The time is finally here. I’ve asked you to come up with the best photoshop you can create that expresses this disaster of a season we’re currently going through – a.k.a Connor McDavid’s last season of his Entry Level Contract. Well time is up, and we have our finalists!

I gotta say you guys really crushed it with the artwork this time around. I can tell you’ve been putting in the long hours on the laptop practicing up for this moment. The effort has finally paid off, and I’m very impressed with all of your work.

The boys at NationHQ had a great time going through all of these entries while both laughing and crying at the same time. We had a ton of entries this time around and I really wish I could include everyone in this group of finalists, however we all know that being close only counts in filing your tax return.

I give you the 2017-18 RIP ELC photoshop contest finalists!

Whether intentional or not, the first vibe I got from the Spider Pig photoshop is of the famous Andy Warhol painting of Wayne Gretzky. Bonus points to the creator if this was actually the purpose of the photo. Other than that, this photoshop highlights some of Peter Chiarelli’s best (worst) moves during Conor’s ELC and the fact that he used the spider pig reference makes it that much better. Keep in mind that during the scene from the SImpsons, homer admires the pig for doing whatever he wants with no care for anyone else as the pig crawls on the ceiling.

“Everybody wants to know wtf is in that thing.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. Peter Chiarelli has made some extremely questionable moves during his time here and whatever his game plan was during Connor’s ELC…. it didn’t really work. Every time he made a bad trade I always told myself that this was done for the ‘big picture.’ Well now we’re three years in and all I see is another missed chance at playoffs. When one of your best moves during Connor’s ELC is actually drafting Connor McDavid (a task that a disabled gorilla could have done), you know there hasn’t been a lot of good moves.

 

If you know me well you’ll know that I think This is the End is one of the greatest movies of all time, right behind Friends with Benefits. I feel like this piece of art really reflects the hell that is Oil Country right now as Connor’s ELC comes to an end. The boys are all working hard to protect Connor but you know sometimes there’s only so much you can do.

I admire the skill that went into this Photoshop. Maybe it’s really easy to blend faces into the sky but in my mind that sounds difficult. (photoshop skill level: mediocre). It’s easy to picture the team as an army going to war. I mean, in the war of the 2017-18 regular season, the Oilers started off by getting slaughtered. They’re slowly trying to claw their way back to victory but it’s a struggle.

This photoshop is simple yet effective. It’s got a little bit of Blue Jays, a little bit of iconic sports history, a little bit of Chia, and a little bit of Connor. Everything I love minus the Chia part. Do you think if Connor McDavid wanted Peter Chiarelli gone from the organization, it would happen? Not sure if that’s the case, but it’s fun to imagine. Wouldn’t it just be the cherry on top for Connor to single-handily remove Chia from office on the final days of his ELC? “Thanks for the money” – is all that Connor would need to say.

Here comes the fun part! We’ve done our job, now it’s up to you to decide who our winner is! Like I said before, I wish we could give all of these awesome entries the 1st place ribbon, but unfortunately we can’t.

As always, you can vote for your favourite Photoshop entry in our polls section just to the right of your screen. Voting will continue until Wednesday January 31st at 11:59pm MT. Think long and hard about this, the decision you make may change the lives of a few Nation citizens!

In case you need a reminder of what they’re playing for, the prizes are as follows: