Taylor Hall is an elite offensive weapon

As good as Taylor Hall has been during his first four seasons in the National Hockey League, there are those who feel he still has a long way to go before becoming one of the top players in the game today. While the Edmonton Oilers star winger certainly has room to grow as a player, this notion of him being this irresponsible kid who refuses to conform his game is almost laughable.

How Predictable

When NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly opened up the final envelope of the 2014 Draft Lottery and pulled out the card of the Florida Panthers, all I could do was shake my head. Through eighty-one games, the Edmonton Oilers sat 29th in the overall standings, one point ahead of the Panthers.

Tough Sell

No one should have been surprised with the approach Craig MacTavish decided to take to his year-end press conference. After promising big changes and letting the entire hockey world know he wasn’t an overly patient man during his introduction as the Edmonton Oilers general manager, the 55-year old tried putting a positive spin on what was a disastrous 2013-14 campaign.

Can You Say Ugly?

It wasn’t supposed to go like this. 2013-14 was the year the Edmonton Oilers were going to play meaningful games deep into the season. While few had them slated to qualify for post-season play for the first time since 2006, almost everyone felt this team was good enough to compete for a spot.

A Night To Remember

On a night in which the Edmonton Oilers managed to not only back their way into 28th place in the NHL’s overall standings but also see Taylor Hall become the first Oilers player to register an 80 point campaign since former captain Doug Weight posted ninety back in 2000-01, all that really mattered was the guy wearing #94 in Orange and Blue.