It's There for the Taking

As hard as it might be to fathom, we are here. With five games remaining on their schedule, the Edmonton Oilers have put themselves in a position where the out-of-town scoreboard no longer matters. If this group can go out and take care of business over the next ten days, they will finish the 2016-17 season as Pacific Division champions. In a year in which surprises have been the norm across the NHL, one would be hard-pressed to find a potential result being as shocking as what this group is on the verge of accomplishing.

The Importance of Klefbom and Larsson

At the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the Edmonton Oilers felt they had secured a pair of key pieces in their rebuild with the selections of Swedish forwards Magnus Paajarvi and Anton Lander. While both were expected to develop into productive NHL players, neither one managed to live up to their advanced billing. Ironically enough, the organization went out and found another pair of fellow countrymen to fill a need but this time around the duo of Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson have delivered on their promise.

Time To Celebrate

In our day to day existence, eleven years is a long time to go without something. In the world of sports, such a timeframe can feel like an eternity…just ask any fan of the Edmonton Oilers. As memorable as watching their team’s run to the 2006 Stanley Cup Final might have been, going a decade plus between playoff appearances was never supposed to be part of the equation. Certainly, a tough road to haul for all involved but one that is mercifully about to come to an end.