All the leaves are brown
and the sky is grey
I've been for a walk
on a winter's day
I'd be safe and warm
if I was in L.A
California Dreamin'
on such a winter's day
-John and Michelle Phillips
The story of that song being written is one of those "are you kidding?" moments. A young Michelle Phillips barely able to stay awake while Papa John says "hey, you won't regret this" and she sure as hell didn't. Michelle Phillips no doubt still gets handsome royalty cheques for staying awake for a few more hours 40-some years ago.
This is Dave Amadio, wearing the uniform of the old Edmonton Flyers. Born in Glace Bay, NS, he set an AHL record for defensemen by scoring 5 goals in a game in 1964 (for Springfield V. Rochester). He passed away in 1981.
40 some years ago, Dave Amadio was one of the first California NHLers, suiting up for the Los Angeles Kings in 1967-68. The Kings didn't bring the Stanley to the Pacific, nor did the Seals or the Canucks or the Sharks in the NHL's modern era.
No, it's the Disney team with the silly uniform history that got a real nickname, some cool uniforms and reached the promised land with a physical, extremely skilled team made to lay rubber under the cap.
A few other truths:
- Chris Pronger has a ring
- Todd Marchant too
- Ottawa wasn't close to being as good as Edmonton a year ago
- Ottawa wasn't close to being as good as Calgary 2 years ago
- I'm happy for Teemu Selanne
- I'm sad for Paul Kariya
I wonder how many GMs are going to re-think dealing their superstar after the fashwash Kevin Lowe got this spring with Chris Pronger romping through skulls and craniums on his way to the promised land.
Bitter pill. Bitter fricking pill.
bitter pill indeed
ReplyDeleteYou know what? It's striking how many times teams lose in their first trip to the finals.
ReplyDeleteAnd they come back.
Detroit
Carolina
Anaheim
They come back and they win.
A message for both Ottawa and Edmonton to take to heart.
'Tis a tough pill to swallow indeed.
ReplyDeleteSmall consolations;
1) Comrie won't get a ring.
2) CFP has reverted to taking the ridiculous penalties he used to while a member of the St. Louis Blues.
3) The Flames didn't win (neither did the Leafs)
4) Many members of the Sens that the Oilogosphere has pined for have seen there asking prices reduced. Here's hoping that it's Alfredson and MacAmmond on the way to E-town as opposed to Redden.
5) Don't we get another pick now that the Ducks have won the cup??? (LOL... as a single tear runs down my cheek)
T
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLT,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog. Read it everyday. The best writing on the oilers to be found anywhere IMO- either on the internet or in print. Thank you for providing one of life's small pleasures.
As for tonight...I really don't know what to say. It's like a bad dream, really, one that unfortunately we won't wake up from. Lowe I believe will eventually pay with his job for his mismanagement this year. No need to go into details, but needless to say we got very little in return for the two most important parts of our team (the gap-tooth and that other fellow, had a mullet).
The real lesson in all this, I think, is how fast a team can fall from grace in this day and age. With a couple of stupendously bad moves Lowe truly set his franchise back two, possibly three years. The NHL is a competitive place, and a little bit of time asleep at the wheel cost Lowe his team, his place in oiler's history (as a GM), and most of all the respect of his fan base.
Lowe better have something great coming up in the next 4 weeks, or you will see oiler nation get really angry.
Congrats to the ducks, but man I wish the oilers had just one player- just one- that could be considered elite. We had one (Pronger, for everything that you can say about his character, still can dominate like few others)...and it may be a long time before we see the likes of that kind of talent around here again.
And no, until Hemsky learns how to dominate every night, he will not be considered elite in my books.
K Lowe, you're officaly on the clock. Do something. Anything- just give us hope again...and no, acquiring another great prospect with a fantastic scouting report just won't cut it.
The Lowe watch has officialy begun in oiler nation. It will start with the hardcore internet crowd, but I sure hope next october and november are good months for the oilers, or watch out...rexall could get reckless.
And you know what the real tragedy in all this is? It didn't have to happen. Financially, we could have kept both Smyth and Pronger. Practically, there was no reason that we had to let go of either of them. We were told post-CBA it would be different. Post-CBA we would never again be an also-ran franchise. We would never again have to hang our heads in shame and laugh at our incompetence.
Kevin Lowe has brought that shame- that sense of "not belonging" to the truly important franchises in the NHL- back to edmonton. That- for all he's done this year- stands as his greatest failure.
PS,
ReplyDeleteBefore I get called on my belief that none of this "had to happen" I think we can all agree that the Smyth signing could have happened months before D-day.
As for Pronger, Lowe should have let him sit. Rot. He had a contractual obligation, and there was members of the oilers organization who wanted to make him meet it (see Nichols' comments). And if you do trade Pronger, you make damn sure that you get the best end of the deal. It's not like he was the best defensmen in the league signed for 4 years to a ridiculously low contract or anything.
Just my thoughts on the whole thing anyway.
But next year's right around the corner... Lets go Joffrey!!!!
In fairness to Ottawa, Carolina and Tampa Bay weren't close to the teams that Anaheim is. For all those who pointed to the East's success in the finals as evidence to counter the overwhelming statistical evidence of the regular season - this is what happens when one of the West's elite teams survives the gauntlet that is the Western playoffs. Ottawa wasn't challenged until the Finals.
ReplyDeleteIt's really a shame for the Senators though. It's hard to see how this team is going to improve and their best isn't good enough.
man, how many kittens died because CFP won the Cup? ugh.
ReplyDeleteBUT, i'm happy for Todd Marchant. he's been a good foot soldier for quite a while.
and Selanne deserved it, too. i've never really hated the guy, as an OIler fan probably feared him more than anything, but what a way to go out for him, if this is in fact his swan song.
other than that - kind of a disconnect. last year, devastation, this year... meh. here's hoping i get to see another happy OIler victory someday soon.
Good for Selanne, Pronger etc... I am disappointed Ottawa did not make it but the better team won, that is way it is supposed to be.
ReplyDeleteI am just really over it (being mad at Pronger, crying over the return etc...) and looking forward to the draft and Summer. It would have been a bitter pill if the Ducks beat the Oil in final, otherwise time to move on for me.
Good to see no typical retread comments in here of Lowe got them the Cup, conn smythe to low *yawn*
Kevin Lowe = executive of the year.
ReplyDeleteThis is why you don't trade superstars for nothing in your own conference you dumb fuck.
Here's to Smyth coming to the WC next year and shoving it further up his ass.
It's very hard to be an Oiler fan right now, when the franchise is surrounded by such crushing incompetence.
Well, what I am reflecting on after watching that game is the "butter-soft" trio of Getzlaf, Perry, Penner.
ReplyDeleteI've learned alot about what I thought was happening on the ice versus what does happen on the ice through blogs like this and IOF.
For all the analysis of soft versus tough, how does that explain the job that those three forwards did.
Sometimes, maybe being put in a position where you think you are really good turns into a situation where you are really good.
They went heads up against some tougher sledding in these past two series and acquitted themselves well.
Well, NFB, they couldn't do it last year so what does that say about them this year? It says that at least two of them are probably destined to be very good players, that's what it says.
ReplyDeleteI dunno, it hurts tonight to see Pronger lift that Cup. It hurts that Lowe gave Ana such a great deal and that he's such a stupid prick that he's crowing about the extra pick because they made the finals.
And I don't like being in a constant war with about say 60-75 % of my fellow Oilers fans, but...I told you so.
Fuck you Pronger. A classless exit from a city that treated you like a God last spring shouldn't get you an ending like this.
ReplyDeleteI am no longer a believer in Karma.
PS: Fuck you Lowe. Hope Burkie bought dinner first and at least had the courtesy to use lube.
PPS: Fuck you Lupul.
Do you guys think anybody in the Edmonton media will have the guts to ask Lowe how he feels about the Pronger deal now? Or if he regrets the way he handled the situation?
ReplyDeleteIt would seem like appropriate questions, given the circumstances and all.
mamett: If the Edmonton media had balls, they would have asked "now why the hell did you not insist on Getzlaf as part of the return for Pronger" by now.
ReplyDeleteEither he was too dumb to see that Getzlaf was a better player than Lupul, or he was a poor negotiator and caved to Burke.
No matter which it is, he needs to do something quick, or he's going to be (rightfully) out of a job next spring.
The immaturity exhibited by some of you oilfans is downright embarrassing. Hindsight is always 20-20.. I'm sure Lowe wasn't afraid to play hardball (see: Comrie) but he did what he felt was the best deal on the table at the time. Get over it. If I have to hear Dennis point out the fucking completely obvious one more time then tell us all "I told you so" I'm going to stick my fist through the computer screen.
ReplyDeleteYou do wonder why Lowe didn't insist on Getzlaf. Getzlaf seems to be far more a Mac-t/Lowe type of player than Lupul ever will be. Getzlaf's point totals for 2006 (39) weren't that far off from Lupul's (53) and he no doubt played a better defensive game, was much more physical, had better size, and was a center to boot. Also, Getzlaf knew all about Alberta from his days as a Hitman, so its not like there would have been culture shock issues.
ReplyDeleteIt's just odd...man I wish I knew what was going on in Lowe's mind when he made the deal. It's just sad the way its all unfolded. The oilers have to move on, we as fans have to move on...but there's just so many things to remind us. The greatest of which is tonight's cup ceremony.
Also, Pronger is still relatively young, signed for 3 more years, nedermayer (scott) is a machine, and the young core of the ducks is going nowhere...there's no reason why they can't repeat next year, and the year after that. The scary thought isn't about this year...its that lowe has made a dynasty in southern california. Ughh.
Oh, and the ducks have bobby ryan waiting in the wings. We have..."blue-chipers" like Nillson and Schremp.
I hope Lowe uses that 6th overall wisely.
The immaturity exhibited by some of you oilfans is downright embarrassing. Hindsight is always 20-20.. I'm sure Lowe wasn't afraid to play hardball (see: Comrie) but he did what he felt was the best deal on the table at the time. Get over it. If I have to hear Dennis point out the fucking completely obvious one more time then tell us all "I told you so" I'm going to stick my fist through the computer screen.
ReplyDeleteThey're called opinions. If you don't like them, don't fucking read them.
And it's not all about hindsight. Lots of people asked at the time of the Pronger deal why the hell Getzlaf wasn't the guy instead of Lupul.
Whether it was politics (local boy, grandfather in EIG) or just plain stupidity (Lowe was too hung up on the "five assets" thing, or simply thought that Lupul was a better bet than Getzlaf), the fact is that it looks very bad right now, especially considering Lupul's bloated contract for the next 2 years.
Whew... that's some serious venting from Oiler nation.
ReplyDeleteUnderstandable for sure, especially today. It's kind of like the last swift kick to the groin - just when you thought the pain was subsiding...
I figure, Klowe has this summer to fix the gong show he created last summer. If he can't, then it may be time for a new direction for Oiler nation.
Hey I'm fine with everything including FCP - he asked for a trade and Lowe obliged - great dman and I was happy to see him as an Oiler. Same with Smytty - he wants to build his warchest - so be it - and better he does it on Long Island where they have elevated managerial stupidity to an artform.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that bugs me is how utterly crappy and gutless Joffry Lupul is and how much money Lowe has paid him to be so lousy. The bad salary decision just compounded the stupid personel decision. Smid, Getzlaf and no first rounders makes me a lot happier than Smid, Lupul and 2 crappy firsts.
...and better he does it on Long Island where they have elevated managerial stupidity to an artform.
ReplyDeleteBusinesswise, I have no quibbles. Hockey wise...four playoff appearances for the Isles in five years. That's a little better than Edmonton. Yeah, yeah, the Finals run was great - I've got about as much faith in Lowe replicating that as I do in the Isles management pulling one off.
The painful thing is where the Oilers are in the cycle now. They now have several veterans they'll need to deal (Roloson for certain) and UFA's aren't coming here unless Lowe makes a couple of monster deals before July 1.
ReplyDeleteWhile we're depressed, I'd like to point out that along with the value of draft picks being lower, it looks like good young players who are unproven are going to be replaced in many cases by veteran Euro players signed to reasonable contracts.
There have been several in the last few weeks, including a defensive forward (by I believe NJD) which is a team that I felt could have used some of the Oilers young depth.
Lowe's fabulous '05 summer was followed by a disaster. imo we can reasonably expect a middle ground summer, and we should fear he tries to do too much.
And that truly is the worry, LT, the chance that he feels he has to make the big splash and blows a wad of cash on Souray or trades a whack of kids for someone who doesn't make the team any better.
ReplyDeleteI'll pull a Stan Fischler and I take my solace: "Had the Quacks met the Oilers in the semis, they would have been history".
ReplyDeleteAs for Karma, well sometimes it works in the looong distance ...
Will, you know how sick you are of me pointing out the obvious? It's probably the same level of sickness I experience when I see people sticking their heads in the sand about the Pronger return. So in that regard, we're not even because there's me and Riv and a couple of more on one train and meanwhile there's a helluva lot more people who'll defend Lowe. As for hindsight? I made the call last summer that this trade was disgraceful.
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing. Sometimes you're gonna make a trade that puts a team over the top to win a Cup and you can live with that IF you get things in return. And by things I don't mean Smid or Lupul or draft picks that don't project to be anywhere near the top 20. There's also the discussion of whether you should trade within your Conf and my answer is yes but only if the offer blows you away. Of course this didn't happen here.
At the end of the day;), Pronger and Burke have their first Cups and who wants to bet against them winning at least two playoff rounds next year, as well? Lowe's left talking about all the assets he has but I doubt anyone ever put the finishing touches on any kind of team with the 30th pick in one draft and then say the 25-55 picks in the following year. No draft is that deep.
Things were bad enough when 94 WAS here. You wondered where the puck-moving D were gonna come from but you could see how the forwards corps might work with the 94-10 combo able to handle the tough min and 83 looking like he could break out any year. All we needed to find was someone to run the PP. We needed a backup for Roli and the Oilers haven't been great at finding goalies but hey, we could wait until the summer of '08 before we needed to address that. So, even with Pronger gone for beans, if we could lift a Pitkanen out of Philly for not too much and we could pick up a Whitney PP specialst type on the half-cheap, then we could at least be competitive, you know? But then Lowe went and fucked that for a mid first rounder in a suspect draft year plus a suspect in Nilsson and a PK/top niner prospect in O'Marra.
Things are tough all over.
As for the Edm media? Forget about it. Stauffer seems to be coming around and I'm sure I'll spar with him again once October comes;) but if anyone in the city had any real balls, they'd have been all over the story the other day about the cap hitting 52 mill. They'd be digging and wondering just how close the Oilers are gonna come to it. Yet I checked the papers and listened to the airwaves and all I found were tumbleweeds.
Dennis,
ReplyDeleteI find your bitterness refreshing. Lowe is paid a lot of money to try to improve his hockey club, something he clearly hasn't done in the last year in any shape, way, or form.
The frustrating thing is I'm not sure oilers management realizes just HOW BAD the oilers are. Lowe is talking about making the playoffs next year...does he realize he's at least 4 good to excellent players away from this (2 forward and 2 d)? Does he feel the pain like we feel it, or is he yucking it up over all this? I hope he's working his ass off as we speak getting ready for what will very likely become the 4 most important weeks of his tenureship as oilers' GM.
And even if Lowe does nab Richards for a boatload of picks/prospects, or does convince Timonnen to come here for Pronger money (north of 6.5 million), are we ready to compete again in the best conference in hockey? Hardly.
We are that far away from being good...
You know things are bad when I'M the optimistic one... oh boy.
ReplyDeleteYes, things are really bad - but are they hopeless? No, I believe the trades/signings are there.
I like a trade for Pitkanen. I like signing Hartnell. Both players have been primed for the next 3-4 years. Sure, we won't win the cup next year, but we can start to position ourselves for the next ascent to the top. Another 1st and 2nd round pick in '08 for Smith and Roloson trades at the deadline and REAL NHL READY depth may be around the corner.
I agree it would be a mistake for anyone to 'panic' and sign Souray at $6 or Timonen or Kariya at $5. KLowe should do the right thing, be patient, add smart YOUNG free agents, make timely trades and develop the team. Whether or not he will have the patience with a clearly hostile Oiler nation holding a gun to his head remains to be seen.
Or maybe there is some super fantastic KLowe magic left and - in an all-time blockbuster - he trades for Ovechkin, Boumeister and Horton...
It's not all that bad.
(Could get worse)
Wow
ReplyDeleteI suppose being angry and bitter is the sign that people care, and to that end I'm happy people care about the Oilers as much as I do. I agree with a lot of the sentiment expressed about this blog, it's a great read and I check in almost every day, but it's time for some of you armchair GM's to get over it.
ReplyDeleteYou know why you guys aren't the GM of the Edmonton Oilers? (Other than the fact you didn't play for the '84-'85 team). It's because you're not qualifed and you don't know what you're talking about.
How many of you are privy to what goes on behind closed doors? How many of you know what conversations Lowe has with other GM's? If you're scoring at home that would be...none of you. Quit babbling about the Horton/Bouwmeester offer that was never on the table. You, along, with the media made that up, remember?
First it's, "Lowe better come up big!" But wait! Then it's, "Lowe is gonna feel the pressure and try too hard to do something big!"
Which is it you whiney pusses?
Kevin Lowe made a deal, that none of us can fully judge until the picks are used, Smid/Lupul develop into whatever they will or won't be. Say what you want, but he WAS Brian Burke (apparently your hero now) last year. He was every bit as good in building that Cup run team.
The difference between winning your approval and you calling for his head was 1 game. Be it Game 1 or Game 7 last year. If they'd won the Cup, would any of you care what happened this year? Is the blame really being placed properly. Go ahead and blame Pronger that's fine. Is Lupul as pussy, yes. But stand by your damn team ffs...you all act like we're the Chicago Cubs or something (cue LT article about the Chicago Cubs minor league system paralleling the Cape Breton Oilers).
Be happy for Todd Marchant and look forward to the next 3 weeks. I love you all...you crabby bastards.
The difference if we won the Cup last year? Well, I'd be saying yes it was good we have another cup and we should all keep watching the tapes every spring because that's as close as we'll get to the playoffs for at least the next two years.
ReplyDeleteLook, no amount of success can excuse a guy for falling down on the job like Lowe did with Pronger and Smyth and he should be fired for it and we shouldn't have to go thought any more shit with him running the show.
So Dennis, a good deal and a bad deal are not of equal value in judging a GM's ability? He should only be judged on what you or someone else PERCEIVES to be his bad deals (even though the jury is still out, based on what he can do in the trade market with the remaining Pronger assets). That's grossly illogical.
ReplyDeleteKevin Lowe has never made a good deal or signing?
If Ryan Smyth re-signs (not that he will) is that suddenly a good deal or should he still be fired?
Like Bob Pulford in CHI and Harry Sinden in BOS, I suggest Kevin Lowe is being judged by his bosses with a measuring tape made of $ signs, not Stanley Cup rings. Just like the latter-day Slats was. Except Slats bullshitted everyone into thinking what a genius he was and how he'd rebuild the dynasty if only he had an extra $5 million.
ReplyDeleteLowe's curse is that last year's team caught lightning in a bottle and created an impossible standard for him to match. That team had no business being within a game of winning the Stanley Cup. And will likely never get that close again. Lowe might as well quit now while he's behind.
And that truly is the worry, LT, the chance that he feels he has to make the big splash and blows a wad of cash on Souray
ReplyDeleteI don't have a tonne of faith in Lowe and I think he has some serious failings in the foresight department, but when has he ever shelled out serious assets for a veteran player that just busted out?
If he can't pull the team out of the gutter I think I'd rather see him "promoted" into some kind of position with a fancy title that just leaves him responsible for pro scouting.
If 94 comes back, then it all worked out in the end for sure. BUT, I bet he could've still gotten more for him when he was a rental
ReplyDeleteYou had me until #6, LT. I can't even fathom why you would feel sorry for him.
ReplyDelete