Excellent comments and questions; and a little more clarity
by CJC (2022-06-08 08:00:12)
Edited on 2022-06-08 08:00:39

In reply to: And in the West, how do you not blow up the Oilers?  posted by CJC

Post Reply Return to Lefty's Rink

As a couple of posters have questioned/noted, "blowing up" can mean a number of things.

I definitely did not mean trade both McDavid and Draisaitl (and anyone else of value) and tank.

But I do think that this team is extremely unlikely to win a Stanley Cup, as currently comprised. I don't watch a lot of Oiler games, but particularly in the playoffs, McDavid seems pretty disinterested in playing a 200-foot game. And if your best player won't, who will (especially if he's your #1 center)?

I don't disagree that Trotz or Cassidy could squeeze another few games out of this current iteration, but this series proved to me that it would take a hell of a lot more than that.

I certainly recognize their predicament. But to me, simple logic and organizational management/leadership dictates that if your current operation cannot (as much as something like that can be known) produce what you created it to produce, you have to move on, or at least make changes substantial enough to give you a new approach and a legitimate chance to get where the last iteration couldn't get you.

Maybe it's not possible or practical to trade one of McDavid or Draisaitl. But if not, I think they are consigned to hockey hell. It's like the Blackhawks hell, only at a higher plane and much more entertaining to watch.

But either way, there's no way out.

Replies: