It'SSSSSS DEADLINE DAY!

The biggest (in-season) hockey transaction day is upon us and I can't help but think about the Oilers situation. On the ice, the team is a big time underachiever, and hold down a perilous playoff spot right now. So what is Kevin Lowe to do while his intern Steve Tambellini makes coffee and researches hair rejuvenation products for his boss? What do they need? Who do they give up? Who can they give up? Who are other teams targeting? I'm no insider, but here's my best guesses.

The hardest part about being an Oilers fan this year is watching uninspired loss after uninspired loss and hearing the coach and the mini-MacTavishes on the team tell the media they "battled hard" or "the compete level was there" or "we worked hard and didn't get the bounces" despite all the "jam." To me, this is the biggest problem on this team that needs to be addressed. The leadership of this team is all wrong. When you listen to the comments from good teams in the West like San Jose, Detroit, Calgary and Chicago, they tell it like it is when they lose games. They aren't nearly as accepting of losses. The Oilers seem to think that taking positives out of heart breaking losses is okay and that falls on their leadership core to change.

So it's time to bring in a real leader - a guy who's been a captain somewhere else and I don't mean on the Atlanta Thrashers or New York Islanders. They need somebody who can tell the current player to give their head a shake and play with some urgency - whether it's October or January or March. The current group of Oiler leaders - Captain Ethan Moreau, Alternates Sheldon Souray and Steve Staios (home), Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky (road) have all done great things at different times as Oilers, but need to either step up or step aside. Of that group, only Souray and Hemsky are earning their keep and truly lead by example by producing.

Ethan Moreau was a great Oiler in the lunch pail team era. The key word there is "was." He runs around the ice taking lazy penalties at awful times and, despite his stone hands, seems to think he should lead rushes, especially with little or no passing ability/desire. Staios is a warrior, but as Scott Tougas said earlier this season, it looks like he aged ten years this offseason. He's a step behind, he's great at giveaways.

Shawn Horcoff is a prototypical second line centre. The problem is, the team not only plays him like a first liner, they PAY him like a great first liner. He does a few things well on the defensive side, offensively he's no dynamo. I worry every time he steps on the ice that the umbilical cord won't stretch far enough and MacTavish will be yanked onto the playing surface...and this team doesn't need any more embarrassing in the wake of 9-2 and 10-2 home ice losses. The most damning thing about him leadership-wise, is the deplorable work in the dot by the other centres. When the Oilers brought in Adam Oates a few years ago, the players all credited him with helping them on faceoffs. Yet, Gagner and Cogliano are awful on draws and you'd think Horcoff as a leader should take these guys aside and teach them the tricks of the NHL trade.

Sheldon Souray is a good assistant, but he's rapidly joined the clique of the old guard. People may think he'd be the best option as captain, but I think the guy who deserves it most is Hemsky and not because he's the best player. The way he plays, the lack of excuses (he rarely talks to the media) and the fact he's always trying to be creative is a better fit for a team they tried to be build on skill and speed. Outside of that, they need a player more in that mindset. Somebody who is his own person and not a cliché regurgitator. They need somebody who can inspire the players in the room they can be great. They need a guy that isn't buddies with the coach.

In terms of production, they desperately need a top six centre and a top line left winger who actually complements Ales Hemsky. When you look at his career, the only time he's ever played with a guys that really play to his strengths...was international play.

The problem is, no matter who they go after, the Oilers are handcuffed in who they can give up and by the salary cap. To bring in a major offensive player, they would need to get rid of a big contract. Of course, when your big contracts are guys you vastly overpaid for because truly elite free agents spurred you, it's pretty much impossible to get teams to take Horcoff or Penner. The guys teams are going to want, aren't available. Teams will want the stars or the young guys and the Oilers won't deal any of them.

That leaves guys like Marc Pouliot, Erik Cole, Robert Nilsson and skilled prospects - you know the ones MacTavish doesn't like because Liam Reddox gives you waaaaaaaaay more JAM - are in play. Rob Schremp is the only guarantee player leaving Edmonton today. There are other guys on the farm available, but when you have the worst record in the AHL, teams aren't going to knock down the door with great players coming in.

I don't expect them to do much. Between the illogical love of the makeup of a soft team who doesn't score but allows a lot of goal and not much available to deal, the Oilers will think they can get in the playoffs as is. Of course, the fans here are tired of squeaking in on a hope and a prayer. The Oilers spent 55 million bucks on a mediocre team. It should be black and white that this team is not good enough. If you spend that much, the excuse of "we're a young team" doesn't fly.

If I were somehow in charge, I'd try to move as many of the old guard as I could and move any big contract not named Hemsky. I'd do whatever I could to get an early-mid twenties sniper to put with Hemsky. I'd peddle Dwayne Roloson since his value is high now rather than bring him back next year. He's playing well, but he's running out of real estate and I'd go with a younger goalie to play with the younger team. The Oilers have a weird mix where they're old and young at the same time with few guys in the middle.

The only moves at the deadline the Oilers should focus on are obvious. They need to trade the excuses for results but there's no chance of that happening.