Hot Links: Friday, January 29

Morning, folks.

Hope you’re feeling alright, all things considered.

Once again we’re left to rue the previous night after watching the Oilers actually play good enough to win while still finding a way to give their opponents the full 2 points in regulation. Once again we find ourselves discussing which of Edmonton’s many problems are the most pressing, which of the many candidate players aren’t playing good enough — or just aren’t good enough — whether this year’s Oilers GM has a sniff at all, whether it will ever get better, etc.

You’ve heard all of this before because we’ve been having some flavor of these conversations for a decade now. I don’t care how much money Daryl Katz spends: he’s a shit owner who has been enabling his crony friends to obliterate perhaps the best chance for success the Oilers might see for 100 years. Long gone are the days of 15-year personal services contracts a la Wayne Gretzky. Likely gone is another stretch in which the Oilers pick first overall 4 times in 6 drafts — with two more top-10 picks mixed in there to boot. The Oilers were given a glorious and enviable opportunity to amass core talent at a pace most teams can’t even comprehend. They have a 3-6-0 record to show for it in the sixth year of the best player on Earth’s career, despite his leading the league in scoring. Again.

It’s not good enough and hasn’t been good enough and I am basically convinced it won’t be good enough until Daryl Katz wakes up one morning and gets it.

Which is to say, I don’t think it’ll ever be good enough as long as he’s the owner.

(Thanks again for showing out in the GAME THREAD last night. The Oilers don’t deserve you.)

Game Recap: Leafs 4, Oilers 3 (Copper and Blue)

GAME THREAD: Game 9/56 Edmonton Oilers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (Copper and Blue)

GAME PREVIEW: Game 9/56 - Edmonton Oilers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (Copper and Blue)

Hot Links: Thursday, January 28 (Copper and Blue)

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