Jordan Eberle

The Edmonton Oilers are very similar to the Toronto Maple Leafs. They both enjoy very notable histories in the NHL and have each won their share of Stanley Cups. 

In recent years, while both teams have been less than stellar in the league standings, Edmonton lost its similarity with the Original Six Leafs in that they have clung to the deep bottom of the NHL's basement. 

Ray Shero and Mike Gillis have plenty in common.

The General Managers of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks, respectively, their teams are among the best in the game. Each commands a front office which performs some of the most masterful managerial work in the NHL salary cap era, and their clubs are among the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.

Word has come down (via TSN) that Canucks winger Raffi Torres will be suspended for four games for his hit on Jordan Eberle during the Canucks/Oilers game last Tuesday.

The NHL got it wrong here.

Last night Raffi Torres leveled Jordan Eberle with a blindside elbow to the head. Torres got a five-minute major for elbowing plus a game misconduct, as well as a fighting major from the scrum afterwards. Eberle was luckily not injured and came back to play during the following power play. You can view the video of the hit here.

The Edmonton Oilers traded away their leading goal scorer in Dustin Penner at the NHL Trade Deadline this past week.  The Oilers are handing the reigns of the team over to its young gun, and this week will be a big test. 

Edmonton plays four games on the road this scoring period against some of the best teams in the NHL.  First, it’s back-to-back games against the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals.  The Oilers then close out the week against the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins.

The lone blockbuster deal of the NHL trade deadline day 2011 (although there were a few blockbusters in the weeks leading up to it) saw the Edmonton Oilers trade winger Dustin Penner to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defensive prospect Colton Teubert, a first-round pick in the 2011 draft, and a conditional pick in 2012 (either a third round or a second round, depending on whether or not the Kings win the Stanley Cup).

The 2010-2011 NHL season has provided an astounding number of highlight reel goals by some of the games most prolific scorers both young and old.

Talented young players and a new, faster brand of hockey have led to more open ice and some dazzling maneuvers through the offensive zone in recent seasons.

This list of the 20 best goals of the 2010-2011 season contains goals from players of all types of skill sets.

From the danglers like Marion Gaborik and Claude Giroux to the sturdy defensemen like Brent Burns, this list has it all.

The Edmonton Oilers are starting to see the return on their investment in their top NHL draft picks from the last few years.

The transformation of the once-proud franchise began in the 2008 NHL Entry draft when the Oilers selected 18-year-old Jordan Eberle with the 22nd pick. Just a year later, the uber-talented Swede Magnus Paajarvi was selected with the 10th pick.

Sometimes it's good drafting. Other times it's the luck of the draw. 

But no matter how it happens, when a rookie has a fantastic start to a season, it's almost a bonus to any team.

You don't come into a season relying on your rookies to steal the show (unless you're the Edmonton Oilers), but when it happens, the team can only benefit. 

And the GM looks like a genius. 

This season through the first quarter, there have been plenty of rookies who have played great, but there are some who have played rather surprisingly. 

There continues to be a youth movement in the NHL.  Teams are expecting their young guys to carry the load throughout the season, and these kids are not disappointing.