Quote:
Originally Posted by Weitz
I think that's the prevailing sentiment here. Around the league not so much.
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I really don't think the media writers out east really follow the western teams in depth. I would wager to bet few if any realize what a sweetheart home schedule the Oilers had last season and while some of them have picked up on how they have overplayed Talbot I believe few of them realize that he's been arguably just as important to the team's success as McDavid. They just see McDavid and start going goo goo gaga.
I don't believe for a second the Oilers will fall back into the pack of bad teams in the conference like the Coyotes, Canucks, Avalanche but to me they are in a dead heat with teams like the Sharks, Flames, Predators, Blues and it's very possible one or two of those teams lose a playoff spot to the Stars or even Jets, Kings if they manage to turn things around. I could see them finishing 9th just easy as finishing 1st in the division as IMO the Ducks are the only team in the Pacific that should be a lock for the playoffs. I just have a hard time seeing things come together for them like last season where they never lost a key forward to injury all season and Talbot plays all those games at the level he did last season. Too many things to me point to a bit of a decline and that's without my Flames goggles.