Just how bad are the Edmonton Oilers right now? They're beyond bad. They're just about as low as you can get. Their last game, a 5-1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes, was their 8th straight loss. Of course they should be used to losing by this point seeing as how this is just one of many losing streaks this season including their worst which lasted 11 games. The team itself has only won one game out of their past 20. The Oilers currently sit dead last in their division, conference and the whole NHL. They're 7-21-7 and have a meager 21 points. There doesn't even seem to be a word to describe how bad this team has played this year.

But Edmonton's woes haven't just been in this season. The last time they made the playoffs was their unlikely run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006 where they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes. They haven't had a memorable season since. In their past five seasons, from 2009-2014, the Oilers have gone 132-198-46, been last in their division four of those seasons and have gone 1-17-6 against the Western Conference this season.

They're current roster hasn't helped much. Despite their star forwards like Taylor Hall producing more and becoming more complete offensive players in recent years, the team overall hasn't done much. Their highly anticipated German draft pick Leon Draisaitl has seven points in 34 games their starting goaltender Ben Scrivens has just 5 wins on the season and a .890 save percentage.

To most General Managers of most NHL teams, this would be so starting that they would either leave their position or start making drastic changes but that hasn't happened. GM Craig MacTavish hasn't done much to better this team. Adding players like Scrivens or Teddy Purcell is great but only if they're going to have a positive impact on the team. Sure Scrivens had his moment of fame in his 3-0 shutout win over San Jose in which he made over 50 saves but that only helped the team for one night. The Oilers need long term help, not somebody who can help them in a few games now so they don't look bad every night (if that's possible).

Edmonton's drafting skills have been okay at best. True, players like Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are great to have but when the rest of the team isn't playing on the same level, it doesn't do much for the organization. Craig MacTavish has to consider moving the untouchables like Hall or Nugent-Hopkins. Trading for other players like a top defenseman (hence all the rumors that the Oilers and Bruins may be talking) may be a good start. Plenty of teams would be willing to trade for a great forward like Taylor Hall. Edmonton has plenty of forwards to deal and if they're not comfortable with trading those mentioned they could deal away Jordan Eberle or even several forwards like Purcell or Nail Yakupov.

And while Ben Scrivens may dazzle some nights and lay with fire for his hometown crowd, he may not be a starter. Of course it's hard to tell whether he or his counterpart Viktor Fasth have any real talent seeing as how there isn't a great club playing in front of them. But if they get a chance to prove themselves and they fail, they need to go as well. But there's a big part of this equation that perhaps doesn't get enough attention and that's management.

Every good team starts with management. Just look at teams like Chicago, Tampa Bay or Montreal. Craig MacTavish might be part of the reason this team is failing although no GM for quite some time has helped Edmonton that much. They had to fire head coach Dallas Eakins this past month and they haven't had any lasting coaches for years.

Overall this Edmonton team needs some serious help before its reputation is permanently damaged (although, depending on where you stand, you might see it that way right now). The Oilers can't fix this problem overnight and likely can't in one season either but with careful planning from management down to how they play on ice, the Oilers can turn this around and eventually dig their way out of this very dark and very deep hole.