Hot Links: Tuesday, April 13

Morning, folks.

How are we all feeling after maybe the most disappointing day since Saturday?!

I can tell you ‘The Account’ is just shedding followers over the past few days because I’ve hit that point in the year where my patience for this endless mediocrity wanes to the point of evaporation. Sorry bosses.

I can tell you the Oilers aren’t winning anything of consequence with this management setup but for a Connor McDavid-inspired miracle, and we’re running out of runway on that. People tend to forget that, for most NHL players, the decline begins in the mid-to-late 20s. People tend to misunderstand that we’re almost at the point where it’ll get harder and harder every year with those guys, if we aren’t already.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins turned 28 years old yesterday. He’s been to the playoffs (proper) once. One time.

I saw a comment on an Oilers fan group on Facebook and it was, likely with some tongue-in-cheek, suggesting that these Oilers were as good as the 2006 team. I’m of the opinion that this team isn’t even as good as the 2016-17 version.

Adding Kulikov won’t change that. Especially if it’s Caleb Jones he’s coming in for. Which, knowing Dave Tippett, it will be.

Please explain to me how the Oilers can be too far away to trade for Taylor Hall while holding Tyson Barrie and Adam Larsson and whomever else is expiring and expendable?

What the hell are we doing here? Note the gymnastics undertaken by the mainstreamers to posit Ken Holland as between a rock and a hard place. Fascinating both because it’s not really true, as evidenced by other ‘cap-strapped’ teams getting creative to bring talent — and their money — in on deadline day, and because they make no mention of just how much Ken Holland himself is at fault for it.

Just incredible stuff. Imagine being OK with this shit?!

Wake me up in the summer.

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LAST CHANCE

Episode IV: The Kenpire’s Quite Whack

(IDK what I’m going to do when we get past Episode IX or however many Star Wars’ there are now.)

Join our heroic hosts this week as they bask in the glory of another win over those hapless, helpless Calgary Flames. Then stay awhile and listen to Preston, Shona, and Corey form tackle some of the bigger stories from the week that was, Oscar Klefbom’s return, and some rumors from everybody’s favorite lasagna loving cat.

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The SuperFan Podcast – Episode 22 – Ryan Batty, The Copper & Blue (Copper and Blue)

Oilers To Acquire Dmitry Kulikov From Devils (Copper and Blue)

Copper & Blue 2021 NHL Trade Deadline Live Thread (Copper and Blue)

Sitting, waiting... wishing. (Copper and Blue)

Oilers Play Terribly, Lose 5-0 to Calgary (Copper and Blue)

COVID Conundrum (Copper and Blue)

Hot Links: Friday, April 9 (Copper and Blue)

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Letters April 13: Oilers Won’t Go Far In The Playoffs (ES)

Dmitry Kulikov Looking Forward To Playoff Run With Edmonton Oilers (ES)

Oilers’ Holland Takes Subtle Approach At Trade Deadline With Eye On Future (SN)

Oilers Add Defensive Depth At Otherwise Quiet Deadline (TOR)

Holland Couldn’t Swing For Fences But Did Land Veteran Defenceman For Oilers (ES)

Monday Musings: Is Kulikov Addition Enough? (ON)

Looking At The Canadian Division After The Trade Deadline (ON)

Oilers Prospect Update: Floating On A McLeod (ON)

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Ken Holland’s Quiet NHL Trade Deadline Sets Up Oilers For Big Moves Later (TA)

Why The Oilers Not Maximizing The Trade Deadline Is Both Predictable And Disappointing (TA)

What The Oilers Are Getting In Trade Deadline Pickup Dmitry Kulikov: A Cheap Solution To A Nagging Problem (TA)