I'm a Canadiens fan, always have been. I know all too well about what making the playoffs means. We've been in the playoffs almost every year in the past decade, making it to the conference finals once. So no, making the playoffs doesn't make you an especially competitive team, it just means you're better than the shittier 50% of your division or you hooked a wild card and made a luck run for a couple games. Playoffs don't mean too much if you don't come out of it with a cup or at least conference win. There's no prize for winning a division or making it to round 1.
My only point is, the Oilers have been hyped up and built up but have never really delivered. Sure they made the playoffs and beat the Sharks one round, but that's it. After watching 8 playoff runs and zero cups, making the playoff means less and less... it's more about how far you get. With a team like the Oilers one would think they'd be doing fantastic, but they are young, inexperienced and lack the grit it takes to make it deep into the playoffs, especially in the West.