It is a beautiful Sunday morning, here in Alberta, and the politics has been so depressing lately and I’m gonna skip it for a day.
For many years, nobody wanted to come play for the Edmonton Oilers. The weather was too cold, and the Oilers simply we’re not that good. Then after going to the finals in 2006, they went through their decade of darkness where they were out of the playoffs for an entire decade. Often times players were overpaid to come to Edmonton.
That all changed in 2015, when Connor McDavid was drafted. Oiler fans, including myself remember exactly where they were when the Oilers found out that they had the number one pick that year. I remember jumping for joy in my condo in Mesa, Arizona when I found out that the order should be able to draft McDavid. Even with McDavid on the team, the Oilers only made the playoffs once in the next three years. However, they have made the playoffs ever cents. This year they went to game seven of the Stanley Cup final, before they ran out of gas and lost to the Florida Panthers.
just a few days after the game, seven heartbreak, free agency began. where before free agent players avoided admitted like the plague, this time they are accepting less money to come to Edmonton, than play anywhere else. Three examples come to mind. First is Matthias Janmark. he played for the Oilers this year. He had an excellent playoff. he was expected to go to other teams because he was a free agent. However, he took a hometown discount and stated Edmonton for less money than he would’ve made anywhere else. the next example is Jeff Skinner. He played with Buffalo last year and was bought out of his contract. He could’ve gone to any team that he wanted. He could’ve gone to the centre of the universe that being Toronto, but he did not. He ended up coming to Edmonton for a lower amount that he could’ve made elsewhere. The final example, the person pictured above, is Adam Henrique. He traded to the Oilers late in the year. he could’ve gone elsewhere, himself. but he took a Hometown discount for not only one year but two years. Like who would pass up on a chance to play with McDavid and Draisaitl?
So right now, the Oilers have a better team than the team that was on the ice for game seven of the finals. Oiler fans want the season to start right now. Enjoy the Sunday and avoid watching cable news. It is not worth the depression.