[CaptainCrunch]

Where the Oilers and Flames might catch a break this year is the weakness of the Western Conference.

The Oilers are 8 points back of the under .500 Kraken for the last Wildcard spot with 3 games in hand, the Flames 2 points back with 2 games in hand.

The other Wildcard team the Blues aren't great at a .558 clip but they're 6-4 in the last 10 games.

I think the Oilers and to an extent Flames can forget about top three in the conference, The Oilers are 14 points back of the Kings, the Flames 8. So the margin of error for the playoffs is major thin and with American Thanksgiving coming up tomorrow and the Oilers more likely to hit the bottom of the league then the Wildcard, they're in huge trouble with no help coming.

I mean sure they can try to get a goalie, but any decent goalie is making more then the Oilers can afford under the Cap unless they trade Campbell, and unless there are major assets that the Oilers can't afford going the other way, its not going to happen.

Look no GM is going to go out of their way to help the Oilers, I can't help but think that most GM's would rather see the Oilers in a death spiral, not because they're good. But because there has to be some resentment over the multiple number 1 picks and the Oilers whining.

At the same time, Holland is a dead man walking he's gone no matter what, either through retirement, or through an earlier exit. And their window which is speculated as this year and next might shrink down to this year as I can't see McDavid and Draisaitl wanting to go through another team restructure by a GM next year if they haven't had major success this year. That might trigger a panic move or two by the Oilers. Let me rephrase that. The Oilers have to win this year, they just do, because the new GM coming in next year has to know what Leon's intentions are and make his decision on him by Jan of next year. Now the one piece of good news (ha ha ha) for the Oilers is that their roster is relatively set for next year, though its a bad roster. With Brown and Broberg and Draisaitl going into their last year. But they don't have any RFA's that are going to super bump the payroll, as Broberg and Holloway being the major ones and Broberg looks like a bust and Holloway has never been an impressive pro.

In other words dear readers, this year is it for this core of the Oilers, they have no cap space, they are staring at a dire year that might make the moving of Draisaitl neccessary next season. They have no real prospect base, they're weak all over the ice, and this coach is probably going to define the term temporary as the Oilers look like they did under woodchuk.