Edmonton Oilers Blow Another Season, Need To Make Decisions.Part 2

The Edmonton Oilers need to make some decisions quick. In my mind the most important is what to do about Leon Draisaitl. The teenager has learned enough to go back to junior or be shipped to Europe and work on his game. I think he needs to work on his first stride explosiveness and overall speed. He also needs to work on defensive reads. His offence has not been particularly eye popping either. Given the current situation up here, ten losses in a row hardly make for a nurturing environment where coaches and players are starting to look over their shoulders and worrying about what is coming next. Certainly teaching Draisaitl is going to be far lower in Dallas Eakins list of priorities than say, winning a game.

At this point it makes more sense to bring up Anton Lander to finish the season since it is pretty obvious the Edmonton Oilers have made their decision regarding Lander’s future with the team. Sent Leon down and as far away as possible from this tire fire.

At least Leon has options right now, but what about Nail Yakupov? The 2012 1st overall pick only has 3 goals and 7 points in 25 games. At least his defensive game seems to be picking up (-9), but when you are a first overall pick, bigger things are expected offensively. Needless to say this man is regressing drastically in that department. Having Eberle, Perron and Yakupov as your potential top 6 is not ideal in a western conference full of heavy, hard hitting and fast skating men. The constant losing is dragging under the wheels players like Yakupov and Draisaitl.

FRAME OF MIND

Nov 25, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Edmonton Oilers left wing

Taylor Hall

(4) skates off the ice during the third period against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeated the Oilers 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

If the Oilers do indeed tank and get first or second overall pick, what will the frame of mind be for Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov, and Jordan Eberle. By the time the 2015 draft comes Hall and Eberle will have spent 4 of their 5 pro seasons as part of a team finishing last or second to last. And now a generational talent is about to join the ranks. Would they think they have failed? What is going to happen with Taylor Hall when he goes from the face of the franchise to team mate of the next Sidney Crosby and the spot light moves away? What about RNH and Leon Draisaitl? If one of Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel joins the organization, one of these 2 gentlemen is going to have to move down the depth chart. How would they deal with that? Right now neither of these young guys are leading the charge, instead we have Taylor Hall taking dumb penalties when he should be rallying the troops. They should not be wearing letter on their sweater right now.

Now if indeed the Edmonton Oilers get first or second overall I wonder if MacTavish packages it with say Jordan Eberle for a top defenceman. MacTavish can not just be contemplating moves right now, but he must add to the equation the ever real possibility of getting that pick again. It will be interesting to see where the faces of the rebuild end up after the draft of 2015. One can argue one of RNH or Draisaitl will become expendable, maybe not this summer but 2 years down the road when McDavid or Eichel start hitting their strides. It would be a bitter end to all the promise the Edmonton Oilers sold to both the players and their fans in these 5 years of miserable hockey. I wonder if MacTavish will even be around to make those decisions.

More from Oil On Whyte

Whatever happens from this point on, it is important to remember that the one common denominator in all of what’s happened with the Oilers since the turn of the century is one name and one name only: Kevin Lowe. Perhaps having Chris Pronger saying no to him was too much of a failure to overcome, and he’s been broken ever since. What I don’t understand is why an entire organization has to suffer because of one man’s injured ego.

Home/Oilers News