Edmonton Oilers: None Myth-Busters

The Edmonton Oilers face a lot of criticism, and after 9 consecutive years out of the playoffs, it’s difficult to say that some of it is not warranted. But when teams lose, frustration begins to seep in…not only for the players, and for the coaching staff, but for the fans, as well. And in life, when most of us are frustrated, we sometimes say things that we don’t really mean.

So, as we come back from an All-Star break where Taylor Hall looked like a legit Super-star (2g, 1a), here are 9 modern-day Edmonton Oilers myths that deserve being busted;

9. “Kevin Lowe ruined the Edmonton Oilers“. Lowe became a popular whipping boy among a certain constituent. But Kevin Lowe helped build this franchise as a player, and had a pretty decent run as G.M. including a Stanley Cup Final birth in 2006, until, frankly, he turned it over to someone else. He then continued to shoulder the “blame”, long after his hands were no longer actually on the controls.

8. “The Edmonton Oilers are screwing Nail Yakupov“. No, although I think we can agree he was mishandled by at least one coach (here’s lookin’ at you, Dallas Eakins). But fact is…Nail has yet to put forward a consistent enough effort to have anything handed to him. I’m a Nail Yakupov fan, but real NHL players have to match their promise with performance. Over to you, Yak.

7. “Jeff Petry was terrible“. It’s amusing, really, how all of the Jeff Petry haters suddenly left town at the very same time that Petry started playing like a top-pairing D-man. Fans like to yak on the Edmonton Oilers for how they handle young players. But the very same criticism can be leveled at fans who didn’t possess the I.Q. to realize that Petry just needed time…like most young NHL’ers do.

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6. “Jordan Eberle is a fair price for Travis Hamonic“. A VERY recent myth that exists on Twitter right now. The Strat-o-Matic set would make this deal in a heartbeat. But really, if you are Peter Chiarelli, do you seriously trade Eberle before he plays a single shift with Connor McDavid? Because if Eberle turns into a 40+ goal guy, you don’t make that trade. Ever.

5. “Dustin Penner was lazy“. It always stunned me how this myth nearly became fact. YOU try lugging 247 pounds around an NHL arena and look like Yvan Cournoyer. Penner was a legit Top 6 NHL player, and y’know…30-goal scorers grow on trees around here. But noooo…we wanted him to be “fast & mean”. That “Senior Hockey League” mentality chased Penner out of town, where all he did was win two Stanley Cups.

4. “Ryan Whitney was a crappy defenceman“. No, no he was not. In fact, had Whitney had stayed healthy, he would have been the top-pairing, offence-producing D-man that so many armchair G.M.’s in Edmonton pray for today. But some bitter fans ignored that ankle injury that so obviously crippled him, and instead feasted on Ryan Whitney like a lame antelope on an episode of The Wild Kingdom. In retrospect…what a shame.

3. “The Edmonton Oilers missed out on Linus Omark“. It’s amazing how much mileage this guy got from one pretty spin-o-rama goal. But there is a reason Linus Omark could not get a paying job with any other NHL team (save for a handful of games with the then-brutal Buffalo Sabres): He was an acutely one-dimensional player, without the work ethic to overcome his short-comings. Some people just can’t let go.

2. “The Edmonton Oilers blew it with Devan Dubnyk“. Boy, people have short memories. I was among the Dubnyk fans, and one of the last to jump off the Good Ship Duby. But lets face it: The bottom had fallen right out of his game. At the end, my sister could have stopped shots that Devan Dubnyk allowed in. Not a person in Edmonton disagreed with the trade, at the time. Good for him that he proved all of us wrong.

1. “Taylor Hall is what’s wrong with this team“. No, and if you THINK that, YOU are what is wrong with this team. For a few years now, Taylor Hall has been one of the few things worth cheering for, game-in and game-out, and this season has taken his game to a whole, new All-Star level. He is one of the very best Left Wingers in the NHL today, Top 10 in scoring, and likely headed to a berth on Team Canada. This franchise is damn lucky to have him, and perhaps we should start to appreciate him, instead of treating him like a 3-legged dog.

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O.K. Now I feel better. 30+ games to go, and Connor McDavid is back Tuesday. We still have a real shot at the playoffs.

Or…is that just a myth, too?

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Edmonton Oilers: Nine Myth-Busters

By Kurt Leavins | Jan 31, 2016

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