from David Staples of the Cult of Hockey at the Edmonton Journal,

This just in from former NHL GM Craig Button, now a hockey insider on TSN, his spiel on Leafs Lunch that it’s time to blow up the Oilers: “The same group of guys has been instrumental in helping them be one of the worst teams in the league for the last half-dozen years. So. you know, I think Todd McLellan is an elite coach. I think Peter Chiarelli, the change in the manager’s officers has got a chance to be real positive, but they have to start moving out players.

“Bad teams need players. And just because players are playing in the league and on bad teams and maybe getting 15 goals doesn’t mean that they’re going to help you win. Just because Todd McLellan comes in and gives you purpose and structure and gives you what you need to do to be successful, it doesn’t mean those players are going to help you win and to me that’s the big step now for Peter Chiarelli. He’s got to move players out. And there’s too many players that to me simply aren’t good enough and don’t help you win.”

My take

Button didn’t name any players by name but if we got back half a dozen years, the time frame he mentions, the only players on the team in 2010-11 who are still with the team are Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle. If you advance one more year to 2011-12 you add Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Anton Lander. Go to 2012-13, add Nail Yakupov and Justin Schultz. This would appear to be Button’s “same group of guys instrumental in being one of worst teams’ in league.”

Button is not only right that the Oilers have been bad, he doesn’t go far enough. The Oilers have been the worst team in the NHL by a long shot since 2010-11.

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