I'd venture a few more years... we've been rebuilding ever since the Briere/Drury fiasco.

Should have taken the picks for Vanek on that offer sheet... those picks (with a competent GM and coach) could be superstars, or even just stars by now.

And I will go on the record and say that Vanek on the Oilers would NOT have improved their team THAT much, so they might not be lottery picks, but surely they would be top 6 picks.

As a side note, I wonder how Darcy Farcy smooth talked Pegula into starting a "rebuild?" Isn't that admitting defeat? LOL, this guy has more lives than Morris the Cat!

Can you two just (frank) and make up?

Can you two just (frank) and make up?
- AdamFrench

to be objective in this, Garth started it

I see Garth is posting in his own comment section in an effort to try to get more hits.

This is something he has not done much of over the past 3 years

I think it's funny as hell

Your boy Enroth the biggest IF
- theblueandgold

they are all if's

is Enroth a #1 or #2 goalie
is Gringo a top 2 center or a third line center
is Girgen a second liner or 3rd liner
is Armia a top line player or 3rd liner

are these D men we drafted top 4 d men or fringe nhl ers

the list goes on and on

the problem before was darcy, after breire and drury left, had second liners playing on the top line
3rd liners playing on second line
no top 4 d men, once soupy left

etc

it's been a 6 year cluster(frank)

Rebuild will only last 5 months. That is what every NHL team does in the offseason. Every team should start the season with a chance to win the Cup. Look at where Pittsburgh was when Bylsma took over? Look at where LA was when Sutter took over. Any team has a chance to win it all.

I still remember the year Buffalo went bankrupt and people kept talking about how that would affect the team. It seemed every interview guys were asked about it until it bacame a crutch, and the Sabres ended up having a bad year. That same year the Senators were in the same situation and did very well. The interviews with them were different. The players did not use it as a crutch and showed their pride as Pro hockey players and competators, and finished very well.

Let's not remind the Sabres all season how poorly they should and could do, and hold them accountable for competative, inspired hockey, like every other team. Yes they have some young experienced players, however, they are all NHL players and as long as they play to win, they will do great!!

Rebuild will only last 5 months. That is what every NHL team does in the offseason. Every team should start the season with a chance to win the Cup. Look at where Pittsburgh was when Bylsma took over? Look at where LA was when Sutter took over. Any team has a chance to win it all.

I still remember the year Buffalo went bankrupt and people kept talking about how that would affect the team. It seemed every interview guys were asked about it until it bacame a crutch, and the Sabres ended up having a bad year. That same year the Senators were in the same situation and did very well. The interviews with them were different. The players did not use it as a crutch and showed their pride as Pro hockey players and competators, and finished very well.

Let's not remind the Sabres all season how poorly they should and could do, and hold them accountable for competative, inspired hockey, like every other team. Yes they have some young experienced players, however, they are all NHL players and as long as they play to win, they will do great!!
- 89mogo

I think that with going in a younger direction at that moment, it should help. When you've got so many young guys trying to prove themselves, it's a much different animal than a group of vets that are struggling. It's no coincidence that the team actually looked better when they were playing with a decent amount of guys from the Rochester lineup closer to the end of the year. I just hope the guys that were here last year continue to play that way. I'd hate to see them get lazy now that they've secured their spot.

I also hope that Foligno can find a happy medium of game play that falls somewhere between how he played at the end of 2 seasons ago and how he played this season.

they are all if's

is Enroth a #1 or #2 goalie
is Gringo a top 2 center or a third line center
is Girgen a second liner or 3rd liner
is Armia a top line player or 3rd liner

are these D men we drafted top 4 d men or fringe nhl ers

the list goes on and on

the problem before was darcy, after breire and drury left, had second liners playing on the top line
3rd liners playing on second line
no top 4 d men, once soupy left

etc

it's been a 6 year cluster(frank)
- homiedclown

Gringo, Armia and Girgensons arent the IFs heading into next season. The biggest IF will be goaltending should we move on from Miller.

I disagree about having 2nd liners playing on the first line, and 3rd liners playing on the 2nd line for the majority of the past 6 seasons.

Last year our biggest weakness was our lack of a NHL level bottom 6 that could take the tough minutes away from our offensive lines.

We had a very capable NHL top 4 in Ehrhoff, Myers, Sekera and Regher. Problem is, only 2 of them played like it (Ehrhoff and Sekera). Regher never fit in here, and Myers is a product of the coaches trying to make him something hes not, yet.

As an Oiler fan Im an expert when it comes to re-building. Just getting high picks is not the answer, there are lots of problems with having a losing team.
First no decent player who is a UFA wants to go to a losing team, then there are the players who have had lots of years of losing and become accustomed to it and just show up and collect a big pay cheque. Also one of the biggest problems is that eventually your young high draft picks wants to be the leaders on the team and the senior players dont want this to happen. These are things that the Oilers have struggled with the last few years. This year will be the first year the Oilers actually have a chance of making the play offs in a long time. Next year when they get a couple of their hi end defense prospects on the big club they will be set. It will have taken them 5 years.

F the Avs. No one cares about them, including most of Colorado.

Rebuild will only last 5 months. That is what every NHL team does in the offseason. Every team should start the season with a chance to win the Cup. Look at where Pittsburgh was when Bylsma took over? Look at where LA was when Sutter took over. Any team has a chance to win it all.

I still remember the year Buffalo went bankrupt and people kept talking about how that would affect the team. It seemed every interview guys were asked about it until it bacame a crutch, and the Sabres ended up having a bad year. That same year the Senators were in the same situation and did very well. The interviews with them were different. The players did not use it as a crutch and showed their pride as Pro hockey players and competators, and finished very well.

Let's not remind the Sabres all season how poorly they should and could do, and hold them accountable for competative, inspired hockey, like every other team. Yes they have some young experienced players, however, they are all NHL players and as long as they play to win, they will do great!!
- 89mogo

Look at who Pittsburgh had and look at the players L.A had, saying anyone has a chance is silly. Look at L.A's team and then look at New Jersey's team. Different league.

Next blog in 3....2.....1....

Gringo, Armia and Girgensons arent the IFs heading into next season. The biggest IF will be goaltending should we move on from Miller.

I disagree about having 2nd liners playing on the first line, and 3rd liners playing on the 2nd line for the majority of the past 6 seasons.

Last year our biggest weakness was our lack of a NHL level bottom 6 that could take the tough minutes away from our offensive lines.

We had a very capable NHL top 4 in Ehrhoff, Myers, Sekera and Regher. Problem is, only 2 of them played like it (Ehrhoff and Sekera). Regher never fit in here, and Myers is a product of the coaches trying to make him something hes not, yet.
- theblueandgold

really?

you think roy and coho are legit #1 centers (that was who we had the last 6 years)

connolly and hecht legit #2 centers?
pommer a legit top line winger?
kotalik a legit #2 liner
staff a legit 1 liner?
whoever we had at lw over the last 6 years as a legit second liner?


at best we had 2 top 4 d men over the last 6 years and most of the years none was worthy of top pair


I am talking about a legit team to compete line up not an 8th place team lineup, in case I was not clear


off to the casino, play nice

oh my


ESPN President Says He Regrets Not Having Hockey Broadcast Rights

http://bostinno.streetwis...ipper-regrets-nhl-hockey/

really?

you think roy and coho are legit #1 centers (that was who we had the last 6 years)

connolly and hecht legit #2 centers?
pommer a legit top line winger?
kotalik a legit #2 liner
staff a legit 1 liner?
whoever we had at lw over the last 6 years as a legit second liner?


at best we had 2 top 4 d men over the last 6 years and most of the years none was worthy of top pair


I am talking about a legit team to compete line up not an 8th place team lineup, in case I was not clear


off to the casino, play nice
- homiedclown

Roy had seasons of 81, 70, 69 and 35 points in 35 games as a #1 center. Yes, Roy was a capable #1 center. Problem was that freak quad injury.

When Connolly was healthy, he wasnt a bad #2 center.

Pommer is without a doubt a legit top line RW. Guaranteed 20 goals and 60 points and plays in all situations.

Stafford hardly ever played top line RW. He has his ups and downs, but the majority of his seasons, hes been decent for a 2nd line RW. Obviously had a VERY bad year last year.

I would say our biggest problem has always been the depth of the team. We have players on the top lines that are playing in roles that dont suit them best. A lot of that had to do with the deficiency of our bottom 6. You look at all the "contenders" and their bottom 6 are quality players. Our 2 good years following the 04-05 lockout we had depth on the bottom 6 players. We havent had that since Briere and Drury left.

Roy had seasons of 81, 70, 69 and 35 points in 35 games as a #1 center. Yes, Roy was a capable #1 center. Problem was that freak quad injury.

When Connolly was healthy, he wasnt a bad #2 center.

Pommer is without a doubt a legit top line RW. Guaranteed 20 goals and 60 points and plays in all situations.

Stafford hardly ever played top line RW. He has his ups and downs, but the majority of his seasons, hes been decent for a 2nd line RW. Obviously had a VERY bad year last year.

I would say our biggest problem has always been the depth of the team. We have players on the top lines that are playing in roles that dont suit them best. A lot of that had to do with the deficiency of our bottom 6. You look at all the "contenders" and their bottom 6 are quality players. Our 2 good years following the 04-05 lockout we had depth on the bottom 6 players. We havent had that since Briere and Drury left.
- theblueandgold

Wasn't Luke Adam our number #1 center for awhile?

As an Oiler fan Im an expert when it comes to re-building. Just getting high picks is not the answer, there are lots of problems with having a losing team.
First no decent player who is a UFA wants to go to a losing team, then there are the players who have had lots of years of losing and become accustomed to it and just show up and collect a big pay cheque. Also one of the biggest problems is that eventually your young high draft picks wants to be the leaders on the team and the senior players dont want this to happen. These are things that the Oilers have struggled with the last few years. This year will be the first year the Oilers actually have a chance of making the play offs in a long time. Next year when they get a couple of their hi end defense prospects on the big club they will be set. It will have taken them 5 years.
- vanlee

Thanks for sharing.