[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I have to address the last comment regarding the Oilers first. I feel that comment really hurts the credibility of your entire arguement even though it is a drive by. Are you that much of a "what have you done for me lately type of guy?" The Oilers are where they are today because they won a lottery for the single best player to enter the draft in a decade. In his second year he probably wins the Hart trophy. The Oilers had a decade of sucking.

They won a lottery, but they still have many tier-3 roster spots filled out by secondary youth, guys like Klefbom, Nurse, Benning, Cagiulla, Slepychev, Davidson, and Khaira instead of the monotony of unmotivated veterans. They have had many up-and-down callups from their farm throughout the year, keeping everyone motivated to be at the top of their game.

Look at their other 3 first overalls that were rushed. Nuge is a 40-60pt 2nd/3rd line C. Taylor Hall is a fairly steady first line player, and Yak is almost out of the league. Look how awful Draisaitl was when rushed and had to be sent back to junior after 40 games. They are ahead of us because of McDavid and Chia got it right with Talbot.

Was Nuge ever going to be anything else? Hall was a success. And Yakupov probably would have busted one way or another as he is dumb as bricks. That leaves Draisaitl, who as a rookie was given the same B.S. treatment Bennett is getting right now as a second year player asked to sink or swim with 4th line grinders like Chiasson and Brouwer who give the puck away on the cycle every opportuntiy. If Draisaitl's development is an example of being Oiler-esque then I don't really see the issue, as Draisaitl is a pretty damn effective first-line center.

At some point you have to drop the "Oilers do it all wrong" attitude when their team is set up for long term success. They're a good team and that's with a guy as talented as Puljujarvi still developing in the minor leagues.

"What have you done for me lately"? What exactly have they done that the Flames haven't? Be less of a 9th place team and get better talent in the first round as a result? Nothing worse than 9th place, which is the Brent Sutter slash Glen Gulutzan sweet spot.

Now you are stating 22-23 years old is a players prime? Might as well let Jankowski go as he is post-apex.

22-31 is a safe range for forwards' prime. Gaudreau and Monahan are in their third and fourth NHL seasons respectively. Even if you want to say Hartley stunted their development, it's reasonable to say they are expected to be leaders of this team at this point in their careers, which means the "youth" excuse is hyperbole.

I think the biggest issue I have with your stance is you blame Treliving for a coaches decision. If Gulutzan wanted Andersen or Kylington on the team they would be here. All season he could have played Kulak and sat Wideman he chose to sit Kulak.

There is no coach in this league who wants to play prospects. Few coaches have much long term vision. Management's job is to get the youth into the lineup. Do you believe a coach like Joel Quennville wanted to play Nick Leddy or Dustin Byufuglien or Andrew Shaw when they were young? You think Darryl Sutter wanted to play Jake Muzzin? Did Babcock want to play a young Tomas Tatar? Management's job is to put the best roster on the ice, the coach's job is to play it. If management gives a coach a veteran roster, the coach will play the veterans. Look at Grossmann. Did Glen Gulutzan sign Niklas Grossmann? No, but he was given the opportunity to play him by the management that did.