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. 

A Farewell To Remember...With One Exception

Last night was one of those evenings that fans of the Edmonton Oilers will never forget. Be you a fan from the days of the inaugural Alberta Oilers squad in the WHA, the Stanley Cup winning sides of the dynasty years or the most recent vintage of the Orange and Blue, there was something for everyone during yesterday’s “Farewell to Rexall Place” celebration. Heck, they even managed to close out the old barn on a winning note courtesy a 6-2 spanking of the Vancouver Canucks.

A Dose Of Reality

When it comes to the 2015-16 NHL season, not much has gone according to plan for either the Edmonton Oilers or current Montreal Canadiens netminder Ben Scrivens. While the Oilers continue to spin their wheels when it comes to moving up the Western Conference standings, the 29-year old has watched his career continue to spiral out of control following what was a rather forgettable 2014-15 campaign. With that said, the comments Scrivens made about his former organization following his first win of the season in the Canadiens 5-1 victory over the Oilers on Saturday afternoon were not only surprising but frankly laughable. 

A Mistake That Should Pay Off

Back on June 10, 2013, the Edmonton Oilers made the official announcement that they had decided to part ways with their current head coach, Ralph Krueger, and re[lace him with the much-hyped but fairly inexperienced Dallas Eakins. While the former bench boss of the Toronto Marlies was a favourite of many in the eastern media, he proved to be the wrong man for the job in Edmonton.

Bernier Would Solve A Lot Of Problems

For the vast majority of Edmonton Oiler fans, it was next to impossible to even think the tandem of Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth could have been anywhere near as horrible in 2014-15, as the duo of Devan Dubnyk and Jason LaBarbera proved to be during the opening weeks of the 2013-14 season.

Will Justin Schultz Still Be Here In 2015-16?

During his two plus years in charge of the Edmonton Oilers organization, Craig MacTavish had more than a few stumbles along the way. While the hiring of Dallas Eakins as his head coach arguably played the biggest role in his eventual dismissal as general manager, there were two comments he made during that time frame that frustrated this fan base until the very end of his tenure.

Get Ready For Something Bold!!!

While it would be next to impossible to view the removal of Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish from their positions within the Edmonton Oilers organization as a questionable decision, Friday’s announcement that both would be relieved of their duties effective immediately was still rather shocking. 

Brossoit Shines In Debut

As far as NHL debuts go, Laurent Brossoit could not have asked for things to have gone much better than they did on Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks. While his preference would have certainly been to skate off with his first career win, having to settle for a 3-1 loss in which the twenty-two year old was by far and away the best player on the ice could not have been overly disappointing. 

Please...Not This Again

If the decision to use Taylor Hall at centre ice during yesterday’s 4-0 loss to the Calgary Flames was solely due to the fact Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was unable to suit up after taking a shot off his skate against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night, than it is no big deal. 

The Finish Line Is Finally In Sight

While playing out the string is something the Edmonton Oilers have specialized in for far too long, the conclusion of their 2014-15 campaign simply cannot come soon enough. 

Does Martin Marincin Stay Or Go?

There is no doubt that Wednesday’s 4-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche will always hold a special place in the heart of Edmonton Oilers defenceman Martin Marincin. When a guy scores the first goal of his National Hockey League career, it generally tends to be one of those memorable moments. 

Anything For A Stop

When you look up the National Hockey League career numbers of Curtis McElhinney, what you see is essentially the resume of backup goaltender. 

Hard To Imagine

Coming off what was a rather embarrassing 7-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon, a game in which Todd’ Nelson’s crew managed to squander a three goal lead in matter of minutes, the Edmonton Oilers were handed what was arguably the biggest slap in the face of all on Monday evening. 

One Ugly Blueline

While it was bound to happen, it certainly did not make the trading of Jeff Petry any easier to stomach. To make matter worse, the eventual return was something which will not help the Edmonton Oilers in any way shape or form over the next few years. 

Western Conference Dominance

After dropping a 2-1 decision to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night, the Edmonton Oilers have now gone a miserable 4-23-9 against the Western Conference. While the nine loser points they have earned gives them seventeen points on the year, the fact they have won four of their thirty-six contests is downright staggering. 

Time To Take A Step Back

As painful as last night’s 4-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild may have been to get through, there is one thing fans of the Edmonton Oilers simply cannot lose sight of. This team is not very good. They were not very good under Dallas Eakins and the same holds true under Todd Nelson. 

The Return Of The Yak

While the Dallas Eakins Era did not last very long, suggesting the former Toronto Marlies head coach was the main reason the Edmonton Oilers struggled to the degree they did during his one hundred and twelve games behind the bench would be more than a bit of stretch. 

U-G-L-Y

Hockey Day in Canada has traditionally not been kind to the Edmonton Oilers and Saturday’s afternoon tilt against the Ottawa Senators was no different. After stringing together three consecutive solid outings in the midst of a season-high six game road trip, Todd Nelson’s crew laid an egg in our nation’s capital in dropping a 7-2 decision. 

The loss saw the Oilers record fall to 3-9-3 during Hockey Night in Canada’s annual event and they have now posted a dreadful 1-6-1 mark in their eight appearances on CBC’s weekly broadcast in 2014-15. 

Trading Partners: Oilers, Maple Leafs And A No.1 Goalie

With the Edmonton Oilers in the midst of yet another disappointing season which will see them miss the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season and the Toronto Maple Leafs on the verge of making it nine of ten without a post-season appearance, these are certainly dark times for two of the most storied franchises in league history. 

Baby Steps

From a public perception standpoint, the Edmonton Oilers organization would have loved nothing more than to watch their team respond to the firing of Dallas Eakins with a string of victories. With that said, something tells me no one in the front office team is overly disappointed with how things have played out since bringing Todd Nelson on board as interim head coach.