Trade Deadline Thoughts
By Wanye
15 years ago
We have been sent a good many texts, twitters, emails, carrier pigeons and telegrams with different trade scenarios that people would like to see or believe are imminent. Keep ’em coming Nation. With the sheer volume of trade predictions being thrown around someone is bound to be right sooner or later and they will be celebrated for seasons to come as being ‘the person who knew.’ How sweet is that going to be?
Regardless of the deal the Oil eventually make, there is one thing for certain:
The player(s) coming back are going to have a ton of pressure placed upon them on arrival Chez Oil.
This is obviously going to depend on the player(s) the Oil acquire. Trade Kyle Brodziak for some plugger and expectations will be diminished. But package up a few players in the vaunted 3-for-1 deal that everyone is hoping for and that 1 coming to Edmonton had better have his skates sharpened, stick taped and be ready to go. Remember when Samsonov was traded to the Oil back in ’06? Remember how awesome we all thought he was? Now imagine someone of note – Jokinen, Bouwmeester or (insert player of note here) – gets dealt to the rabid OilersNation at the deadline. Get ready to have some expectations placed upon thee buster!
All year the OilersNation have sat and waited for something to happen. A trade of some fashion. A firing perhaps. Calling up junior phenoms of yore. Anything that could result in the needed boost on the ice and in the dressing room and put this team into a solid playoff position. Hundreds of thousands of hard core Oilers Fans, millions of casual acquaintances, billions of band wagon jumpers. All waiting for the news that something has happened.
As our own Robin Brownlee would note:
Tick, tick, tick……
As an aside
For those of you who subscribe to the theory that the Oilers are screwed because NHL players don’t want to earn a living in Edmonton on account of it being a crap hole, we offer you the following information on Detroit. Long able to cobble together a contending team year after year – the Wings are able to remain in the upper echelons of the league despite the notable fact that Detroit is screwed.
How screwed you ask?
The median price of a home sold in Detroit in December was $7,500. There are no zeroes intentionally missing from that statement nor is it a typo. $7,500 buys you a home in Detroit – complete with walls, a window or two and a door. Now we aren’t exactly part of the ReMax Elite Team, but you don’t need to be a real estate agent to know that isn’t a good sign for an economy.
Other depressing facts about Detroit include:
- One-third of the population and almost 50 percent of children live in poverty.
- Median household income has dropped 24 percent since 2000, according to the Census Bureau.
“Detroit, which has lost half its population in the past 50 years, is deceptively large, covering 139 square miles. Manhattan, San Francisco and Boston could, as a group, fit inside the city’s boundaries. There is no major grocery chain in the city, and only two movie theaters. Much of the neighborhood economy revolves around rib joints, hot dog stands and liquor stores.”
Now before you regale us with tales of how most of the monied folk in Detroit live in Auburn Hills or other suburban enclaves please remember that Joe Louis Arena is smack dab in the middle of the urban action in Detroit and not tucked away in the ‘burbs. Zetterberg drives through some of the most depressing urban decay in all of North America on the way into work every morning – and he is there long term Nation. Why? Not because of the scenery. Because the Wings win and are a completely functional franchise.
“On a positive note, Detroit’s homicide rate dropped 14 percent last year. That prompted mayoral candidate Stanley Christmas to tell the Detroit News recently, “I don’t mean to be sarcastic, but there just isn’t anyone left to kill.”
You will forgive us if we don’t buy the load of crap that a cold city can’t have a good hockey team. If Detroit can do it anyone should be able to ice a winner.
Poor Detroit.
Recent articles from Wanye
