It might not be easy to acknowledge in the aftermath of a crushing playoff loss, but this season represented a significant step forward for the Edmonton Oilers.
Despite the 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks in Game 7 on Wednesday night, there are plenty of reasons for optimism in Edmonton.
Yes, the Oilers coughed up a 2-0 series lead after winning the first two games of the series on the road, endured plenty of goaltender interference controversy, and failed to capitalize on any momentum gained in their 7-1 destruction of the Ducks in Game 6.
Still, Edmonton's head coach understands it was a learning experience.
"The overall feeling right now is disappointment. ... But we basically got a college degree in a month," Todd McLellan told reporters postgame.
The players echoed that sentiment.
"Moving on, we can take a lot out of this," Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said. "There's no easy games, no easy shifts. We battled hard."
"The guys should be looking around and seeing all we accomplished a lot this year," said Patrick Maroon. "We've got to give each other some credit."
"It stings but there's a lot to be proud of in this room," offered Zack Kassian. "It's tough to see now but we're a resilient group."
Even though the Oilers' playoff run was abbreviated, it was a magical spring in Edmonton, providing fans with feelings they hadn't experienced in more than a decade.
The club returned to the postseason for the first time since 2006, then dispatched the San Jose Sharks - 2016 Stanley Cup finalists and McLellan's former team - in six games in the first round before taking the Pacific Division champion Anaheim Ducks to seven.
Just getting as far as the Oilers did was an enormous improvement over last season, when they finished dead last in the Western Conference with the second-worst record in the NHL.
Connor McDavid was limited to 45 games a season ago due to injury, so having him for every game in 2016-17 was obviously the biggest factor in the Oilers' rise.
The young superstar led the league with 100 points in his first full campaign, adding five goals and nine points in his first 13 career playoff games.
But it wasn't just McDavid.
Leon Draisaitl also played every game and finished with one fewer goal (29) than McDavid in the regular season, carrying his production into the postseason with six goals and 16 points, including a five-point outburst in Game 6 against the Ducks.
McDavid is still only 20 years old, and Draisaitl is just 21. They've given Edmonton a dynamic one-two punch that's already more promising than any of the other previously hyped prospects the Oilers have accumulated over the years.
One of those players, Jordan Eberle, took some heat for his playoff struggles this spring, but the emergence of Draisaitl and the dominance of McDavid have eased some of the pressure that used to be heaped on Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins.
Cam Talbot was worked to the bone, but he proved capable of shouldering the heavy workload, going 42-22-8 with a 2.39 GAA, a .919 save percentage, and seven shutouts in 73 regular-season games.
Maroon enjoyed a breakout season on McDavid's left wing, exploding for a career-high 27 goals and 42 points. Milan Lucic might not live up to his seven-year, $42-million contract, but his mix of offense and physicality gave the Oilers an edge they sorely required.
The Oilers even got contributions from their bottom-six, with Kassian, Mark Letestu, Anton Slepyshev, and Drake Caggiula all chipping in offense and exceeding expectations in the playoffs.
Then there was the defense, which was supposed to be the team's Achilles heel.
Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson proved to be a relatively steady top pairing, Andrej Sekera gave the club stability (and helped compensate for Kris Russell's deficiencies) in the second pair, and 2013 first-round pick Darnell Nurse continued to progress in his second real NHL season.
The Oilers' core and supporting cast are in good shape, and there's more coming. Jesse Puljujarvi - the fourth overall pick in last year's draft - appeared overmatched in his first taste of NHL action this season, but had an encouraging stint in the AHL with 28 points in 39 games.
Sure, Edmonton fell one win shy of the conference final. And sure, the Oilers failed to close out the Ducks after coming home with a 2-0 series lead. But look at the big picture.
The Oilers' future is brighter than it's been in a very long time, and the stink of 11 years without a playoff appearance despite a multitude of first overall picks is gone.
This defeat will be tough for the Oilers to stomach, but the playoff run proved they're ready to be perennially competitive once again.
The season was a massive success for Edmonton, and despite the sting of the Game 7 loss, that hopeful sensation its fans are feeling won't likely fade any time soon.
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