[Shazam]

Originally Posted by littlereddevil

The difference between us and Edmonton is that they actually have ownership who will do whatever it takes to keep the team competitive (i.e. paying their stars and keeping them happy), and was willing to let the team suck for many years (with multiple high picks squandered) in order to get them there.

We can hate on the Oilers all we want because they're our rivals, but maybe it's time that we learn from them, instead of adopting this superiority complex thinking we've somehow done things better than them (we haven't). Not saying that the Flames have to go through a sucky 10 year rebuild, but that some very important organizational decisions (from both management and ownership) will need to be made in the coming months to determine the direction this team is heading in the next few years. Are we contenders or not? Can we realistically win with this current core, and get over the hump of beating the Oilers (or the Avs or Knights) in the playoffs, or should we rebuild?

IMO what happens in the next few months during this off-season will dictate how this team is run for the next 4 to 5 years. Everything else will then follow, like a new arena deal, finding players who actually want to play here, etc.

No one can do what the Oilers did anymore. The NHL put in new draft rules literally because of the Oilers.