Will the Leafs fade?

[marcwagz]

Yes, I believe their players tried their best because players act like players, not like fans. They play to win. I bet they were pissed instead of sad because they hate being embarrassed, and the better the team does, the more likely they are to find future employment either with the Oilers or with another team. And if a bunch of players actually conspired to lose, you'd hear about it eventually because that many people can't keep quiet forever (see the New Orleans Saints)

It isn't some giant plot why the Oilers have been a bad team. Every team is in a different stage of development, and every team has differing levels of management expertise, team chemistry, injuries, luck, etc. Some teams figure it out better than others. Otherwise you'd see every team finish around .500.

And after two #1 picks plus some highly rated prospects from before that, the Oilers zoomed all the way from 30th to 29th. Now maybe they'll become a playoff team in the next few years, but maybe they won't. High draft picks mean nothing unless you can develop a full team, and properly manage the cap.

most fans believe this was the last year of their tank

I am willing to bet this year their management pushes hard to sign free agents and next year they finish 20th at worst

[argolio]

I am willing to bet this year their management pushes hard to sign free agents and next year they finish 20th at worst

Wow, 20th at worst. I'm sure the Oilers will be happy to spend tens of millions on free agents to aim that high.