There is no question fans of the Edmonton Oilers have every right to be pissed with how things have gone to start the 2014-15 NHL campaign. After suffering through eight consecutive seasons with no playoffs and coming off a year that was arguably the most disappointing of all, sitting with a 6-12-2 mark at the quarter pole on the year is simply unacceptable.
When Craig MacTavish decided to “upgrade” his blueline during the off-season, a large portion of the Edmonton Oilers fan base bought into the illusion that this team’s backend was going to be drastically improved over the mess we saw on a nightly basis during what truly was a disastrous 2013-14 campaign.
So here we are. On the verge of the quarter pole mark of the2013-14 National Hockey League season and the Edmonton Oilers find themselves in their usual spot at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
Despite having shown signs of marginal improvement in certain aspects of their game, it has essentially made zero difference when it comes to the win column.
There were more than a few Edmonton Oilers fans that were hoping to hear news of their club placing in a claim for Minnesota Wild netminder Josh Harding on Tuesday morning. Unfortunately for them, Craig MacTavish did not take the bait but to be perfectly honest, the Oilers general manager made the right call on taking a pass on the thirty year old native of Regina, Saskatchewan.
While the Edmonton Oilers have not exactly got off to the sort of start they were hoping for to open the 2014-15 National Hockey League campaign, it is a start that should surprise absolutely no one. The problems with this roster are plentiful and have been obvious for some time and have yet to be addressed in any meaningful way by Craig MacTavish and his management team.
Heading into their Sunday night tilt with the Arizona Coyotes at Rexall Place, the Edmonton Oilers were hoping they could celebrate the 100th game of Dallas Eakins’ National Hockey League coaching career with the team’s first win of the season against a Western Conference opponent.
