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If there really are hockey gods, they'll bless the Edmonton Oilers with another surprising season just to prove to all of the Chris Prongers and Michael Pecas and Michael Nylanders (and their wives) that Edmonton really is a great place to play hockey. Of course, if there are hockey gods, their wives complained that it was too cold in Edmonton and they likely signed somewhere else, so the chances are far greater the Oilers are in for another long season. Still, things aren't probably as bad as they might seem for the 2006 Stanley Cup finalists. OFFENSE How could this have happened? A team that appeared to have the makings of three strong scoring lines ended up with just 195 goals, dead last in the NHL. Well, there were injuries galore -- star sniper Ales Hemsky missed 18 games, Jarret Stoll missed 31 games and Ethan Moreau missed 75. Then, some of the players who did stay healthy just played like they were ailing. Joffrey Lupul, the key to the Pronger deal with Anaheim last offseason, had just 16 goals and was a mind-boggling minus-29. To correct that apparent mistake, beleaguered GM Kevin Lowe dealt Lupul, along with captain Jason Smith, to Philadelphia for Pitkanen, who should help a back end that was bereft of offensive contributions. Between Pitkanen and Souray, it's not unreasonable to expect between 90 and 100 points. The Oilers' power play should also jump up from 27th in the NHL. Then there's Penner. After failing to snag Buffalo's Thomas Vanek with an offer sheet, Lowe managed to acquire Penner, prompting surprising vitriol even for Burke. Penner had 29 goals in his rookie season. Although he tailed off in the playoffs, he still won a Cup and should be in the 30-goal range. He'll likely start the season playing with Shawn Horcoff and Hemsky. Coach Craig MacTavish has said the team is wide open, so look for Robbie Schremp, Robert Nilsson or the surprisingly mature Sam Gagner to make this team. DEFENSE The assumption was with the departure of defensemen Pronger, Jaroslav Spacek and Dick Tarnstrom and defensive forward Peca from the Cup finalists' lineup, the Oilers would be vulnerable to giving up a lot of goals. And while they weren't great, they weren't that bad, finishing 17th overall (2.96 goals per game). Now, cynics will suggest bringing Pitkanen (minus-25) and Souray (minus-28) could send that GAA skyrocketing. Maybe. But both will get fresh slates to improve their defensive games, and that's not a bad thing. Tarnstrom returns to the fold (guess Edmonton wasn't that bad after all), while youngsters Ladislav Smid and Denis Grebeshkov will both get chances. |
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