And We Let The Ryan Smyth Chapter Close Forever...

It hurts me. It physically hurts me to see this. But I also wanted to make one last remark with regards to whole #94 affair, before closing that chapter for good. A colleague of mine summed it up best with this little essay (ok, it was an email that he sent out unsolicited to people...some who care, some who probably don't).

"No disrespect to Ryan Smyth, we all love Smytty, the guy is unreal, for a multitude of reasons, which we all know of.

That being said, no one player is bigger than the team.

This has been a tough year for a number of reasons. Loss in Game 7, Pronger screws us, slumps to Lupul, Horcoff, Torres, Pisani.

The exodus of Spacek, Peca, Samsonov to free agency, and now the latest rash of injuries. (Moreau, Stoll, Smyth for 10, Hemsky for 5, Smid, Staios)

We're NOT making the playoffs, and Smyth wanted the next 5 years at 5.75. Is he worth it?Yes. Again, that being said.

This team, WITH Smyth, (having a career season) was not a playoff team this season. The reason why?

No Pronger...or for that matter, any semblance of an adequate defense.

Gilbert, Smid, Syvret, Greene...all good, but all very young, all nowhere near what we need. The impact a number one defenseman can have on a hockey game, or a hockey season, cannot be overemphasized.

Why then, would Kevin Lowe sign Smyth, when that money can be allocated to this teams real need, which needs to be addressed in the offseason.

Kevin Lowe was making a statement...again....NO ONE PLAYER, is bigger than the entire team, and THIS team, is one being built, and rightly so.... around one of the most talented players int he NHL, the 22 year old, ridiculous, Ales Hemsky.

Come next season, with 3 first round picks to come, Cogliano, Schremp, Gilbert, Chorney, Pouliot, Syvret, and now Nilson and O'Marra in the system, its the time for a new identity.

Horcoff, Torres, Stoll, Lupul, Smid , Hemsky,...all under 25, all signed long term. as much as we love Smyth...at 31 years of age....this is THEIR time.......and we just opened up 6 million dollars on the books, and have 3 first round draft picks to help in our bidding.

This was a terrible year..a wasted year, a sad year, a year in which everything went wrong.

But we will be better for it.

Kevin Lowe KNEW that..and the backlash he was willing to take to make this deal, makes me realize it all the more.

Go Oilers." - Andrew Walker

And now onto the next chapter....why the Oilers can't score, and why the Refs need new jobs!