The Edmonton Oilers and Their Rotten Core

Can you believe the crap we just had to endure? It’s bad enough that the Oilers don’t have the type of players to even compete against a hulking team like the St.Louis Blues but they’re happy to run away when a teammate is getting jumped by three players of the opposite team… Candy-Asses!

I like to think someone in the organization has gone all Joe McGrath on the Oilers at some point.

Ken Hitchcock’s team seemed to be humoring the Oilers the whole time. You know kinda like when you have that Dads vs. Sons game in minor hockey… At no point in that match were the Blues forced into panicking. The Oilers were outmatched in every aspect and it seemed like they were happy to get the game over with.

Then this happened…

Now Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester aren’t anything to be worried about but Backes is probably one of the meanest SOBs in the whole league and Benoit Pouliot was left to fend for himself until Nuge and Roy stepped in.

What?! Derek Roy, the smallest guy on the team and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the nicest guy on the team, were the ones to attempt to get in there and help Pouliot out? So that leaves Jordan Eberle, Justin Schultz, and the one and only Taylor Hall watching from the outside…

DISGUSTING! Self-preserving brats! I want them gone! Off of this team! Get me some players that give a flying F- about their teammates and playing for the Edmonton Oilers. The “core” of this team is bereft of any integrity and honor. They’re in this game for themselves and it’s gone too far. The Moose would’ve strung these three up by their jocks if they were on his team when he was playing. Just makes me want to puke! And it’s not even the first incident…

So let’s say MacTavish drafts Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel this summer, is this Oilers team the kind of team a young superstar should be brought into? I mean take that hit from behind Leon Draisaitl experienced earlier in the year… Nobody came to his aid and it was only Michal Roszival that hit the kid. If someone lights up McEichel, is there going to be anyone willing to help him out?

I’ll tell you what, it’s time to blow this team up! I want Tom Wilson from the Washington Capitals, a big tough winger who’s spent time playing with elite hockey players (Ovechkin and Backstrom) and keeping up with them. I want Wayne Simmonds from the Philadelphia Flyers, a prototypical NHL power forward with no fear and a keen eye for getting points on the PP. Lastly, I want a declining Milan Lucic from the Boston Bruins. Hell, fire me over Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien! Is Troy Brouwer available? I might even go as far as Zack Kassian… I don’t care if they score 15 goals or 50 goals or 5 . These guys stick up for their teammates. They lead and by example.

Then the Oilers can use those draft picks wisely and pick up the next Hertl or Pastrnak. Bring over Slepyshev or call up Pakarinen. Figure out Yakupov or move him out too. But send away Hall and Eberle, Schultz and whoever else doesn’t feel it’s their job to get their hands dirty but this team needs a new identity and fast.

Now look, contrary to my youtube clip above, I’m not saying I want a team of goons who just go out there to fight and don’t contribute to the game and winning. But I do want to see the Oilers acquire some players that know there’s more to hockey than scoring pretty goals and making a pile of cash.

There are two constants in the most recent version of the Edmonton Oilers. Taylor Hall and Kevin Lowe… Has it not become so obvious what the problem on this team is?

Oh but who’s going to score if you send away Hall and Eberle?

Well considering that they’re in the same scoring bracket as Aaron Ekblad, an 18 year old… Rookie… Defenceman. I wouldn’t worry about who’ll be scoring goals. Not only that but what’s the point? The team has all but locked up a top 3 pick in the draft. Why not ice a team that gives a sh*t and is competitive instead of pushing on the closed door that is Hall or Eberle or Yakupov.

But BLH, Hall’s the heart of this team. He’s busting his balls every game and carrying this team on his back. Maybe his knee is still bugging him.

No, he is not the heart of the team (I’d give that title to Nuge, Boyd Gordon and Matt Hendricks) and he’s not breaking or carrying anything on this Oilers team… In fact, the only thing he’s probably breaking is the hearts of the fans who continue to put their faith in him. And if his knee is still bugging him then he has to do the best thing for himself and his team and take a seat in the pressbox until the time is right for him to return. At the moment, he’s too busy toe dragging and diving for pucks, avoiding checks or bailing out on his teammates.

Eberle is on fire right now, he’s scoring left and right! This is an elite scoring winger in the NHL. Plus he scored that goal versus the Russians at the World Juniors!

Yeah, well that’s all fine and dandy but it’s all a little too late. Let me know when he’s started backchecking and limiting his toe drags to under 5 per game. Maybe hold off on the ATB commercials and spend some extra time analyzing game tape.

Justin Schultz’s potential is sky high. You don’t trade a talent like that!

Jultz has the backing of an Edmonton Oilers management that is afraid to admit they may have made a mistake with him. They called in some big favors to help recruit him to the team and admitting fault would not only make MacTavish and Lowe look bad but a few ex-dynasty teammates as well. The irony is that Justin Schultz’s play on the ice is making everyone look bad.

If Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Justin Schultz have checked out then that says so much about their character and integrity. It also says a lot about the Edmonton Oilers ability to judge and develop hockey players. I mean these kids were basically given the team without having to earn it, so that’s on Oilers management.

If you are an Oilers supporter and you are %100 behind Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Justin Schultz as the guys that are going to lead this team to some form of success, I applaud you. You’ve got more patience than I do.

But the reality is, this team is going to have to shed itself of these kids if they have any interest in moving forward as an organization. As soon as the Edmonton Oilers aren’t a team that is synonymous with the term “First overall draft pick”, that is when we’ll see success. This team has been far too relient on high end picks and kids. The time is now to bite the bullet, admit mistake and move forward.

I’ve heard that you shouldn’t do things when you’re angry…

-BLH