What Did You Expect?

Last night after the Oilers 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers my friend and Oilers Rig writer Alex Thomas wrote a scathing open letter to Oilers owner Daryl Katz and the rest of Oilers management for their performance over the past eight years. Alex, along with many of you, are pissed. Hey I’m pissed too, I’m sick of watching this team lose, The Oilers need to be better, but;

The Oilers are getting better, I hate to sit here and preach patience but what the hell else am I supposed to do. This might sound dumb but the Oilers low moments haven’t been as low as they were in the past, they’ve played hard (something that couldn’t be said before). We have seen improvement, look at RNH, look at Nail Yakupov, what about Jeff Petry? The team is deeper then they’ve been in years, it isn’t much but it is something. It’s completely understandable to have run out of patience, but not having patience isn’t going to make the Oilers a playoff team any sooner.

Alex writes

Year after year we hope that this is it, the time when all of our pain and suffering will be worth it, and you will finally reward us by turning a corner

But how many of you picked the Oilers to be a playoff team this season? Not one of the Oilers Rig writers did, I sure didn’t and I know very few that read Alex’s article or are reading this one thought so either.

Alex mentions that this year the Oilers are only one win better than last season. Well the team is only one game better but they’re only 12 games into the season, 12 games is exactly 15% of the season so if you say that the Oilers are going to be 1 game better in each 15% increment then the Oilers are on pace to finish with roughly 7.5 more wins on the season, or 15 points better than last year. That’s improvement isn’t it? Are the Oilers going to lose every game to the Western Conference? Not likely, are they going to get better goaltending, one would hope.

In Alex’s open letter he also mentions that the Oilers have promised change and haven’t done enough to bring about those changes. Now, here he has a point, the teams current biggest weakness is at the center position and not bringing in a veteran center that can play in your top nine was and is still a major failure. But how do we know he didn’t try? Craig MacTavish has essentially turned over 85% or more of this roster since he became GM, I’d have to look it up but I’m certain no other GM has made as many moves as MacT.

Who’s to say that MacT didn’t go out and try to sign players like David Legwand, Derek Roy, Mike Ribiero? If you are a free agent would you want to come to Edmonton when you could play in Nashville or Detroit? Who’s to say that he didn’t spend all summer trying to make a trade when he struck out on the free agent center market? MacT from what I can tell has done what he could so far. He’s trying to build a team and we are seeing improvements. You want him to go out there and make a trade? Ha how easy do you think that is when the Oilers sit where they do in the standings?

MacT: “Hey Ron Hextall i’d like to trade with you and I want Couturier”

Hextall: “Sure, but I want Jordan Eberle, Jeff Petry and either a prospect or a pick”

MacT: “Hmm, what about Brayden Schenn?”

Hextall: “Sure I want Jordan Eberle, Jeff Petry and either a prospect or a pick”

MacT: Click…….

And those are going to be the demands of every single GM in the NHL when MacT comes calling, the Oilers are dealing from a position of weakness and making a trade that will drastically help this team is going to cost a hell of a lot more that MacT is probably willing to give up.

Alex goes on to talk about goaltending and inconsistency, but hell, what are you going to do? Last year all of us fans were elated with the performance of Scrivens, and happy that we’ve got two quality goalies at a 1A/1B role. Should we be surprised by their struggles? Maybe not, disappointed sure. But look at both of their contracts, the Oilers only have to pay Fasth until the end of this year and Scrivens until the end of next. Not exactly hand cuffed here.

The biggest thing I agree with Alex is, the coaching decisions being made by this team. I don’t think Eakins is cut out to be an NHL coach, I don’t think the players respect him. I think they question his decisions as much as we as fans do.

Here’s the problem, can the Oilers really fire another coach right now? Is that going to help the young players get things figured out? Or is a 15 point improvement at the end of the season enough? If you think the Oilers are just holding out until the end of the season the axe Eakins so that they can bring in Mike Babcock, give your head a shake. Babcock essentially has his choice of 29 other teams, He’s not going to pick Edmonton.

There is a coach out there that I think would be a fine replacement and that is Dan Bylsma, the man has experience, a Stanley Cup ring and the Penguins were not all that different from the Oilers when it comes to having a group of young stars. Would I fire Eakins right now? Yes I would. Will it help the team? I’m not entirely sure, but I don’t think it would hur

The bottom line with all of this is, it’s ok to be frustrated, it’s alright to be angry. But come one people you all knew this team wasn’t going to magically jump into a playoff position over night. Think about it, 1 more win in each ten game set when compared to last year makes 16 more points on the board. Repeat the same next season and that’s enough points for a playoff spot.

This team is starting to show signs of improvement, Baby Steps, Baby Steps, Baby Steps.

Thanks for Reading