The NHL Trade Deadline has passed us by and we’re officially in the home stretch of the regular season. As the Edmonton Oilers jostle for seeding in the Pacific Division and nurse some key injuries, let’s cast our minds back to some teams of the past and explore which players would be best suited to help this year’s roster on their quest for a Stanley Cup.
There’s a number of good candidates, but I’ve decided to keep the list at five. I’m also assuming the players are fully healthy and in top form, so no 2014-era old man Ryan Smyth picks here. These guys would be in their hypothetical primes. I’ll include a specific year beside them so we know exactly what kind of player we’re getting. There are a couple of names that might seem obvious and a couple personal picks, so let’s jump into it.
2005–06 Ryan Smyth
Speaking of Captain Canada! Let’s start with arguably the most beloved Oiler of the century, Ryan Smyth. Smyth spent 14 of his 19 NHL seasons in Edmonton, and was often the only bright-spot on some tough early 2000s rosters. By the time of the Oilers Stanley Cup run in 2006, Smyth was a 31-year-old veteran who could still play his trademark smash-mouth style of hockey. Although he wasn’t an elite skater, shooter, or passer, he possessed a divine skill at net-front presence.
Smyth would often be found dishing and taking punishment around the net, banging in goals off rebounds and deflecting point shots. Relentlessly tough, he once took a puck in the mouth from Chris Pronger (more on him later) that cost him three teeth. Smyth received stitches, returned to the game, and assisted on the overtime winner.
Smyth’s endless motor and eye for the net would mesh well with the current Oilers roster, and one could easily imagine him on a line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman, which might be one of the most miserable lines to play against in the NHL. Having to deal with Hyman and Smyth in front of the net sounds like a nightmare for any goalie (just ask J.S. Giguere).
Ryan Smyth: Goalie Annoy-er Extraordinaire
2005–06 Chris Pronger
And speaking of him! It may seem cheap to pick two guys from the 2005–06 team, but they just had a lot of talent. Although he only played one season with the Oilers and left on, to put it nicely, unfriendly terms, it’s hard to understate the impact of a player like Pronger. The 2000 Hart and Norris Trophy winner, Pronger was a bruising defenceman with a cannon for a shot and a playstyle to match. Pronger was still even in his prime during his one year in Edmonton from 2005–06. He led the team in playoff points during their run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, and feasibly would’ve continued that play had he stuck around.
The Oilers’ current defence core is actually fairly stout, but you can’t pass up the chance to add a player like Chris Pronger to it. Imagine a pairing of Pronger-Evan Bouchard? Or max the physicality with Pronger-Darnell Nurse. You could even use a combo of Pronger-Brett Kulak if needed. Any possible defensive pair is elevated with him on it. Although you might argue adding a hypothetical player like Pronger is a luxury in this defensive core, he would elevate the Oilers D-core from “great” to “league-best” almost instantly.
2016–17 Cam Talbot
The one area people have been concerned about all season for the Oilers is goaltending. Stuart Skinner’s year has been more down than up, and although Calvin Pickard has done an admirable job when called upon, he’s not a true 1B to Skinner’s 1A. The Oilers haven’t had consistent goaltending success for a while now, and the list of post-lockout goalies is long and memorable (shoutout Mathieu Garon). If I could pluck one past Oilers goalie out of time, however, I would go with Cam Talbot.
Talbot’s still playing of course, currently a member of the Detroit Red Wings. However, his couple years in Edmonton were a sight to behold. Talbot’s 2016–17 season was incredible, as he posted a .919 SV% and 2.39 GAA in an absurd 73 games. Talbot set the single season record for wins by an Oilers goalie with 42, surpassing Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr, an Oilers record that still stands today.
Talbot’s play that season helped propel the Oilers out of the Western Conference basement and into the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. Talbot’s play in Edmonton dropped off partially because he had no running mate to share the net with, which is why I believe an hypothetical tandem with Skinner would assuage a lot of Oiler fan fears heading into this postseason.
1996–97/2001–02 Michael Peca
Confession: This entry is purely selfish. For some reason growing up as a small Oilers fan, Michael Peca was my absolute favourite player. Even though he only played one season for Edmonton in 2005–06 and only scored 23 points in 71 games during it, he was my guy. In fact, I cried when I found out he left the Oilers in the offseason. Memories of my childhood aside, Michael Peca is probably not the first name that comes to mind for post-lockout Oilers that could help in the playoffs. However, he really should be.
In his prime, Peca was a physical, defensive centre with a scoring touch. A three time 20-goal scorer, he won the Frank J. Selke Trophy for the NHL’s best defensive forward twice, in 1996–97 and 2001–02. Peca is the exact kind of player it seems the Oilers have been seeking for what seems like ages – a right-handed centre who can play defence and occasionally score.
On the current Oilers roster, prime Peca would have no issue anchoring the third line, and flanked by guys like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Viktor Arvidsson, could realistically give the Oilers a third line with a scoring threat. Peca also had a penchant for throwing big hits, and with the Oilers currently missing physicality in the lineup with Trent Frederic and Evander Kane out, Peca would provide some grit and toughness.
please enjoy this clip of Peca exploding poor Daymond Langkow
2011–12 James Neal
Whitby, Ontario’s own, the “Real Deal” spent two season with the Oilers from 2019–20 to 2020–21. Famously included in the one-for-one deal involving Milan Lucic, Neal performed admirably for the Oilers, scoring 19 goals in 2019–20 (which infamously cost the Oilers a third-round pick due to pro-rated goal totals). However, Neal’s prime came during his years in Pittsburgh, specifically the 2011–12 season, where he scored 40 goals and added 41 assists in 81 games mainly riding shotgun with Evengi Malkin. If Neal could produce with a player like Malkin, there’s no reason to believe he wouldn’t be equally as good with a Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.
The Oilers have been looking for finishers on the wing the entire season. Adding a prime James Neal into the forward core would give them that in spades. Aside from his 40 goal 2011–12, Neal was a seven-time 20-goal scorer who could skate and hit if needed. He would be the perfect kind of addition into the current Oilers lineup and would make them a much deeper and more dangerous team headed into the playoffs. A line of Neal-McDavid-Hyman would give the Oilers a lethal attack, but I think the more interesting option would be to pair Neal with Draisaitl, who is more or less the modern-day Evgeni Malkin. Neal-Draisaitl would be a menace of a winger-centre combo and would give Edmonton yet another scoring threat.
Hypothetical lineup
Let’s put all the pieces together and assume we can pull these players from across space and time to assemble the ultimate Oilers roster. What would it look like? Here’s the lineup I would run. I’m including Evander Kane and Trent Frederic in the interests of making things fun.
| Smyth | McDavid | Hyman |
| Neal | Draisaitl | Skinner |
| Kane | Peca | Nugent-Hopkins |
| Arvidsson | Frederic | Perry |
| Pronger | Bouchard |
| Ekholm | Walman |
| Nurse | Kulak |
| Skinner |
| Talbot |
Follow The Oil Rig on social media!
