Is Edmonton intentionally tanking?

[jonesy]

i am kind of a worry wart and was really concerned that they would be good this year. I was at the Canuck/Oiler game and I was really surprised at how 'not good' they are.
They don't seem really bad, but they are very underwhelming.

ps
the canuck fans were so obnoxious that I feel way more in common with the oiler fans.
pps
and that was all the female canuck fans. didnt actually see any male ######bags at the game.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by btimbit

I don't think it's intentional, I think management is just that incompetent.

I believe that incompetent ownership is intentionally keeping around incompetent management.

[N-E-B]

I think Edmonton loves the attention they get when they pick high, and use that to advertise their team. I don't think it's working anymore.

[Locke]

I initially didnt think so, but I'm coming around.

The Flames basically held a firesale and are rebuilding the team. It was the Flames who the pundits panned as the worst team in the league and even we cant outsuck the Oilers.

Theres obviously more to it than intentionally sucking, for instance, I dont expect the Oilers to go all "Princess Bride' and all of a sudden realize that they're not left-handed and instantly all of their suckitude vaporizes.

A lot is made of their #1 draft picks, but I also think that while these kids had talent in junior talent requires constant testing and mettle to maintain. If you play with bums, and like a bum long enough eventually you become a bum. That talent just may not be there anymore.

There also comes the culture of losing. Once losing has become acceptable then focus begins to drift. Especially when performance isnt tied to compensation. Losing hockey games has just become an annoying diversion that gets in the way of their real lives.

[CaptainCrunch]

Right now they might have made moves at the start of the season to improve things but set the costs of their players at unrealistic levels.


Once this team went into suck mode, I firmly believe that the Oilers took on look at Eklund and decided that he's going to be their next savior, and they are not foing to look at fixing anything else this year in the hopes of getting them.

Oiler fans have to get way more angry. I mean the billboard is great, but they need to do a black out at a game where no one shows, when Mac-T talks about their draft party this year that draft party has to be a "We are embarressed to be here party"

They have to start flooding the Oilers and Katz phones with angry messages.

But the biggest thing and it will hurt some, is that the Tier one fans have to give up their season tickets enmasse if changes aren't made.

As for the league punishing Edmonton, it would be nice, but there's no rules against bad management, the league can't step in and demand changes to the management team.

I believe this drives Bettman crazy because in every interview that I've heard he's stated that he believes its an NHL teams obligation or trust to the fan to put a great product on the ice every year and try to win every year.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

For sure they did in years past, though I don't think they meant to this year.

I think lowe and crew still believe that once they draft enough talent success is just an escalator they automatically ride to the top. I think they have stopped walking backwards, but still haven't figured out nothing goes up without effort.

Seems they've thrown in the towel now though. 'Bold moves' MacTavish sounds pretty happy to coast to another saviour pick and enjoy the early golf.

[Daradon]

Yeah I do think there is some intentional tanking going on in the league in general and there needs to be some sort of draft lottery rule to disuade it, if even just a little. Like only 2 number 1 overalls in a five year span, or no more than 3 top 5 picks in a five year span or something. Shoot if you wanted to be real precise about it, you could have a limit on the total ranking over a 5 year period. IE nothing under 15 spots in 5 years. IE 1-2-3-4-5 ok (and that's still a lot of leeway) but 1-1-1-7 as the Oilers have picked the last four years and they can now pick no higher than 5th this year regardless of where they finish.

Doubtful it will ever happen, but it'd be a step in the right direction. And not just against the Oilers, but other teams like Florida and NYI that seem to destroy their picks. Also, it's not just to make things fair to the other teams, but the crappy ones themselves who are trying to build through tanking.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

For sure they did in years past, though I don't think they meant to this year.

I think lowe and crew still believe that once they draft enough talent success is just an escalator they automatically ride to the top. I think they have stopped walking backwards, but still haven't figured out nothing goes up without effort.

Seems they've thrown in the towel now though. 'Bold moves' MacTavish sounds pretty happy to coast to another saviour pick and enjoy the early golf.

I would argue that they may have stopped moving backwards and are now moonwalking ala Michael Jackson while Mac-T and Lowe gleefully rub their hands and wait for another draft pick.

I've said it before this team looks at number 1 draft picks like a junkie looks at a bag of heroin.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Right now they might have made moves at the start of the season to improve things but set the costs of their players at unrealistic levels.


Once this team went into suck mode, I firmly believe that the Oilers took on look at Eklund and decided that he's going to be their next savior, and they are not foing to look at fixing anything else this year in the hopes of getting them.

Oiler fans have to get way more angry. I mean the billboard is great, but they need to do a black out at a game where no one shows, when Mac-T talks about their draft party this year that draft party has to be a "We are embarressed to be here party"

They have to start flooding the Oilers and Katz phones with angry messages.

But the biggest thing and it will hurt some, is that the Tier one fans have to give up their season tickets enmasse if changes aren't made.

As for the league punishing Edmonton, it would be nice, but there's no rules against bad management, the league can't step in and demand changes to the management team.

I believe this drives Bettman crazy because in every interview that I've heard he's stated that he believes its an NHL teams obligation or trust to the fan to put a great product on the ice every year and try to win every year.

Is he going to replace Kevin Lowe, because that would be sweet. Hilarious and sweet.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

For sure they did in years past, though I don't think they meant to this year.

I think lowe and crew still believe that once they draft enough talent success is just an escalator they automatically ride to the top. I think they have stopped walking backwards, but still haven't figured out nothing goes up without effort.

Seems they've thrown in the towel now though. 'Bold moves' MacTavish sounds pretty happy to coast to another saviour pick and enjoy the early golf.

Yeah, but as soon as they were well and truly out of it everyone punched their timecards and called it a season.

[Ashasx]

hehe eklund

[CaptainCrunch]

I'm having a very bad day

[Hugh Jahrmes]

Let's be honest here, MacT spoke of targeting ekblad halfway through the season. Also admitted in the same interview he likely goes first overall. I wouldn't call it a reach to make that connection.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

As for the league punishing Edmonton, it would be nice, but there's no rules against bad management, the league can't step in and demand changes to the management team.

I believe this drives Bettman crazy because in every interview that I've heard he's stated that he believes its an NHL teams obligation or trust to the fan to put a great product on the ice every year and try to win every year.

I agree with both points but it's going to be a conundrum for beettman next year. By indications as many as 3 and maybe more teams are going to go full oiler for mcdavid. What if it is 4 or 5? The competition to suck will be intense and the integrity part you reference will look really, really bad for the league. And get expensive. Might he preempt it? Not sure how he could.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I'm having a very bad day

I present to you the new General Manager of the Edmonton Oilers!!!!

[saillias]

Originally Posted by Hugh Jahrmes

Let's be honest here, MacT spoke of targeting ekblad halfway through the season. Also admitted in the same interview he likely goes first overall. I wouldn't call it a reach to make that connection.

For a supposedly intelligent guy he puts his foot in his mouth repeatedly. Announcing in his hiring press conference that we want Milan Lucic. Yeah good idea.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally Posted by Locke

Yeah, but as soon as they were well and truly out of it everyone punched their timecards and called it a season.

Oh for sure - that's what I meant by thrown in the towel.

It's got to be disheartening for the players. If macT truly had the desire to ice a better team, thought he had a team that is close to being competitive, and had confidence in his own skills, he would have moved fast and aggressively in November. Clearly management either isn't really interested, doesn't really think they have the core to compete, or is so unsure of themselves they just can't move. The players have to know it isn't getting better soon, if ever for the current group. I think it shows in their play.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

Oh for sure - that's what I meant by thrown in the towel.

It's got to be disheartening for the players. If macT truly had the desire to ice a better team, thought he had a team that is close to being competitive, and had confidence in his own skills, he would have moved fast and aggressively in November. Clearly management either isn't really interested, doesn't really think they have the core to compete, or is so unsure of themselves they just can't move. The players have to know it isn't getting better soon, if ever for the current group. I think it shows in their play.

Heres the other thing, when you're down and out in November and your team has thrown in the towel, what can you do? You've got a team mailing it in for 3/4 of the season. Well, they did the same thing the previous season and the season before that, when have they ever actually been competing?

Sure, they start the season at the same time as everyone else but they spend so much time playing meaningless games what compete level do they ever actually play at? Do they even remember how to give 100%? 80%?

[4oh3]

A lot goes into it there coach sucks GM is garbage and ownership is idiotic. They picked all small pansy players with there draft picks


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[d_phaneuf]

a lot of this goes in to unlucky draft years too, not that they deserve any credit for 3 straight first overall picks, but going back to 2000 1st overall picks they just picked the worst time to suck

If you were going through this list and were told you could pick any 3 year run of 1st overall picks to build your team around I think 2010-2012 would be the least desired


2013 Nathan MacKinnon
2012 Nail Yakupov
2011 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
2010 Taylor Hall
2009 John Tavares
2008 Steven Stamkos
2007 Patrick Kane
2006 Erik Johnson
2005 Sidney Crosby
2004 Alexander Ovechkin
2003 Marc-Andre Fleury
2002 Rick Nash
2001 Ilya Kovalchuk