I think the Oilers didn’t really have a good sense of how they wanted to rebuild, exactly, is all.

If anything, I would say that they’ve been floundering around cluelessly not 100% committed to winning, not 100% commited to a rebuild, or perhaps just plainly not knowing how to rebuild. I think some people associate a rebuild with the way a team like Pittsburgh and others have rebuilt – sucking horrendously bad for a long while. Rebuilding to me more implies out with the old, in with the new… although having a few high first rounders as part of your “new” isn’t so bad.

Anyways, I’m not sold that the Pittsburgh rebuild was ever really a plan for them. I think they’ve been trying to rebuild the team for a while now (when Kevin Lowe said it seems like a good starting point), and in those couple of years where we sunk to the bottom of the barrel, it wasn’t planned.. but they committed to not doing anything to get our of there. That’s when this rebuild probably showed some promise however, since being the #1 loser means you also get the number 1 (or 2 thanks to the lottery) pick, which of course is generally a special player.

Anyways, saying this is year 2 of the rebuild (not what you are saying.. what others like Jim Matheson have said) is beyond ridiculous. I can half buy 2009 as the starting point, but I’d say thats maybe just when they got more effective in it, thanks to some horrible hockey and bad luck with injuries.

Racki:
Oh wow, is this one early for this coming Monday??

Anyways, I think it’s silly too if the Oilers are really considering trading Gagner or Peckham. But, it does depend on the return, yes. If Nashville called saying “We’ll take Peckham and Gagner for Weber”, for example, I’d hang up the phone immediately and send it in to the NHL for approval. Anyways, it’s not rumored that they are shopping them, so much as teams are calling about them. So no need to freak just yet. Staples did have a new article up about Leafs interest in Gagner, and what D we should swindle from them. Options suggested were Carl Gunnarsson (I might pick him just because his name is fucking awesome) or Luke Schenn. Both would be good additions to a team that started rebuilding last year (if you believe some of the crazy media trying to suggest that).

Anyways, it’s pretty clear to see that the rebuild really started in 2007 whether Katz, Lowe or Tambellini (to his credit, he wasn’t involved then) were aware or not. I’m not going to give them credit in this rebuild for fucking up for 4 years (06/07, 07/08, 08/09, 09/10) before this rebuild SUPPOSEDLY started. The notion that it started at the end of last year is ridiculous anyways.

P.S…. added a poll for the question of the week.

You won’t convince me that the rebuild started the year after we made it to the Stanley cup finals. You won’t convince me that the rebuild started in ’07, and trading for Heatley in ’09 is not a move indicative of a team in rebuild mode. I’d say the team had beliefs that the rebuild was inevitable by the summer of ’08, and given the injuries of ’09 it became a no brainer. I could be convinced that the Oilers management had a notion that rebuild was inevitable, but the Heatley trade remains as evidence of management not being convinced. I voted ’09 for the true beginning of formal rebuild mode. Do you remember the optimism that surrounded the team the summer going into ’08. Rookie line and the late season run made people think we had something special going into ’08. Injuries and the sophomore jinx reared it’s ugly head. Then I’d say management first realized a true rebuild was necessary.