Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
This used to be true but isn't necessarily so anymore, due to the salary cap (the great equalizer).
Back in the day, when you got a generational player, you had a huge advantage - you just had to build around him and you automatically had the best team. And other players wanted to come and play there.
Now, you are limited by the cap. More money on this player means less money for that player. So instead of an accumulation of talent (like the old days), now it is an optimization exercise. Teams must find pieces that fit together. And must get as many value pieces as possible.
McDavid is an awesome player. But it is not a foregone conclusion that he will lead them to anything. You have to be able to draft and develop players so that you always have people contributing that are on cheap contracts.
The Oilers have not shown an ability to that in any way shape or form. The only thing they have going for them is a pile of high draft picks due to a decade of inconcieveable ineptitude.
Going forward, they are going to have to develop players without the benefit of drafting top 3. We shall see if they can do that. But one thing is for sure, McDavid can't do it himself.
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Yeah, maybe too much to say he would carry them. But he is probably good enough to get them 75% of the way there. Their whole team is McDavid, and to a lesser degree, Talbot. And that got them to game 7 of round 2. It's just brutal to think how far dumb luck has taken them so far and what a little competence could do.