Tue Sep 23 13:44:16 2008

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2008-09 Edmonton Oilers Preview

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(Sports Network) - The Edmonton Oilers have surely covered all the bases lately.

Two springs ago, the Oilers snuck into the playoffs in the final week, became the first No. 8 seed to topple a No. 1 in the Western Conference tournament and rode an unlikely burst of momentum all the way to a Game 7 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Within a month, however, standout Chris Pronger was off to Anaheim via requested trade and a bevy of free agents soon followed the big defenseman to the exits, leaving Edmonton to struggle throughout its encore campaign, plummeting to last in the Northwest Division and missing the playoffs.

Next came 2007-08, when a retooled and youth-driven Oilers unit - minus long- time signature faces like Ryan Smyth and Jason Smith - hit its stride in the second half in spite of injuries and unexpectedly surged down the stretch while staying in contention until the season's second-to-last day.

So, at the outset of Edmonton's 30th season of NHL operation - there's only one request.

Will the real Oilers please stand up?!?

Is the 2008-09 product of Canada's "City of Champions" going to slide back toward the mediocrity that's mired the franchise - minus a few random playoff wins - since the rapid-fire departures of Gretzky, Messier, Kurri and Anderson at the tail end of a dynasty?

Or is this finally the year - with billionaire new owner Daryl Katz in place and a new downtown arena reportedly on the way - it returns to the lofty status that provided five Stanley Cup championships over a seven-year stretch before the onset of big markets and rampant free agency.

According to hulking defenseman Sheldon Souray, who signed a five-year deal with Edmonton before last season but was limited by injury to just 26 games, the answer is clear.

"We're in it to win it," he said. "It's a good feeling coming here this year."

FORWARDS - A series of moves have transformed the Oilers into a young, fast team up front.

The top line will be centered by 29-year-old Shawn Horcoff, who earned an All- Star Game berth last winter and was averaging nearly a point per game before a shoulder injury shelved him for the rest of the season. Right wing Ales Hemsky, just 24, netted 20 goals and assisted on 51 more to lead Edmonton in scoring, while left wing Erik Cole, also 29, arrived from Carolina in a deal that sent enigmatic defenseman Joni Pitkanen to the East Coast.

Last year's late-stage creation, the rookie "Kid Line" of Andrew Cogliano, Sam Gagner and Robert Nilsson begins this winter firmly entrenched as the No. 2 unit. Nilsson was part of the deal that sent veteran Smyth to the New York Islanders in February 2007, while Gagner and Cogliano were high-end draft choices that came as a result of the aforementioned mediocrity. Gagner, the son of former NHLer Dave Gagner, is just 19 years old. Cogliano is 20, and Nilsson, whose father, Kent, was an Oiler in the 1980s, is the senior man of the group at 23. All three were among rookie leaders in scoring last season, accounting for 49 (Gagner), 45 (Cogliano) and 41 (Nilsson) points, respectively.

Line No. 3 is centered by another late-season discovery of 07-08, 24-year-old Alberta native Kyle Brodziak, who scored 14 goals and 17 assists. Ex-Anaheim Duck Dustin Penner came over via a controversial multi-million dollar offer sheet prior to last season and scored 23 goals, while right wing Fernando Pisani earned Masterton Trophy consideration after recovering from ulcerative colitis and generating 22 points in 56 games.

Rounding out the forwards are team captain Ethan Moreau, who was again dogged by injury and appeared in only 25 games; 23-year-old Marc Pouliot, who played in 24 games; and tough guy Zack Stortini, who was among the league leaders with 201 penalty minutes in 66 games.

Youngsters Ryan Potulny and Rob Schremp will compete for spots at training camp and could dislodge a veteran or two, while enigmatic Gilbert Brule arrives from Columbus via a trade that sent Raffi Torres to Ohio. Brule, an Edmonton native, had a goal and eight assists with the Blue Jackets last season.

DEFENSE - A new arrival via trade - Lubomir Visnovsky - and a returnee from an extended injury, Souray, should team up as the Oilers' top pairing on defense while simultaneously offering high-end offensive weaponry on the power play. Souray set an NHL record for power play goals by a D-man in his final season with Montreal two years ago, while Visnovsky, who came from the Kings in exchange for Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene, scored eight goals and had 33 assists last season.

Denis Grebeshkov and Tom Gilbert team up for the second unit. Gilbert was a standout rookie performer while scoring 13 times and recording 33 points in 82 games. Grebeshkov, meanwhile, played himself into a major role after starting the season as a little-used bit part. He came to the Oilers in the 2007 trade that sent Marc-Andre Bergeron to the Islanders. Rounding out the pairs are steady veteran Steve Staios (121 penalty minutes) and 22-year-old Ladislav Smid, who came over as part of the Pronger trade and spent part of last season in the minors for seasoning purposes.

Others hoping for a chance are tough guy Mathieu Roy, who had 27 penalty minutes in 13 games, and 33-year-old journeyman Jason Strudwick, who joins the team after playing 52 games with the New York Rangers last season.

GOALTENDING - Mathieu Garon figures to break camp as the No. 1 goaltender, a role he assumed midway through last season before an injured ankle gave the role back to holdover Dwayne Roloson down the stretch. Garon had a 2.66 goals- against average and four shutouts in 47 games with Edmonton last season, while Roloson, who's in the final year of a lucrative three-year contract, had a 3.05 goals-against in 43 games with a .901 save percentage. On the near fringes is 24-year-old Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, a 2002 draft pick (31st overall) who'll begin the season with the big club and could take over back-up duties should Roloson be dealt.

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE - All signs - youth, talent, a late-season push last year - seem to indicate a continuing rise for the Oilers in both the Northwest Division and the Western Conference. A difficult start has Edmonton on the road for much of the season's initial month, and could go a long way toward defining the year. If injuries are moderate and the youngsters continue to develop, a challenge for a division title isn't out of the question, which would yield an all-important top 3 playoff seed. If Edmonton falls short there, expect a second-place run in the division and slot No. 6 in the overall postseason field. However, if man-games lost approach last year's totals and impact any of the big stars like Horcoff, Hemsky or the goaltenders, another missed tournament could result.