Been thinking about windows lately. Not the things my dog stares out of all day, or the juggernaut out of Redmond, but windows of Cup opportunity in the NHL.

Darryl Sutter's stewardship of the Flames franchise is becoming less and less forgivable by the month, but one of the things I quite liked about his reign was his aggressiveness about getting better now. The Lombardi+1st for Olli trade -- and far too many moves since -- was a poor way of executing that vision, but the fact is that when the NHL locked out the players in September 2004, Jarome Iginla was 27 years old and probably the finest all-around forward in the game. If Sutter looked at Jarome, and the also-27 Miikka Kiprusoff (who had just set a record for lowest GAA in a season), and said to himself

When this lockout is over, I think it makes sense to mortgage the future a bit to maximize our chances for the next 3-4 seasons

I would consider it eminently sensible. Now maybe that's what he did. Or, maybe he's just a chucklehead who likes having future cap space tied up in the replaceable likes of Wayne Primeau or Tom Kostopolous. But whatever -- I'm glad that the club wasn't half-hearted about "building for the present" while Jarome Iginla was a premier difference maker.

Flush with adrenaline from the Oilers' 4-game winning streak, I'm going to say this out loud: I think it's possible that the Oil's best opportunity to win the Stanley Cup in the foreseeable future is the 2011-2012 season. It's a basic two-step deduction:

1. What gives you the best chance of being at or near the top? Having a bunch of guys outplay their contracts.
2. In what future Oilers season is that most possible? Next one, IMO.

Hall, MPS, and Eberle may turn out as fantastically as the most rabid fan can imagine, but from 13/14 on, they're going to be paid ~ accordingly (with the possible exception of Hall, if he reaches the 1st All-Star level). Those same three will presumably be better in 12/13 than 11/12, but at least they'll still be on their entry-level contracts. Penner and Hemsky, on the other hand, are UFAs after 11/12, and I think most people fail to appreciate that it will be difficult for the Oilers to replace them for equivalent dollars. Also, Gagner's current deal is up after 11/12; if he continues to develop on a positive arc (and in accordance with his draft pedigree), he's going to be a lot more expensive thereafter.

Is this a prediction? Well, no. But if I was GM of this team (or one just like it in a parallel universe), I would be watching my rolling averages closely (e.g. goal and shot differential). If by the end of this season (or late in it) I feel like I'm approaching the top half of the conference, I take aim at the 2012 Stanley Cup, because I'm pretty sure a lot of my squad is going to continue to improve organically. That means:

• Figuring out how to get some value out of Souray, one way or another
• Ensuring that I'm not dependent on a old, broken down goalie as my #1.
• Cutting out some of the "deadweight" youth that aren't going to be part of my shocking surge to the top. (That is, assessing with prejudice, as well as accepting the fact that someone I send away might go on to be a really good player with another team.)
• Setting my sights on a few non-sexy veterans that fill needs up front.
• Crossing my fingers and hoping for the best

I don't need to win the 2012 President's Trophy, but I need to be comfortably top 8 in the conference, standings-wise. And for the last 25-30 games of the 11/12 season, I want to feel like I'm as good as anyone.

Again, this isn't a prediction in the sense of, "I think the Oilers can challenge for the Stanley Cup next season", just a basic observation that they have certain things going for them in 11/12 that they don't have in 12/13 or 13/14. And if Taylor Hall = Eric Staal, then it really would be unwise to sacrifice his 2nd pro season to the gods of "building for the long term", wouldn't it.