Oscargasm wrote on Mon, 10 December 2018 13:07

Same song and dance we've heard before, just in different terms. Though to come from an Oilers ambassador such as Ference, a past Captain and area fitness legend, these are quite damning. That's the one thing that sure seems different under Hitch. Toe drags don't seem to be a determining factor in ice-time Edit: I do agree that we as fans, and those in the media, tend to have a short leash with players who on them get placed high expectations such as Schultz. Not to "make excuses" but Oil Country is a hockey-crazed market and lets be frank, what else is really here for us? Eskimos? CFL football is a time filler between NHL Playoffs and the start of the NHL Season and NFL football. Yes, I am not in Edmonton, I'm in Sask, but my wife is from Edmonton and I had lived there for a few years before returning to Sask. Not to mention the DoD, when we were sold HOPE that this youth movement was the answer to get back to the playoffs and glory. If you think about it... Lowe and MacT may have sensed the direction the NHL was going before anyone else as they started the youth/speed game. Makes perfect sense as to why they're still around now.

Org also does a terrible job of defending their players, or even identifying the guys that are of value to them. MacT's challenge contract to Petry remains one of his most idiotic moves as GM. McLellan basically said to the media that Schultz needs to get the hell of the team after a game, right before he was traded. I think management likes the fans/media homing in on players and picking scapegoats to keep the focus off them. They never speak up or try to insulate those players, they throw them to the wolves and even drop some hints to the media what they don't like about certain players.

In the end, this team culture ended up exactly how you would expect it to when management hands the keys to a bunch of 20 year olds and puts no value on having good quality, still able to contribute at a high level vets on the team. And they make it even worse tossing a greenhorn like Eakins into the mix when they know this dysfunction exists. Lol, they had a guy that was known around the world as a motivator and someone that could get buy in from players in many walks of life in Krueger and they tossed him into the trash for Eakins. And every one of those dummies in charge then are still here, woohoo.

"We need to get better immediately. That starts today"
- Lowe, 2013

"Next year I would forecast as another developmental year"
- MacT, 2015

5 x $5,000,000