This is the end for Edmonton and the McDrai era. McDavid knows it, the team knows it, management knows it, some fans realize it while others have yet to come to terms with it.
The Oilers have been a stunning example of why culture matters so much. The Oilers got to the SCF twice in spite of how poor the team was managed and thats a testament to McDavid and Draisatl. I'm 100% certain that ANY other team in the league, even Buffalo, has a Cup or two with those two, but Edmonton failed so badly at building a winning culture and team it will he studied for years to come.
In the past 4 seasons, McDavid has put up an unbelievable 128 points in 75 games for 1.71 PPG. Draisatl has 114 points in 75 games for 1.52 PPG.
The Oilers have no team identity, no intrinsic culture built into the organization. They don't have passionate players playing for the team, they have the cheapest mercenaries that were available at the time to plug in around McDrai.
They have two criteria for bringing in players to build the team. Are they cheap and are they available? If the answer to both is 'yes' the Oilers will happily offer a contract and then frame it as them taking a discount to play in Edmonton.
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