The Poor Edmonton Oilers

[RGM81]

I genuinely feel bad for the players on the team. It's not their fault that they are part of such an absolutely inept organization. How it is that Kevin Lowe and Mac T still have jobs there....beyond me.

Another fan's jersey tossed on the ice tonight. While I think it is a very disrespectful thing to do...I can see where the frustration comes from. Given the opportunity I'm sure the fan would rather toss it in the face of management instead of in the direction of the players.

Maybe next year things will turn around, but the Oilers have to clean house at the management level first.

[cygnusx1]

Not enough forward depth. They should draft one with their high first rounder this year.

[centrehice]

I feel bad for Oiler fans that thought that this wonderful opportunity of drafting where they did would have catapulted the Oilers into a competitive team for years to come.

I do not feel bad for Kevin Slowe who for 30 years now, struts around Alberta like the sun shines out his Captain's Quarters.

The problem has also been with Oiler fans themselves, who refuse to believe than any Dynasty Oiler from the past could ever make a mistake.

[RGM81]

The draft picks along aren't enough to build a team. They're great players, sure, but they need supporting elements to supplement and complement those stars.

And for goodness sakes, get some proper defence. It took them until the end of this season to finally get some goaltending, but there is still such a long way to go.

[centrehice]

All they had to do was draft defensively every 3rd year and the problems would have taken care of themselves. There is also an inherent problem with being a player and going to either Edmonton or Wpg.

If Quebec ends up back in the NHL they will have to deal with that reality as well. I have lived in both Edm and Wpg. and making the kind of dough a professional Hockey player makes, those are the last 2 places anyone wants to hang out in. They simply aren't dynamic enough. One is friendlier and has less culture, the other a miserable place with unhappy people, but good food.

I would hate to have to build a competitive team in Edm or Wpg. Calgary also is starting to be a Hockey Graveyard as well.

[mooneyes]

Its the 3 STOOGES, Lowe, Mac, and whats his name....Eakin...all former NHL duds from a Different era....clueless, all former players running the whole show doesn't work.
I know I am biased, but they need some old fat guys with smarts like Chiarelli and Julien....Chiarelli did play, but only for Harvard Uni....I think he can manage a team a tad better than ole Helmet head Mac T :P

[13stepper]

Lol, I'm trying to decide which description goes with which city! bahahahahaa.

All they had to do was draft defensively every 3rd year and the problems would have taken care of themselves. There is also an inherent problem with being a player and going to either Edmonton or Wpg.

If Quebec ends up back in the NHL they will have to deal with that reality as well. I have lived in both Edm and Wpg. and making the kind of dough a professional Hockey player makes, those are the last 2 places anyone wants to hang out in. They simply aren't dynamic enough. One is friendlier and has less culture, the other a miserable place with unhappy people, but good food.

I would hate to have to build a competitive team in Edm or Wpg. Calgary also is starting to be a Hockey Graveyard as well.

[centrehice]

Lol, I'm trying to decide which description goes with which city! bahahahahaa.

Edmonton folks are much nicer, they don't think they live in NYC, like the other mob do.

[mooneyes]

WPG like NYC... I feel like I live at the north pole, except it is colder here lol...although the summer's are amazing, especially if you like the cottage life, and for some reason the mosquito's have all but left. We are also completely loony for hockey, watching a game at the MTS centre is an experience in itself!.
That being said, playing in warmer places or freezing Winterpeg is a no brainer, all of Canada has that problem, when was the last time a Canadian team has won a Cup?

One thing though, Mark Chipman is the man. Very bright and gives his players First class treatment, and knows how to build a contender by shrude drafting and patience...the team is Very big and fast, a great combination. Scheifele has been fantastic until he got hurt. A certified #1 goalie and we would be in the final 16 this year. Add the developing Lowry, Petan and Lipon etc, all from the draft and things look bright IMHO. ( We also traded a defensive liability D-man for one of the biggest, talented power forwards in the game, Byfuglien for Byfuglien! About time, he has been great up front! )

[30ranfordfan]

Lowe: Should have been canned years ago. I will give him all the credit in the world for building a team that got to the finals in 2006, but the disaster that this franchise has been since, he should have paid the price a long time ago.

MacT: "Still has a job" forgets a lot of history. He's actually had a job with the organization for less than a year, lol. Fired years ago as coach.... now back as GM. I actually don't mind the job he's done as GM so far. The Perron trade was his biggest move, and it was a good one, but he hasn't done enough. The Defense is still too poor of quality to give this team any chance of winning most nights.

Eakins: The Maple Leafs dogged a bullet, when this guy left. This clown shouldn't be coaching in the NHL. I'm sure he's great at getting a bunch of AHL pluggers to do whatever he tells them... with promises of the NHL being the motivator.... but working with actual skilled players? He's got no clue. This team has gotten WORSE this year than they were last year. The Oilers will not make the playoffs as long as he's there.... but based on how Lowe & co. run things... that shouldn't be too much longer. He'll be the next scape goat.



Maybe I've still got the rose coloured glasses on, but I don't think they're that far away from being "competitive" (I'm talking about being a 7th / 8th place kinda team though.... not a 1st place one. That's still quite a ways away).

There isn't anyone on this roster I really dislike, it's the combination of these players I think is bad. If it were me, here's what you bring back for next year:


Hall - Hopkins - Yakupov
XXXX - XXXX - Perron
XXXX - Gordon - Jones
Hendricks - XXXX - Smyth

XXXX - Schultz
XXXX - XXXX
XXXX - Ferrence

Scrivens
Fasth


Yeah, that's a lot holes to fill :)

I expect they're going to end up with a very high pick. Arron Ekblad is the player they should draft, and he's going to be good enough to make this team right away. Give him 3rd pairing minutes with Ferrence to start, and see what happens.

Of Martin Marcinian, Darnell Nurse, and Oscar Klefboom - I expect two will be on the team next year. This makes up your second pairing (in theory) or maybe it's one of these guys with Ferrence, and Ekblad is the paired with the other?? Maybe you add another #4 type guy in trade ??

They need to go out and a top end, legit #1 dman. This is going to be expensive (in trade) but do it anyway!

Forwards: They need to get meaner, nastier, and tougher to play against. Gagner should be traded at the draft, before the NMC kicks in. Move Eberle out, as you'll get something really nice for him too. Try and add size / toughness into that second line.

I would be looking at trades like Gagner for Tyler Myers (who might be able to bounce back, with a change of scenery??). Eberle to Philadelphia would make a lot of sense too, I think. Flyers have the kinds of guys that the Oilers need: Simmonds, Harnell, Coutourier. #4 dmen types. Some kind of "Package for Package" deal?? I don't know.

Free Agent I'd really like: David Legwand. Defensivly smart, good with the puck, though not an overwhelming offensive guy. I can't imagine he'd want to come to Edmonton though.