For the most part agree but think rebuild is a vauge definition. I use the definition more loosely and don't think it means just intentionally sucking and getting first overall picks.
To me a rebuild is when there is a major directional shift in the organization.
I think the Phaneuf/Jokinen trade is a decent starting point for a 3 year shift in the Flames direction that didn't work out. Sutter was ousted less than a year later, Langkow/Regehr moved within the next 18 months, and the core of the team was mainly different outside of Iggy/Kipper.
I guess many would call it a re-tool due to the lack of top draft picks and since we didn't trade any veterans for players/prospects.
By any definition it was a change in organizational direction that failed. Much more arguable than the Oilers trying to defend their rebuild though. That team has had multiple top 10 picks and had traded veterans for picks and prospects as far back as the 06/07 season, clearly a rebuild by any definition.
To me their rebuild started when they traded away Smyth and took three 1st round picks in the 2007 draft. Then they proceeded to ram Gagner and Cogliano down everyone's throats as the next great ones. Their counter is always something like "we tried to sign Jagr, we tried to trade for Heatley, do rebuilding teams do this?!" Well yes, they might, but tanking teams don't. They tried to rebuild and then they just straight tanked for picks.
7 years, regardless of if they want to admit it or not.
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Johnny eats garbage and isn’t 100% committed.
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Corey Pronman @coreypronman
Did Katz really call it "year 4" of the rebuild? I guess picking 6th and 10th in 2 of the 3 years prior to the Hall draft was a victory.
Corey Pronman @coreypronman
Also nice wording there by Katz. Year 4 of the rebuild that "started" when they "drafted" Hall. Ignoring this is 5th straight bottom-out yr.
I love how it took Buffalo maybe 6 months of serious suckage before the owner stepped in and canned everyone and committed to an entirely different direction and culture.
Edmonton has been what, 7 years now? And the owner is happy.
Katz' letter to the Oiler fan base is weak and really a clear example of how disfunctional the leadership is in Edmonton. I would be furious if the Flames released a similar letter after 4-6 years into a failing rebuild.
A strong ownership would simply access, identify and make the necessary and perhaps difficult operational changes with personal instead of creating a lame news letter that acomplishes nothing. It is 100% a fluff pr move. It addresses and solves none of the Oilers failures and is pointless when you come right down to it.
Yeah except when the Flames drafted 6th overall, 22nd overall and 28th overall after trading their long time captain everyone and their dog knew this was the first draft of their rebuild.
The Oilers drafted 6th overall, 15th overall and 21st overall in 2007 while trading their long time captain. I guess that was just the prebuild.
Fwiw Ryan Smyth was never their captain, Jason Smith was. I get what you're saying, but just wanted to correct that.
