Year after year in recent times, the Edmonton Oilers continue to be the whipping boys of the National Hockey League.
Since the Oilers’ Stanley Cup Championship run during the 2005-06 season – where they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games – they have failed to progress to the playoffs every season.
That playoff series against the Hurricanes was the first time the Oilers franchise made the trip back to the Stanley Cup Finals since the Mark Messier-captained team in the 1989-90 season captured Lord Stanley’s behemoth trophy.
The team has also not posted a winning record for four consecutive seasons, holding a 35% win rate in that four year span.
So far this season their record is an abysmal 7-16-2 to sit them last in the Western Conference on 16 points and second-last overall in the league, in front of the Buffalo Sabres (11 points).
After long-time head coach Craig MacTavish was fired at the conclusion of the 2008-09 season, concluding eight years behind the bench, the Oilers have burned through three head coaches in Pat Quinn (2009-10), Tom Renney (2010-12) and Ralph Kreuger (2012-13).
Dallas Eakins – their fifth coach in five years – who took charge at the start of this season, looks to have an almighty task in front of him and would need a miracle to keep his job beyond this year.
In 2010, the Oilers signalled their intentions to rebuild the franchise after their failed attempt to bring the Stanley Cup back to Alberta in 2006.
Little did they know that for three straight years, starting in 2010, they would receive the first pick in the NHL Draft, after compiling miserable upon miserable seasons.
They were granted the first pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, after winning the draft lottery, and picked highly-touted teenager Taylor Hall, who caught their eye after dominating for the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL and in the IIHF World U20 Junior Championships for Canada.
Next in line to be picked by the Oilers first in the 2011 NHL Draft was clear cut number one selection Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the first player in the WHL to be drafted first since 1996.
The combination of left wing Hall and center Nugent-Hopkins had fans and commentators alike salivating at the thought of these two playing on the same line for years to come.
If that wasn’t enough to get the hockey world buzzing with excitement, Edmonton selected Russian Wunderkind Nail Yakupov (who just so happens to play right wing) first in the 2012 NHL Draft – finally complementing their other two number one draft picks in Hall and Nugent-Hopkins.
The Oilers had three number one picks, three teenagers, three young men with immense talent and potential.
Still, the Oilers finished 24th in the league last season.
Edmonton possesses the young riches and prized players every other team in the NHL lusts for.
Not only do they have three number one draft picks, they also hold in their arsenal the supremely skilled Jordan Eberle (age 23) and promising young defenceman Justin Schultz (age 23).
Center Sam Gagner (age 24) and newly acquired David Perron (age 25) via a trade with the St Louis Blues round out the core nucleus with which the Oilers hope to rebuild this seemingly shattered franchise.
Even though the team has these weapons at their disposal, they cannot translate this into wins – and consistent wins.
This is not only from a lack of chemistry between their offensive players but also a lack of consistency between the pipes as well.
The Oilers signed coveted free agent goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin for four years and $15 million after he posted superb numbers of 25-8-7 in 2008-09 with three shutouts for the Chicago Blackhawks.
This gamble for an ageing 36-year-old goaltender proved to be a bust, as injuries and poor play marred his stint in Edmonton and he was demoted to be Devan Dubynk’s back up for the lockout shortened season last year.
Dubynk has remained the Oilers’ starting goaltender but so far has yet to prove himself worthy of the role with inconsistency his main downfall holding a league fifth worst 3.32 goals against average (GAA).
In comparison to other starting goaltenders of Cory Schneider and Tuukka Rask with GAA’s of 1.87 and 1.89 respectively, Dubnyk’s numbers are terrible.
This season the Oilers have given up a league leading 89 goals with Florida Panthers the next worst at 86.
Their first six games of the season started atrociously giving up 29 goals to their opponents to average 4.83 goals against.
Controversial goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov was brought in to provide competition for Dubynk.
One thing is for certain – there is a problem in Edmonton and it needs to be fixed quickly, as fans as well as the rest of the league continue to hold frequent angst against the team.
Their continual appalling performances on the ice are damaging the league itself not to mention affecting the careers of the superstars on their roster.
How many draft picks and talented players must the Oilers churn through in order for the franchise to be competitive again?
Fixing the burst dam walls in goal would be a perfect start.
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