Kukla's Korner Hockey
Better Roster- Oilers Or Leafs?
by Paul on 02/06/12 at 10:32 AM ET
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from Michael Grange of Sportsnet,
In the copper-and-blue corner you have Kevin Lowe’s Oilers, card-carriers for the NBA-style burn-it-to-the-ground-in-the-hopes-of-drafting-enough-franchise-players-to-make-it-worthwhile school.
In the Blue-and-White corner you have Brian Burke’s rebuild on the fly approach; where he tests his belief that you can construct a Stanley Cup winner without touching bottom or waiting for the draft to bless your franchise with riches—or is that fool’s gold?
Each approach is in its fourth season—both Burke and Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini (who moved Lowe into the president’s role) were hired in 2008. But as the 2012 trade deadline approaches only the Leafs look to be buyers as it’s only the Leafs that have a realistic chance at making the playoffs this year.
So by that measure, the Leafs and Burke would seem to have the upper hand. But which roster would you rather have?
The Leafs—deep and young but minus the kind of franchise-defining players that teams like Chicago and Pittsburgh built Cup winners around?
Or the Oilers—who just might have the elite talent in the form of No. 1 picks Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins—but lack the organizational depth at this stage to leverage it?
Filed in: NHL Teams, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
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