Where do the Oilers go from here?

My hometown team, the Edmonton Oilers, recently ended their 2007-08 season by knocking out their division rivals the Vancouver Canucks out of the postseason race. Apart from that great achievement, their entire season was an interesting one to say the least. They set a club record in man games lost to injury, had a terrible first half to the season and were at one point 14th in their conference. But through a remarkable feat of adversity and perseverance, the Oilers made a push for the playoffs. Only to fall short with time not on their side.

Nevertheless, the year was a success for them. Rookies, such as Gagner, Cogliano, Gilbert, Nilsson (how about that Ryan Smyth deal now?) and Grebeshkov, stepped up. While the emergence of "back-up" goalie Mathieu Garon surprised a lot of people. They will have plenty to look forward to for the following season, but the offseason does provide a few questions.

What will the Oilers do with upcoming restricted free agent in Jarret Stoll? The veteran had a terrible season (-23 and 36 points). Even though he did turn it up later on in the season, I attribute that to his supporting cast picking up their game as well. I would say Stoll is a guy who needs a new change of scenery. Don't get me wrong, I love his heart and character. But from what I've seen, he has never truly been the same player since the end of the 2006 playoffs. He has battled concussion problems and has never found consistent teammates for an entire season. Plus, he has even been a healthy scratch for a small stretch this year. No matter where he ends up, he is a great asset to have. But with the talent coming up in the Oilers ranks, he is an affordable asset they can part with.

Another question mark is Joni Pitkanen. While he did have some bright moments in Edmonton, he did succumb to injury more than he would have liked, which affected his performance. Since he will be an RFA this offseason, there may be some teams who will pull a "Lowe" and sign him to a deal the Oilers are unable to match. Personally, the Oilers shouldn't hold their breath with Pitkanen. While I love the way he skates and joins the rush, I would find him more of a liability as he will command at least $3.5-4 million a season, and that is too much for a guy who has yet to play a full season in his entire career.

Next, the Oilers have to look at their grit. I found they were sorely lacking in that department this season. Yes, Moreau and Torres were absent for a large chunk of the season. But, I still feel other teams were taking advantage of our star players even when they were in the lineup, especially Hemsky. Zach Stortini is terribly overrated and couldn't fight a dead chicken. The Oilers should attempt to go out and find an enforcer who can instill fear in opponents if they try and go after the Oilers best players.

In terms of potential RFAs/UFAs the Oilers should go after, there are a couple players I like:
- Daymond Langkow: he's a center who could easily replace Stoll. Langkow plays with a chip on his shoulder and can still assist in the offence. Having played with Iginla, Tanguay and Huselius, he knows how to play with talented players. So that shouldn't affect the flow of the young and gunning Oilers. Did I forget to mention he was born in Edmonton?

- Kristian Huselius: very talented winger, who does go into droughts here and there. But I would like to see this guy play with Gagner and make a lethal second line for the Oilers. Considering Calgary has to let either him or Langkow go this offseason due to cap problems, the Oilers can try and snag one from their provincial rivals.

- Miroslav Satan: some of you may be surprised by this one, but this guy can be a consistent goal scorer. Heck, the Oilers drafted him, so they know what he can do. To continue from the Huselius comment, I really like this guy to play with Gagner. I feel the Oilers are seriously lacking a second line sniper, and Satan wouldn't be too expensive for them.

- Michael Ryder: if they don't get a hold of Satan, I like Ryder on the Oilers squad. He's a decent skater, with size. More importantly, he's got a great shot. Like Jarret Stoll, Ryder is in dire need of a scenery change. He's had a horrible season in Montreal, after coming off back-to-back 30 goal campaigns. I hate sounding like a broken record, but Ryder with Gagner and Nilsson, sounds like a perfect combination.

While there are other players I want the Oilers to go after, I feel the above selections are the most reasonable and won't cost them too much. Their defence is fine, as long as it stays healthy for an entire season. Goaltending is stabilized for now with Garon and Roloson. If Roloson decides he wants out and to play where he will get lots of ice time, the Oilers could vouch for a new backup/1A goaltender (Huet? Toivonen? Hedberg?). Their young guys in Drouin-Deslauriers and Dubnyk are not quite ready for primetime.