Was It Worth It For You?

[phrenssoa]

Wow the results of this poll are quite shocking... So just winning the LOTTERY (not even drafting McDavid, not even making the playoffs, not even getting out of a bottom 5 finish...) erases 9 years of awful hockey. The team is still missing a couple of top-pariring defensemen, a goaltender, and depth at the forward position, so I still think they're a long way from making the playoffs, never mind becoming a contender.

 

[Soundwave]

If McDavid is 80% as good as he's hyped to be ... then yes.

It's not like it's been 9 years of crap hockey exactly either. They damn near made the playoffs in 2008 and were still chasing after the likes of Heatley in 2009.

 

[Supermassive]

Wow the results of this poll are quite shocking... So just winning the LOTTERY (not even drafting McDavid, not even making the playoffs, not even getting out of a bottom 5 finish...) erases 9 years of awful hockey. The team is still missing a couple of top-pariring defensemen, a goaltender, and depth at the forward position, so I still think they're a long way from making the playoffs, never mind becoming a contender.

Re-read the poll question.

 

[ThePhoenixx]

What? That is an entirely false equivalency! The question is will the POTENTIAL happiness of the future make up for the crappiness of the last 9 years. I'll say yes only if we turn into a dominant team in this league for a number of years. Not just respectable and making the playoffs. Respectable definitely wasn't worth this crap.

People are already happy.

They will still be happy tomorrow.

They will be even happier after the draft.

After that happiness potential must at the bare minimum be put to highly probable.

 

[Mr Positive]

any team in the league would suffer for two years if it meant they were guaranteed a player like McDavid.

 

[Slicknitty]

Hell no! And it's more like 9 years, not two. McDavid only happened because of a fluke lotto win (oilers so clutch), and on top of that, our rebuild has been regressing the past two years, and our drafting outside of the first round has been a monumental failure. I would not wish the past 9 years on my worst enemies (yes, even the flames and canucks). I would have been more than happy with a management group whose main focus was winning now.

 

[Oscar Acosta]

I don't take Nicholson for a liar. Maybe you know him better than I do?

Nope. But his smug reply on Sportsnet after the Chiarelli hiring to how Kevin Lowe is going nowhere despite what any idiot fans want attitude was clearly in line with the past clique we've had to deal with.

 

[Sweetpotato]

Well if you told me after the 2005 lock out that the Oilers were guaranteed one game 7 shot at the Stanley Cup and a generational next Crosby/Gretzky/Mario etc. type talent with a bunch of other talent to go with it ... but a bunch of suck in between for the next 10 years ... I'd probably have to take say "yes, ok" to that.

Still it has been not much fun the last few years.

This is the right answer. It hasnt been fun, it nearly killed this city as a hockey market but i think if the new acquisitions can live up to the hype we'll be better for it.

 

[5 14 6 1]

Well if you told me after the 2005 lock out that the Oilers were guaranteed one game 7 shot at the Stanley Cup and a generational next Crosby/Gretzky/Mario etc. type talent with a bunch of other talent to go with it ... but a bunch of suck in between for the next 10 years ... I'd probably have to take say "yes, ok" to that.

Still it has been not much fun the last few years.

Agreed.

 

[Philly85*]

Re-read the poll question.

It's the same thing essentially. Bit ridiculous.

 

[Philly85*]

Nope. But his smug reply on Sportsnet after the Chiarelli hiring to how Kevin Lowe is going nowhere despite what any idiot fans want attitude was clearly in line with the past clique we've had to deal with.

I agree

 

[rockinghockey]

Point is we sucked and now we have McDavid and a proven GM

 

[Paperbagofglory]

Point is we sucked and now we have McDavid and a proven GM

The problem is this team is on the high end of the salary cap with bad veteran contracts that will be hard to get rid of. Top that off with no good prospects outside of the early first round, no depth in the organization as far as players ready to step in when the injuries pile up, no d prospects that are close to ready, no Goalie prospects that are close to ready, and not much cap space.

You have to basically trade some of your core guys to get a better roster defensively but then you still have your veterans that you can't ditch and nobody in the league wants. That will take some skilled GM work that most would have a problem fixing.

 

[Horseradish]

For the past 9 years?

If they win a cup, I can learn to forgive it. If not? Forget it.

 

[Playa Hejda]

For the past 9 years?

If they win a cup, I can learn to forgive it. If not? Forget it.

Amen. Until Chia and McDavid actually turn the Oilers into a real hockey team we fans are just being sold more hope and drinking more kool-aid. Demand proof, Edmonton.

 

[Bangers]

The reason I didn't include the past 9 years is that I don't actually blame management for what happened post-cup run.

Pronger leaving devastated the franchise and the team actually tried to win for a few years, but the Heatley/Pronger/Nylander situations made it apparent that the only way the team was going to get high end talent was to draft and develop it.

Most people were fine with the initial decision to tank; a few years later people were happy when the Oilers lucked out and drafted Yak. Even coming out of the lockout, the team was trending up and, while things weren't perfect under Ralph, most people were optimistic.

Then two years ago MacT and Eakins walked in and flushed the past two seasons down the toilet.

Had MacT not signed a complete and utter train wreck of a coach and actually filled holes that everyone beside himself knew existed, the team would probably be a playoff bubble team already.

But, MacT would still be in charge and the team would likely not have gotten McDavid.

That's why I put 2 years.

 

[La Bamba]

Was worth. Short term pain, long term gain.

 

[Spawn]

Was worth. Short term pain, long term gain.

Short term? If 9 years is short term, what is long term?

 

[La Bamba]

Short term? If 9 years is short term, what is long term?

I'm pretty sure this poll is asking the last 2 years vs. Connor McDavid, so I'm not sure why you're asking me this.

The Oilers missed the playoffs for 9 years but 24 other franchises haven't gotten a Stanley Cup in the same timeframe so we're in good company.

 

[McBaevid]

Being able to watch Connor McDavid 82 times a year and 41 times in person is worth it. Such a dominant player