RapierShot

Strome has shown that he might be the answer to our 3C spot; however, he needs to bring consistency to his game before folks will accept that. OJF's suggestion would work - show us what you got, Ryan, and we'll go from there.

Thanks for the clip, hockey66...I found the part about Jeff Gordon quite illuminating re: the Boston drafting. Regarding the "weak negotiator" reference to PC...it seems that the Oilers have a history doing that, and I think a large part of it is because of the difficulty in attracting / keeping players here (travel schedule, long winters, small markets, etc. etc.). Paying players a premium seems to be a normal course of business (apart from players we're able to draft). As the NHL has expanded to the sunny / sexy US locations, places like Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Calgary don't hold as much attraction. I know this has been discussed at other times / places here and it just seems like a reality that won't go away.

Calgary and Edmonton have a shared recent history of short-term coaching. Both teams need to find their answer and get some stability there.

Well, it seems the hockey gods unloaded a whole lot of (well deserved) karma on the Ducks last night! The Ducks have been heavily penalized and lost important video reviews this series - something that they didn't have to deal with last year. Their scoring was thin and scarce. And i loved it! Well done, Sharks! So the aging LA Kings and Ducks are done....and their futures seem headed toward Rebuilds. Funny how that works.

My major issues with PC are: (1) The Larsson-Hall trade. We needed to improve the defence drastically and in order to do that, you need to pay the price.However, it became clear over time, that PC wanted to buy Adam Larsson. That's way different than shopping for a defenceman of that calibre (where various options and teams come into the picture). As soon as a GM is seen as buying, the price to pay grows and PC paid NJ's inflated price (Taylor Hall). Had he gone shopping and considered 3 or 4 other candidates as well, the likelihood of a more reasonable price is higher. I'm ignoring the notion that Hall had to be moved because this was now Connor's team. Would the Oilers have been the only team with 2 or more stars? Would we have been the only team with 2 or more personalities? Both of them are young men and still growing and developing into maturity - the team can guide that. I'd argue that losing Hendricks hurt the room more than keeping Hall would have. (2) Dropped the ball for 2017-18. It's been discussed elsewhere / everywhere about how little was done by PC to bolster the roster for this season. It seemed he went on holiday after signing McD and Leon, and then piece-mealed fixes via the bargain bin. That's a fundamental error and performance problem and unacceptable at this level. PC can and should learn from these....but at the same time, he (or any Oiler GM) shouldn't have to deal with a "red wine summit" to do his job. Either he has control of the GM responsibilities or he's gone....enough of the BS.

I'm enjoying the way the Sharks are having their way with the Ducks. Anaheim's "window for success" is being slammed shut and I hope it's a sweep! Loving how the Avs are hanging in against the Preds....the Avs went from being in the basement last season to playoffs this year - could this be the way of the Oilers next year? What's with the Caps? Trying to explain their playoff problems is like discussing bigfoot, UFOs and such. Totally strange. First round of the playoffs....best hockey all year!

Watching the VGKs this year - and winning their first playoff game tonight - makes me believe that it will be REALLY HARD TO SELL THE PATIENCE AND "IT TAKES TIME" MESSAGE to the fans. What they have done with mostly average players not only proves you can fast-track team building, but also makes you ask "why" when you're told to wait longer. It can be done and there are people who can do it.

That speaks lots for SM...a quiet, skilled player that comes to play. Wish him a great off-season, full recovery and great season ahead.

PC was quoted today saying that the coaching staff will be thoroughly reviewed. That's good, and a good business practice - win or lose. This season exposed some serious coaching issues that should be addressed, so there's much room for improvement. On the GM side, same thing. The Oilers were an under-manned team most of the year, without a serious effort during the season to improve the team. That's on the GM and Nicholson needs to address that. As fans, that's what we can hope for....but the "management" structure of the Oilers could paralyze things. Was the 2017-18 season an outlier year for PC....or about average?

Thanks Sharp.....it's been fun. Looks like the party's over...the fat lady has sung....and the lights are out at Rogers Place...for another season. Have a great spring & summer folks...enjoy some playoff (read: Jets) hockey....a few cool ones....and pray for an inspired off-season for PC & co. good night all!

Thanks Happy. As awful as the tragedy has been, the reaching out and support shown by people has kept some of the darkness back.

I'm not much of a fisherman - I've been skunked in some of the best water a n y w h e r e! However, I do enjoy the calm and peace that comes with fishing; in fact, I pack a rod in my car just in case I happen along a nice stream or river and enjoy a break (no lures - just practice casting). With the empirical evidence of the therapeutic value of fishing, it should be covered under the health plan! Enjoy boys...tight lines and loose women!!

It's here - the last game of the season for the Oilers and our last chance to see Daniel and Henrik Sedin play. Vancouver gave them a real classy (deservedly) sendoff and I'm sure the Edmonton fans will as well. While other teams are preparing for the playoffs (starting Apr 11), we'll be looking at the draft position for the Oilers when all the dust settles. Connor is still leading in the Ross chase and should win. GO OILERS !!!!! And a tip of the hat to the Sedins!!!!!

All good comments. What's incredible to me is that each of the twins was a world class athlete and together they were dominant, whether in the NHL or int'l competition. It really is too bad that they never won the SC. Their legacy will be remembered.

Second last game of this season tonight...and soon the pain will stop. After a couple of point-less games, hoping that McD can pad his lead in the scoring race (now at 103 - 5 points above #2). Even though we're only going through the motions, it would be nice if the Oilers made a game of it. GO OILERS !!!!!