Dwayne Roloson proved his worth during the Oilers' playoff drive last spring. (John Ulan/Canadian Press)
Backgrounder | 2006-07 NHL season
Edmonton Oilers
Last Updated Fri., Sept. 29, 2006
Jesse Camigotto, CBC Sports
2005-06 Result: 41-28-13, 8th in Western Conference (lost Stanley Cup final to Carolina).
Arrivals:LW Joffrey Lupul, D Ladislav Smid, C Marty Reasoner, D Daniel Tjarnqvist, RW Rob Schremp.
Departures: D Chris Pronger, C Mike Peca, LW Sergei Samsonov, D Jaroslav Spacek, RW Georges Laraque, RW Radek Dvorak, G Ty Conklin.
Offence: Edmonton sported a middling attack last season, finishing 15th in the league in goals and 21st in five-on-five scoring. Help arrived in the off-season in the form of young gun Joffrey Lupul, who potted 28 goals for the Ducks last season before being shipped to the Oilers in the Chris Pronger trade. Twenty-year-old rookie Rob Schremp packs a scoring punch, too. One of Edmonton's final cuts in training camp last year, Schremp went on to rack up 57 goals and 147 points in 57 games with the OHL's London Knights.
Defence: Though they finished a respectable 12th in goals allowed last season, the Oilers ranked 22nd in preventing five-on-five goals. And that was before defensive pillar Pronger was dealt for Lupul, whose atrocious minus-13 rating last season with the Ducks was by far the worst among players who spent their entire season with the team. The departures of Pronger and capable puck handler Jaroslav Spacek mean Edmonton will lean on sturdy veterans Jason Smith and Steve Staios, as well as third-year man Marc-Andre Bergeron, to anchor its new-look blueline.
Goaltending: The Oilers' improbable run to the Stanley Cup final last season was sparked by the late-season acquisition of Dwayne Roloson from Minnesota. The steady, sometimes spectacular, veteran proved to be the tonic for Edmonton's goaltending ills, which had become so bad before his arrival that the three-headed monster of Jussi Markkanen, Ty Conklin and Mike Morrison sometimes drew boos from the usually supportive Rexall Place faithful. If the soon-to-be 37-year-old Roloson can show he is fully recovered from the right knee sprain that knocked him out of the Cup final series, the Oilers should finally enjoy a full season of strong goaltending.
Coaching: The five-year tenure of Craig MacTavish appeared in jeopardy heading into last season's playoffs as the Oilers brass declined to pick up their contract option on the popular coach. Then "MacT" led the Oilers to within a game of hoisting the Stanley Cup and was rewarded with a four-year extension. MacTavish, 48, will again have his mettle tested as he tries to cope with the loss of Pronger, his power-play quarterback and best player last season. And with veteran leader Mike Peca gone as well, Edmonton's bench boss must make sure a team in transition doesn't become a rudderless one.
Scott Morrison's take: It was an incredible run last spring for the Oilers, an unexpected participant in the finals. Unfortunately for them, it was also an interesting run in the off-season, as several players who helped make the Oilers suddenly successful left town in a hurry. The most prominent and damaging loss, of course, was Pronger, who requested a trade and was moved to Anaheim.
Pronger got better and better as the season progressed and was terrific in the playoffs. He ate up a ton of ice time, as did Spacek, who is also gone. The list of the departed includes a third defenceman, Tarnstrom, along with centre Michael Peca, who was great in the spring, and winger Sergei Samsonov.
Ryan Smyth is still the heart and soul of the Edmomton Oilers. (Paul Chiasson/Associated Press)
The biggest issue will be defence because you never adequately replace a Pronger, but the loss of Spacek is a double whammy. Some of that will be offset by the presence of Roloson, who has proven to be the real deal, and Markkanen who is a nice number two.
Up front, goal scoring should not be a problem and should offset some of the issues at the back, as well. As usual, the Oilers will be quick and they could light it up a lot. They added Lupul and Sykora, who join a solid cast of good young talent that includes Ryan Smyth, Fernando Pisani, Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky.
The challenge for the Oilers will be rediscovering that spark from last season, a lot of which was provided by Pronger. History has proven, however, that this organization should never be underestimated.
