Edmonton Quarter-Century MOC Roster

[McDoused]

F - Connor McDavid
F - Leon Draisaitl
F - Zach Hyman
D - Evan Bouchard
D - Chris Pronger
G - Dwayne Roloson

F - Ales Hemsky
F - Doug Weight
F - Ryan Smyth
D - Mattias Ekholm
D - Darnell Nurse
G - Cam Talbot

 

[AM]

How do you go a stretch of 25 years where Dwayne Roloson and a 38 year old Mike Smith are easily your two best goaltenders? It’s depressing to think about.

They were great goalies.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

They were great goalies.

Roloson was. Smith not so much.

 

[AM]

Roloson was. Smith not so much.

He was fantastic

 

[McDrai]

Haven’t looked at others’ rosters but I threw this together based on what I’ve watched in the past 25 years:

Draisaitl/McDavid/Hemsky
Smyth/Weight/Guerin
Hall/RNH/Eberle
Torres/Horcoff/Pisani

Pronger/Smith
Klefbom/Larsson
Sekera/Gilbert

Roloson
Talbot

Might be a bit of bias in here on my part but I thoroughly enjoyed watching all of these players (at least in their primes). Went with some chemistry but if we’re talking just best of the best the roster would be a tad different

 

[JordanGalhanth]

Haven’t looked at others’ rosters but I threw this together based on what I’ve watched in the past 25 years:

Draisaitl/McDavid/Hemsky
Smyth/Weight/Guerin
Hall/RNH/Eberle
Torres/Horcoff/Pisani

Pronger/Smith
Klefbom/Larsson
Sekera/Gilbert

Roloson
Talbot

Might be a bit of bias in here on my part but I thoroughly enjoyed watching all of these players (at least in their primes). Went with some chemistry but if we’re talking just best of the best the roster would be a tad different

McDavid with prime Hemsky would've been near unstoppable.

And Tom Gilbert...for all the young talent that was mishandled and wasted in the DoD, I'm surprised his name isn't talked about more. 33 pts in 07-08 and 45 pts in 08-09, only to fall off a cliff and get shipped out for Nick Schultz.

Really hoping the same thing doesn't happen to Bouchard.

 

[Jumptheshark]

what would be fun is arguing about the worst of the last 25 years

 

[McDoused]

Hyman scored 70 goals for us last season (including playoffs). How the hell is he not on some of your teams?

 

[Spawn]

F - Connor McDavid - 2022-2023 (Art Ross, Hart, Pearson, Rocket)
F - Leon Draisaitl - 2019-2020 (Art Ross, Hart and Pearson)
F - Doug Weight - 2000-2001 (8th in league scoring, 90 points, 6th in Hart voting)
D - Evan Bouchard - 2023-2024 (5th in Norris voting, 82 points in 81 games)
D - Chris Pronger 2005-2006 (7th in Norris voting, best playoff performance from a d-man I've ever seen)
G - Cam Talbot - 2016-2017 (4th in Vezina voting)

F - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - 2022-2023 (104 points, 9th in league scoring)
F - Zach Hyman - 2023-2024 (54 goals, 3rd in league)
F - Taylor Hall - 2013-2015 (6th in league scoring, 80 points in 75 games)
D - Mattias Ekholm - 2023-2024 (12th in Norris voting)
D - Darnell Nurse - 2020-2021 (7th in Norris voting, 2nd most goals by d-men in league)
G - Dwayne Roloson - 2005-2006 (would have been a Conn Smythe favourite if not injured in the finals)

HM Mention team
F - Shawn Horcoff - 2005-2006
F - Ales Hemsky - 2007-2008
F - Ryan Smyth - 2006-2007
D - Sheldon Souray - 2008-2009
D - Tyson Barrie - 2020-2021
G - Mike Smith - 2020-2021

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

He was fantastic

He really was not. Passable yes, fantastic no. Second best goalie in the Jets series and barely lasted a period against the Hawks.

The Flames/Avalanche ventilated him. At least Markstrom was worse.

 

[Fourier]

He was fantastic

2020-21 Mike Smith and the Oilers are Stanley Cup Champs last year and maybe the previous one as well.

 

[barry halls]

Smith vs Talbot is a tough call for me.

16-17 was an incredible season for Talbot, but Smith gets a ton of credit from me for shutting out the Kings in game 7 and then eliminating the Flames (the 2nd most significant series victory of the McDrai era, so far, in my books). Lots of entertainment on and off the ice too.

 

[McDrai]

McDavid with prime Hemsky would've been near unstoppable.

And Tom Gilbert...for all the young talent that was mishandled and wasted in the DoD, I'm surprised his name isn't talked about more. 33 pts in 07-08 and 45 pts in 08-09, only to fall off a cliff and get shipped out for Nick Schultz.

Really hoping the same thing doesn't happen to Bouchard.

Gilbert was one of my favs. He was a great puck mover in some of our bad years. Would have had way better numbers on a decent team

 

[5 14 6 1]

Draisaitl - McDavid - Hyman
Ekholm - Pronger
Roloson

Smyth - RNH - Hemsky
Bouchard - Smith
Talbot

HM: Hall, Skinner, Eberle, Nurse

I excluded Weight as he only played one season in 00-01 in this quarter century

 

[ManofSteel55]

McDavid
Smyth
Draisaitl
Pronger
Visnovsky
Khabiboulin

Weight
Hall
Nugent-Hopkins
Ekholm
Bouchard
Salo

Thoughts
Hall over Hyman is a tough one for me, it's so close. I can't include Eberle over any of the guys listed, even though I loved the guy and wish he never left.

The blue-line is tough. Sekera was good, but here for only a cup of coffee. Ryan Whitney was good until his foot cratered, but he was so bad after it did that I opted to not include him. Nurse is good, but he's had consistency issues. Jason Smith was a good, reliable soldier, but I can't put him over any of the ones I included here - maybe its recency bias for Ekholm and Bouchard though.

I really wanted to include Hemsky, but can't justify it.

Goalies is the toughest part. We haven't had any really elite goalies since Ranford's prime - and his prime wasn't in the time period we are talking about. I went with Khabiboulin, who did as well as he could given the team in front of him. I went with Salo next, even though half his time was pre-2000, and the end wasn't pretty. It was close between him and Talbot to me.

 

[ManofSteel55]

How do you go a stretch of 25 years where Dwayne Roloson and a 38 year old Mike Smith are easily your two best goaltenders? It’s depressing to think about.

I don't think Roloson or Smith make the top 5 of our goalies in the past 25 years. We don't have a clear "best" in that time frame, but I would rank all of Khabiboulin, Salo and Talbot easily above those three.

 

[5 14 6 1]

I don't think Roloson or Smith make the top 5 of our goalies in the past 25 years. We don't have a clear "best" in that time frame, but I would rank all of Khabiboulin, Salo and Talbot easily above those three.

Khabibulin? Above Roloson? In what world?

It isn't best player at their peak, it's best player in their time with the team

 

[ManofSteel55]

Khabibulin? Above Roloson? In what world?

It isn't best player at their peak, it's best player in their time with the team

Roloson wasn't that good for us either though. He's remembered fondly because of his strong playoff run, but for the majority of his run with us, he wasn't as good as most people remember him to be. He was a below avergage started, and basically lost the starting job to Mathieu Garon in 07/08 for a significant stretch.

Khabiboulin's play in Edmonton was very good, but his numbers don't reflect that because the team in front of him was so atrocious that even the best goalies would have looked bad. That was peak Decade of Darkness. He was hung out to dry the entire time he was here.

 

[5 14 6 1]

Roloson wasn't that good for us either though. He's remembered fondly because of his strong playoff run, but for the majority of his run with us, he wasn't as good as most people remember him to be. He was a below avergage started, and basically lost the starting job to Mathieu Garon in 07/08 for a significant stretch.

Khabiboulin's play in Edmonton was very good, but his numbers don't reflect that because the team in front of him was so atrocious that even the best goalies would have looked bad. That was peak Decade of Darkness. He was hung out to dry the entire time he was here.

I'm sorry but Khabiboulin doesn't belong anywhere close to a quarter century team for the Oil. He'd be like the 7th goalie I'd list.

Talbot
Roloson
Skinner
Salo
Smith
Markannen
Hell even Dubnyk

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Roloson wasn't that good for us either though. He's remembered fondly because of his strong playoff run, but for the majority of his run with us, he wasn't as good as most people remember him to be. He was a below avergage started, and basically lost the starting job to Mathieu Garon in 07/08 for a significant stretch.

Khabiboulin's play in Edmonton was very good, but his numbers don't reflect that because the team in front of him was so atrocious that even the best goalies would have looked bad. That was peak Decade of Darkness. He was hung out to dry the entire time he was here.

I remember Khabibulin's first game with the Oilers. The Oilers had fought back to tie the game against the Flames against Kipprusoff in his prime before Khabibulin gave the Flames a the GWG with under a minute left. He got hurt mid-November and the Oilers were forced to spend the rest of the season with JDD and Dubnyk. They finished a dismal last. He wasn't much better the following season despite remaining healthy. He was just another failed experiment in the eternal Oilers goaltending carousel.

 

[K1984]

I remember Khabibulin's first game with the Oilers. The Oilers had fought back to tie the game against the Flames against Kipprusoff in his prime before Khabibulin gave the Flames a the GWG with under a minute left. He got hurt mid-November and the Oilers were forced to spend the rest of the season with JDD and Dubnyk. They finished a dismal last. He wasn't much better the following season despite remaining healthy. He was just another failed experiment in the eternal Oilers goaltending carousel.

That one was badly telegraphed too.

Khabibulin sucked basically his entire time in Chicago except the last season. Then we go ahead and step in and give him multi years again at big money when at the time I thought he was pretty much done.

 

[ManofSteel55]

I'm sorry but Khabiboulin doesn't belong anywhere close to a quarter century team for the Oil. He'd be like the 7th goalie I'd list.

Talbot
Roloson
Skinner
Salo
Smith
Markannen
Hell even Dubnyk

Sorry, but Markannen the backup? Seriously? I can understand by looking at the stats, how you might not like Khabiboulin on the list, but the only thing I agree with on your list is Talbot being at the top. Markanen? He wasn't even a starter, and shouldn't be in the top 10 on this list. He was a fine backup, but the Conklin/Markannen duo is why we needed Roloson. And Markannen wasn't a lot better than Conklin, and Conklin sucked. Skinner has been an average starter for a year and a half, and had an awful start to this season, its way too early to rank him top 5 on this list. You say Dubnyk as if he was a bad goalie for us, which is a bit surprising. His last season with us was awful, but up until then, he was pretty good and I would rank him in our top 5 for sure Talbot, Salo and Khabiboulin are the clear top for me, with Dubnyk and Roloson after. The only real knocks on Khabiboulin are low games played, and not being able to save one of the all time worst stretches on NHL hockey that there ever was. But even if you leave him off your top 5, Roloson isn't top 2. A lot of people remember Roloson's time as all being the quality of his playoff run.

I remember Khabibulin's first game with the Oilers. The Oilers had fought back to tie the game against the Flames against Kipprusoff in his prime before Khabibulin gave the Flames a the GWG with under a minute left. He got hurt mid-November and the Oilers were forced to spend the rest of the season with JDD and Dubnyk. They finished a dismal last. He wasn't much better the following season despite remaining healthy. He was just another failed experiment in the eternal Oilers goaltending carousel.

Great, I remember the night Ben Scrivens looked like the greatest goalie of all time. One night doesn't mean anything unfortunately. I'll agree that injuries were an issue for him, big time. But when healthy, he played as well as any goalie could have with the sad sack of players we had on our roster at the time.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Sorry, but Markannen the backup? Seriously? I can understand by looking at the stats, how you might not like Khabiboulin on the list, but the only thing I agree with on your list is Talbot being at the top. Markanen? He wasn't even a starter, and shouldn't be in the top 10 on this list. He was a fine backup, but the Conklin/Markannen duo is why we needed Roloson. And Markannen wasn't a lot better than Conklin, and Conklin sucked. Skinner has been an average starter for a year and a half, and had an awful start to this season, its way too early to rank him top 5 on this list. You say Dubnyk as if he was a bad goalie for us, which is a bit surprising. His last season with us was awful, but up until then, he was pretty good and I would rank him in our top 5 for sure Talbot, Salo and Khabiboulin are the clear top for me, with Dubnyk and Roloson after. The only real knocks on Khabiboulin are low games played, and not being able to save one of the all time worst stretches on NHL hockey that there ever was. But even if you leave him off your top 5, Roloson isn't top 2. A lot of people remember Roloson's time as all being the quality of his playoff run.


Great, I remember the night Ben Scrivens looked like the greatest goalie of all time. One night doesn't mean anything unfortunately. I'll agree that injuries were an issue for him, big time. But when healthy, he played as well as any goalie could have with the sad sack of players we had on our roster at the time.

Getting injured for 3/4 of the season that forced the Oilers to run not one but two inexperienced goalies was part of that legacy too.

And again even next season when he played the full year he was shit.