Don't Look At The Old Boys Club

To suggest the past thirteen years have been rough on the Edmonton Oilers organization is about as big of an understatement as one could make. Their record over said time period speaks for itself and has directly led to certain “narratives” surrounding the team on an on0going basis. Most notably, the perception of the “Old Boys Club” running the show but that simply hasn’t been the case since the summer of 2015. 

Suck It Up Pete and Move Along

It may have been unexpected but yesterday afternoon brought us another chapter in the ongoing saga between Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli and the team’s loyal fan base. Depending on what side of the equation you fall on, this truly has become “love or hate” relationship among the masses across Oil Country and the chances of that changing are non-existent. 

A New And Improved Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

It has been just over seven years since the Edmonton Oilers used the first overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft to select Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Though he has developed into a solid all-around player, it is fair to say the Burnaby native has yet to live up to his pre-draft hype. However, this could be the season that No. 93 finally puts it all together and becomes a top 25 scorer…thanks to a little help from Connor McDavid. 

Not A Good Enough Return But Still A Nice Fit

At no fault of his own, Adam Larsson was put in an awfully difficult position to start his Edmonton Oilers career. Though any reasonable fan, media member and student of the game would never view the rugged rearguard as fair value for Taylor Hall, one has to remove that part of the equation in order to fairly judge his performance. On its own merit, the trade is a fail every single time for the organization but the 25-year old has managed to deliver exactly what should have been expected of him. 

The Panic Button

With a season that can only be described as disastrous finally in the books, the Edmonton Oilers are once again heading into the off-season with many a question surrounding their roster. Though many felt the organization had turned the corner from what is known as the “Decade of Darkness” following their 2016-17 campaign, there is still plenty of work to be done in good ol’ Oil Country. 

Take A Look In The Mirror Pete

With roughly 25% of their 2017-18 season now in the books, it is clear there is something wrong with the Edmonton Oilers and contrary to popular opinion, it is not all on the players. No question the collective could be performing better but there does appear to be a taboo topic of sorts in my neck of the woods. Like it or not but the time has come for Peter Chiarelli to take some heat for where his club currently sits. 

Hall Deal Remains A Headscratcher

It has been almost a year and a half since the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey pulled the trigger on the blockbuster deal that saw Taylor Hall and Adam Larsson swap organizations. At the time, the move seemed a rather puzzling one from an Oilers standpoint but after the club put together a surprising campaign in 2016-17, public opinion on the trade seemingly shifted in the minds of many across Oil Country. 

Time For A Little Accountability

Since taking over the position of general manager with the Edmonton Oilers, Peter Chiarelli has done what every man in his position is brought in to do. In his two-plus years on the job, the 53-year old has molded this roster into one he believed could help bring this once storied franchise back to relevance. Unfortunately, it appears as though his tinkering has robbed this club of its scoring depth and they are paying for it in the standings.

Hockey History: Top 5 Goalies of the 60's

The last line of defence. In a nutshell, that is what a goaltender has, is and will always be. No matter the era they played in, the job has always remained the same. See shot, stop shot…rinse and repeat. Sounds simple enough, now if only it were that easy. Over the coming weeks, we will look back into hockey history and celebrate the careers of some the greatest goalies to have ever played the position. To kick things off we go to the 1960’s and the days of when the 30-something netminder ruled the day and the man who was known as “Mr. Goalie” led the way.

Opportunity Awaits Leon Draisaitl

It may have taken longer than yours truly was hoping but it looks as though the Edmonton Oilers have finally come to their senses and shifted Leon Draisaitl over to the wing. To be fair, it appeared as though Todd McLellan was leaning towards doing just that during training camp but an ill-timed injury to Drake Caggiula forced his hand and put the move on hold. While the duo of Connor McDavid and Cam Talbot carried much of the load early on, that was never going to be a viable long-term solution and everyone knew it.

What About Plan B?

Offering an NHL veteran the opportunity to make your team via “Professional Try Out” is always a risky proposition for any organization. The Edmonton Oilers found that out the hard way earlier today, as Kris Versteeg decided to jump ship and sign a one-year $950,000 deal with the Calgary Flames. By the sounds of it, Peter Chiarelli offered the two-time Stanley Cup winner a contract but the 30-year old winger decided to go in a different direction. A tough break for sure but not one that should have come as a complete surprise to the former Boston Bruins general manager. 

A Predictable Ending

From the moment the Edmonton Oilers decided to use the No. 1 selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft to select Nail Yakupov, there were those who questioned the decision. After adding the quartet of Jordan Eberle, Magnus Paajarvi, Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins over the previous four drafts, bringing in another forward seemed to be a bit of overkill in the minds of some. With that said, there is no question the vast majority of Oilers Nation wanted the club to use their first round pick on the talented Russian…yours truly included. 

What Are Reasonable Expectations?

If both players manage to stay relatively healthy throughout their NHL careers, there is no question that the Edmonton Oilers will end up on the wrong end of the Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson swap. Trading away a 24-year-old proven driver and point producer for a guy who “could” one day turn into a legit top pairing defenceman,  is a deal that has potential disaster written all over it. While the return was certainly underwhelming, the addition of the former New Jersey Devils blueliner will instantly upgrade Edmonton’s paper thin backend. 

Milan Lucic and Playing the PR Game

Give the Edmonton Oilers credit. After trading away Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for defenceman Adam Larsson, they were well aware of the fact there would be major pushback from much of the fan base after making such a deal. However, by pulling the trigger on the swap when he did, Peter Chiarelli gave both himself and the organization an easy out to help soften the blow. To their credit, they played it perfectly and after feeling the heat for the better part of 48 hours, all seemed to be forgiven after announcing the signing of Milan Lucic to a 7-year/$42 million pact. 

Desperation Cost the Oilers Taylor Hall

It was a move we could all see happening but hoped would not come to fruition. Outside of the new shiny generational toy that is Connor McDavid, the best player to have pulled on an Edmonton Oilers jersey since the Dynasty Years was none other than Taylor Hall. The first of what turned out to be a quartet of first-overall selections for the Oilers over a six-year span was shipped out-of-town in exchange for former New Jersey Devils defenceman Adam Larsson on Tuesday afternoon in what was a crazy day across the NHL. 

Lucic for Hall...No Thank You

Yesterday was a very interesting day for fans of the Edmonton Oilers. From the moment TSN Insider Pierre LeBrun broke the news that pending unrestricted free agents Jason Demers and Milan Lucic were in town on Tuesday to talk shop with Peter Chiarelli and company, Oilers Nation was abuzz with excitement. If we are to believe the rumours that are already making the rounds, it would appear to be a forgone conclusion that both players have already agreed to sign on the dotted line to play in the Alberta capital. 

Learning How To Win Again

From an Edmonton Oilers standpoint, the 2016 IIHF World Championship could not have gone much better. While the likes of Leon Draisaitl, Matt Hendricks, Patrick Maroon and Andrej Sekera enjoyed relative degrees of success, it was the trio of Canadians who had the biggest impact at the tournament. Heading into this year’s event all signs pointed towards Taylor Hall, Connor McDavid and Cam Talbot playing key roles on Bill Peters squad and all three were up to the challenge in helping Canada to their second consecutive Gold Medal. 

Canada Says No Thanks To Taylor Hall

Prior to yesterday’s announcement of the final roster selections for the 2016 World Cup Hockey, many seemed to believe it was nothing more than a foregone conclusion that Hockey Canada would use one of those spots on Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall. Coming off a second consecutive year in which the former first-overall selection starred for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship and developing into one of the best left-wingers in the game today , it did seem to be a no-brainer of a move for Doug Armstrong and company to make. 

No. 1 = Auston Matthews

After drafting first overall in four of the last six years, it seems as though certain chunks of the Edmonton Oilers fan base have started to lose their collective marbles. How else can one explain the notion that Peter Chiarelli and company should seriously consider trading their first-round pick if they happen to win the 2016 NHL Draft Lottery? While the masses may have had their fill of watching one losing season after another, giving away the chance to add a player as talented as Auston Matthews to this organization would be bordering on insanity. 

Oilers Will Seize Moment On World Stage

With the first-round of the NHL post-season nearing its conclusion, the countdown to the start of the 2016 IIHF World Championship in Russia is well under way. While we will see a handful of players who have been bounced from the playoffs be added  to Team Canada’s lineup over the coming days, the Edmonton Oilers trio of Taylor Hall, Connor McDavid, and Cam Talbot could prove to be key pieces of the puzzle for head coach Bill Peters and the rest of his coaching staff.