Tuesday 24 November 2015

They Are Who We Thought They Were: The Oilers

It's a painful thing, being an Oilers fan. It's a pain only Oilers fans really understand. Other fans, from other winning teams, laugh at us like we're a weekly Emmy winning sitcom that's been on for years, making our pain all that more torturous. This season is no exception. In fact, it may be worse. With hope finally on the horizon, it was dashed with an awkward fall into the boards. Karma cannot be this cruel, can it? Are we being punished for having so much success so early on? Now, with moral victories abound, the drastic improvements made have still resulted in one thing: losing. That much talent can't exist with such poor results, can it? Hamonic? Sure. Somebody else for somebody else? Sure. Just please, please do something.

This season began with optimism. It's not like Edmonton was planning a Cup parade or anything, but finally there seemed like there could be something entertaining to watch at Rexall Place. The boys on the bus had finally left and it seemed that logic and sense had taken over...or at least someone other than another boy on the bus. Of course getting Connor McDavid certainly helped with the optimism, but for once we didn't overpay in free agency, we made some sensical trades and what needed to be improved, was. I know, crazy. It was like there was a completely new and improved bus that was being driven by a completely sane and rational person.

But to say the Oilers and improve in the same sentence is laughable; a painful sort of laugh that is quickly followed by a whimper and a few tears. But this season, they have improved. You can see it if you watch. When they're in their own end, you don't feel like you're going to have a heart attack every 5 seconds or hyperventilate from panic. When they forecheck, it's not at the expense of everything else. And yet, they still sit in last place, the worst in the NHL. Would they still be in last if McDavid was around? Maybe not. But, maybe; after all they were still below .500 with McDavid in the lineup. But man, he sure was exciting to watch.

And yet the Oilers sit, quietly and patiently, in last place. Yes, strides have been made. Darnell Nurse looks like the stud defenseman he was drafted to be. Taylor Hall is becoming the leader they need. Leon Draistl isn't McDavid, but he's pretty damn good. Their defence has some experience and grit in Sekera and Gryba. And yet still they sit in last place. So close and yet still so, so, so far. A multitude of one goal losses have left the Oilers with moral victories that amount to 0 in the standings and more pain and suffering in a desperate Edmonton fan base. A fan base that is tired of being the laughing stock, the joke and the punchline. Edmonton is a proud blue collar city, a decade of losing is a painful thing to a diehard loyal lot.

So please, please do something Peter Chiarelli. Anything. For years MacT stood by his young talent and his #1 picks, but this group hasn't played a meaningful game past Christmas. It's time to shake it up. Yakupov? He could leave and no one would notice. Only being able to play next to Connor McDavid isn't something to hold on to. With all that talent, the Oilers needs are still plenty. Depth? Depth would be nice. Of course if the Oilers could draft someone past the 1st round they'd have some depth, but that doesn't help them right now. Everyone talks about Eberle being great trade bait, mostly because he is...who wouldn't love that guy? Perhaps it is time to really shake things up and pull the trigger on something major. While I love Ebs, I also love winning. Montreal has a fine crop of good young defensemen waiting to be plucked. The Islanders are shopping a stud that wants to come to Western Canada - which never happens...it's time to make something happen.

Seriously, it's not like at this point Oiler fans expect a playoff berth this year, but NOT finishing in last place would go a long way in morale. NOT feeling the wrath of every other fanbase for sucking and winning the draft lottery again would go a long way in morale. Since this year seems to be the year of moral victories, perhaps that could be a valuable one at the end of the year.

But what I'm saying isn't breaking news or even news. And perhaps that's what makes it that much more frustrating for fans. Edmonton isn't a fancy place. It doesn't have crazy beautiful things or high profile anything. It's in the middle of the prairies. It's cold. It's flat. Edmonton's sports teams are an important fixture in the City of Champions...because it's not a city of champions if we always suck. Thank god the Eskimos are coming around. There were a few bleak years there where everything was terrible. Now it's still, still, just the Oilers. Yet still, Oil fans are a proud, hardworking, loyal lot. The Copper and Blue goes to work everyday in the oilfield, on the construction site, in classrooms and in restaurants. We are all suffering. Please. Please. Please. Do something.



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