“Expectations are sky-high given the team’s starting point with two of the best players in the world — and without a championship, it’s safe to say Edmonton’s brass has not met them. While the Oilers have made some good moves in the past, they’ve made enough poor ones to keep them away from ultimate glory.

Last year’s offer-sheet debacle has turned into a full-blown disaster with the leaps Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg took with the Blues. It’s fair to wonder whether the Oilers might’ve won it all with both on their roster and while it was understandable for the team to let Broberg go at that price, it remains unbelievable that the team didn’t match Holloway’s paltry cap hit. Beyond that, the Trent Frederic deal doesn’t inspire confidence and the team’s continuing goaltending issues are also a sore spot.

With the best player in the world, the Oilers should have been champions by now. An upper-half management team probably could’ve made that happen. Close isn’t close enough anymore.”