Oilers counting on younger roster in 2010-11

TULSA, Okla. – With less than two weeks remaining before the opening of Central Hockey League training camps, the Tulsa Oilers, fresh off a recent affiliation agreement with the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters and NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, will drop the puck on their free agent camp on September 29th. Oilers Head Coach Bruce Ramsay recently spoke with Pro Hockey News about the camp, his team’s off-season signings and the upcoming CHL season.

One thing that has remained a constant throughout the off-season has been Tulsa’s commitment to field a younger squad this season. To date the Oilers have signed 20 players to their training camp roster, 14 of which have played in 60 or fewer professional games. “We’re looking to put a team on the ice that is going to have kids that want to aspire to higher levels,” Ramsay said. “These kids want to move up, want to play hard every shift and want to work hard in practice. In order to be successful nowadays you need that level of commitment that players of a younger age bring to the table every night.” Two of those players, defensemen Derek Eastman and R.J. Linder, should provide a veteran-like presence on the blue line. Both played for Ramsay last season, but Linder’s year was cut short with a season-ending injury suffered after playing just 11 games. Eastman was second in scoring among defensemen in the CHL last season. “He doesn’t have veteran status, but plays like he is 22 years old,” Ramsay said of Eastman. “Last year, early on when he and R.J. Linder were playing as d-partners together, they were the best d-pairing in the league and their plus-minus showed it. I’m just excited to have those two guys playing together again.” Ramsay hopes to find more young talent when the Oilers host their free agent camp next week. He said the team has been getting a lot of interest in the camp lately, and added that it serves as a chance to find some players that might have slipped off the radar of other teams. “Hopefully we can find a few diamonds in the rough,” Ramsay said. “It will be interesting to see some of these players come in that don’t have a lot of proven track records since they haven’t played at a division one school or major junior.”  Ramsay explained that while Tulsa has not announced the signings of any veteran players, he has spoken to some from last season’s team that are interested in returning. “There are negotiations, and as time goes on I’m sure we’ll see a few veterans returning that the fans learned to appreciate last year.”  Ramsay went on to say that the team will not be veteran-heavy. The new CHL/PHPA collective bargaining agreement, which was announced on September 7th, provides for as many as six players with veteran status (301 pro games played), but the Oilers will more than likely bypass the full number of vets in favor for younger talent and the right mixture of veteran leadership. “We’re not going to be in a situation where we have a team full of veteran players,” Ramsay explained. “Overall you’re going to see a much younger team with some splattering of veteran status in there – it’s very important that you have the right veterans.” This season will be the first time that the Oilers have played in the Southern Conference. When asked if he thought this would have any effect on the team, Ramsay said that he doesn’t believe that the change of scenery will make a difference, noting that there will be strong teams in both conferences. “Either way, you’ve got to win hockey games and that’s what counts,” he said. Overall, Ramsay seems to like the schedule his team will play and the league’s new playoff format. While Wichita and Missouri are now in a different conference than the Oilers, Tulsa will play the Thunder 12 times and Mavericks nine times. Ramsay pointed out that having several games with these closer rivals helps keep travel costs down for the teams. He said the team’s travel mileage is down and they have fewer travel days, resulting in more time off for players in need of rest and recuperation during a grueling 66-game season. For the first time in Central Hockey League history, 16 of the league’s 18 teams will qualify for the post-season, with eight teams qualifying from each conference. Ramsay likes the change, in part because it allows for an even number of teams and doesn’t require the higher-ranked teams to have a prolonged break before they get to play their first post-season game. He added that once the playoffs begin anything can happen, pointing to the 2009-10 Philadelphia Flyers that snuck into the NHL playoffs through a shootout in the final game of the regular season before going seven games in the Stanley Cup Final. “Once you’re in there you get a fresh start, things could dramatically change,” he said. As the clock continues to tick down to Tulsa’s October 15th home opener, Ramsay is busy finalizing his roster as the excitement for opening night builds. “I’m looking forward to the season,” he said. “I think the fans are definitely going to appreciate the kind of team that we’re putting on the ice with the work ethic, tenacity and perseverance that these young kids are going to bring to the table.” Contact the author at john.hall@prohockeynews.com
Contact the photographer at les.stockton@prohockeynews.com