KEY ADDITIONS				KEY LOSSES
Name Bill Ranford Eric Houde	Pos. G F	From Red Wings Canadiens			Name Steve Passmore Bob Essensa Kelly Buchberger	Pos. G G F	To Blackhawks Coyotes Thrashers

Outlook
The Edmonton Oilers resemble a car stuck in the mud. The club keeps spinning its wheels, but it isn't getting anywhere.

		Will Kevin Lowe adjust to being a first-time head coach in any league? All indications during camp have shown him to be solid and composed behind the bench. Six Cups brings instant credibility with the players. The Oilers traded Boris Mironov to the Hawks at the deadline last year in hopes that defenseman Tom Poti could be be a force on the point on the power play. But there is usually a drop-off in consistency for second-year players who had success as rookies. The defensive unit is very mobile, young, and talented. The Oilers will need a big season from Doug Weight, who appears fully recovered after knee surgery. As the season went on, key players like Bill Guerin, Ryan Smyth and Roman Hamrlik were quieted offensively. That must change. Tommy Salo is more competitive than most critics give him credit for, and the Oilers desperately need stability in goal. Winning 40 games is not out of the question if they sign all their free agents like Mike Grier and Guerin. The question should concern how far they can go in the playoffs. Confidence drips from the Oilers' jerseys, so when there is adversity, they should play their best. Lowe will make sure of that.

With a lot of young talent at both the forward and defense, it's a wonder the Oilers don't win more, despite reaching the playoffs three consecutive seasons.

The club enters the new season with two key holdouts at forward (Bill Guerin, Mike Grier). Both are restricted free agents. On the flip side, center Doug Weight is healthy. If Guerin and Grier remain unsigned, the Oilers' first line could be Weight, Rem Murray and Alexander Selivanov.

It will be interesting to see how youngsters Ethan Moreau and Chad Kilger fare. Both began last season in Chicago under a stifling defensive system but are now being given a chance to show their offensive talents.

New coach Kevin Lowe, stay-at-home defensemen during his playing days, should help improve Edmonton's young defensemen. Of course, getting Hamrlik back into the fold would help. Still, Edmonton has plenty of offense on the blueline in Janne Niinimaa, Tom Poti and Jason Smith.

Edmonton is also leaning on sophomore Sean Brown and rookie Brad Norton.

Goalie Tommy Salo finished last season 8-2-2 after coming over from the Islanders. He should see the bulk of the action with veteran Bill Ranford returning to Edmonton in a backup role.

The Oilers should make the playoffs again, and if their defense matures rapidly, don't be surprised if they do some damage this time around.

'98-99 NORTHWEST STANDINGS
TEAM	W	L	T	Pts.
Colorado	44	28	10	98
Edmonton	33	37	12	78
Calgary	30	40	12	72
Vancouver	23	47	12	58

The bottom line
Better or not: Better
By how much: 3-4 more wins
Most improved: Ethan Moreau
Most valuable: Doug Weight
Biggest disappointment: Doug Weight

Charles Avellino is a lead NHL researcher for ESPN.