...are trades the answer right now? As another rival executive suggested, is the smartest thing at this point not just to take a knee and get in the lottery chase given this year’s draft class?

On the surface, it’s probably what makes the most sense. But eight years of hockey hell has also eroded some of the goodwill (loyalty?) of the fan base in Edmonton. Can you afford to take a knee and not risk further brand alienation? Or would fans in Edmonton, a pretty savvy hockey community, understand that it would be worth it given the draft class?

-Pierre LeBrun on the Edmonton Oilers. Read more from LeBrun on the Oilers at ESPN.