It has been seven plus years since the Edmonton Oilers have made the playoffs and as we enter the second week in November the Oilers are already out of this year’s playoff race with a 4-14-2 start. I am a long time Oilers fan and I have to be vocal about the futility of this hockey franchise. The glory days are long gone. With the exception of perhaps a fluke trip to the finals in 2006 with a loss to Carolina in game seven, really what have the Edmonton Oilers done in the past twenty years? The answers not much. Frankly the fans, myself included are getting pretty pissed off. Yet the Oilers still sell out every game.

So today after another loss (3-0 to Dallas 0n home ice) GM Craig McTavish goes off on how he is pissed off that the start of the Oilers has not been what he expected. Well no kidding. Truth be told I’ve never been a fan of MacT. Not when he was coach of the Oilers and not as a GM. He was fired as coach for a reason. Behind the yes, yes I know he is good friends with Oilers owner Daryl Katz. They spend time together here in Kelowna in the off-season. I’ve bumped into Craig at the airport on occasion. I also am aware of some recent health problems that MacT has had and I can say that I do not “not” like him as a person, but he’s simply not one of the guys that should be running the Edmonton Oilers. The same can be said about Kevin Lowe. Kevin is an articulate person but he has failed in hockey management. The futility experienced by Oilers’ fans in the past 20 years is something that should not be experienced by any hockey fan. The fans, myself included, are frustrated. Don’t believe me? Here are some fan comments courtesy of tsn.ca after MacTavish’s latest tirade.

What a mess the Oilers are from the front office to the players on the ice

cant recall any pro sports team to have that many high draft picks, year after year, and yet continue to fail so miserably year after year.. what a total embarrassment.. and then when the franchise had a chance to re-build from the ground up, what do they do? they re-hire MacTavish.. pathetic!

Lip service… As a long time Oilers fan I hate to say this (for another season). The Oilers are pathetic on so many fronts – this team will not win 20 games – then what? Lowe, MacT, Eakins all stay and the kids increase their losing skills

I really feel for the loyal Oiler fans… such tremendous young talent and they just can’t seem to get the job done. Change doesn’t happen over night, but after how many years, something drastic needs to change in the locker room and management to get things going. Look at Colorado.. they only needed 1 first overall pick to climb the standings

‘The blueline needs to be improved upon’ Good thing you traded away Smid!!

Wow, I feel sorry for oiler fans, this team is going nowhere with the management it has in place!

all they need is a new president, a new gm, 5 defencemen, a goalie and some grit and watch out

Kevin Lowe’s hand prints on this team is the problem

Such a poorly built team.. Sick of seeing ‘this team will get better’ every single year as they finish last, or 2nd last. Pathetic, time to rebuild the rebuild, get some proven veterans, then get some stud rookies. Who are your vets edm, Ryan Smyth? Hemsky? laughable. Andrew Ference the only capable veteran I see.

MacT sees progress ? Huh ?

‘The blueline needs to be improved upon’ Nice work Craig, you just traded your best Dman for almost nothing but cap space and now you want a Dman? lol. Way to go

‘Eventually’???!!! Really, MacT? Eventually has been since 2002. Since then, it’s been all ‘rebuilding’ to a 4-14-1-1 record. Maybe the Oilers will get a clue once the fans start failing to sellout Rexall Place

Mac T is in over his head. He has no plan and the frustration is showing. Why Katz keeps him and Lowe is beyond comprehension. As for Eakins, he’s another Guy Boucher. He’s better suited for the AHL.

Sad state to the once proud franchise of Edmonton..MacTavish..Lowe and the rest of the Oilers in the front office need to be fired and sent packing.

The Oiler’s are a clear example of how NOT to run an organization. You cannot finish last and be awarded the 1st overall pick 3 years in a row and not improve your team. The best talent available doesn’t always mean it’s the best possible pick for your team. It’s ironic how they draft the highest skilled offensive player in the draft and suddenly want/expect that offensive minded player to play defense??? REALLY?!!!! It took Kovy 8 full NHL seasons before he knew what a D-zone was….. Oil Brass – give your head a shake please. You drafted wrong. End of story. The best 2 way player w/ nearly Yak’s skill level was MTLs Galchenyuk… Sorry about your luck. Enjoy last place again. (Although we (NJ) will finish right beside you….)

Mac T is frustrated…now he knows how an entire city has felt for the last 7 years…why did I think buying a mini pack to watch this team play was a good idea?!

The blueline needs to be improved upon… do we need a big stud defenceman? It would help immensely,’ said MacTavish. But MacTavish explained that he’s not willing to part with one of his team’s core pieces at this time…That is BOLD MacT. im sure your fans have all the patience in the world after a decade of embarrassment…

Please, Kevin Lowe, for the love of hockey in Edmonton, STEP DOWN!. Maybe if everyone going to the game Friday takes a sign pleading with Lowe to step down, he would get the message.

Hmmm, draft all scorers and now you expect them to play D? Maybe you should draft based on your needs. MacT should never have been brought back. This team needed fresh, new executive leadership to match the young team. All they got was the same old same that hasn’t worked in Edmonton in nearly 30 years. Oh yeah, they had that one run: That’s just how good Pronger was. Maybe they should think about drafting a D-man who can play D.

Mac-T’s comments today are all about timing … the Oil play the Sharks Friday night then the despised Flames on Saturday … he’s attempting to downplay his teams pathetic position in light of these 2 upcoming potential blowouts especially the Flames who only are one year into a rebuild yet light years ahead of the Oil …

One of the biggest problem’s hiring a coach with no NHL head coaching experience. Krueger was actually doing a great job and the Oilers were playing meaningful hockey in April! Isn’t this comparable to all the time’s coaches have done a great job in NCAA football but completely bomb in the NFL? It’s a huge step in both cases. Here’s the problem. You got a rookie coach with rookie players. I’m still mind boggled about how this team is doing so bad compared to last year when on paper they should be a much better and well rounded team…..

Why Lowe still has a job is a mystery. Last year the Oilers were close to the playoffs and could have made it except for a late 10 game slump. Bringing in Eakins has set the team backwards although he is tied to MacTavish’s poor decisions (Ferrence, LaBarbera, Larsen, Belov, trading Smid) and saddled with two ex Oiler assistants (Smith and Buchberger). The team has had enough make overs, it is time for the management to move on. Katz – clean house, please!

I wouldn’t support getting rid of a new coach this early but I do wonder what Eakins is teaching. Their game is lacking any sort of structure. I recognize that systems can take a while to implement effectively as a new coach but that group of players needs a plan to move forward. It seems like a clear plan for how to improve is missing both on the ice(coach/players) and off(gm/president).

So basically, he’s upset like all the fans are, but nothing is changing and things will continue to go downhill. Got it.

I see MacT is not willing to part with one of the team’s core pieces at this time…Exactly what is this team’s core at this time? As a Canuck fan, I should be loving this, but I don’t. I feel bad for the Oiler fans who stand by their team. Time for the fans to be rewarded. May need to blow it up. These kids may be better off separated, and the Oilers can get some quality vets in return for some of them. Hang in there Oiler fans, it has to get better.

As a flames fan, I don’t think Eakins is the problem. It is MacT and I knew this was going to be a disaster when he was hired as GM, and so did my oiler fan friends. Lowe is no better with his horrible contracts he signed after 2006 season. You guys deserve better than this! From a flames fan.

Don’t worry. Kevin Lowe knows a thing or two about winning.

I guess Oiler fans have renewed their prospect magazine subscritions. Should give one to the oilers scouting department. Have not got an impact player beyond the first round in 8 years that is good enough to make the team. Honestly the Oiler’s problems stem from very poor scouting. Not one guy from round 2 plus has made any impact. Terrible. MacT needs to a lot of help from scouts and they are the problem not the solution. Take in to account the Oilers were picking first in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th rounds as well.

I will tell you that the coaching change scared me a little at the start of the season and now my fears have come true. Dallas Eakins may become a very good Head Coach in this league some day but maybe they should have brought him in as an assistant coach first. The Oilers were in the top 10 in powerplay and penalty killing last year and their 5 on 5 was hurting. Now everything is a shambles and they have no confidence and no continuity in management. MacTavish probably thought that bringing in a ‘Hammer’ was needed. What they really need is a systems coach. An NHL systems coach not an AHL systems coach. Ralph was an NHL systems coach and the players responded with a very good powerplay and penalty killing. We need a Kruger/Hitchcock type with serious systems.

Oilers will continue to be non-competitive until the management group is replaced. They need defence, and they trade Smid, the best defencemen on the team. Bad choices, repeated again and again. Sabres ownership was bold enough to clean house, why isn’t Katz?

Turn it around? look at the Oilers division it will take around 100 points to make the playoffs…do the math the season is over.