The 8 Year-drought and counting...which season has been the worst? (and rank them)

[Oilmageddon]

Picture not showing up wa that guy with big ears , I remember your user name from when I lurked have not seen you post in a long time. I always laughed at that one of the best avatars ever imo.

That was someone else...I just changed by handle today.

 

[PaPaDee]

This last season was the most disappointing season I've had since becoming an Oiler fan.

Every year since this "rebuild" began I've been watching 95%+ of Oiler games on TV, and typically make a trip to Edmonton 3-4 times a year to watch a live game. This season, I haven't watched a full game since November. I also only went to one live game in November, which I left during the second intermission (never done this before either).

In a nut shell, this season was proof that all of the "rebuild" years were a waste of my time and money. This team is no better than they were during the Quinn season, in fact, they may be even worse.

 

[Oiltankjob Fail]

That was someone else...I just changed by handle today.

Ahh definitely remember that username because of that avatar. HE/she must of changed theirs as well then.

 

[dustrock]

Sometimes I manage to forget about the terribad embarrassment that was the Heatley affair. And then I think of Michael Nylander and laugh.

 

[bone]

Honestly, the first season was the worst, because it was such a toxic mess that it was so hopeless. This season sucked, but there's hope there, and other seasons were tough to suffer through, but watching POS and others just suck out and quit was just awful.

The thing with that season is the descent began with a whole bunch of injuries which kind of justified the result at the time in my mind. Then when it became evident they weren't going to accomplish anything there was the excitement of a potential first overall pick. I watched little down the stretch but I was okay with it "for the better good".

This year was a kick to the junk in that we expected better and actually got worse and the novelty of a first overall pick has worn off. This was emphasized by the fact that the Oilers really did not suffer a significant injury all year other than Sam Gagner, and even he only missed 15 games. As a result, this year is the first year that I started feeling like this rebuild won't end up bearing fruit.

As such, this year hurts the most. My rankings would be:

1. 2013-14: enough said earlier
2. 2006-07: Pronger trade demand. Smyth trade. First place at Christmas before imploding and losing everything post trade deadline. Devastating turn of events from playing Game 7 the prior season.
3. 2012-13: Shortened season. Kids were hot during the lockout, creating high expectations, but team never really took off and choked down the stretch
4. 2009-10: Horrible season buoyed by the excitement of a potential first overall. Had a little hope that it was a result of injuries moreso than the skill of the team. Was proven wrong.
5. 2008-09: MacT era coming to an end
6. 2011-12: Fail for Nail, was settled in for the long rebuild so didn't have much expectations and enjoyed RNH fantastic rookie season
7. 2010-11: Rookie seasons for HOPE. Loved watching the potential and had low expectations which were basically met.
8. 2007-08: Nice late push by overachieving team that just had it's guts ripped out the year before. I fully enjoyed watching this season with the rookies of the first phase of rebuild. Too bad, it didn't amount to much.

 

[McPuritania]

The expectations of this year made it hurt the worst. The last couple of years we knew we were going to eat a bowl of ****, the hopes of meaningful games in march made the early season soul crushing even more excruciating.

 

[Beerfish]

Sometimes I manage to forget about the terribad embarrassment that was the Heatley affair. And then I think of Michael Nylander and laugh.

Almost added Clarkson to that list. As I've said before the very best moves this management group has made over the years are the big moves they tried to make but luckily failed.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

The thing with that season is the descent began with a whole bunch of injuries which kind of justified the result at the time in my mind. Then when it became evident they weren't going to accomplish anything there was the excitement of a potential first overall pick. I watched little down the stretch but I was okay with it "for the better good".

This year was a kick to the junk in that we expected better and actually got worse and the novelty of a first overall pick has worn off. This was emphasized by the fact that the Oilers really did not suffer a significant injury all year other than Sam Gagner, and even he only missed 15 games. As a result, this year is the first year that I started feeling like this rebuild won't end up bearing fruit.

As such, this year hurts the most. My rankings would be:

1. 2013-14: enough said earlier
2. 2006-07: Pronger trade demand. Smyth trade. First place at Christmas before imploding and losing everything post trade deadline. Devastating turn of events from playing Game 7 the prior season.
3. 2012-13: Shortened season. Kids were hot during the lockout, creating high expectations, but team never really took off and choked down the stretch
4. 2009-10: Horrible season buoyed by the excitement of a potential first overall. Had a little hope that it was a result of injuries moreso than the skill of the team. Was proven wrong.
5. 2008-09: MacT era coming to an end
6. 2011-12: Fail for Nail, was settled in for the long rebuild so didn't have much expectations and enjoyed RNH fantastic rookie season
7. 2010-11: Rookie seasons for HOPE. Loved watching the potential and had low expectations which were basically met.
8. 2007-08: Nice late push by overachieving team that just had it's guts ripped out the year before. I fully enjoyed watching this season with the rookies of the first phase of rebuild. Too bad, it didn't amount to much.

Fair enough, I won't argue with anyone on that, but I think it's a combination of the "expectations" and the fact that this past season is the freshest that might be lending itself to feeling like the "worst" right now.

I'll still say watching that quit and the utter gongshow that it brought about in 2009-10 was still the toughest to stomach for me.

 

[Aerchon]

This year by far bar none.

My expectations were not even that high but we had a complete meltdown and somehow managed to regress considerably.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Fair enough, I won't argue with anyone on that, but I think it's a combination of the "expectations" and the fact that this past season is the freshest that might be lending itself to feeling like the "worst" right now.

I'll still say watching that quit and the utter gongshow that it brought about in 2009-10 was still the toughest to stomach for me.

this...the team didn't win a game in January! and no hope in terms of prospects in the system...bad bad year

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

this...the team didn't win a game in January! and no hope in terms of prospects in the system...bad bad year

Yeah, that was horrendous, I was at the game when they finally won it was very weird to cheer for failing less for a little. I had almost forgot about that, that was the entire ****ing month, wow.

 

[McArthur]

kind of at the point that I really don't care who we draft. we could get conner mcdavid next year and i'd be upset. the cost doesn't justify the means. I don't care how good the player is. I want a team that good UFA's will play for, for less money. Chicago didn't win till they signed Marian Hossa.

 

[fancy dan]

34 years old and this year was easily the most disappointing year i can remember. rock bottom?

 

[McRpro]

I'm 36 and this has been, by far, the most disappointing season since I became an Oilers fan in 1990. I've never been so uninterested in the Oilers as I am right now. I'm completely expecting at least a few more seasons with no playoffs...and that's so depressing I think I am going to cry

 

[Beerfish]

The biggest problem with this year is essentially being out of the playoffs before Christmas, heck half way through November.

 

[Spawn]

34 years old and this year was easily the most disappointing year i can remember. rock bottom?

That operates under the assumption that it can't get any worse lol.

 

[Halibut]

34 years old and this year was easily the most disappointing year i can remember. rock bottom?

I think this one was special in the way it crushed all our spirits early after the general optimism that had been building the past couple season. We all felt we could see the light at the end of the tunnel, that things were going to change here and soon. This season crushed that and now it's hard to have any expectations that they will ever actually be a good team. This year seriously made a lot of us reconsider whether the rebuild was going to be a success or just something more like what the Islanders and Atlanta and the Panthers have done and kept constantly building for at least a decade and restarting when the next batch of prospects leaves.

 

[bombers15]

I say our first last-place finish - 09-10 - was the worst. I'm just numb to the pain now, so that one may have hurt more.

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

I had ZERO expectations for this team & they failed to live up to them. How an NHL team can get absolutely owned as often as they did is beyond me. I've never seen a team play as individuals & handle adversity as poorly as this one.

I knew we were in real serious trouble after Taylor Hall's post-game interview when they beat Colorado 8-1 & he said this was their potential. It seems they all actually believed that. If you think talent is going to win the day without the hard work then you're doomed to failure & fail they did.

 

[Jakemcl*]

probably worst season ever, jerseys on the ice, team refuses to play defence, hopefully all expectations are gone so the fans aren't so pumped over a bunch of losers

 

[Lacaar]

This year is the worst.

They were out of it pretty much as soon a team could possibly be out of it. They were toast come mid November.

No one really improved at all.

Usually come September there's this optimism that will accompany the team for me. I always say to my self not to get excited though I do.

I'm not the least bit excited for next year. I have no optimism. I honestly believe we'll be long out of the playoffs come December 1st again next year.

I've completely lost faith that anyone who plays for Edmonton becomes a better hockey player over time.

 

[sepHF]

I'm 27 and this is the worst year ever for me. Just a massive disappointment in almost all facets.

There is NO reason this team should end up in 29th.

 

[oobga]

This season is by far the worst. Even King Lowe, the master of the intentional tank and scapegoating people he handcuffed to keep the tank going, thought this was the season things would turn around.

If Florida actually could spend money on their team and Buffalo didn't decide to go full Lowe, we would have easily been 30th this year after all our #1 pick hoarding.

 

[McDNicks17]

I wasn't too upset with 09/10 and 10/11 because I thought the team could use the scorched earth rebuild.

At the time, I was thinking a couple of years in the dumps for a couple of franchise players and right back into the play-offs wouldn't be too bad.

Unfortunately the second part didn't happen. Not even close.

 

[thadd]

13/14 We were supposed to compete for a playoff spot this season. 10th in the west was expected to be considering decent progress and we are pretty much out of the playoffs 2 months into the season. What a joke.