Oh the panic has set in and everybody is calling for Lowe's head, etc, etc. I am not in the same mindset.
This is a team that was going to struggle to make the playoffs when healthy. The Oilers now have over 150 man games lost to injury. So they go from a bubble playoff team to a possible lottery pick, it really is not that surprising or shocking.
I have stopped worrying about wins or losses because frankly this team will not compete on a nightly basis. I am interested in two things.
1. Who deserts the sinking ship? What players will rise above a season of adversity and which players are going to abandon ship. Potulny, Penner, Moreau, Gagner, Brule, Jacques, Stortini are all still giving their all every night and are showing why they should continue to be on this team moving forward. Smid has made himself indespensible with his play this season. Staios? He still battles and gives it his all but you wonder if he will be dispensed with at the trade deadline as he believe he could have some value with a playoff contender.
Patrick O'Sullivan who infamously got caught avoiding a check on Hockey Night and Canada, and I saw it again last night is a player that looks like he has already bailed, Robert Nilsson bailed last year and most likely will not finish the season here. Reddox played well for a few games but quickly crashed down to earth and was sent back.
2. Which players are most likely trade bait?
Cogliano is a player that still tries but doesn't seem to have it on most nights, he skates like the wind but doesn't accomplish much. Deslauriers is looking more like a suspect that a NHL goaltender and if he doesn't recover quickly you could see the Oilers try Dubnyk. Players like O'Marra and Macdonald may start getting some more ice time. Gilbert is an offensive dman that just doesn't show enough to warrant another year here when the Oilers have many dman with the same skills sets.
Horcoff is always a common trade conversation piece but I don't see that anyone will take on his contract now or at the trade deadline.
Many fans think the Oilers will blow the whole team up. I don't see that happening either. The Oilers won't do a lot to stop the slide because in reality they are powerless to do much about. Oh, there may be some contract dumps but I don't see every high priced contact being traded. The Oilers are in a unique position to evaluate what they have because with the injuries the fans are going to accept that this team is going nowhere fast and will not put the pressure on the management to make a quick fix.
The Oilers will be smart to establish who are the players that have abandoned ship, and which players are not needed going forward. The mantra should be to dump the deadwood.
So I will watch this season but with a completely different mindset and will see if the Oilers come to the same conclusions as I do as the season wears on. Will some different players step it up? Will some different players show themselves expendable? It won't be as fun as hoping for a playoff time but fun nonetheless.
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I tend to agree with most of your observations and conclusions. I think that either Mr. Gilbert or Mr. Grebeshkov will probably be dealt for a sought after piece to the puzzle. I think that what may influence it highly will be what happens with Greb's next contract but I guess it depends on what the return would be. I wish they'd hang onto both as they are in my opinion cornerstones, along with Mr. Smid, for a solid defense for many years to come.
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