Edmonton Oilers (1972-Present)

Historical Moments:
WHA YEARS:
1972/73: With eccentric owner Wild Bill Hunter at the forefront the Alberta Oilers playing in Edmonton are 1 of 12 teams in the upstart World Hockey Association. On September 11th the Oilers would win the first game in WHA history beating the Ottawa Nationals on the road. However, the Oilers played mediocre hockey all season before Hunter decided to take over the coaching reigns. In 26 games as coach the Oilers went 14-11-1, to finish tied with the Minnesota Fighting Saints for the final playoff spot in the west with a 38-37-3 record. However, in a 1-game playoff the Oilers would fall by a score of 4-2.

1973/74: The Alberta Oilers become the Edmonton Oilers as Bill Hunter returns to the front office. On the Ice the Oilers post a 38-37-3 record for the 2nd straight season this time making the playoff by finishing in 3rd place. However, in the playoff the Oilers would be knocked off quickly by the Minnesota Fighting Saints in 5 games.

1974/75: The Oilers move to a new arena the Northlands Coliseum. However on the ice they struggle as the WHA is divided into 3 divisions with the Oilers in jeopardy of missing the playoffs at 30-26-3. Wild Bill Hunter gabs the coaching reigns at the end of the season. However, this time the move backfires as the Oilers slip into last place in the Central Division and finish with a 36-38-4 record.

1975/76: The Oilers change division again this time playing in the Canadian Division. Despite a poor 27-49-5 record the Oilers make the playoffs by finishing in 4th place. However, in the playoffs it would be a quick exit again as the Oilers are swept away by the Winnipeg Jets in 4 straight.

1976/77: The WHA returns to 2 divisions as the Oilers are moved back to the Western Division. Once again the Oilers would struggle again posting a 34-43-4 record. However by finishing 4th they would make the playoffs again. Once again it would be one and done as the Oilers fall to the Houston Aeros in 5 games.

1977/78: Talks begin to heat up that the WHA will fold and the NHL will absorb some of their teams. The Oilers would end up finishing in 5th place, as the WHA is now just 1 division with a 38-39-3 record. In an interesting side not touring group of Soviet and Czechoslovakia teams play in the WHA and the games are counted in the standings. In the playoffs the Oilers would be sunk by the New England Whalers in 5 games.

1978/79: The Oilers fortunes are forever changed when Wayne Gretzky the 17-year old super rookie signed by the Indianapolis Racers lands in the Oilers laps after the Racers fold in the middle of the season. The Oilers would go on to finish with a league best 48-30-2 record. In the playoffs the Oilers would struggle again as they needed 7 games to beat the New England Whalers. In the Finals for the first time the Oilers would fall to Winnipeg Jets in 6 games. It would end up being the last WHA games ever played, as the league folds. However, the Oilers would be among 4 teams (Whalers, Jets and Quebec Nordiques) adopted into the NHL. Under a special agreement the Oilers were able to keep Wayne Gretzky who was on the verge of greatness.

NHL Years:
1979/80: In their first season in the NHL Wayne Gretzky captures the Hart Trophy while finishing 2nd in scoring. It was ruled that Gretzky would not be a Rookie since he had played a full WHA season. With Gretzky beginning his great NHL career the Oilers make the playoffs by finishing 4th in Smythe Division with a 28-39-13 record. However, in the playoffs the Oilers who were the 16th seed would be planted in 3 straight by the Philadelphia Flyers. However, the Oilers would send 2 of the games to overtime.

1980/81: Wayne Gretzky wins his first scoring title and 2nd Hart Trophy while setting a single season record with 109 assists and points with 164, as the Oilers finished in 4th place again with a 29-35-16 record. In the playoffs the Oilers would explode for 15 goals as they stunned the Montreal Canadiens in 3 straight. However in the 2nd round the Oilers would fall to the New York Islanders in 6 games.

1981/82: In what might be the greatest individual season in NHL history Wayne Gretzky scores a record 92 goals, bettering the old mark held by Phil Esposito by 16. The Great One also set anew record with point at 212 bettering the mark he set a year earlier by 48. Making it even more amazing is that Gretzky did not ally a goal in his final 7 games as the Oilers won the Smythe Division with a record of 48-17-15. However in the playoff the Oilers would slip up as they are stunned by the Los Angeles Kings in 5 games. Making matter worse is they blew a big lead in Game 3, which they lost in overtime.

1982/83: Wayne Gretzky continues to dominate, as he wins his 4th straight Hart Trophy and 3rd straight scoring title scoring 71 goals, and approaching 200 points again. In addition The Great One gets recognized as the 1982 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated. An amazing accomplishment considering SI's lackluster hockey coverage, and the fact many Americans could not even find Edmonton on the map. With Gretzky leading the way the Oilers once again win the Smythe Division with a record of 47-21-12. In the playoffs the Oilers would knock of fellow WHA alum Winnipeg Jets in 3 straight to get off to a flying start. In the Smythe Finals the Oilers would battle douse the Calgary Flames in 5 games in a high scoring series in which the Oilers scored 35 goals in 5 games. In the Campbell Conference Finals the Oilers continued to fly sweeping the Chicago Black Hawks in 4 straight while scoring 25 goals. Heading into the finals the Oilers were red-hot scoring 84 goals in 12 games. However, facing the 3-time Stanley Cup Champions New York Islanders the Oilers would hit a wall. In Game 1 at the Northlands Coliseum the Oilers would be blanked by Isles star goalie 2-0. The Oilers would not recover as the Islanders completed the sweep holding the high scoring Oilers to just 6 goals in 4 games.

1983/84: Wayne Gretzky continued to dominate the NHL winning the scoring title and Hart Trophy again while scoring 87 goals and 205 points. Rising to a star of his own was Defenseman Paul Coffey who finished 2nd to Gretzky in scoring, as the Oilers finished with a league best 57-18-5 record. In the playoffs the Oilers would get off to a flying start sweeping the Winnipeg Jets in 3 straight. However, in the Smythe Finals the Oilers would have a battle on their hands as they need 7 games to get past their Provencal rival Calgary Flames, after the Flames had battled back from a 3-1 defect. However, the Oilers would easily make their 2nd straight finals as they swept the Minnesota North Stars in 4 straight. Facing the New York Islanders for the 2nd year in a row the Oilers were in the way of history as the Isles sough their 5th straight cup, trying to carve out a little history of their won by winning their first. The Oilers would get off to a good start as Grant Fuhr posted a 1-0 shutout in Game 1. After losing Game 2, 6-1 the Oilers returned to Edmonton tied 1 game apiece; there the highflying Oilers took over scoring 19 goals in the final 3 games to win their first Stanley Cup in 5 games. Mark Messier who had quietly played in emerged as a star winning the Conn Smythe with 8 goals and 18 assists in 19 games.

1984/85: Wayne Gretzky continues to dominate the NHL winning the scoring title with 208 points and the Hart Trophy for the 6th straight year. Gretzky even made teammates better as he and Jari Kurri finished 1-2 in goals scored at 73 and 71. Meanwhile on defense the Oilers continued to improve as Paul Coffey won his first Norris Trophy while the Oilers won the Smythe Division with a 49-20-11 record. In the playoffs the Oilers would survive 2 overtime games while sweeping the Los Angeles Kings in 3 straight. In the Smythe Final the Oilers continued to roll as the swept the Winnipeg Jets in 4 straight. In the Campbell Conference Finals the Oilers continued to stay hot beating the Chicago Black Hawks by a combined score of 18-5 in the first 2 games. However, the Hawks would battle back scoring 13 goals in the next 2 to even the series. However, nobody could outscore the Oilers long and they would make their 3rd straight trip to the finals by outscoring the Hawks 18-7 in the final 2 games. IN the finals the Oilers found themselves down after losing Game 1 to the Flyers in Philadelphia 4-1. However, the Oilers would bounce back winning the next 4 to win their 2nd straight Stanley Cup in 4 games. Wayne Gretzky would win the Conn Smythe trophy by setting new record for goals (30) and points (47) in a playoff year.

1985/86: The Oilers win the first ever President's Trophy awarded for the league's best regular season record at 56-17-7. Meanwhile Wayne Gretzky broke his own record by winning the league scoring title with 215 points, while setting a record with 163 assists. Join Gretzky was Jari Kurri, and Paul Coffey who also finished in the top 4 in scoring. In the playoffs the Oilers would get off to a fast start as they swept the Vancouver Canucks in 3 games. However, in the Smythe Division Finals the Oilers would be stunned by their Alberta neighbor Calgary Flames in 7 games.

1986/87: The Oilers repeat as President Trophy Champions as they post a 50-24-6 record, as Wayne Gretzky wins his record 8th straight Hart Trophy, winning the scoring title again with 183 points. In the Playoffs the Oilers would stumble in Game 1 losing to the Los Angels Kings 5-2. However, the Oilers would respond in resounding fashion as they slaughtered the Kings 13-3 in Game 2. From there the Oilers would go on to win the series in 5 games scoring a total of 30 goals in the final 4 games. In the Smythe Division Finals the Oilers would stay hot as they swept the Winnipeg Jets in 4 straight. Moving on to the Campbell Finals the Oilers would drop Game 1 before beating the Detroit Red Wings in 5 games. In the Finals the Oilers continued to cruise jumping out to a 3-1 series lead over the Philadelphia Flyers. However, the Flyers would rally to win the next 2 to force a 7th game. The Oilers would finally solve goalie Ron Hex tall in Game 7 as the Oilers won their 3rd Cup in 4 years.

1987/88: The Oilers grip on the Smythe Division ends as they finish in 2nd place with a 44-25-11 record. Meanwhile Wayne Gretzky would lose his grip on the scoring title and Hart Trophy as Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins claimed both. Meanwhile the Oilers begin to lose core players as Defenseman Paul Coffey is traded at the start of the season to the Penguins after a contract holdout. In the playoffs the Oilers would get off to a fast start as they knock off the Winnipeg Jets in 5 games. In the Smythe Finals the Oilers would get revenge from 1986 by sweeping the Calgary Flames who finished the season in 1st place, in 4 straight games. In the Campbell Finals the Oilers would have no trouble as they took out the Detroit Red Wings in 5 games. Moving on to the finals the Oilers would continue to fire on all cylinders as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead over the Boston Bruins. After Game 4 was halted tied 3-3 after a power failure at the Boston garden the Oilers completed the sweep in Edmonton with a 6-3 win. The win certified the Oilers as a dynasty as they won their 4th Cup in 5 years with Wayne Gretzky winning his 2nd Conn Smythe Trophy.

1988/89: August 9, 1988 would be a day that would live in infamy, as one of the darkest days in not only Oilers history, but the history of Canada as Wayne Gretzky, the country's favorite son, is suddenly and shockingly traded to the Los Angeles Kings, along with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, 3 1st round draft picks (89, 91, 93) and an estimated $15-20 million. In trading the Great One Oilers owner Peter Pocklington cited financial troubles. Gretzky would return to Edmonton in glorious fashion as he won the All-Star Game MVP in a game played at the Northlands Coliseum. Without Gretzky the Oilers would go on to finish in 3rd Place with a 38-34-8 record. IN a twist of fate the Oilers would face the Kings in the playoffs taking a 3-1 series lead. However, Gretzky would lead the Kings to 3 straight wins to knock off the Oilers.

1989/90: Mark Messier firmly emerges form Wayne Gretzky's shadow winning the Hart Trophy while finishing 2nd to the Great One in scoring as the Oilers finished in 2nd place with a solid 38-28-14 record. In the playoffs the Oilers faced trouble right away as the fell behind the Winnipeg Jets 3 games to 1. However the Oilers would rally to win the next 3 to return to the Smythe Finals. In the Smythe Finals the Oilers would dominate Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings outscoring them 24-10 in a 4-game sweep. Moving on to the Campbell Finals the Oilers stayed hot beating the Chicago Blackhawks in 6 games. Facing the Boston Bruins in the Finals Goalie Bill Ranford who took over the starting job earlier in the season from Grant Fuhr kept the Oilers in Game 1 in Boston as the Oilers won at 53:50 of overtime by a score of 3-2. From there the Oilers were unstoppable as they claimed their 5th Stanley Cup in 7 years by beating the Bruins in 5 games. Ranford whose stellar goaltending in Game 1 gave Oilers control would win the Conn Smythe.

1990/91: Jari Kurri spends the season playing in Europe due to a season long contract dispute. Without Kurri the Oilers finish in 3rd place with a record of 37-37-6.In the playoffs the Oilers would stun the Calgary Flames in 7 games winning Game 7 in overtime 5-4. Moving on to the Smythe Finals the Oilers would once again spoil Wayne Gretzky's season by beating the Los Angeles Kings in 6 games. However, in the Campbell Finals the Oilers would be knocked off by the Minnesota Northstars in 5 games.

1991/92: No longer able to afford their stars the Oilers begin trading off their Championship foundation. Jari Kurri who held out the previous season would end up playing with Wayne Gretzky in Los Angeles. Goalie Grant Fuhr and Glenn Anderson would both be dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs, while Captain Mark Messier was traded to the New York Rangers, who also signed away rising Winger Adam Graves. Despite the carnage the Oilers would still make the playoffs by finishing in 3rd Place with a 36-34-10 record. In the playoffs the Oilers would prove to be a tough out as they beat the Los Angeles Kings, and Vancouver Canucks in 6 games. However in the Campbell Conference Finals the Oilers would be swept in 4 straight by the Chicago Blackhawks.

1992/93: The selling off of the Oilers continued as Kevin Lowe and Esa Tikkanen are traded to the New York Rangers in separate deal before and during the season. With most of their stars gone the Oilers are a shell of their former selves as they miss the playoff for the first time since joining the NHL with an awful record of 26-50-8.

1993/94: Jason Arnott gives the Oilers reason to hope in an otherwise dreadful season finishing 2nd in Calder Trophy voting as the Oilers finish in last place with a record of 25-45-14. While the current Oilers struggled in Edmonton a group of former Oilers led by Mark Messier, and Craig MacTavish who was traded in the final weeks of the season led the New York Rangers to a Stanley Cup Championship.

1994/95: In a season shortened to 48 games by a lockout the Oilers struggles continue as they finished in 5th place with a record of 17-27-4 record. Following the season the Oilers would lose another Captain when Shayne Corson signs with the St. Louis Blues. However, the Oilers would land Goalie Curtis Joseph as compensation as part of the deal.

1995/96: The Oilers finish the season strong as their young players begin to play up to their full potential. However, it is too late to save the season as the Oilers miss the playoffs for the 4th year in a row with a record of 30-44-8.

1996/97: With Curtis Joseph having a solid season between the pipes ,and Ryan Smyth emerging as a scoring threat the Oilers make it back to the playoffs by finishing 3rd in the Pacific Division with a 36-37-9 record. In one of the most exciting 1st round series in many years the Oilers gave the heavily favored Dallas Stars all they could handle as they forced overtime in Game 7. In overtime, it seemed as though the Stars would send the Oilers packing when Joe Nieuwendyk shot at an open net only to be stopped by a diving CuJo. Moments later, Todd Marchant tore away from the Stars defense and beat former Oilers Andy Moog for the game winner. However, in the 2nd Round the Oilers would be buried by the Colorado Avalanche in 5 games.

1997/98: After a slow start GM Glen Sather makes 2 key late season deals sending Jason Arnott to the New Jersey Devils for Bill Guerin and Brian Marchant to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Roman Hamerlik. The deals provided an important spark, as the Oilers were able to get back into the playoffs with a 35-37-10 record. In the Playoffs the Oilers would fall behind the Colorado Avalanche 3 games to 1. However, the Oilers would come out of nowhere as Curtis Joseph was a brick wall in the net to win 3 straight and stun the Avalanche in 7 games. However in the 2nd Round the Dallas Stars would get a measure of revenge from the previous season by knocking of the Oilers in 5 games. Following the season the Oilers would take a hit when Goalie Curtis Joseph signed a Free Agent Deal with Toronto Maple Leafs.

1998/99: Despite the lack of a proven goalie, and playing without top scorer Doug Weight who sat out the start of the season the Oilers got off to a solid start, led by Bill Guerin. Weight would return but would be quickly lost to injury as the Oilers struggled. However, a couple of late season trades would help the Oilers sneak into the playoffs as teh8th seed while finishing 2nd in the newly formed Northwest Division with a 33-37-12 record. However, in the playoffs it would be a quick exit as they are swept in 4 straight by the Dallas Stars.

1999/00: The season stats with Wayne Gretzky returning to Edmonton on opening night to have his famous Number 99 rose to the rafters. Meanwhile, Bill Guerin begins the season by holding out. However, once again the Oilers would sneak into the playoffs with the 7th seed by finishing with a 32-34-16-8 record. However in the first round it would be another quick exit as the Oilers are beaten by the Dallas Stars in 5 games. Following the season longtime GM Glen Sather would depart for a similar job with the New York Rangers. He would be replaced by Kevin Lowe who one year earlier returned to coach the Oilers.

2000/01: In his first season as GM, Kevin Lowe was very busy, while hiring Craig MacTvaish to lead the Oilers on the ice. With Doug Weight, Bill Guerin, and Ryan Smyth getting off to solid starts the Oilers were riding high early in the season. However, Guerin, a would-be Free Agent would be traded immediately to the Boston Bruins for Anson Carter. The Oilers would go on to finish in 2nd place with their best record in 11 years at 39-28-12-3. However, in the playoffs the Oilers would be knocked off by the Dallas Stars for the 4th year in a row in 6 games. Following the season the Oilers would trade Doug Weight to the St. Louis Blues, with the fear he would want to depart once he became a free agent.

2001/02: Despite the continued loss of established stars the Oilers remained a solid playoff contender all year. However, a short post-Olympic slump by goalie Tommy Salo would due the Oilers in, as they missed the playoffs by 2 points with 92 points, and a solid 38-28-12-4 record in a competitive Western Conference.

2002/03: Throughout the entire season the Oilers seemed to defy the odds and overcome every obstacle, as several key players missed significant time due to injury while Goalie Tommy Salo struggled all season. However, despite the odds the Oilers remained in playoff contention. Things would only get harder in March when they were forced to cut payroll and dealt away Janne Niinimaa, and Anson Carter, for younger cheaper players. However despite the salary dump the Oilers finished the season on a strong note going 10-3-4-0 over their last 17 games to make the playoffs with a 36-26-11-9 record. In the playoffs the Oilers found themselves matched up against a familiar foe in the Dallas Stars. After splitting the first 2 games in Dallas, the Oilers seemed primed for the upset after winning Game 3 at home 3-2, but, the Stars would rally back to win the next 3 and eliminated the Oilers for the 5th time since 1998 in 6 games.

2003/04: The Oilers started the season playing inconsistent hockey as they at times looked like contenders while other times they played like pretenders as through the first two months they posted a 10-10-3-0 record. One of the highlights came on November 22nd when the Oilers and Montreal Canadiens went outdoors playing before a record crowd of 57,167 fans in sub freezing temperatures at Commonwealth Stadium. Prior to the game won by the Habs 4-3 a group of Oilers legends including Wayne Gretzky took on past Canadiens greats. In December the Oilers season took a turn for the worst as they won just 2 of 12 games. After a mediocre January and February the Oilers traded goalie Tommy Salo as they focused on the future with Ty Conklin. However in March the Oilers suddenly caught fire and made a last minute playoff push losing just once 1 0f 15 games in regulation. However it would prove to be too late as they dropped their final game of the season missing the playoffs by 2 points while finishing in 4th Place with a 36-29-12-5 record.

2004/05: Season Cancelled Due to Lock Out

2005/06: The Oilers were a poster child during the Lock Out as the market too small to compete under the old economical system. With the salary cap in place the Oilers increased their spending landing Chris Pronger from the St. Louis Blues and Mike Peca from the New York Islanders in separate deals that gave Oilers fans hope of a return to glory. However, things would not start off well as Goalie Ty Conklin was hurt early in the season while Jussi Markkanen struggled as the Oilers only won three of their first ten games. The Oilers would play much better in November and December, but struggled in January and February as the team with high hopes would have to fight hard just to sneak into the playoffs. With the ability to increase their budget the Oilers were highly active at the trade deadline landing players like Jaroslav Spacek from the Chicago Blackhawks and Dick Tarnstrom from the Pittsburgh Penguins, which help solidify their defense, while adding scoring punch with Sergei Samsonov acquired from the Boston Bruins. However, the biggest deal would end up being goalie Dwayne Roloson acquired from the Minnesota Wild. Although Roloson struggled in his first few games with the Oilers he would play just good enough to get the Oilers into the playoffs as the 8th seed with a 41-28-13 record. In the playoffs the Oilers would face the best team in the NHL all season the Detroit Red Wings, though they were an eighth seed, but their talent was much better then an ordinary 8. Despite losing Game 1 in overtime 3-2, Dwayne Roloson made an early statement stopping 54 shots, as he established he would be the backbone of a great Oilers playoff run. The Oilers would rebound to win the next two games, after losing Game 4 at home the Oilers went back to Detroit and got physical as Chris Pronger assisted on all three goals while Roloson stopped 30 shots in a 3-2 win that gave the Oilers the opportunity to win the series in six games at home. The Oilers would not disappoint as Fernando Pisani scored twice to the game at 2 early in the 3rd Period, after Wings retook the lead it was Ales Hemsky who would play hero scoring with 3:93 left to tie it then adding the game winner with 66 seconds left to send the Oilers on to the second round. In the second round against the San Jose Sharks the Oilers would fall behind early losing the first two games on the road 2-1. Desperately needing a win in Game 3 the Oilers would trail 2-1 again entering the 3rd period. However, Raffi Torres would tie the game and send it to overtime where the game would turn into a marathon before Shane Horcoff kept the Oilers hopes alive with a goal in the third OT. The win jolted the Oilers dormant offense as they won the next two games 6-3, and went on to win the series in six games. The Oilers would stay red hot in the Western Conference Finals jumping out to a 3-0 series lead against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. After a disappointing 6-3 loss at home in Game 4, the Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 16 years by winning Game 5 on the road 2-1.

2005/06: In the Stanley Cup Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes the Oilers came out flying jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the second period of Game 1. However, the Hurricanes would rally to tie the game then took the lead on a shorthanded breakaway goal. With Dwayne Roloson under fire the Oilers managed to tie the game at 4 on a power play goal by Ales Hemsky. However, Roloson would soon be lost with a knee injury as Rod Brind'Amour beat Ty Conklin with 32 seconds left to give the Hurricanes a 5-4 win. The stunned Oilers would turn to Jussi Markkanen for Game 2, but could never get going as they were hammered 5-0. Coming home for Game 3 seemed to reenergize the Oilers and it would play off as Ryan Smith delivered the game winner with 2:15 left in a 2-1 game. However, the Hurricanes would take a 3-1 series lead with a 2-1 win of their own in Game 4 putting the Oilers on the brink. Game 5 in Carolina would go to overtime as all of Raleigh seemed to be ready to welcome the Stanley Cup. However, Fernando Pisani who gave the Oilers early life with a goal 16 seconds into the game plays the role of hero again with a shorthanded goal in overtime for a 4-3 win. The Oilers would be reenergized again by the dramatic win as they dominated Game 6 at home winning 4-0 as Pisani added another goal and an assist. With Game 7 in Carolina and all of Edmonton on the edge of their seats, the Oilers fell behind 2-0 entering the 3rd period, but Pisani gave them life again as he scored early in the third period to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Oilers would throw everything they had at Hurricanes Goalie Cam Ward, but nothing would get in as the Hurricanes put the game away with an empty net goal to win the cup 3-1. The disappointing end of the great playoff run would lead to a more disappointing off-season as Chris Pronger demanded a trade as was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks, while Jaroslav Spacek, Sergei Samsonov, and Michael Peca all left Edmonton after just one season signing free agent deals. The Oilers would also see the departure of Ty Conklin and Radek Dvorak, as the hope before the season that the Oilers could compete for the stars faded into the reality of the Oilers small market woes not being fixed.

2006/07: Coming off their miracle run to the Stanley Cup Finals the Oilers were again facing long odds due to the loss of several key players. One player who was still around was Ryan Smyth who set a NHL record for the fastest hat trick scoring three goals in the first 2:01 on October 12th in a 6-4 win over the San Jose Sharks. Through mid-December the Oilers were playing well at 16-10-2. However, the bottom was about to fall out, as they lost eight of their next ten games to close out 2006. Over the next two months while fighting through injuries, the Oilers played mediocre hockey as they faced a difficult decision, risk losing Ryan Smyth or trade him for prospects at the trade deadline. On February 27th the Oilers chose to play it safe, after contract negotiations stalled, trading the popular star to the New York Islanders for Ryan O'Marra, Robert Nilsson, and a 1st round pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. The trade came on the same night that Mark Messier's jersey's was retired and hung like a dark cloud over Edmonton the rest of the season. The Oilers would win just two games the rest of the season, including an 11-game losing streak, as they finished in last place with a terrible record of 32-43-7.

2007/08: The Oilers struggles continued at the start of the season, as the Oilers got off to an awful 5-10-1 start. The struggles continued into December as they closed December with a seven game winless streak. However, with the emergence of young players like Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano the Oilers began to show signs of improvement in the New Year, as they won five of their first six games in 2008. After continued improvement in February, the Oilers were one of the hottest teams in the NHL in March, as they posted a 10-4-1 record to make a run at a playoff spot. However, they would fall three points short of the last spot in the Western Conference, as they ended the season with a record of 41-35-6.