To some extent, it feels like a broken record: a long-suffering member of the Edmonton Oilers hopes this is the year.
Familiar refrain or not, there are some reasons for Jordan Eberle to feel a little more justified in their optimism this time around.
Most obviously, the Oilers added another key piece to the war chest in Connor McDavid, someone who’s hyped as a better prospect than Sidney Crosby. Maybe just as importantly, they hired Todd McLellan as head coach.
After a series of fairly “green” bench bosses, they have one who’s experienced success. Even better: Eberle experienced success with McLellan, as they enjoyed nice moments at the Worlds alongside Taylor Hall.
Those wins - not to mention those key changes - has Eberle wondering if he’ll finally be a winner in the NHL, as the Edmonton Sun reports.
“It’s been tough, to be honest, five years of this, it grows on you, you start to think of yourself as a bit of a loser,” Eberle said on Saturday. “For me and Hallsy, personally, going to Worlds and winning and having that winning feeling back, was something that I was really, really proud of for myself, proud of him and proud of our team.”
It’s one thing to feel pride for what amounts to a modified group of Canadian All-Stars. Will that finally transfer to success for the Oilers?
If this continues, that loser label will just get tougher to shake.