While the demands continue for an NHL salary cap, one small-market team seems to be making do. After falling to the Dallas Stars in a hard-fought series, Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe was left with some tough personnel decisions. In unloading captain Doug Weight and star winger Bill Guerin, the Oilers are left without any experienced leaders. But heading into this season, goalie Tommy Salo is making a strong case. Salo is coming off an eight-shutout season in which he allowed only 2.44 goals per game. With Ryan Smyth remaining in Edmonton and an aggressive management set on winning, the Oilers appear primed for another playoff run in 2001-02.
Here are your thoughts on what Edmonton needs for next season:
Doing what it takes to win
Once again, the Oilers' management proved that they can make deals with their heads and not their hearts (trading Bill Guerin and Doug Weight while they could still get something for them). Kevin Lowe is proving to be an excellent replacement for Glen Sather. The big question this year will be whether Ryan Smyth, Mike Grier, Anson Carter and Todd Marchant can handle the added pressure due to the departure of Weight. Another concern is whether Jochen Hecht and Marty Reasoner can combine to have a Weight-like year. Tommy Salo will also need to perform at the level he has during the past two to three years. While there are many questions that need to be answered, it is that way every year for the Oilers, and every year they surprise the league with their play. They may never win the Stanley Cup again because of their small-market status, but there is no doubt that they are much more fun to watch than any of those large-market teams (i.e., Devils, Stars, Rangers, Flyers). I look for the Oilers to make the playoffs again this year with a slight chance of advancing to the second round.
Chris
Baltimore, Md.
Weight's departure won't affect playoff hopes
I don't think it'll really matter if they don't have a first-line center. Edmonton will have four well balanced lines that are capable of producing at least eight or nine 40-point scorers. How many teams have balance like that? Add that with a young and tireless blue line and a solid goalkeeper, and the Oilers are set for the postseason again.
John
Sherwood Park, Alberta
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They are fast, young and reckless, and they basically have nothing to lose and everything to prove next season. ” |
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— Daniel, Los Angeles |
Refreshing your memory
If you recall during 1998-99, the Oilers were without Doug Weight for half the season due to a contract holdout and an injury. Josef Beranek was their No. 1 center, and Mikhail Shtalenkov and Bob Essensa were their top two goalies. Although that year was a struggle, they still managed to make the playoffs. More recently, the Oilers had to make due without Weight in Game 4 of this year's postseason, and they ended up beating Dallas in overtime! That being said, the Oilers are more than capable of being a respectable team without Dougie on board. They've got an elite netminder in Tommy Salo, and they have sufficient depth up front and on the blue line to qualify for a sixth consecutive postseason berth.
Luke
Edmonton, Alberta
Pitching Lindros to Edmonton
I think the Edmonton Oilers have a terrific young hockey club that should move in the right direction. They still need a big-name player, not only to get the city support, but also to have a true leader on the team. Doing a deal (Eric Lindros for Eric Brewer or Sean Brown and Georges Laraque for Lindros) would take this club very far. Eric Lindros has been out of hockey for more than a year and a half and has had plenty of time to rest. We all know that a healthy Eric Lindros would make a huge impact on this team. Lindros has made players around him better such as John LeClair and Rod Brind'Amour. The same can happen for Edmonton for guys like Marty Reasoner, Todd Marchant, Anson Carter, Jochen Hecht and Jason Smith. Teams like the Edmonton Oilers made hockey what it is today with players like Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. I believe for this club to get its respect back and contend for the cup, they need to pull off this type of deal.
Ivan
Boynton Beach, Fla.
Small teams can't escape unequal policy
It's sad when the Oilers have to trade away players like Doug Weight and Bill Guerin not because they want to, but because they have to. Under the present system, there are only about seven NHL teams that have a legitimate chance of winning the Cup. The rest will only serve as "feeder teams." Every NHL team should have an equal chance to compete. Until there is a salary cap in the NHL, the Edmontons and Calgarys will never again win the Stanley Cup.
Jim
Escanaba, Mich.
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Bottom line -- no Weight, no gain. ” |
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— Gerald, San Francisco |
Oilers have nothing to lose
I think the Oilers will be one of the most exciting and entertaining teams to watch next season. They are fast, young and reckless, and they basically have nothing to lose and everything to prove next season. They have lost Weight, arguably the best playmaking center in the league, and nobody will really expect them to make the playoffs. Big Mistake. With solid goaltending from Tommy Salo (God, I hope he doesn't get injured), the Oilers' young blue line and top forwards can basically crash and bang their way to another playoff season while blowing opposing teams away with their speed.
Daniel
Los Angeles
Team will be weighed down in 2001-02
The Oilers will definitely struggle with the loss of
Doug Weight. Weight was the heart and soul of the
Oilers, and now he's gone to St. Louis, a Cup-contending team.
Edmonton must now rely on its goaltending and its strong
forwards, Ryan Smyth and Anson Carter. Any of these two
will become the new captain of the Oilers. But the team still
won't be the same without Weight. They will possibly
struggle through most of the season, unless there is a
Weight-type player who can help motivate the team.
Bottom line -- no Weight, no gain.
Gerald
San Francisco
Developing talent key to success
The Oilers are the best farm team in the NHL. They consistently have the courage to bring in young players, actually play them, and develop them into good, sometimes great players. However, once they get great, they are gone because Edmonton cannot afford to pay them (Doug Weight, Bill Guerin etc.). This is happening yet again this year as the Oilers hope to be led by good players (Ryan Smyth, Tom Poti, Anson Carter, Todd Marchant etc.) and the possibly great Mike Comrie. The cycle of Edmonton developing other teams' talent will continue as long as a salary cap is not placed on NHL teams. Until then, I'd love to be a younger player in Edmonton because of the exposure, playing time and the eventual move to bigger money. I hope they can do it, but realistically there is just too much competition for a team that, for the past ten years, has gotten by on heart.
Dave
Winnipeg, Manitoba
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With a young and tireless blue line and a solid goalkeeper, and the Oilers are set for the postseason again. ” |
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— John, Sherwood Park, Alberta |
Big trade is a must
For those who missed the Edmonton-Dallas series in the playoffs, you missed out on arguably the best series of the playoffs. The Oilers system is not only exciting, but highly effective (given our financial constraints). Fans have responded to this high-tempo system with overwhelming support in high season ticket sales and a buzz that could be felt city-wide as the playoffs approached. Although the loss of Doug Weight will definitely hurt, it was the fact that the Oil have so much depth on the wings and on D that brought them so high in the standings. However, this is also their downfall. This year, there will be four or five NHL-caliber players who will not make the team simply because there is not enough space. Because of the extra cash left over from losing Weight, an increased fan support, the abundance of second or third line players, and the lack of an experienced, high-scoring center, I believe that a trade is in the works to acquire a player like Adam Oates, Rod Brind'Amour, or even Brett Hull. This would be the last piece of the puzzle in order to make Edmonton a serious contender.
Dan
Edmonton, Alberta
Lowe is breeding a contender
Kevin Lowe was groomed by Glen Sather, and Sather's track record is to make the most with a little. They consistently have fast teams with balance and a lot of character. Ryan Smyth should be a natural captain replacement for Doug Weight, and Todd Marchant has been an important cog to this team for a lot of years. Eric Brewer made a huge jump in the playoffs to become a very talented defenseman who is still learning. You need go no further than the last few years and the classic playoff battles with Dallas. Edmonton was the sole reason that Dallas didn't put up much of a fight in the second round against St. Louis. Even Ken Hitchcock said he was glad to get by them this year because it won't be that easy again.
Patrick
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
