EDMONTON OILERS

2005-06 Recap

Record: 41-28-13, 95 pts (3rd Northwest Division, 8th Western Conf.)

Playoffs:

Rd 1 def DET 4 games to 2
Rd 2 def SJ 4 games to 2
Rd 3 def ANH 4 games to 3
Rd 4 lost to CAR 4 games to 3

Goals For: 249 (15th overall)
Goals Against: 242 (12th overall)

Power Play: 18.1% (T-14th)
Penalty Killing: 84.1% (8th)


2006-07 Preview

Key Additions: RW Joffrey Lupul (trade from Anh), D Ladislav Smid (trade from Anh), C Marty Reasoner (UFA, Bos), RW Petr Sykora (UFA, NYR), D Daniel Tjarnqvist (UFA, Min)

Key Losses: D Chris Pronger (trade to Anh), D Jaroslav Spacek (UFA, Buf), C Mike Peca (UFA, Tor), RW Sergei Samsonov (UFA, Mtl), G Ty Conklin (UFA, Clb), RW Georges Laraque (UFA, Pho), D Dick Tarnstrom (UFA, Europe), RW Todd Harvey (UFA, unsigned), RW Radek Dvorak (UFA, unsigned)

RFA left to sign: none


Offense: The acquisition and subsequent signing of RW Joffrey Lupul means that the forward units for the Oilers are very solid, providing that C Shaun Horcoff and RW Fernando Pisani can continue to produce at the level they did in the playoffs. The units of Ryan Smyth, Ales Hemsky, Horcoff and the Stoll-Torres-Lupul trio will be tough and even the third unit which could include Pisani and Petr Sykora will be dangerous. Waiting to step in are offensive threats Rob Schremp and Marc-Antoine Pouliot. There might be a healthy competition for prime ice time.

Defense: The loss of Chris Pronger left a gaping hole, and the subsequent departure of Spacek made it bigger. Waiting to step in are young players such as Danny Syvret, Ladislav Smid, Matt Greene, who will compete for spots behind the steady Jason Smith, Steve Staios and Marc-Andre Bergeron.

Goaltending: The Oilers went on a long playoff run under Dwayne Roloson, but Markanen took over after game one of the final and didn’t look out of place, so the tandem looks much better after the playoffs than it did on the last day of the regular season. Or Roloson could prove to be too old now, and Markanen could prove that he is really the player who forced Lowe to trade for Roloson in the first place.

THE BIG QUESTION: Can the Oilers repeat last season’s surprising playoff run? Edmonton snuck up on a lot of teams and still has many holdovers from that team, but the losses of Pronger and to a lesser extent Peca take away from the leadership and grit that made them go so deep. What remains is a solid team that felt the pain of getting so close to their dream but not realizing it, and with a few key components will try to do it again. Carolina proved to them that you don’t need a 30-minute stud defenseman to win it all, so they will look to an all-around cast of characters to bring them back. However, they won’t be able to sneak up on anyone this year.

Synopsis: The Oilers’ current look should allow them to make the playoffs again, as they will get a full season out of Dwayne Roloson. Whether or not they can make a similar run in the post-season depends on health, and who they draw in the playoffs. They caught Detroit at the right time last year, and if they get a similar draw they could indeed move on fairly deep.