Every now and again your ol’ pal Wanye will stumble on information while standing in line at the bottle depot. It doesn’t happen often and we don’t make stuff up the rest of the time like other fake named internet bloggers.* So you can trust us when we say that the Oil are jerking around Ryan Smyth and that it is another example of how the organization is effing up in so many ways.

We recently had a conversation with someone connected to the Smyth camp. And when we say had a conversation it was the farthest thing from pretending to be some puffed up Media wannabe. No we came across as a tearful Oiler fan happy to be talking to someone who knows the scoop with Smytty.

This is the second time we have had a chat with this cat. The last time ol’ #94 was still an LA King. At the time we drunkenly pleaded “Smytty needs to come home. He is probably peeling from the Sun down in LA and we miss him so much” before dissolving into tears and needing to be led away.

As we were being dragged from the conversation, this person lifted our spirits to the moon when they called out “that isn’t the craziest thing you’ve ever said. He does want to return to Edmonton, not because he doesn’t like LA but because he wants to come home for the rest of his career.”

ONE YEAR LATER

Almost a year to the day we ran into them again and gushed about how happy we were that ol’ Smytty was back where he belonged in Oil City. “An then he scored all them goals and he looked so happy and then the NUUUUUUUGE was happy and Eberle already has 30 goals an then Taylor Head got his coconut stomped on an we were all so sad an then -” began our “interview.”

“You know,” the person replied good humouredly, “it’s great how happy you are to have Ryan back in the fold. He is thrilled too and honestly can’t believe the reception Oilers fans have given him. It is killing him how contract talks are going and that he doesn’t have an offer yet from the Oilers.”

INSERT OUR STUNNED SILENCE HERE

Doesn’t have an offer? How is this possible we wondered – ostensibly in our head but infact aloud continuing the most painful conversation this poor person has probably had in months. “Well when he was considering leaving LA the Flames came to the table to make a serious pitch for him. He certainly didn’t ever think too hard about going to Calgary (insert our relieved face here) and then Katz phoned him personally and said that if he came back to Edmonton it would be for the rest of his career.”

“Then at the deadline he had heard rumours the Oilers were listening to offers for him. It didn’t go very far but that plus the fact they haven’t made him an offer even though the season is winding down is upsetting for him. He just wants some stability and to stay in Edmonton for the rest of his career. It’s too bad really.”

TOO BAD DOESN’T BEGIN TO CAPTURE IT

First of all Ryan Smyth is a Saint and the best Oiler in the past 20 years hands down. Guys with his heart, devotion to the team and long term output come along once in a blue moon. His shoddy treatment by this organization disgraces us all.

We would rather the entire brass, coaching staff and front office be summarily fired and shipped out of country than for Ryan Smyth to have another moment of his unhappiness on their account.

This organization doesn’t deserve Ryan Smyth and it seems convinced to prove this time and time again. Think a world class outfit like Detroit would treat it’s Ryan Smyth like this? Right.

WHAT IS GOING ON?

What about all the talk we saw on the TSN that said they were in talks with Smyth? How does a franchise that has serious issues inspiring loyalty among players, a franchise with a reputation for alienating NHLers and a franchise who has already boggled the ball with Smyth once allow these things to go into the eleventh hour?

This reminds us of the BS between the Oilers and Hemsky as was reported so well by Jason Gregor a few weeks back:

 “The trade deadline is 24 days away, and so far Ales Hemsky hasn’t heard anything from the Oilers regarding his future with or without the team. How is this possible? Does Steve Tambellini believe that top-six forwards grow on trees, and that it will be easy to replace Hemsky?”

“It is ridiculous that the Oilers haven’t approached him with anything significant to see if he’d be willing to re-sign. Maybe they will have differing opinions on terms of a new deal, but if the Oilers don’t at least approach him and his agent then they have failed big-time in trying to ensure that this team becomes competitive.”

YOU KNOW

For an organization that has made some puzzling signings in the past 24 months – Barker and the three year contracts for Belanger and Eager spring to mind – how is it that the Oilers leave cornerstone contracts like Hemsky and Smyth contracts until the 11th hour?

This front office is something else. Doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the slow painful climb out of the league basement does it? We can’t wait until this abrasive group are focusing their attention on re-signing Hall, Eberle and our precious Nuge.

SIGN SMYTTY FOR HEAVEN’S SAKES TAMBO. WE KNOW YOU READ THIS**

*Confirmed E5

** He doesn’t.