The Oilers put in a tough performance vs. the Buffalo Sabres last night and the result did them no good in the standings. They’ve joined some familiar friends in the NHL’s basement as the Sabres and Coyotes are also competing for the best overall odds at drafting defensive wizard Rasmus Dahlin, Russian sniper Andrei Svechnikov, or Czech playmaker Filip Zadina.
But 23 games a season does not make.
Last month the LA Kings had the 3rd best record in the NHL. In November, the Kings have the 3rd WORST record of the NHL teams. Nashville and Winnipeg were 18th and 19th in October and in November they are 1st and 2nd so far.
The Edmonton Oilers were 30th in the NHL in October, in November their record was allowed them to jump to 18th.
Unfortunately though, the Oilers are still in 29th place overall and are going to need some massive help from a downright poor Pacific division. If the Oilers can pull this off in any division in the NHL, it’s the Pacific. None of the teams can decide if they want to stay in the top 3 apart from the expansion Golden Knights and do you really think they’re going to be in the playoff hunt come trade deadline?
I’m not going to lie to you though, the Oilers are in a very precarious position where the playoffs are looking doubtful but NOT impossible. Baby steps.
IF the Oilers can win the final two games, they’ll have gone .500 (7-7-0-1) on the month and after going 3-6-0-1 in October, I’d see this is a major improvement and so should you regardless of what side of the Chiarelli coin you find yourself on.
Speaking of Chiarelli… Kind of…
In the past, Oilers nation has gone into unfiltered tantrums when their team has performed poorly and at season’s end it’s culminated in the firing of the coach. We blamed management and ownership for the revolving door of GMs and coaches that ruined the development of many of the team’s prized prospects. Yet, here we are again… Blaming the coach for one thing and the GM for another…
It’s time that we stopped this revolving door behind the bench and upstairs. It’s time to give them the proper amount of leash and it’s time for the players to get themselves out of this. We know they can.
And this whole narrative of the team being too slow was NOWHERE to be found in the season previews. Bob McKenzie never said anything about it. Dreger, Friedman, Button… Nobody said anything and all of a sudden over the course of two months EVERYTHING has changed for all of them.
Doesn’t that seem a bit fishy?
They tell us to look at the Pittsburgh Penguins model but the Pittsburgh Penguins have had a worse month that the Edmonton Oilers. So why should we be looking there?
But that being said, I talked about Carl Hagelin being a target a couple of days ago and today Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was connected to another team… The Boston Bruins…
Hearing lots of chatter that Edmonton #Oilers & #NHLBruins have had (and I stress!), EXPLORATORY talks regarding C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Asked a trusted source on this & he confirmed. Apparently Oilers are interested in B's rookies Danton Heinen & Peter Cehlárik.
— Jimmy Murphy (@MurphysLaw74) November 25, 2017
As I tweeted earlier, #Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli (yes his team plays in Boston Sunday) was at #NHLBruins #Pens game today. Has been at numerous B's games lately. I know B's love Heinen & Cehlarik but #RNH, Bergeron, Krejci down the middle would be something!
— Jimmy Murphy (@MurphysLaw74) November 25, 2017
Apparently…
He says he’d love to see Bergeron, Krejci, and RNH down the middle eh? Well I’d love to see McDavid, Draisaitl, and RNH down the middle in Edmonton…
Apparently, ol’ Jimmy here hasn’t seen that the Bruins have 80k in cap space… That’s EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS… Plus, the Oilers aren’t going to take back any of the Bruins albatross contracts. They’ve got enough of their own to deal with…
*Update* THE THREE-HEADED DRAGON IS BACK BABY!!!
I’m a little disappointed to see Pulju out and Pakarinen in but this is the life of a prospect who hasn’t established himself yet and I’m glad to see Slepyshev return to the lineup. My question will be though, can Slepy bring more than Puljujarvi did?
Lucic-McDavid-Cammalleri
Maroon-RNH-Slepyshev
Caggiula-Draisaitl-Strome
Pakarinen-Letestu-Kassian— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) November 25, 2017
So what I’m getting at is, this organization needs to dance with the girl they brought and stay committed. Dealing RNH isn’t going to turn this team around all of a sudden. Firing the coach definitely isn’t. And Firing the GM right is the last thing that is going to turn the fortunes of this team around.
They need to get over this team sickness, buckle down, and put the pedal to the metal because there are literally a shit ton of Oilers fans out there doubling-down on the Oilers missing the playoffs. The boys need to show THOSE fans they are WRONG!
GO Oilers GO!
I think Jimmy Murphy is high, those Boston rookies are ranked somewhere around 6-7 amongst their on prospects for a solid #1 overall Center. Sure Jimmy keep telling yourself your C rated prospects will do the trick.
Even PC who has been fleeced in almost every trade would make that trade. If he does, I suggest he stays in Boston forever.
Look the season is done, no sense panicking now, it’s too late.
RNH has been the best player on many nights , sorry Boston the Oilers would do better with Philli and Arizona they actually have high end prospects.