It's a new deal in Edmonton where the Oilers faced years of difficulty in competing because of their small market and the weakness of the Canadian dollar. Over the years, the Oilers were forced to say goodbye to high draft picks who became top NHL stars. They also made many trades in which they surrendered drafted players to get players who could help right now.
As a result, the Stanley Cup Finalists have only two homegrown first-round draft picks and five second-rounders on the roster.
"The economics were changing year after year to the worst as far as a team like Edmonton was concerned," GM Kevin Lowe said recently. "But what helped us out was we knew there was an ending. We knew that 2004 was the end of that CBA, and we hoped and felt that (NHL Commissioner) Gary Bettman could design a new playing field for everyone. So that certainly kept us going."
Still, some of the best players on the Oilers are those that the team drafted. Left wing Ryan Smyth, the senior Oiler, was drafted in the first round, sixth overall, in the 1994 Entry Draft after a stellar junior career with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Picked ahead of him were Ed Jovanovski, Oleg Tverdovsky, Radek Bonk, Jason Bonsignore and Jeff O'Neill.
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Schedule / Links:
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| Gm. 1: CAR 5, EDM 4 | Photos |
| Gm. 2: CAR 5, EDM 0 | Photos |
Gm. 3: June 10, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Edmonton (NBC, CBC, RDS) |
Gm. 4: June 12, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Edmonton (NBC, CBC, RDS) |
*Gm. 5: June 14, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Carolina (NBC, CBC, RDS) |
*Gm. 6: June 17, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Edmonton (NBC, CBC, RDS) |
*Gm. 7: June 19, 8:00 p.m. ET
at Carolina (NBC, CBC, RDS) |
| *if necessary |
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Right wing Ales Hemsky was taken in the first round, 13th overall, in 2001 after a 100-point season with the Hull Olympiques. Hemsky was re-signed on Aug. 15, 2005, as a restricted free agent to a one-year contract.
Defenseman Matt Greene and center Jarret Stoll were taken in the second round in 2002. Stoll was taken with the 36th pick. He was a second-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2000, but couldn't come to terms on a contract. Michigan native Greene was taken with the 44th pick after playing three years at the University of North Dakota. The Oilers also took Chicoutimi goalie Jeff Deslauriers with the 31st overall pick in the second round. Deslauriers was injured for most of the season and split time between the AHL and ECHL.
Right wing Georges Laraque was taken in the second round, 31st, overall in 1995 after playing for four teams in the QMJHL. Two reserves, were also taken in the second round. Brad Winchester, who has played 10 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, was taken with the 35th overall pick in 2000. Jean-Francois Jacques, who played six regular-season games with Edmonton, was taken with the 68th overall pick in 2003.
Center Shawn Horcoff is leading all Oilers' forwards in Stanley Cup Playoffs scoring. Horcoff was taken in the fourth round, 99th overall, in 1998, in the third of his four years at Michigan State. Center Kyle Brodziak, who played 10 regular-season games for Edmonton, was taken in the seventh round, 214th overall, in 2003. Brodziak is part of a trio of bright young centers, including Robbie Schremp and Marc-Antoine Pouliot, who will be challenging Michael Peca, Stoll and Horcoff in upcoming seasons.
Right wing Fernando Pisani was taken in the eighth round, 195th overall, in the 1996 draft. He went so low because everyone knew he was committed to four years at Providence College, where he got a business-administration degree.
Eleven members of the Oilers were acquired via trades:
Captain Jason Smith was drafted in the first round, 18th overall, in 1992 by the New Jersey Devils, who traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1997. The Oilers acquired Smith on March 23, 1999, for a second-round pick in 2000 and a fourth-round selection in 1999.
Left wing Ethan Moreau, the 14th overall pick of the 1994 draft, was obtained March 20, 1999, from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Boris Mironov, Jonas Elofsson and Dean McAmmond. Left wing Raffi Torres was taken in the first-round, fifth overall, in the 2000 draft by the New York Islanders, who traded him on March 11, 2003, with Brad Isbister for defenseman Janne Niinimaa and a second-round pick in 2003.
Right wing Radek Dvorak was drafted the by the Florida Panthers in the first round, 10th overall, in 1995 and traded in 1999 to the New York Rangers. Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe acquired Dvorak and defenseman Cory Cross on March 11, 2003 for forwards Anson Carter and Ales Pisa. Lowe acquired goalie Jussi Markkanen and center Petr Nedved on March 3, 2004, from the Rangers for Stephen Valiquette, Dwight Helminen and a second-round selection in 2004. Markkanen had been drafted by the Oilers in the fifth round, 133rd overall, of the 2001 draft and was traded to the Rangers in 2003.
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Center Michael Peca was acquired for Mike York and a conditional draft pick from the Islanders on Aug. 3, 2005.
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Six players that have proven important to the Oilers this season were acquired in the past two seasons.
Center Michael Peca was acquired for Mike York and a conditional draft pick from the Islanders on Aug. 3, 2005.
It what now appears to be the most important NHL trade in the past year, Lowe dealt All-Star defensemen Eric Brewer and two bright defense prospects, Jeff Woywitka and Doug Lynch, also on Aug. 3, to the St. Louis Blues for Chris Pronger, the 2000 Hart Trophy (MVP) and Norris Trophy (best defenseman) winner. So, in one day, Lowe added two dominant players who also brought outstanding leadership skills.
The Oilers made deals for two defensemen on Jan. 26, one that paid huge dividends and the other yet to do so. Lowe dealt Finnish left winger Tony Salmelainen to the Chicago Blackhawks for Jaroslav Spacek. The deal not only added a quality defender, but it allowed Steve Staios to return to his right, or forehand, side.
Pittsburgh Penguins power-play specialist Dick Tarnstrom was acquired in return for forward Jani Rita and Cross.
On March 8, the day before the NHL trading deadline, Lowe made the deal that settled his goaltending situation, acquiring Dwayne Roloson from Northwest Division rival Minnesota Wild for a first round- and third-round selection in the 2006. The next day, he acquired left wing Sergei Samsonov, a first-round pick, 8th overall, in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, from the Boston Bruins for Marty Reasoner, Yan Stastny and a second-round selection in 2006.
Staios, the former Atlanta Thrashers captain, is one of seven free agents signed by the Oilers. Staios was drafted in the second round, 27th overall, in 1991 and was with five NHL teams before signing with Edmonton on July 12, 2001. Fellow defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron made few believers in his high-scoring junior Quebec Major Junior Hockey League career, going undrafted despite posting 42 goals and 59 assists for 101 points. In fairness to NHL GMs and scouting directors, that was the season after he was first eligible for the draft. He had played for two QMJHL teams the previous season and wasn't nearly as productive. Bergeron was signed as a free agent on July 20, 2001. Similarly, goalie Ty Conklin went undrafted. He was past his original draft age when he first played in American juniors, enrolled in his hometown University of Alaska-Anchorage, left there, sat out a year and played three seasons at the University of New Hampshire. Conklin was signed by Oilers on April 17, 2001.
Todd Harvey was signed by Edmonton on Sept. 16, 2004. Toby Petersen was a ninth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1998, while playing at Colorado College. He played parts of two seasons for the Penguins before being signed by Edmonton on July 30, 2004.
This is defenseman Igor Ulanov's second time with the Oilers. He also played for six other NHL team. Ulanov re-signed with Edmonton on Jan. 5, 2004. Center Rem Murray was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the sixth round in 1992 while playing at Michigan State. He signed as a free agent with the Oilers in 1995 and played with the Oilers, Rangers and Nashville Predators before a neck injury forced him out of hockey. He re-signed with Edmonton on March 5, 2006.
