[VERVE]

Originally Posted by Red Slinger

So, what did the Oilers do exactly to tear it down and rebuild? What was their brilliant strategy?

In the last few seasons the Oilers have signed or re-signed the following players: Khabibulin, Horcoff, Hemsky, Smyth, Eager, Whitney. That's not even mentioning the older players they went after but didn't end up signing.

In terms of purging higher priced players they:

-traded Dustin Penner for youth and picks
-traded Patrick O'Sullivan for Jim (Frickin) Vandermeer
-traded Tom Gilbert for Nick Shultz who was one year older
-signed Andy Sutton (37 years old)
-traded Cogliano for a 2nd
-signed Ben Eager, Eric Belanger, Cam Barker, Darcy Hordichuk, Martin Gerber, Jason Strudwick, Kurtis Foster
-traded Staios for a pick

So besides Penner, Cogliano and Staios where have the Oilers moved young players for the future? Where has been there concerted effort to tear it down and rebuild? Instead, the vast majority of their transactions of the last 3 seasons has been to try to bring in older players.

This is part of the myth that is building up around the Oilers: that they have taken the long view at the club and decided to rebuild. It's just not true. What has happened is that they've tried to compete every year but failed miserably. Then they pick first overall and try to convince everyone it was actually their plan all along to have the worst 3 seasons for one team in NHL history.

You'd think that after Lowe's sales job on Gagner, Cogliano, Hemsky, Nilson, O'Sullivan, etc. that some Oiler fans would smarten up and understand that the management of the team is awful. Fool me once shame on you, etc.

They're putting something special in the Kool-Aid up there.

Here is your kool-aid. I have posted this before.

The changes in management and support staff started in 2007. The scorched earth rebuild started in March 2010. Ultimately, it was a change culture the Oilers followed through with.

2007-MacGregor replaced Prendergast
2008, June-Katz bought team
2008, July-Tambellini new GM, Lowe to president
2008-2009 Oilers missed playoffs
2009-April-MacTavish fired
2009-July-Heatley refused to come to Oilers

When Heatley refused to come to Edmonton, it was the final straw that change was imminent. The Oilers were going to build through the drafts. To start things off, the Oilers have to rethink where they want to be in 5-6 years time. UFAs will not come easily to a losing team up in frozen Edmonton. The management’s past transactions had been known to have a bad reputation as viewed by the other players and agents in the league. Essentially, the Oilers are stuck in no-man’s land. A wait and see attitude of how the team will do in 2009-2010 and their team record will finally dictate a clearer position of what road
management will take.

2009-new coach Quinn, Renney as his assistant
Oilers poor record exacerbates the need for rebuliding. Philosophy change quickens in December when Oilers destiny was a last place finish- The rebuilding begins:

2010-March START OF REBUILD -moved Grebeshkov, Staios, not sign ufa Pisani,
2009-2010 – Oilers finished last in the league.
2009-2010-530 man games lost to injuries. Major injuries occurred to Khabibulin and Hemsky.
2010- April-Oilers fired assistant GM Prendergast, trainers, equipment staff.
2010-June-Oilers finished last and drafted HALL-first overall.
2010 - June-Ethan Moreau was put on waivers and claimed by Columbus.
2010-offseason- Patrick O’Sullivan traded. Robert Nilsson was bought out of his contract. Several others were allowed to enter free agency including Mike Comrie, Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Ryan Potulny. Souray’s contract was bought out.
2011 –Feb traded Penner to Kings for their 1st pick and Teubert and 3rd round (depending).
2010-2011 Oilers finished last in the league (again).
2010-2011-lost 281 man games lost due to injuries. Key injuries: Out for the season-Ryan Whitney (top pairing D); Major injuries to (4 of top 6 players) in Hemsky, Gagner, Hall, Horcoff; others-Brule, Eberle, Khabbibulin etc. They were replaced by minor leaguers in AHL. ....