Holland is setting the table for next year. Too much to to in one season. Hopefully we play some good hockey but prob another high pick again.
- oil90

Plan the draft!

Plan the draft!
- K-man25

Cause the flames have won a round in the past few years....

Get in and nearly swept and take a 15th-ish, or just hire publicly acknowledged inept management and get ANOTHER useless piece to another rebuild. At least we know what we are. Can calgary play once they make the playoffs, or are they still relying on yaku/Bonette and jenny-sammy no showshow?

Players have to want to sign in Edmonton. It is entirely possible that the Oilers offered better money, but the player did not want to come here.

Is been a growing narrative that Edmonton is a tough market to play in because of the unforgiving media.

Thats been well vocalized for J. Shultz and Eberle.

Edmonton is the place people go when they cant find a home in a coastal city. Why would stars want to bring their family here, the land of farms. It is a nice city for those that live here, but when you have millions of dollars and a model wife, im sure they would much rather live near a metropolis where they can live the lifestyle they always dreamed of.

Edmonton is not a city for rich 20 something yr olds. Even katz has money coming out of his teeth and he doesnt even live here more then 2 weeks a year. Its not because the city is dirty or ugly, its just boring. Then stack the media scrutiny on top of all that its just not worth it for people with options to come here.

Edmonton is the place people go when they cant find a home in a coastal city. Why would stars want to bring their family here, the land of farms. It is a nice city for those that live here, but when you have millions of dollars and a model wife, im sure they would much rather live near a metropolis where they can live the lifestyle they always dreamed of.

Edmonton is not a city for rich 20 something yr olds. Even katz has money coming out of his teeth and he doesnt even live here more then 2 weeks a year. Its not because the city is dirty or ugly, its just boring. Then stack the media scrutiny on top of all that its just not worth it for people with options to come here.
- Rev

Agreed.

Edmonton is the place people go when they cant find a home in a coastal city. Why would stars want to bring their family here, the land of farms. It is a nice city for those that live here, but when you have millions of dollars and a model wife, im sure they would much rather live near a metropolis where they can live the lifestyle they always dreamed of.

Edmonton is not a city for rich 20 something yr olds. Even katz has money coming out of his teeth and he doesnt even live here more then 2 weeks a year. Its not because the city is dirty or ugly, its just boring. Then stack the media scrutiny on top of all that its just not worth it for people with options to come here.
- Rev

I agree and I actually think that this is the main problem with the Edmonton Oilers.

I was born in EDM, I have family there, I love the city...but NOPE...I'd never want to live there.

I agree and I actually think that this is the main problem with the Edmonton Oilers.

I was born in EDM, I have family there, I love the city...but NOPE...I'd never want to live there.
- JLO961

Obviously the city of Edmonton isn't big enough to have a boardroom with a table long enough to handle the sheer weight and size of the business deals you negotiate on a daily basis....that's just science.

I agree and I actually think that this is the main problem with the Edmonton Oilers.

I was born in EDM, I have family there, I love the city...but NOPE...I'd never want to live there.
- JLO961

Haha... You think that is the main problem with the oilers...This team has been severely mismanaged for the last 10 fricken years..Look at what the (frank)tard Chia did all by himself.Oh how we could use a guy like Taylor Hall, maybe we could offer Larsson for him...
I personally will give Holland 1 year to try and fix this mess he inhereted, sooner would be really ok..
Im sure Edmonton isnt the most desirable place compared to some more temperate citys, but youre still gonna get paid just as well here and you have a chance to greatly enhance your career playing with Connor or Leon..
Just sayin..

Haha... You think that is the main problem with the oilers...This team has been severely mismanaged for the last 10 fricken years..Look at what the (frank)tard Chia did all by himself.Oh how we could use a guy like Taylor Hall, maybe we could offer Larsson for him...
I personally will give Holland 1 year to try and fix this mess he inhereted, sooner would be really ok..
Im sure Edmonton isnt the most desirable place compared to some more temperate citys, but youre still gonna get paid just as well here and you have a chance to greatly enhance your career playing with Connor or Leon..
Just sayin..
- oilpatch

Mismanagement is a symptom not a cause. GMs in Edmonton have to work 10 times harder than most cities to get a team built. We see it every year, with the past 6 or 7 GMs, flocks of free agents who go to other teams for cheap, trades that seem so easy that there is no possible way Edmonton couldn't have beaten the deal. It couldn't have been 7 bad gms in a row, its not THAT hard of a job.They made some mistakes but mostly because those deals that we see as available are just not there for Edmonton GMs. We literally can only build a team through the draft and quality FA pick ups. Those FAs will usually tend to be the other teams recycled garbage because no one else wanted to sign them to what Edmonton has to pay them to play here.

This talk of players will want to come here just to compete for a cup is a dead narrative. Thats the early 90s and 80s. The generation of todays players aren't nearly as blindly loyal. They want money first, location second, and if at all possible, a chance at the cup. Edmonton only offers money. So when a player has say, LA as an option, where they can have 2 of those 3 they will take LA every time. When you get players like Chiasson who don't get any of the 3 from any other teams but Edmonton at the very least can offer them money, then they will come play here. But, no player is going to turn down living in LA/NY/TOR and more money just for the chance to play with Mcdavid, who gives a poop about mcdavid when you can live your best life somewhere else.

Mismanagement is a symptom not a cause. GMs in Edmonton have to work 10 times harder than most cities to get a team built. We see it every year, with the past 6 or 7 GMs, flocks of free agents who go to other teams for cheap, trades that seem so easy that there is no possible way Edmonton couldn't have beaten the deal. It couldn't have been 7 bad gms in a row, its not THAT hard of a job.They made some mistakes but mostly because those deals that we see as available are just not there for Edmonton GMs. We literally can only build a team through the draft and quality FA pick ups. Those FAs will usually tend to be the other teams recycled garbage because no one else wanted to sign them to what Edmonton has to pay them to play here.

This talk of players will want to come here just to compete for a cup is a dead narrative. Thats the early 90s and 80s. The generation of todays players aren't nearly as blindly loyal. They want money first, location second, and if at all possible, a chance at the cup. Edmonton only offers money. So when a player has say, LA as an option, where they can have 2 of those 3 they will take LA every time. When you get players like Chiasson who don't get any of the 3 from any other teams but Edmonton at the very least can offer them money, then they will come play here. But, no player is going to turn down living in LA/NY/TOR and more money just for the chance to play with Mcdavid, who gives a poop about mcdavid when you can live your best life somewhere else.
- Rev

That doesn't explain the 2015 1st & 2nd for Reinhart deal at all though. That's all on the GM. While we definitely have it a little bit tougher being a small market team, the recent GM's and their actions haven't made it any easier, at all. Mismanagement is a cause, in fact, the primary reason why we are in this mess.

That doesn't explain the 2015 1st & 2nd for Reinhart deal at all though. That's all on the GM. While we definitely have it a little bit tougher being a small market team, the recent GM's and their actions haven't made it any easier, at all. Mismanagement is a cause, in fact, the primary reason why we are in this mess.
- EdmHockeyMan

More specifically one certain GM. Others have been bad, but not as brutal. And this narative that players won't sign here over other locations is crap too. Lucic turned down other offers to play in Edmonton as he saw them close, an opportunity to play with the greatest hockey player on earth, and was handsomely rewarded at the same time. No one saw his game declining to this point so quickly. Yes we all expected him to be an anchor for his final year or 2, and thought we could address it then. No one, including myself who did not like the deal from day 1, saw this harsh of a decline coming year 2 of the deal.

Sekeras signed with them while he was still a top 3 dman. Many college FAs have chosen edm over other locations. And there have been a few others who chose to resign or sign there. Yes heatley and Nylander blocked deals to go there, but they have had a fair share of guys willing to sign there too.

More specifically one certain GM. Others have been bad, but not as brutal. And this narative that players won't sign here over other locations is crap too. Lucic turned down other offers to play in Edmonton as he saw them close, an opportunity to play with the greatest hockey player on earth, and was handsomely rewarded at the same time. No one saw his game declining to this point so quickly. Yes we all expected him to be an anchor for his final year or 2, and thought we could address it then. No one, including myself who did not like the deal from day 1, saw this harsh of a decline coming year 2 of the deal.

Sekeras signed with them while he was still a top 3 dman. Many college FAs have chosen edm over other locations. And there have been a few others who chose to resign or sign there. Yes heatley and Nylander blocked deals to go there, but they have had a fair share of guys willing to sign there too.
- wreckage

No one offered him the money that we did. Or the location that we did, or the opportunity to play with Mcdavid. Hes from Vancouver this is as close as he was going to get to home for the amount of money he wanted. No doubt Chia was a moron and (frank)ed everything up. A better GM could have made no moves but we still would have been a poop team with no defense for another 5 years while we drafted and developed them because getting one through FA or trade just wasn't happening. The lack of availability pushed the undisciplined Chia into making stupid plays to make something happen. Sekera was a good defencemen not a great one. We weren't getting a stud to come here plain and simple. Maybe if we made the SCF and lost the season before we could convince a star to come here to put us over the top but we aren't ever getting there without already having a few #1s or 2s on our backend.

More specifically one certain GM. Others have been bad, but not as brutal. And this narative that players won't sign here over other locations is crap too. Lucic turned down other offers to play in Edmonton as he saw them close, an opportunity to play with the greatest hockey player on earth, and was handsomely rewarded at the same time. No one saw his game declining to this point so quickly. Yes we all expected him to be an anchor for his final year or 2, and thought we could address it then. No one, including myself who did not like the deal from day 1, saw this harsh of a decline coming year 2 of the deal.

Sekeras signed with them while he was still a top 3 dman. Many college FAs have chosen edm over other locations. And there have been a few others who chose to resign or sign there. Yes heatley and Nylander blocked deals to go there, but they have had a fair share of guys willing to sign there too.
- wreckage

While you may be right, we definitely had it tougher in the pre-McDavid era. Penner, Heatley, Nylander, the Pronger sitaution, the Souray situation, and the list goes on of players who left, demanded a trade, or didn't want to sign here. In some of those cases, management let the player down. In most cases, the media butchered the players to the bone, of which is still a prevalent issue.

While you may be right, we definitely had it tougher in the pre-McDavid era. Penner, Heatley, Nylander, the Pronger sitaution, the Souray situation, and the list goes on of players who left, demanded a trade, or didn't want to sign here. In some of those cases, management let the player down. In most cases, the media butchered the players to the bone, of which is still a prevalent issue.
- EdmHockeyMan

This is my point, the Edmonton brand was tarred long before Chia got there. Edmonton is still not an attractive place to play for any FA. A mixture of bad management pre Mcdavid, Post Mcdavid, media relations, location, schedule and travel, media scrutiny, etc etc. There are not a lot of great reasons to WANT to come play here.

This is my point, the Edmonton brand was tarred long before Chia got there. Edmonton is still not an attractive place to play for any FA. A mixture of bad management pre Mcdavid, Post Mcdavid, media relations, location, schedule and travel, media scrutiny, etc etc. There are not a lot of great reasons to WANT to come play here.
- Rev

What I'm trying to say is that on top of our location and other factors including media, management has been abysmal in helping shape a direction for this team and supporting it (management is a cause for where we are).

There is a reason why ex-oilers do better on greener pastures. Better management, cast support, direction of the team and expectations, and less media scrutiny. Living in a place that isn't -30 for half of the year helps too.

What I'm trying to say is that on top of our location and other factors including media, management has been abysmal in helping shape a direction for this team and supporting it (management is a cause for where we are).

There is a reason why ex-oilers do better on greener pastures. Better management, cast support, direction of the team and expectations, and less media scrutiny. Living in a place that isn't -30 for half of the year helps too.
- EdmHockeyMan

The weather is great in Arizona but you dont see players jumping to sign there...Ownership-management has been a joke...People in
general dont want to be a part of it..

So until our owner and management fix this mess, players wont want to come here,but rest assured,once we start winning the game will change...

So Binnington is 100k cheaper then Koskenin

The weather is great in Arizona but you dont see players jumping to sign there...Ownership-management has been a joke...People in
general dont want to be a part of it..

So until our owner and management fix this mess, players wont want to come here,but rest assured,once we start winning the game will change...
- oilpatch

Pheonix is not a hub city....its where old canadians go to die.

This is my point, the Edmonton brand was tarred long before Chia got there. Edmonton is still not an attractive place to play for any FA. A mixture of bad management pre Mcdavid, Post Mcdavid, media relations, location, schedule and travel, media scrutiny, etc etc. There are not a lot of great reasons to WANT to come play here.
- Rev

I agree! Edmonton is not an attractive place, life’s about choices, why would anyone choose to live there.

So Binnington is 100k cheaper then Koskenin
- RatedR80

Chia’s farwelll gift!

What would a McDavid trade look like?
McDavid for Mathews and Reily?
- ifiwasgm

I agree! Edmonton is not an attractive place, life’s about choices, why would anyone choose to live there.
- K-man25

Edmonton (the city) is a (frank)ing poop hole

- Aetherial

That would be the start.... I would suspect there would be a few 1st round picks and a role player or two coming with Matthews and Reilly.

That would be the start.... I would suspect there would be a few 1st round picks and a role player or two coming with Matthews and Reilly.
- Reveen.

I would throw in significant pieces to make it work. It’s Connor McDavid after all.

Mismanagement is a symptom not a cause. GMs in Edmonton have to work 10 times harder than most cities to get a team built. We see it every year, with the past 6 or 7 GMs, flocks of free agents who go to other teams for cheap, trades that seem so easy that there is no possible way Edmonton couldn't have beaten the deal. It couldn't have been 7 bad gms in a row, its not THAT hard of a job.They made some mistakes but mostly because those deals that we see as available are just not there for Edmonton GMs. We literally can only build a team through the draft and quality FA pick ups. Those FAs will usually tend to be the other teams recycled garbage because no one else wanted to sign them to what Edmonton has to pay them to play here.

This talk of players will want to come here just to compete for a cup is a dead narrative. Thats the early 90s and 80s. The generation of todays players aren't nearly as blindly loyal. They want money first, location second, and if at all possible, a chance at the cup. Edmonton only offers money. So when a player has say, LA as an option, where they can have 2 of those 3 they will take LA every time. When you get players like Chiasson who don't get any of the 3 from any other teams but Edmonton at the very least can offer them money, then they will come play here. But, no player is going to turn down living in LA/NY/TOR and more money just for the chance to play with Mcdavid, who gives a poop about mcdavid when you can live your best life somewhere else.
- Rev

Disagree completely on the management thing. If we had a competent management team, top to bottom, then even the fact that the city might not be an ideal landing spot for players wouldn't hinder us from icing a competitive team. FA's and trying to acquire players in trade with NTC/NMC are the only thing the city affects. Management can still make trades for good players without clauses, unfortunately they have to identify player talent first. They can still draft well, we haven't (until maybe the last few years, too early to tell). Sourey was a mismanagement issue, what about Bob calling out Reider for Edm missing the playoffs? The Lucic deal was brutal from the get-go, and don't get me started on using the cap savings from giving Eberle away, to sign Russell. All those pics for Reinhart. Hall for Larsson. None of these things have anything to do with the city. Management is a cause, not a symptom, IMO.