[browna]

Ever since you saw the glazed look early in the year, which turned into the late season rant from McLellan, you knew that somehow two or three of these guys were going to be traded...and that they likely already had been shopped around, for the paltry return.

It's now happened, and probably would like one more out the door at least. Return was always going to be crap, it was just a matter of timing and making sure there were other bouncing balls to keep the fans and the media distracted from the outright failure of the Oilers organization to turn very good junior players into anything more then average forwards, years on. Day of Subban trade and Stamkos signing to get rid of Hall? Check. Late Friday afternoon before the season starts, just after naming McDavid captain and with TSN asking "Will McDavid win the scoring title"? Check. The annual early October gag-inducing stroking of the Oilers appears again, for some press to make bold statement hoping that this is the year they're finally right and for gratuitous page clicks, but in general it is a good time to quietly dump another top overall failure pick without too much blowback.

Chiarelli did have to clean up the mess where Lowe singlehandedly put the team into the toilet with him trying far too hard to think he knew everything about talent, coaching, motivation, player development and discipline etc etc, and tried his hardest to be Glen Sather 2.0. Yak and Hall, I think next year, will start to emerge, but all that talent and hope they had in junior has been covered over by years of Oiler filth, comprised of demotivation, lack of systems, lack of leadership and accountability top to bottom in the organization certainly under Lowe, so who knows what's left to really salvage 3-4 years later as they're that much older now and missed so much intangible and tangible development that most higher draft picks get.