Learning to Fly

Normal people think bungee jumping is crazy, bungee jumpers think skydivers are nuts, skydivers look funny at base jumpers, and then... there are the wingsuit wingnuts.

Into the distance, a ribbon of black
Stretched to the point of no turning back
A flight of fancy on a windswept field
Standing alone my senses reeled
A fatal attraction holding me fast, how
Can I escape this irresistible grasp?

LT's post today, possibly the 10th this year in which he mentions how much he enjoys watching this year's Oilers, inspired me to comment and I'll echo these comments here:

Much as we try, I don't think it's possible to appreciate this year's team enough.  They're kids, and like children, they grow up too fast.  Young and hopeful, full of potential and not burdened in the least by expectations or a ticking clock, this may be the most enjoyable Oilers team I've ever watched.  They're not a winning team and quite unlikely to make the playoffs, but that just means there's nothing to stress and worry about.  For the next couple of years, but this year in particular, there's no anxiety about where they're going, what they'll do when they get there, and if they have the talent, the pieces, the chemistry, and above all the will to seize glory.

It has been 30 years since the 1980-81 season, when we first had the majority of the pieces.  Look at that season.  Dominated by red losses early on, slowly turning more and more green before a dominant finish.  The Oilers had done that the year before in '79-80, but the momentum didn't carry over.  After '80-81, however, things would be different for the next decade.

This could be the closest thing we have to the 1980-81 season in our lifetimes.  With more teams, a hard salary cap, and early unrestricted free agency, it won't be the same but it is sure coming close.  It's a magical season because unlike even next year, there are no expectations on this team.  We're Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams and we're just watching greats play the game.  There are no contract anxieties, no worries about the playoffs, no concerns if we have the right supporting cast.

Like real children, as they start coming into their own, we're in a special and rare moment where dreams and reality are interwoven.  The potential is there and right now it's undefinable, nobody knows how good Hall, Eberle, Pajaarvi, Omark, and even Gagner and Peckham can be.  We're free to let our imaginations run wild and dream.  And we can dream because there's enough reality, enough of a solid grounding for this team that we know for sure that something special is here.  These aren't flights of fancy about Jason Bonsignore, Steve Kelly, Boyd Devereaux and Michel Riesen.  These kids are here, in the NHL.  They're producing.  They're clicking.  They're having fun and clearly loving every moment of it.  Above all, anyone who sees them can sense that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Which is exactly where the Oilers as an organization are.  I truly urge you to read LT's blog and catch up on the top 20 prospects this year because we are sitting on an embarrassment of riches:

Martin Marincin - 1st in WHL defencemen scoring, 2nd in WHL rookie scoring, 2nd in team scoring (after the very potent Brett Connolly).  Boldly moved from Europe to the WHL and adjusted immediately to the game, showing far more puck ability than expected, as he was projected to be a stay-at-home defenceman.  Key component of Slovakia's World Juniors team.

Anton Lander - Captain of the 2011 Swedish Junior team, captain of Timra IK of the Elitserien, a renowned two-way player in his league and well on his way to beating his personal scoring mark from last year.

Curtis Hamilton - He's a big man (6'3, 202), can't call him kid or boy.  Has shown way more offensive flair this season than past years, currently tracking 1.4PPG with the best +/- on the team.  Recently bumped up to the top line on Canada's WHJC squad.

Tyler Pitlick - Good-sized centre who will be competing with Lander for the two-way role on the team.  Like Marincin, he moved to the WHL, though his origins were much closer in the NCAA.  After struggling somewhat early in the season, has picked up the pace.  The +/- is middle of the pack for the team, which is something to note.  A surprising omission from the US WJHC training camp, but given the heavy veteran presence on that squad, not a huge concern.

And that's just the kids exceeding expectations this year.  Lowetide has a much more thorough rundown of our prospects on his site - like Ryan Martindale, Teemu Hartikainen, Toni Rajala, and more.