Tinkering

After watching the roster he put together win exactly one game over what was essentially a quarter of the 2014-15 season, Edmonton Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish decided the time had finally come to start making some changes. 

Broken

As difficult as the past eight years have been to endure for fans of the Edmonton Oilers, nothing comes close to what they have been forced to watch over the first three months of the 2014-15 National Hockey League season. As bad as things have been since their surprising run to the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, this is on a completely different level. 

Another Failed Attempt In Beantown

With ten minutes to go in the third period of last night’s tilt with the Boston Bruins, it looked as though the Edmonton Oilers were about to end of couple of streaks. While Dallas Eakins’ squad came into this one on a three game losing skid, it had been almost eighteen years to the day since the Oilers last walked out of good ol’ Beantown with two points in their backpocket. 

Time for MacT to Correct Miscalcualtion

ith the Edmonton Oilers getting off to their usual slow start, one can’t help but wonder when general manager Craig MacTavish will do the right thing and get both Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse out of town. 

Can It Really Get Much Worse?

Despite the best efforts of one Taylor Hall, the Edmonton Oilers found a way to simply give away another two points on Wednesday night in Arizona, dropping a 7-4 decision to the Coyotes. While the top line of Hall, Jordan Erberle and Mark Arcobello combined for three goals and seven points, it was the team’s play in their own end coupled with yet another disastrous outing from netminder Ben Scrivens that cost them. 

Another Disappointing Finish In Van City

On a night in which the Edmonton Oilers jumped out to an early two goal advantage against a Vancouver Canucks side that came out of the gate as flat as a board for their home opener, Dallas Eakins’ crew still found a way to allow their Pacific Division rival to take home two points in what was a 5-4 shootout loss. 

Leon Draisaitl and the 2014-15 NHL Campaign

So here we are. The Edmonton Oilers are just over twenty-four hours away from the start of their 2014-15 season and they are about to embark on that journey with the quartet of Mark Arcobello, Leon Draisaitl, Boyd Gordon and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at centre. 

Oilers win another but the waters remain rather muddy

It certainly wasn’t pretty but the Edmonton Oilers found a way to send 16, 839 home from Rexall Place with a smile on their collective faces on Monday evening courtesy of a 3-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. 

The Draisaitl, Perron and Pouliot Experiment

The moment Craig MacTavsih announced the Edmonton Oilers signing of winger Benoit Pouliot to a five year $20 million deal, it was obvious the role in which the organization envisioned using the former New York Ranger during the upcoming 2014-15 season.

How much is too much?

With the Edmonton Oilers annual trip to Penticton and the Young Stars Tournament now in the books, the focus will shift to the start of their National Hockey League Training Camp. Come Friday morning/afternoon we will all get our first on ice look of what many are hoping will be a playoff team in 2014-15.

Draisaitl signs and looks to be headed for regular duty in 2014-15

It may have taken longer than many across Oil Country would have hoped but as of this morning, Leon Draisaitl is officially a member of the Edmonton Oilers. The two sides finally agreed to dot the “i’s” and cross the “t’s” on a three year entry level deal that will likely all but guarantee the former Prince Albert Raiders star centre starts his National Hockey League career in the Alberta capital this October. 

Time for Pitlick to sink or swim

It wasn’t supposed to go like this for Tyler Pitlick and the Edmonton Oilers. 

Will Yakupov be 2nd or 3rd line player in 2014-15?

Edmonton Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish was a very busy man both leading up to the National Hockey League’s annual Free Agent Frenzy and on July 1st itself. He managed to not only ship Sam Gagner out of town but also brought in the quartet of Keith Aulie, Mark Fayne, Benoit Pouliot and Teddy Purcell for the coming 2014-15 campaign.

Second line centre

As of this moment, it is clear to everyone the Edmonton Oilers are absent a second line centre, unless of course you are one of those souls who have fooled yourself into believing Mark Arcobello could fill the role on a short-term basis. 

The Quick Fix

As of this moment the Edmonton Oilers top six forwards consists of Jordan Eberle, Sam Gagner, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, David Perron and Nail Yakupov. That said, if we are to take general manager Craig MacTavish at his word and do a little bit of reading between the lines, there will be at least one, if not two, different names as permanent fixtures on his first two lines 

UFA Market...here we come!!!

There is no question that the 2013-14 campaign will go down as one of the most disappointing in the history of the Edmonton Oilers. This was supposed to be the year the guys in Orange and Blue were going to push for a playoff spot and instead they did nothing more than push for yet another lottery pick.

Will Arco see regular duty in 2014-15?

There have been few bright spots in what has been an absolutely disastrous 2013-14 campaign for the Edmonton Oilers.

Arcobello? Lander?

Regardless of what Craig MacTavish decides to do at this year’s NHL Trade Deadline, the Edmonton Oilers GM is going to have to decide what type of player he wants to employ as his fourth line centre come 2014-15.

Close but no cigar

Even when the St. Louis Blues don’t bring their “A” game to rink, the Edmonton Oilers need everything to go just right in order to have any hope of beating Ken Hitchcock’s side. Last night’s 5-2 loss could have gone in a completely different direction but the Oilers best players simply weren’t good enough.

Where have these guys been this season?

In a season in which very little has gone right for the Edmonton Oilers, last night’s 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins was about as close to a win as a team can get without actually earning any points in the standings.