Oilers Unicycle: Ryan Smyth
January 30, 2007 by Tyler
Filed under NHL Players
The Edmonton Oilers may need to consider shopping for some more scoring before the trade deadline as they continue to ride their unicycle, Ryan Smyth, who has 25 Goals in 40 Games this season. Their next closest goal scorer is Petr Sykora who has just 17 Goals in 50 Games.
Keving Lowe finally offered Smyth, what is said to be the “first serious offer” to keep the Oilers star forward in Edmonton. One wonders what Lowe had to question? Smyth is the heart and soul of the Oilers and one of the only true hard nosed players left in the National Hockey League.
While both the Oilers and Smyth have said that they would like to reach an agreement to have Smyth in Edmonton for the long term, free agency is now creeping into the picture.
Things couldn’t have worked out better for Ryan Smyth, who is close to having a career year (39 Goals in 1996-97) and is known as the “Face of the franchise” in Edmonton.
It would be nice to see Smyth nail down a contract of the 5-Year $25-$27 Million USD variety. A deal that many believe is well within the range of what Smyth is worth.
UPDATE – February 16,2007: According to TSN
While the Edmonton Oilers need a win in Toronto on Saturday to stay in the Western Conference playoff race, the team is also looking to get its most valuable player locked up. The Edmonton Sun reports that Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe and assistant general manager Scott Howson will meet with Ryan Smyth’s agent Don Meehan on Saturday to continue contract talks for the star forward.
UPDATE – February 27,2007: Ryan Smyth has been traded to the New York Islanders.It will be interesting to see what the boys at Battle of Alberta have to say on the subject.
National Hockey League Digest » NHL Trade News on Mon, 26th Feb 2007 8:16 am
[...] What is going to happen with the Oilers and Ryan Smyth? There appears to be some tough decisions to be made regarding the future of Smyth in Edmonton! [...]
The Ryan Smyth Trade | National Hockey League Digest on Tue, 27th Feb 2007 10:25 pm
[...] The Ryan Smyth Trade By now we all know that the Edmonton Oilers have traded veteran Ryan Smyth to the New York Islanders in exchange for right wing Robert Nilsson, centre Ryan O’Marra and the Islanders’ first round choice in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. With the addition of the Islanders’ first round choice, the Oilers now have three first round selections in the upcoming 2007 NHL Entry Draft. General Manager, Kevin Lowe said: “I want to be very clear that making this trade today is a hockey decision. It was not financial. The CBA we operate with in the NHL today means you need to have a sound hockey strategy and stick to it. Today we turned a page for sure – but this is not as much about the Oilers today, but what we continue to do as part of an overall plan. [...]