Making Dubious History

No team since the now defunct Quebec Nordiques have ever recorded this "achievement."

Three first overall picks in the NHL draft in a row. From 1989 on, the Nords drafted Mats Sundin at No. 1, then Owen Nolan the next year, then Eric Lindros. None of the three were actually there, but those three picks helped form the foundation of the Colorado Avalanche squad that won the Stanley Cup in 1996 after moving from Quebec City.

With the introduction of the NHL draft lottery, it seemed the Nords' achievement of three straight No. 1 picks was safe.

Well, maybe not.

The Edmonton Oilers took Taylor Hall first overall two years ago and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins last year, and lo and behold, after a painful 1-0 loss to hardnosed St. Louis on Thursday, the Oilers have sunk to 29th place, just seven points ahead of dreadful, 30th place Columbus.

Suddenly, that third straight first overall selection is in range.

This, of course, was not the way this season was to unfold in the Alberta. The futility of previous years was supposed to give way to, well, at the very least mediocrity, and hopefully a competitive season in which the Oilers would at least be fighting hard to stay in the hunt for a Western Conference playoff berth.

Terrible njuries and woeful team depth have short-circuted that dream, leaving the Oilers once again near the bottom of the entire league.

Dedicated Oilers fans might argue this is still the plan, that adding Nail Yakupov, Filip Forsberg or Mikhail Grigorenko to the mix along with Hall, Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle will ultimately result in a fearsome offensive juggernaut.

But when? Surely Edmonton hockey fans have suffered enough. At some point, the pain has to translate into meaningful gain, and that was supposed to be this year.

You have to wonder if Tom Renney is going to be able to be around when the promise turns into reality. Some would argue the same applies to GM Steve Tambellini, and if the Oilers end up with a top five pick, or even the No. 1 pick again, surely this is the year Tambellini needs to find a way to swing a deal, even if it means trading down, to end up with a promising defenceman. This draft is full of them, from Ryan Murray to Jacob Trouba to Matt Finn to Derrick Pouliot, and at some point the Oilers have to try to add a sense of positional balance to their prospect depth chart.

Again, maybe this will benefit the Oilers long term in a way we can only imagine right now. 

But this was not supposed to be that kind of season again. But it is.

 

Comments

[Peter]

What a disaster. How do they STILL have so little depth. What poor defense. What a lack of experience. How do they get away with this? The Oiler's only bright spot is in June when they get to draft the best 18 year old available.

[Dave Jailall]

I agree with the gist of the article - but come on! You're just piling on a team that's basically starting all its players from Oklahoma! There are not too many teams in the league capable of removing their 3 best offensive players, their best defenseman, plus a whole assortment of foot soldiers and expect them to compete. Unlike the Leafs, the Oilers have improved their special teams drastically in the space of just 1 year. Nugent-Hopkins and Eberle were in the top 10 scorers in the NHL - as 18 and 20 year olds, respectively, and surely, Hall would have joined them had he not been injured. Their forward depth is actually MUCH better now. Defence is the obvious weak point, and i'm sure this will be rectified in a year or two.

[Matt M]

As an Oilers fan, maybe not dedicated but probably should be committed, I'm ok with Oilers sucking another year. They might suck next year too. But for there to be a chance this teams turns into the next Chicago Blackhawks or Boston Bruins (ie top end talent and depth) then losing is the path they will have to follow. There are no saviors coming to Edmonton as FA, and only Detroit finds top end talent at the end of the draft. As a fan, I want a winning team to cheer for, and if that means I have to suffer them losing until they get the players needed for that to happen then that is ok.
In this NHL there are no guarantees that losing will be rewarded as both centerpieces of the last two drafts might eventually be lost to long term injuries, a la Sidney Crosby, Eric Lindros, etc. It is foreboding that both Nugent-Hopkins and Hall are injured right now.

[John Matrix]

The only players who play for Edmonton are aging journeymen who can't hook up with another team and young kids who end up leaving town as soon as they're old enough to become free agents.

[dave poore]

3 straight years.........this is where the system doesnt work when a team can get #1 on a regular basis. In my opinion if a team gets #1 , the following year it should be able to get no higher than #2 , the next #3 , or else we just reward ineptitude. They still get great futures to build from , but is it really fair that a team gets #1 three in a row ?

[JImmy]

I'll still take Brian Burkes rebuild anyday. Leafs not far away from the league's elite.

[hardfoot]

so much wasted talent

[Ron]

Well damien I guess in the next few years we are going to find out whose business model will be better, the Oilers who are going the way of drafting as many good young players as you can and let them grow together accepting the ups and downs or Brian Burke's model of I will trade our first rounder of 2012 if I think I can improve our team. You would think that Burke would have read the history of the Maple Leafs and decided to not use this model but I guess only time will tell.