socaloil
Registered User
I know we’re all tired of losing, missing the playoffs, assessing/reassessing the “rebuildâ€, picking high at the draft each year and having nothing to show for it save for more high draft picks; but what gets to me the most at present is how maligned the once proud Edmonton Oilers franchise has become not only around the league but in North American professional sports in general.
Obviously, there’s no getting around the fact we chose 1st overall three times consecutively, and will now receive that privilege again for the fourth time in six years (hehe), and yet we have nothing to show for it in terms of a winning record or, more importantly, participating in the highly vaunted Stanley Cup playoff quest, for the past 9 seasons. Facing facts, none of us have enjoyed that certain feeling only a Cup run can provide since Monday, June 19, 2006 (especially about a minute into the third—nice one Fernando). I think the recent thread about how much our lives have changed since then says it all about how long it’s actually been.
But are we the ONLY team that’s endured elongated playoff droughts while receiving high draft picks? And is making the playoffs every once in a while only to be knocked out in the first round truly a mark of a “better†or “legitimate†franchise. I know we use the playoffs as a barometer of team success (with Cups as the ultimate determinant) and that drafting high should put a cellar-dweller in the postseason sooner rather than later; but what other teams can, and should, be likened to the Oilers? After all, misery loves company and we have nothing better to do until June 26.
I’ll choose the New York Islanders (please feel free to comment and/or choose your own team) to do a quick comparison with the Oilers in terms of playoff seasons vs. non-playoff seasons, playoff series duration, and 1st round draft picks following non-playoff seasons. I’m not concerned with whom the draft picks were/are or how they were acquired but simply their rank order. After all, this is what the main gripe is with the Oil all around the world: “3 straight #1 picks and they still suck?â€
NYI and Edmonton both had dynasties in the 1980s. That can be compared in another thread (probably has) I’m going to start with Edmonton’s years in the desert.
1993-1996 = 4 season playoff drought
Draft Picks = 7, 4, 6, 6
1997-2001 = Two 2nd Round playoff appearances, Three 1st Rounders (thanks, Dallas)
2002 = Did Not Qualify (DNQ) and Draft Pick 15
2003 = 1st Round playoffs (thanks again, Phallus)
2004 = DNQ and Draft Pick 14
Lockout = Draft Pick 25
2006 = Stanley Cup Finalist
2007-2015 = 9 season playoff drought
Draft Picks = 6, 22, 10, 1, 1, 1, 7, 3, (1)
Conclusions: 4 Top Ten picks but 0 Top Three picks put us back in the playoffs for five seasons. And this was after the fire sale that ended the dynasty days. However, the actual picks were not the true difference as we all know. So should 6 straight Top Ten picks, three at #1, automatically put is back in the playoffs? There is no correlation between Top Ten picks and our last Cup run. Let’s look at the New York Islanders because they, too, have long playoff droughts, high picks and not much to show for it.
NYI had its last “Miracle on Ice†in 1993 but was only a Conference Finalist. The next year they were swept in the 1st round.
1995-2001 = 7 season playoff drought
Draft picks = 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 1, (high 4th round pick in 2001)
2002-2004 = Three 1st Round playoff appearances
Lockout = Draft Pick 15
2006 = DNQ and Draft Pick 7
2007 = 1st Round playoffs
2008-2012 = 5 season playoff drought
Draft Picks = 9, 1, 5, 5, 4
2013 = 1st Round playoffs
2014 = DNQ and Draft Pick 5
2015 = 1st Round playoffs
The comparison: The Islanders may just be as theoretically inept as the Oilers if we only consider playoff appearances, series duration, and high first round draft picks going back longer than 9 seasons.
Playoff Appearances: Since 1993, the Islanders have made the playoffs 8 times. That’s 8 playoff seasons in the last 22. The Oilers made the playoffs 7 times in this same period. The Islanders had a nonconsecutive 13 year playoff drought starting in 1995 and ending in 2012. Edmonton currently has a 9 year playoff drought and a 4 year drought from 1993-96, but from 1997-2006 the Oilers did not miss the playoffs for more than two consecutive seasons. This is a fairly even statistic on its own and though the Islanders have a very slim edge they clearly lose the next category.
Playoff Series Duration: Since 1993, The Islanders have seven 1st Round exits from the playoffs with a game record of 11-28. Their only other playoff appearance saw them go to the Conference Finals. Their total playoff series record is 2-9 with a game record of 20-37. The Oilers have four 1st Round exits, two Conference Semifinals, and a Cup Final for a series record of 5-7 and game record of 30-39.
High First Round Draft Picks: Since 1993, the Islanders have picked first overall twice (2000 and 2009). The Oilers had the first pick three times (2010-2012). The Islanders had 8 picks in the Top Five (not including their two #1 picks) and the Oilers had 3 (also not including their three #1). The Islanders had an additional 4 Top Ten picks and the Oilers 6. So the total for Top Ten picks since 1993 are 14 for the Islanders and 12 for the Oilers.
During the Oilers current 9 season playoff drought, they’ve had 4 picks in the Top Five with three of those being at #1. They also had 3 more picks in the Top Ten. Thus, 7 of their 12 Top Ten Picks since 1993 came during their current playoff drought. In those same 9 years the Islanders also have 7 of their 14 Top Ten picks since 1993 (with only one #1) which they parlayed into three 1st Round playoff exits and a game record of 6-12.
I guess that last sentence settles the comparison for most people. What have the Oilers done lately? Yet the tale of the tape, using only the aforementioned criteria, gauges both teams as underachievers considering the amount of high draft picks they’ve each had in the last two decades. The Oilers and Islanders are fairly anemic since their glory days, but are the Isles really doing that much better than the Oil? Both are going to new homes and will likely have a true star on their rosters (Tavares and #1 Pick). I’m actually pulling for both teams to return to prominence. Because if a 1st Round exit or two is the ultimate resolution when comparing franchises…the Blues are one of the most successful teams in hockey.
Obviously, there’s no getting around the fact we chose 1st overall three times consecutively, and will now receive that privilege again for the fourth time in six years (hehe), and yet we have nothing to show for it in terms of a winning record or, more importantly, participating in the highly vaunted Stanley Cup playoff quest, for the past 9 seasons. Facing facts, none of us have enjoyed that certain feeling only a Cup run can provide since Monday, June 19, 2006 (especially about a minute into the third—nice one Fernando). I think the recent thread about how much our lives have changed since then says it all about how long it’s actually been.
But are we the ONLY team that’s endured elongated playoff droughts while receiving high draft picks? And is making the playoffs every once in a while only to be knocked out in the first round truly a mark of a “better†or “legitimate†franchise. I know we use the playoffs as a barometer of team success (with Cups as the ultimate determinant) and that drafting high should put a cellar-dweller in the postseason sooner rather than later; but what other teams can, and should, be likened to the Oilers? After all, misery loves company and we have nothing better to do until June 26.
I’ll choose the New York Islanders (please feel free to comment and/or choose your own team) to do a quick comparison with the Oilers in terms of playoff seasons vs. non-playoff seasons, playoff series duration, and 1st round draft picks following non-playoff seasons. I’m not concerned with whom the draft picks were/are or how they were acquired but simply their rank order. After all, this is what the main gripe is with the Oil all around the world: “3 straight #1 picks and they still suck?â€
NYI and Edmonton both had dynasties in the 1980s. That can be compared in another thread (probably has) I’m going to start with Edmonton’s years in the desert.
1993-1996 = 4 season playoff drought
Draft Picks = 7, 4, 6, 6
1997-2001 = Two 2nd Round playoff appearances, Three 1st Rounders (thanks, Dallas)
2002 = Did Not Qualify (DNQ) and Draft Pick 15
2003 = 1st Round playoffs (thanks again, Phallus)
2004 = DNQ and Draft Pick 14
Lockout = Draft Pick 25
2006 = Stanley Cup Finalist
2007-2015 = 9 season playoff drought
Draft Picks = 6, 22, 10, 1, 1, 1, 7, 3, (1)
Conclusions: 4 Top Ten picks but 0 Top Three picks put us back in the playoffs for five seasons. And this was after the fire sale that ended the dynasty days. However, the actual picks were not the true difference as we all know. So should 6 straight Top Ten picks, three at #1, automatically put is back in the playoffs? There is no correlation between Top Ten picks and our last Cup run. Let’s look at the New York Islanders because they, too, have long playoff droughts, high picks and not much to show for it.
NYI had its last “Miracle on Ice†in 1993 but was only a Conference Finalist. The next year they were swept in the 1st round.
1995-2001 = 7 season playoff drought
Draft picks = 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 1, (high 4th round pick in 2001)
2002-2004 = Three 1st Round playoff appearances
Lockout = Draft Pick 15
2006 = DNQ and Draft Pick 7
2007 = 1st Round playoffs
2008-2012 = 5 season playoff drought
Draft Picks = 9, 1, 5, 5, 4
2013 = 1st Round playoffs
2014 = DNQ and Draft Pick 5
2015 = 1st Round playoffs
The comparison: The Islanders may just be as theoretically inept as the Oilers if we only consider playoff appearances, series duration, and high first round draft picks going back longer than 9 seasons.
Playoff Appearances: Since 1993, the Islanders have made the playoffs 8 times. That’s 8 playoff seasons in the last 22. The Oilers made the playoffs 7 times in this same period. The Islanders had a nonconsecutive 13 year playoff drought starting in 1995 and ending in 2012. Edmonton currently has a 9 year playoff drought and a 4 year drought from 1993-96, but from 1997-2006 the Oilers did not miss the playoffs for more than two consecutive seasons. This is a fairly even statistic on its own and though the Islanders have a very slim edge they clearly lose the next category.
Playoff Series Duration: Since 1993, The Islanders have seven 1st Round exits from the playoffs with a game record of 11-28. Their only other playoff appearance saw them go to the Conference Finals. Their total playoff series record is 2-9 with a game record of 20-37. The Oilers have four 1st Round exits, two Conference Semifinals, and a Cup Final for a series record of 5-7 and game record of 30-39.
High First Round Draft Picks: Since 1993, the Islanders have picked first overall twice (2000 and 2009). The Oilers had the first pick three times (2010-2012). The Islanders had 8 picks in the Top Five (not including their two #1 picks) and the Oilers had 3 (also not including their three #1). The Islanders had an additional 4 Top Ten picks and the Oilers 6. So the total for Top Ten picks since 1993 are 14 for the Islanders and 12 for the Oilers.
During the Oilers current 9 season playoff drought, they’ve had 4 picks in the Top Five with three of those being at #1. They also had 3 more picks in the Top Ten. Thus, 7 of their 12 Top Ten Picks since 1993 came during their current playoff drought. In those same 9 years the Islanders also have 7 of their 14 Top Ten picks since 1993 (with only one #1) which they parlayed into three 1st Round playoff exits and a game record of 6-12.
I guess that last sentence settles the comparison for most people. What have the Oilers done lately? Yet the tale of the tape, using only the aforementioned criteria, gauges both teams as underachievers considering the amount of high draft picks they’ve each had in the last two decades. The Oilers and Islanders are fairly anemic since their glory days, but are the Isles really doing that much better than the Oil? Both are going to new homes and will likely have a true star on their rosters (Tavares and #1 Pick). I’m actually pulling for both teams to return to prominence. Because if a 1st Round exit or two is the ultimate resolution when comparing franchises…the Blues are one of the most successful teams in hockey.
