The Edmonton Oilers are on their way to rebuilding. This has been the state of the franchise for the past ten years, and thanks to this constant rebuilding and poor upper management for the last nine years, there has been a lot of pessimism in the fan base.
Booing the team on home ice, throwing jerseys onto the rink and even refusing to watch the team. While it has been difficult to be a fan in times like these, you will not be considered a “homer” if you stand by them when times get tough. In fact, you would be a “true fan.”
The negativity surrounding the fan base has led to jokes about the team, snarky comments and overall pessimistic culture. However, we now have competent management and coaching staff, made some decent moves at the deadline and are working to change the face of this franchise. For that, we should work to change the face of the fan base.
It’s gotten to the point where even Taylor Hall joins in about the jokes regarding the team’s progress and record. That is how we, as a fanbase, are reflecting on the players in the locker room. If we want this team to succeed, and if we are loyal fans, we should have faith, stand behind them and support their recent moves.
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As I wrote yesterday, this team has gotten bigger, tougher and stronger thanks to their newest additions, and despite a shaky performance Friday, they will be decent additions. They finish their checks, blend in and give us some size and grit. Peter Chiarelli is working to make the Oilers into the Big Bruins he once worked with. So let’s see what happens with that.
Not to mention, we shouldn’t expect one 19-year-old to come onto the roster and push the team into the playoffs. It takes a team effort, and obviously, there are pieces we still have to work out, and there were pieces we had to deal for and deal away at the deadline. One man does not make a franchise, and a complete transition and rebuild wasn’t going to happen over night. So for those fans who are saying that the team isn’t better, and that they are failures because they could not make the playoffs, you are wrong.
Look at the team’s record this season. It is much better than it was from any of the previous years, and of late, we’ve played decent games. Especially with Teddy Purcell and Justin Schultz out of the picture, the team can work without their flaws, and now, the fan base does not need to go on and on about their performance. So why is there still complaining about these players?
The team is rebuilding. They are evaluating their pieces, and seeing which players are going to buy into the system, or continue to take nights off. Everything will sort itself out in the offseason, when we will likely look for a big number one defender, but this fan base needs to stop with the “Here Come the Oilers” chants and the “The Oilers Keep Oilering” chants.
Do you think any player int he franchise wants to stay in Edmonton if they are getting *excuse my French* crapped on night in and night out? It’s not going to help our team if our players don’t even want to be here, and if they don’t feel appreciated by the fans.
Next: Edmonton Oilers Are Becoming Bigger, Tougher
So guys, let’s look toward the future. It is bright. We have Connor McDavid. We have big strong guys coming into our lineup. We have an insane goaltending tandem, led by Cam Talbot. There’s much more to look forward to than their is to drone on. Trust me, this may have been the past ten years, and it’s amazing to see how fans have stuck with this team, but we are gearing up for the better now. Things are looking up.