Patience is a divisive word in Oil Country. Asking this fanbase to be patient after years of mismanagement and watching good players get traded for magic beans has left a reasonably sour taste in the mouths of most fans. Right now the Oilers have two Hart Trophy winners on their team and in their prime. The window to win a Cup should be right now for this team, and yet a number of holes still exist on this roster.
The most recent bad news for Oilers fans was that defenseman Oscar Klefbom may a large chunk, or even all of next season if he chooses to undergo surgery. To that degree, it makes sense how avidly Holland appeared to be pursuing Coyotes defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Time and time again we have seen Oscar Klefbom go down to injury and watch the team struggle in his absence. The player is injury prone but when healthy he is a key part of this lineup.
New reports suggest that OEL would not waive his NTC to come to Edmonton which could be the best news for the Oilers. I have huge doubts on Ekman-Larsson's ability to be a #1 defenseman still and his contract scares the hell out of me.
Worse than that is what the rumoured trade package for OEL would have been; Edmonton's first round pick this season (14th overall) and a young defensive prospect like Evan Bouchard or Philip Broberg.
I am not against trading a young prospect for immediate help to make this team a contender; but that trade has to benefit this team for more than a couple of years. If the trade was for a defender like Zach Werenski, Dougie Hamilton, or even a Charlie McAvoy I would say go for it. A near 30 year old who has seen his production dip steadily over the past few years cannot be the answer.
Back to patience, I want to see this team hoist a Cup as much as any of you Oilers fans do but I ask you what would you rather see; the Edmonton Oilers lose next season in a Cup Final only to be a bubble team for the next four seasons or to see this team challenge for a Cup for the next decade?
Look at the Colorado Avalanche, an absolutely stacked team at almost every position but injuries and running into a hot goaltender cut their playoff run short. Tampa Bay is arguably the deepest team in the League and won a Cup this season but spent the last few years coming up short in disappointing exits. Stacking to "win now" is not a guaranteed recipe for success.
Last year the Edmonton Oilers finished second in their division, and a big part of that was having young players like Yamamoto and Bear make the jump to the NHL on team friendly deals. The best teams in the last decade like Pittsburgh and Tampa have used this model to great success.
Over the next few years Edmonton should be able to continue this trend with young players like Broberg, Bouchard, Lavoie, McLeod, and whoever they draft in a few short days.
If Klefbom is indeed gone for the season, Holland will need to get creative and find stop-gap options to fill that void. Watching this team make another early exit from the playoffs or miss the post-season entirely would be disappointing to watch but if it helps to ensure this team can be a threat in the Western Conference for years to come than I can better stomach it.
Thanks for reading.