It’s been a long time since I’ve had this feeling when it comes to the Oilers.
It’s giving me reason to think that next season won’t be as terrible as the last 9.
It’s making me reconsider my stance on not buying tickets for games until the team is better.
It’s this weird, positive emotion that I can’t quite put a finger on.
It’s hope.
For the first time in forever, Oilers fans are optimistic about the upcoming season. I don’t mean the false optimism of all of the previous years, but actual optimism, the kind that can be measured by the number of gleeful laughing spells an Oilers fan has per day.
Just in case anyone’s forgotten, here are a couple hot takes from 2008-09:
RT @mastermaq: #Oilers got O’Sullivan and a 2nd round pick for Cole, flipped the 2nd round pick for Kotalik. Sweet. #nhltrade
— Megan F (@mig14) March 4, 2009
Now, as you can surely see, we were deluded into thinking that Patrick O’Sullivan would be better than a pile of hot garbage, and that Kotalik would turn into something that resembled a hockey player and not a pylon.
1st line centre? No. Starting goalie? No. Forward who scored 30 goals last year? No. I love summer in #yeg. #oilers #NHLFA — Megan F (@mig14) July 1, 2009
In 2009, the Oilers were lacking a #1 goalie. It is 2015 and that hasn’t changed.
Here’s 2009-10:
The Oilers and Hurricanes have 83 points combined. The Sharks have 81. By themselves. #justsaying
— Megan F (@mig14) February 2, 2010
And 2010-11. This seems mean, but I’m sure it’s not inaccurate.
Oh Oilers… If they gave points for trying…I’m not sure if you’d get any.
— Megan F (@mig14) November 12, 2010
And 2011-12. I remember this. They were good. And then they Oilered and weren’t.
I love how everyone is still unsure as to whether or not the #Oilers are for real. Like “should we be excited, or fearful?”
— Megan F (@mig14) November 4, 2011
And 2012-13. FRAUGHT WITH DESPAIR, I tell you.
@WanyeGretz why is being an Oilers fan so fraught with despair? And why can’t they stay out of the penalty box? — Megan F (@mig14) February 11, 2013
And 2013-14. I don’t even know what it was in reference to, but the date sort of suggests that it was a terrible early-season loss.; there were many of those.
That was the most Oilers thing to happen in all eternity — Megan F (@mig14) November 16, 2013
From 2014-15, here’s my reaction to the Oilers losing 7-4 to Arizona in one of the FIVE games they lost to them this year.
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? #oilers — Megan F (@mig14) October 16, 2014
And for the grand finale:
I will not be satisfied until my weekly email from the Oilers has the headline “FIRE SALE. EVERYTHING MUST GO.”
— Megan F (@mig14) October 17, 2014
Well, the Oilers let me down again on that one, BUT I’m finally feeling that something will be different.
Sure, it’s been helpful that the Oilers won the draft lottery in what is quite possibly the most talked about draft year since Sidney Crosby was in the QMJHL. It’s also good that they finally fired Kevin Lowe from his position with Hockey Ops.
There’s a new GM in town and he’s obviously not afraid to make changes. Sounds like we’re getting a new coach in Todd McLellan (probably, anyway), and maybe this means they can keep Nelson as an associate so he can keep working with the group he did a lot of good work with this season. Obviously there are still glaring deficiencies on D and in net, but hopefully Chiarelli can make some deals and get at least a couple of the pieces the team needs in order to start the season with a little more than a whimper.
I’m not asking for miracles in 2015-16, but it’d be great if we (as fans) had a team we could be proud of, and not have to listen to the same-old every night for 82 games. Maybe this year they play .500 hockey, and then make the playoffs in 16-17. Maybe we don’t have to wait until 2027 for a Stanley Cup win.
I don’t know what the future holds, but it’s certainly a lot brighter than it was 4 short weeks ago. I don’t want to say we deserve this, but we kind of do. It’s been 9 long years of nothing but the worst, and we’re now in a unique position to expect something a little more.
Here’s hoping that bar isn’t too high.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrI-UBIB8Jk&w=420&h=315]
[wpauction id=”1″ /]
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
