When my family and I immigrated to Canada in the mid-2000s, there were two important things I quickly realized I needed to work on. The first was my knowledge of the English language. The second and equally important task was to become familiar with my new hometown’s hockey team, the Edmonton Oilers.
Lucky for me, NHL 2004 for PC helped to kill two birds with one stone. My vocabulary quickly expanded because of Jim Hughson’s commentary while the seed of my love for the Oilers was planted because of names like Brad Isbister, Jason Smith, and Marty Reasoner.
In this edition of “pick an Oiler from an era”, I will explore which Oilers’ player from the 2000–09 era would fit the best on the current roster.
As it may be with articles similar to these, this is largely a subjective piece and I would love to see others’ opinions in the comments.
Ales Hemsky
This one may be an obvious consideration to begin with. The number 13 pick from the 2001 NHL Draft, Ales Hemsky is arguably the most talented player of the Oilers in the 2000s.
His gifted hands, smooth skating, and great vision have allowed him to register 77 points in 81 games in 2005–06, with an additional 17 points in the 24 games on their way to a seven-game series with the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final. Not only did he score the game-winning goal that got the Oilers into the playoffs that season, but he also helped the Oilers close out the Detroit Red Wings in that Game 6 in Rexall Place.
Hemsky was a routine contributor on the Oilers’ teams he played for and while injuries affected his career, no one can deny the impact he has had.
As a right-shooting, right wing, Hemsky would seamlessly slot into the second line to play alongside Leon Draisaitl. Utilizing his vision and passing abilities to complement Draisaitl’s scoring touch could be electric. Plus, how great would his talent be on that second Oilers’ power play unit?
Fernando Pisani
This one may be a bit of a sentimental pick. A local Edmonton product, Fernando Pisani spent nearly all of his career in Edmonton.
His career-best season came in 2005–06 when he registered 37 points in 80 games. However, he will forever be remembered by his performance in the 2006 Stanley Cup playoff run, where he scored 14 goals in 24 games. The clutch gene was on full display as the Oilers were on the brink of elimination in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, before Pisani scored a short-handed overtime game winner to “drag” the Hurricanes back to Alberta.
Despite a number of injuries and health issues during his career, Pisani was able to provide some depth and secondary scoring. Having a playoff run like he did on a team with Connor McDavid and Draistaitl would be special. On the current roster, I can see him slot alongside Adam Henrique as his centre and create a responsible, depth line who could put defensive pressure on its’ opponents.
Pisani was known to be an effective penalty kill player. On a team that was ranked 15th last season in penalty kill percentage, his experience and skill would be a welcome addition.
Ryan Smyth
Is there a player from this era who is more associated with the Oilers than Ryan Smyth?
A passionate and physically strong winger, Smyth was not afraid to get a goal any which way. He played his game as a power forward and his grit and toughness were second to none. Playing the San Jose Sharks in the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he took a puck to the face, lost three teeth, and returned to set up a triple-overtime game winner by Shawn Horcoff that turned the series around.
While his ability to make a pass or to tip a puck were well appreciated, it is his love for the Oilers that will always be remembered by the fans. Seeing him line up on the left-wing alongside Draistaitl would be fun to watch. He would bring a similar role to Zach Hyman in creating strong, physical net presence to get the goals any way possible.
Jason Smith
There are a number of defencemen that come to mind when I think of the Oilers in this era. From Eric Brewer to Steve Staios, Janne Niinimaa and Tom Gilbert, Edmonton had a number of rear guards to come and go through its franchise doors in the 2000s. However, if there is one rear guard that stands out to me the most, it is Jason Smith.
He may not have been known for his offensive contributions, but his toughness, hard work, and most importantly, leadership have made him respected in the locker rooms across the league. Captaining the Oilers from 2001 to 2007, he was the leader of a team that went on that unforgettable Stanley Cup playoff run. Smith was never afraid to stand up to others and you can find a myriad of his fights on YouTube (including him fighting the dad of the Oilers’ fan-favourite, Matthew Tkachuk).
With the recent departure of Cody Ceci and Smith’s play as a right-shot defenceman, he would likely slot in to play alongside Darnell Nurse. His leadership abilities and experience would be a welcomed addition to the locker room, not to mention the mentorship he would provide to young guys like Ty Emberson and Evan Bouchard.
Dwayne Roloson
Dwayne Roloson, or “Roli the Goalie” as he was affectionately known, was traded to the Oilers from the Minnesota Wild in 2006.
He quickly became the Oilers’ starting goaltender as he took the reins from a three-headed crease that was predominantly led by Jussi Markkanen. He played a large part in stabilizing their goaltending presence on the way to, you guessed it, the 2006 Stanley Cup run. Unfortunately, he was injured in the Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final and Oilers’ fans will always wonder what could have been.
Roloson put up respectable numbers with the Oilers teams in the following seasons, and at age 41, he guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Eastern Conference Finals.
After Stuart Skinner (and Jack Campbell) had a challenging start to the last season, a proven netminder like Roloson would bring experience and a skill set that could serve as either a back-up or as a 1B option to Skinner. If another tough start to the season awaits the Oilers, he would be the perfect guy to call upon to apply the pressure on the early wounds.
And the winner is…
There are so many players that I could have also included on this list. Mike Comrie, Doug Weight, Bill Guerin, Todd Marchant, Radek Dvorak, Marty Reasoner, Ethan Moreau, Mike York, Jarret Stoll, Tommy Salo. The list is truly endless and I could write an infinite part series making a case of each of these guys.
While I think that so many of the players I had talked about or mentioned could have filled a valuable role on the current Oilers team, the player that I would love to see most on the current Oilers roster is Ryan Smyth. Watching the last season’s Oilers, I often wished for a more physical edge to their game. Smyth’s style of playing in front of the net is certainly similar to that of Hyman.
Being able to run two top lines with skilled forwards that can play physical brand of hockey, pressure the crease, and challenge for rebounds would pose a nightmare for any opposing defence. Jeff Jackson has proven this point by signing Viktor Arvidsson in the offseason who is known for playing with a physical edge.
No one can also overlook what Smyth has meant to this franchise. The city and the fans love him as much as he has loved this team and it would be truly special to have his heart and leadership on the ice of Rogers Place.
Liking this series. It’s a unique and fun summer article
His tenure was short and his departure lacked grace – thanks to The Toronto Sun’s Al Strachan – but Pronger deserves to be mentioned. Even though he was only in town for one season he was the most dominant player on the team through the Oughties and helped the team come within a goal of lifting the cup.