Jerseys and Hockey Love

Oilers Do the Expected

Well, to the surprise of absolutely no one, the Oilers have tanked since the loss of Ryan Smyth.  Aside from a reaction not unlike a nuclear bomb, the damage to the team has been done, and Kevin Lowe must be thinking about how big of an ass he must look like.  From what I hear, in Edmonton, the fans will come up to the players at dinner or whatever and talk about the games and the team.  I wonder if Lowe is riding around in a black SUV with tinted windows and the Canadian equivalent of the CIA riding around with him.  I wouldn’t want to be him.

Oilers fans, I feel your pain.  I can’t say I have really exerienced it as you are right now, but I feel for you.  Take comfort in the fact that you were right. 

James Gralian

9 responses to “Oilers Do the Expected”

  2. Imagine if it had been Sakic dealt at the deadline to the Bruins for prospects Petr Kalus, Matt Lashoff, Jonathan Sigalet and a first round draft pick.

    Would the Avalanche media crucify Sakic for not taking a hometown discount? Would they hint at Sakic’s greediness? Would they heap praise upon Francois Giguere and Pierre Lacroix for making such a sound business decision?

  3. Colin – Do not upset the hockey gods. This is what happens.

    Jin – Well, I do not expect that Sakic will ever be traded, and especially not now. If FG or PL have any business sense at all, they have seen how trading away the franchise is really giving up on the franchise. But as for the media here, can you imagine how the fans would recieve any press trying to villify the soft spoken Sakic? The team guy who talks about winning the game instead of scoring his 600th goal? No, there would be no praise for the management, and no crucifiction of the hometown hero. The fans would hate PL and FG forever, much like in Edmonton, but the media would not suck up like up there.

  4. Jin-

    It wasn’t much of an issue because Sakic said multiple times he didn’t want to go anywhere, in private meetings with the GM and in public, so it’s kind of pointless to talk about it. The situation with Smyth was different.

    It’s always possible Sakic would sign with a different team in the offseason, but I just don’t see it happening, and neither does anyone else in Hockey. all have said, even if he were traded at the deadline this year, he would resign with the Avs this summer.

    I think a bigger suprise was that the Oilers and Smyth were only 100k apart in contracts and then Lowe shipped him away. Basically Smyth bluffed (asking for 5.5M instead of the 5.4M Edmonton offered) and Lowe called the bluff and sent him away.

    You’s like to think he could have held on to him and hashed out the details… as Smyth’s agent said “That [the trade deadline] wasn’t our deadline”

  5. Colin – Last I heard, that number was reported by “sources.” Did Smyth’s agent actually say this number (really, I haven’t heard). Considering all of the rumors and information based on “sources” these days, I have little faith in that sort of thing.

  6. Without a doubt, Sakic isn’t going anywhere (and he wasn’t going anywhere before either… except in the fantasy world where he finishes his career in Vancouver…)

    It’s fascinating to me how the Edmonton media seems to be vilifying Smyth and letting Lowe & Co. off the hook.

    I just can’t see the same thing happening in Colorado if Sakic had been dealt.

  7. Tap- That was what they said on NBC during the wings-Avs broadcast today, so that’s where I got my information.

    And i agree Jin, I don’t think the Denver media would villify Sakic that way… but Sakic has brought 2 cups to Denver as well

  8. K-Lowe may look like an ass to the fans’ eyes. But screw them for being silly. It’s a business. Meehan and probably Smyth as well are greedy millionaires who go where the money is. I heard they were $300,000 apart. Big deal. Since I am a management-type myself, I say that Meehan and Smyth should have sucked it up and taken the cut. It’s amazing how GM’s are always the villain. They have a tough task at hand staying under the cap.