Author's Note:

The following is the fourth in a series of posts exploring the Edmonton Oilers, their previous “Decade of Darkness,” and how the team has started to turn things around with the help of Connor McDavid.

To offer readers something different during the NHL’s summer lull, this is Part Four of the series—from the perspective of a fan-turned-journalist—and it will continue over the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy the journey.

McDavid v. the Decade of Darkness: Part 1: My Introduction to the Oilers

McDavid v. the Decade of Darkness: Part 2: "Where's My Bottle Cap?"

McDavid v. the Decade of Darkness: Part 3: The Gretzky Trade

McDavid v. the Decade of Darkness: Part 3: The Gretzky Trade <i><b>Author's Note:</b></i>

Edmonton’s best player in 2006 was defenseman Chris Pronger. He was known around the NHL as a gritty, physical, and often slightly unethical superstar. He’d been acquired from St. Louis and then signed to a contract extension in Edmonton that previous summer under the new terms of the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). For a small market team like Edmonton, he was the first sign that the playing field was levelling, and he became the Oilers' brand-new, shiny big-ticket acquisition.

On the ice, Pronger came completely as advertised. He played countless minutes per night on Edmonton’s blue line, he was the pulse of the team, and he almost single-handedly put the Oilers in the playoff picture that season. While fans in Edmonton adored their new all-star, Pronger was quietly developing a sense of uneasiness in his situation.

His plan was to request a trade, but the Oilers needed him and couldn’t justify granting that request. They hoped that his feelings would change and that winning would keep him happy where he was. It wasn't until the day after the Oilers lost game seven of the NHL Stanley Cup Final that fans of the team learned about what had been bubbling underneath the surface.

With the playoffs complete, Pronger told the team he was taking some time to assess his situation. A day later, he officially asked to be moved. 

There were all sorts of rumours he’d become frustrated with his living situation, the status of his marriage, the fanbase, and the Oilers' unwillingness to grant his trade request during the 2006 hockey season. What was true and what wasn't still gets talked about today, but while the wounds of defeat were still fresh, Pronger said he was done.

Pronger himself made it clear he loved playing in Edmonton, said Cal Nichols, “I’m convinced that the day he left here was a sad day for him.” Still, the fan base turned, and Pronger went from hero to enemy No. 1 almost instantly. 

Then general manager Kevin Lowe did his best to try and get useful pieces in return, but there was no way the Oilers were winning that trade. Under less than ideal circumstances, Lowe succumbed to the pressure that came with feeling like a move was necessary, and eventually found an eager trade partner in the Anaheim Ducks. 

Pronger’s Departure Triggered a Chain of Costly Mistakes

 What followed was a series of bad choices by the franchise and it’s management team.

With Pronger on his way out, many other free agents followed suit. In a similar fashion to the exodus of talent that fled the Oilers when Gretzky left, players saw the writing on the wall and scurried out of Edmonton as fast as they could pack their bags. Those who stayed were given premium contracts — undoubtedly in part for their loyalty — and the Oilers began to ice a roster that was both subpar and overpaid.

Edmonton wanted to maintain its position in the league as a playoff contender, but couldn’t manage the dramatic team turnover. The Oilers had trouble obtaining new free agents, their newly signed talents struggled with consistency, and thanks to the damage Pronger had done to the city’s reputation, the Oilers spent more time chasing players than focusing on what they could control. 

To exclusively blame Pronger for the team's failures isn’t fair. A previous decade of the club not being able to keep superstars due to money issues, continued cold weather, an aging building, outdated facilities, and now what looked to be a habitually losing organization was enough to make Edmonton the wasteland of the NHL.

From 2006 - 2015, it appeared to be nothing but dark times ahead for a once revered organization.

Eventually, the Oilers had little choice but to embrace a rebuild.

The Rebuild Wasn't Working... Until One Player Changed Everything

The Oilers had a run of top-level draft selections like no other hockey franchise in history. Picking Taylor Hall (2010), then Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011), the Oilers selected Nail Yakupov with their third consecutive No. 1 overall pick in 2012. 

There was no reason that the team couldn't have turned those draft picks into winners. Yet, the Oilers rarely, if ever, won. For every top-tier draft pick that turned out to be a star, the Oilers seemed to draft one who struggled. 

Things looked bleak. Fans nearly lost the team until new ownership stepped in.

Finally, after a decade of some of the worst hockey played by a team in the NHL’s modern era, and after almost everyone had given up on trying to find the silver lining, the Oilers caught one of the luckiest breaks in hockey history, and it changed everything. 

One year after picking Leon Draisaitl at No. 3, Edmonton won the draft lottery and the right to select Connor McDavid in 2015.

To be continued...

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