013 - The Edmonton Oilers first day of practice had few surprises but did feature the anticipated debut of Nail Yakupov at left wing, playing alongside Sam Gagner and Ales Hemsky.

Whereas off the ice, General Manager Steve Tambellini was able to make a bit of a splash on the trade market, acquiring rugged blueliner Mark Fistric from the Dallas Stars, in exchange for Edmonton's third round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Roughly midway through the Oilers on ice session, word broke that Tambellini had made a move to add some much needed depth to his paper thin blueline. While five of the top six spots were already earmarked for Ladislav Smid, Jeff Petry, Ryan Whitney, rookie Justin Schultz and veteran Nick Schultz, Edmonton had little proven NHL talent after that.

Adding Fistric into the mix, not only solidifies the top six but will also allow head coach Ralph Krueger to use both Corey Potter and Theo Peckham in more of a depth role. At the best of times, teams need eight NHL calibre D men to be successful and with such a compact schedule facing clubs over the next three months, it is an absolute must.

The injury bug has already hit the Oil, as Peckham was absent from today's practice due to a hip-flexor. Like Peckham, Fistric brings a physical element to the table that is frankly non-existent in the top five, outside of Smid.

During his five seasons in a Stars uniform, the twenty-six year old has been nothing but a wrecking ball on many a night, while delivering a solid stay at home style of play. While the native of Edmonton will never be mistaken for a point producer, he will be a welcomed addition to a blueline that, outside of Smid and Nick Schultz, can be a bit of a circus in their own zone...especially when they are being placed in situations they are not comfortable in.

With Krueger leaning towards using Schultz and Schultz as one of his potential pairings and keeping the tandem of Petry and Smid intact to start the year, it looks as though Fistric will be lining up alongside Whitney at even strength, while anchoring the Oilers penalty kill with Smid and Schultz.

As far as the first on ice session went, it was pretty basic stuff but did give us a glimpse into what the Oilers new bench boss had in mind, as far as his line combinations went.

Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall
Ales Hemsky, Sam Gagner, Nail Yakupov
Teemu Hartikainen, Shawn Horcoff, Ryan Smyth
Lennart Petrell, Eric Belanger, Ben Eager
Darcy Hordichuk, Chris VandeVelde, Magnus Paajarvi


Nothing earth shattering in those combos, as Petrell will almost certainly get the starting nod to help out on the penalty kill, with Ryan Jones likely out for at least the first few weeks of the season. Same goes for Hartikainen, who has all but earned a spot on the opening night roster, thanks to his net presence on what was a lethal power play in Oklahoma City.

Follow Me on TwitterRob Soria is the Edmonton Oilers' correspondent for OurHometown.ca. Rob was born and raised in Edmonton and is the author of the Edmonton Oilers blog - OilDrop.ca. He has been a dedicated follower of the game and its history for years but his focus remains on his hometown Edmonton Oilers. If you have questions or wish to contact Rob, you can email him at rsoria@ourhometown.ca


Follow OurHometown.ca on... Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Follow us on RSS Follow Us with E-Mail Updates!
Send Us Your Thoughts


Title - Story Count
8,402 Stories & Growing Daily...

To date OurHometown.ca has posted a total of 8,402 stories! News, sports, hockey, lifestyle, opinion and more!

Be sure to check out our Contributors and Columnists archives!


Title - More OH Headlines
Click on Photo or Story Title for more info
Detroit Grand Prix Canceled for 2020
Team Canada will not send athletes to Games in summer 2020 due to COVID-19 risks
NBA to suspend season following Wednesday
Lyn St. James to Race in Historic Trans-Am Series at the 2020 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix
2019 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear Fast Facts
OurHometown.ca News Database Last Updated:
Jan. 28, 2024 @ 1:06 PM EST





Footer
Free Sitemap Generator