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.
After not only surviving but thriving through the month of October, the Edmonton Oilers have positioned themselves in a pretty good spot as they make their way through November. How good you ask? Well, despite falling to the Stanley Cup champion Capitals in Washington last night and a pending date with the Tampa Bay Lightning later today, a pair of back-to-back regulation losses would be of no real consequence and that in itself is saying something.
From a team standpoint, there is not much to complain about when it comes to the Edmonton Oilers season. With eight wins in their first thirteen games, things are going as well as anyone could have hoped in the Alberta capital but there is an area of some concern…the deployment of Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto.
From the moment the Edmonton Oilers announced the signing of Leon Draisaitl to an eight-year extension for an eye-popping $68 million, expectations for the talented German pivot skyrocketed. Though on the surface, asking the 22-year-old to drive his own line while playing second fiddle to Connor McDavid may seem reasonable enough, in reality, it's not so cut and dry.
