Steve-O: I really disagree with your assessment of the gm thinking 5 years ahead and fans only 1 year. In fact, I think that statement is complete horseshit. A rebuild isn’t hard to understand. Every person I’ve talked to realizes that a rebuild takes time. Most people have an issue with how the rebuild is going on, and I can’t really blame them.

So long as you say that you are rebuilding, and that it takes time then you’ll get it. Once the GM (ala Burke) or coach (like Renney just did) start saying “next year we think the playoffs are in the cards” then you get the fans hoping for something unreasonable.

Another thing though that is starting to grate on Oiler fans I assume, is we have been terrible for 4 years now (well, 5 but one of those years we had a good push at the end so it looked respectable). So, having to wait another 5 years might be a bit much. Although that’s why Lowe got promoted right.

Plus signing Khabibulin isn’t how one approaches a rebuild (although he did a decent job of cutting players, and I won’t blame him for the Fraser/Foster experiments).

Finally, from what you describe, the Oilers seem to be on a full out marketing blitz to sell a new arena.

Anyways, there are a bunch of random thoughts that you made me think.Thanks a lot.

I know thinking isn’t your strong point, so sorry about that

Anyways, I was simply saying that fans here, in general, don’t understand a rebuild. Yah, we were losers for several years, but part of that time was before the full-on rebuild really even started. So people see it as “we’ve sucked for this many years now, why aren’t we in the playoffs” when really it takes several years for a team to do this. What was Rich Winter’s number… 7 years?

Again, my point is that yes, it takes time, and I doubt that the majority of fans have the patience to accept that like you say they do. I think your statement is as “full of horseshit”. Tell your friends that we’re going to miss the playoffs for 3-4 years and see what they say to you.

I will say though that Tambellini has done some stupid stuff though in the course of the rebuild though, such as signing Khabi. Lowe made his mistakes too such as Horcoff and Gilbert overpayment. It is what it is, we can keep harping on it (like fans typically do), or we can just accept it and move on. This team will like be ready to be a better competitor around when Khabi is gone anyways.

But if you’re going to repeatedly dig up old wounds, yes, they should have signed someone younger/better to that kind of contract (and even then, the salary should have been lower) or they should have signed him or Roli short term.

Quite frankly, the plan isn’t very obvious to us fans, nor CAN it be. So we just kind of have to take his word for it. It’s hard at times, but I do get what he’s saying. Like I said once before, GMs think 5 or more years ahead, while us fans think maybe 1 year ahead, tops.

I really disagree with your assessment of the gm thinking 5 years ahead and fans only 1 year. In fact, I think that statement is complete horseshit. A rebuild isn’t hard to understand. Every person I’ve talked to realizes that a rebuild takes time. Most people have an issue with how the rebuild is going on, and I can’t really blame them.

So long as you say that you are rebuilding, and that it takes time then you’ll get it. Once the GM (ala Burke) or coach (like Renney just did) start saying “next year we think the playoffs are in the cards” then you get the fans hoping for something unreasonable.

Another thing though that is starting to grate on Oiler fans I assume, is we have been terrible for 4 years now (well, 5 but one of those years we had a good push at the end so it looked respectable). So, having to wait another 5 years might be a bit much. Although that’s why Lowe got promoted right.

Plus signing Khabibulin isn’t how one approaches a rebuild (although he did a decent job of cutting players, and I won’t blame him for the Fraser/Foster experiments).

Finally, from what you describe, the Oilers seem to be on a full out marketing blitz to sell a new arena.

Anyways, there are a bunch of random thoughts that you made me think. Thanks a lot.

It will be interesting to see next years opening night depth chart. I’m kind of hoping they try and convert Hall to center no matter who they draft. If he catches fire and has decent level of talent on his lines I can see him scoring 50G, center or not.

I may not be 100% on the ST train but I have full confidence in Stu (Magnificent Bastard) Macgregor and his scouting team. I think it’s going to be at least another season before we actually start “competing”. I’m really hoping that we trade/package roster players and acquire another pick and or a top five pick for the draft.

2011 Oilers Draft
1st Pick – Top Two Pick (One of the “Big 4″)
2nd Pick – Top Five (Strome, D. Hamilton, Huberdeau, Murphy)
3rd Pick – LA Pick (Jamie Oleksiak, 6’7″ 240lbs, good read on the kid)