Edmonton Oilers Host Buffalo Sabres In Basement Battle
By Tim Redinger
The Edmonton Oilers and the Buffalo Sabres are in almost the exact same position as the 2014-2015 season progresses. Both teams have played 48 games, and both teams sit respectfully at the bottom of the NHL standings.
The Edmonton Oilers however have one more win in regulation/overtime, and have picked up more loser points, despite having less wins than the Buffalo Sabres. That puts the Oilers two points better than the Sabres in the standings.
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Oh you Edmonton Oilers, you’re not so different than us after all. Raise your hand if your reading this and you were one of the many that said “you can’t catch Edmonton, no one is as bad as the Edmonton Oilers.” Caught you. Now lower your hand, because no one can see you raising it anyway.
Just like in Buffalo it isn’t all doom and gloom for the organization though, because there are a couple of high draft picks that for some reason the Edmonton Oilers didn’t rush them right into the NHL, and they are doing just fine with their respective junior clubs.
In fact the 3rd overall draft pick from the 2014 NHL Entry Draft Leon Draisaitl is taking his demotion from the National Hockey Leage and recent trade in the WHL with stride.
If things continue down the current path, the Edmonton Oilers are destined to draft high again, and add another high-profile kid to the prospect pool, something that they have done a lot of in recent years, but haven’t been able to add the right blend of veteran leadership to compliment it.
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Of course there are those in Edmonton who are blaming the Oilers for tanking on purpose, and Ben Scrivens want’s nothing to do with that conversation. Players don’t intentionally lose hockey games. But the organization can damn sure set up a roster destine to fail.
The best news coming out of Edmonton so far lately though has been the news that Taylor Hall’s injury is not a structural injury, and he should be back with the team sooner rather than later. That is good news if he is part of the rebuild process, and better news if the team is looking to move the former first round draft pick to make way for the future.
For the future of the Edmonton Oilers, prospects won’t have to travel so far in their development and road to the National Hockey League. Today the American Hockey League announced the creation of a Pacific Division, and several AHL franchises will be moving West, as the AHL breaks from the regional divide that has put most of their franchises on the East coast. The realignment will allow NHL teams to keep their prospects closer to home.
The Edmonton Oilers will cease operating their AHL franchise out of Oklahoma City, and move it to Bakersfield, California – the same Bakersfield where the Edmonton Oilers own and operate an ECHL franchise, the Bakersfield Condors.