NECESSITY: THE MOTHER OF INVENTION

Edmonton Oilers president Patrick LaForge has provided fans some telling insight into the careful consideration, due diligence and deep-thinking that went into the Oilers decision to undertake the rebuild the team finds itself in now.

It seems, according to an interview LaForge did with Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun last fall, at least in a quote provided by David Staples at the Cult of Hockey in the Edmonton Journal, the thinking wasn’t all that deep — like contemplating if you should re-paint the family SUV after bouncing it off a telephone pole.

"First of all, we didn’t blow it up — it imploded," LaForge told Francis. "It is not that easy. It was easier for us. We finished 30th. We sucked.

"We were the worst team in the NHL. When you’re the worst — where can you go? As (GM) Steve Tambellini would say, we’re not one player away, we’re 20 players away."

While I’m guessing Tambellini and president of hockey operations Kevin Lowe are greatly appreciative of LaForge’s blunt take on what prompted management to take things down to bare metal, he didn’t say much that anybody with half-a-brain didn’t already know, did he?

Just asking . . .