[CaptainCrunch]

As the days pass, the availability of what the Oilers are still desperate for which is a top pairing blueliner that can run the power play is fading. The Avs have said that Barrie isn't available which loosely translates into prepare to take it in the shorts if you want it, and he's after a big payday, which makes him unaffordable for the Oilers. They really can't sign anymore big money long term contracts.

Dumba is probably the guy that they want but he's going to take away from the top forwards.

To me Lucic is very good, but he's a step down from Hall in terms of top 6 impact, and Lucic like Hall isn't a great guy without the puck because his lack of footspeed prevents him from being effective on the back check.

At this point, they're going to be forced to make JP a top 6 guy ready or not, because without him that top 6 is a step back from last years 26th ranked offense.

I will give credit Larsson is a good step forward on the blueline, but his lack of offensive ability means that they just picked up another one dimensional guy on the back end. Their blueline is better but at the end of the day, its still bottom 3rd in the league as far as blueline goes.

They have a lot of questions as well.

We've heard that Klefbom is this stud and a future top pairing guy, but to me he was good in a 30 day snapshot last year, the year before he wasn't good. Davidson is what he is, a bottom pairing at best guy on a team like the Oilers.

If Klefbom coming off of a major similar injury situation like Seiloff has a set back they're f'd. If he's not that first pairing guy they're f'd because they're only other option is Sekeras who is a over paid middle pairing guy.

If they are forced to trade a guy like RNH, or Eberle to get another blueliner they're not going to bring back a top pairing guy. If they want that, its likely that you can subract Draisaitl and Nurse from the Oilers.

When you look at the results last year, absolutely the Oilers improved by something like 40 goals against, but the math translates to the arrival of Talbot and not some miraculous commitment to defense by the Oilers who still looked defensively lost and were bailed out by Talbot who was freaking heroic. He was the anti-Flames goalie in that while the Flames goaltending killed their season. The Oilers goaltending provided an illusion of improvement. If he slides even a bit, the Oilers are going to be dead in the water.

Are the Oilers improved? Sure in their current form they are, but I think it moves them from the 26-30 finish, to the 20-25 finish which is horrible when you consider how long they're been drafting high.

On top of that the whine of the Oiler fans that it was injuries that derailed them, that's going to continue to kill them as they have no prospect depth that can do injury fill ins, and injuries happen in the NHL. If they suffer an injury to their blueline or their top 6 forward group, right now, today, their season will derail.