With the Joey Moss Cup in the history books, each passing day brings us closer to the start of the 2011-12 NHL season. As Oilers fans we are quickly filling with irrational levels of exuberance to the point that many of us actually believe the Oilers are overstocked with talent – particularly in the forward corps.

This golden period of annual late summer hope also gives us a chance to take pause and judge the many things that have gone right for the Oilers in the last while. Think things are dire coming off back to back 30th place finishes? What if we were all sitting around wondering if ol’ Tom Vanek or Dan Heatley would get off their gargantuan wallets and snipe a few for the home team this year?

Yikes.

If you missed the epic interview with Jason Bonsignore we heartily suggest you give it a listen over at Jason Gregor’s website. Imagine if he and Sather had been able to work out their numerous differences? Imagine it was Bonsignore not Smyth currently returning home to Rexall Place amid the standing ovations at every opportunity?

It boggles the mind.

Devan Dubnyk has his many supporters who believe that the tall drink of water has what it takes to be a successful starting goalie in the NHL. We personally believe that this talk is 45 kinds of crazy and that the entry above correctly captures DD’s career.

Having said all of that he did post respectable numbers last season on an injury riddled Oilers squadron and September is about hope, not reality.

Dustin Penner is starting to take a lot of heat in Los Angeles and the picture above can suggest why. Look at him go! Penner loves hot dogz and don’t care who knows. Classic entry here.

Fact: Lauren Pronger has lovely blonde hair. Fact: Lauren Pronger would have levelled downtown Edmonton had her husband not been traded in the Summer of 2006. This entry is right on point thinking Prong-Zilla would make a bee line for the Hotel MacDonald, with the Telus Building taking a load of flame right to the upper floors.

Could you imagine if Dany Heatley posted his 2010-11 numbers with the Oilers? Could there be a more hated signing for the faithful of the local hockey squadron? Could there be a more fetching argyle sweater model than Thomas Vanek?

Luckily these aren’t our problems in E-town and we can simply laugh at the very photoshopped idea, all the while secretly thanking the Gods of Hockey that neither of these deals materialized.

The winner of this fine photoshop contest will receive a catered lunch for 10 from the good folks at Oodle Noodle. So we would heartily suggest voting in your home or place of business and then carefully breaking into your neighbour’s house later in the evening to vote a second time.

It’s not a crime if you are trying to get someone a free lunch for mocking Dustin Penner or Thomas Vanek. We know this for a fact.

Our main man Oil Fan for Life sent us the tastiest Smyth Omen to date noting that "It’s Halloween in Safeway. Also, Smyth loves Halloween. Also, Stanley will return. If 94 little chocolatey treats doesn’t prove that fact then not much else can."

This is the kind of logic we wouldn’t dare argue with. Not even for a minute. Everyone should follow this wise sage on twitter at @cartooncolin to see if he dispenses any other rock solid predictions. We did.