Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Slinger
Well, if 4 games is a very small sample size than 9 games is a small sample size.
There's no denying that RNH is a skilled player that will probably be very productive in the NHL. I don't think too many are suggesting otherwise. I think some are suggesting that although his skill level was ready for the NHL that his physical stature may not have been.
Sure, he and the Oilers were playing well for the first 9 games. But did they really believe that 9 games was enough of a sample size to convince them that the team that finished 30th the previous two seasons improved enough to burn a year of his contract AND put a relatively immature frame up against the monstars in the NHL?
I suppose hindsight is 20/20 but there was very little for the Oilers to gain by playing him last year and there was a lot to lose.
In any case, the author of the article may be off in some of the details but he is right in his premise: The Edmonton Oilers ARE a useless franchise.
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Huh? The Oilers gained a valuable point producer and Calder nominee. It would have been the biggest blunder for this franchise in a long, long time to keep down a player who produced at the rate of a first line player. And that's saying a lot since.. well, they are the Edmonton Oilers, team notoriously known in pro sports for being possibly the most incompetent franchise over the last few years.
I've been an Oilers fan since 2002 and I've seen my fair share of mistakes. I highly doubt that keeping up a Calder nominee and #1 draft pick on the NHL team was a bad decision. But you could be right I suppose.