Edmonton Oilers’ Andrew Cogliano tries to reinvent himself
To say that the Edmonton Oilers have struggled greatly in the 2010-11 National Hockey League season wouldn't be an understatement. The team began the new season strong, notching a pair
of back-to-back wins, but ever since, they have gone into a massive free-fall, losing game after game. As a result, they are currently in last place overall in the league standings with 16 points and only six wins to their name.
The Oilers have been riddled with problems this season. From their inconsistency to their inability to win games, the team needs all the help that it can get in order to avoid futility.
The players know that they need to improve quickly if they hope to get back into the wins column.
One Oiler who is making strides to improve his play is centre Andrew Cogliano. Since making the Oilers roster right out of training camp in 2007-08, Cogliano has provided the team with
some clutch offence. However, with the team’s recent struggles, Cogliano believes that the time has come for him to elevate his play.
“I can’t even count the times this year players or coaches have come up to me and said I had a great game, but I had nothing to show for it,” Cogliano told
The Canadian Press. “That’s tough.
“It’s tough because when you’re trying so hard and things don’t go in, people outside the team, fans, look at the numbers. They want results.”
Cogliano, who was Edmonton’s first-round selection in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft (25th overall), has only scored two goals this season, and carries a plus-minus rating of -9, which places
him in a tie for the team’s worst rating.
One of the many ways that Cogliano believes he can improve himself is by adding more of a physical presence on the ice. He has tried to do so thus far, and by his own admission, he still
needs to work on it.
“There’s a physical part I have to add (to my game). I feel like I’ve done that,” said the 23-year-old native of Woodbridge, Ontario. “It’s not going to come overnight. It’s a work in
progress.
“I’m playing the penalty kill this year. I feel I’ve been effective. I feel more confident in that. I don’t think my plus-minus shows how much more defensively aware I am.”
Cogliano’s desire to improve upon himself has caught the attention of Oliers head coach Tom Renney, who says he likes what he sees so far.
“He certainly hasn’t ever taken a day off,” Renney said. “He’s also a guy now who is processing the game as quickly as he can skate it. That’s important because some people can’t do that.”
“Anybody who comes out of junior or their amateur experience in college and has put up big numbers expects to do that in the NHL. Sometimes, it takes a little longer. He’ll find his level.
The big thing for him is the investment he’s put into being a good two-way player and the effort he puts into that.”
Centre Sam Gagner, who entered the NHL at the same time as Cogliano did, said that his team-mate is dedicated to helping his team to win at all costs.
“The thing about Andrew that sticks out is all he wants to do is win,” Gagner said of Cogliano. “He wants to be a part of a winning team here. He’ll do anything it takes.
“It’s a results-oriented league and people look at stats and try to come to conclusions with those, but you have to look at how he approaches things. He comes to work every day with a
great attitude.”
Despite the fact that Cogliano has not producing the desired offensive results so far, he has never stopped working hard, and by his own admission, that will never change.
“I feel like I work hard every game,” Cogliano said. “I’m engaged. I feel like I’m doing everything possible to get better.
“I’m determined to get better and to be in this league for a long time. That’s my goal. I want to be an NHL player for 10 or 15 years, and I’m going to find a way to do that. That’s never
going to change.”
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