A team not known in recent times for making big trades, the Edmonton Oilers certainly have their history of making notable swaps with other teams. Since coming into the NHL in 1979, the team has made some very good deals for franchise-changing players, while also making trades that altered the course of hockey history (see: Wayne Gretzky trade if you’re confused). So, in all the chaos, which players they traded for could form the best team?
Looking back through the extensive trade history of Edmonton, I created what I believe is the best starting lineup of players that came to the team via trade. This excludes players that were picked through draft picks that the Oilers acquired in trades. So if you’re wondering why I didn’t include guys like Mark Messier or Jordan Eberle, remember this rule. There are also a few honourable mentions at each position, just so we can see who else was considered and also who else has become an Oiler through a trade. Let’s dive in.
Left Wing: Dave Semenko
We begin the all-trade team with a very familiar name to most fans; a name that makes a lot of players shudder when they hear it. Dave Semenko may not have been the biggest superstar with the most points and accolades, but what makes him the best left winger acquired by the Oilers is his toughness. Semenko fought 109 times in his nine-year career, spending a total of 1,175 minutes in the penalty box. He was dubbed the personal protector of Gretzky in his time with the Oilers as no one dared to even get near the greatest hockey player in the world. He was beloved by the fanbase as anytime he was on the ice, they knew their stars were safe, and they might just see the fists fly at any moment.
Semenko was acquired from the Minnesota North Stars in 1979 along with the pick that was used to choose Messier. He helped the Oilers win two Stanley Cups in his time with the team before he was traded again in the 1986-87 season.
Although Semenko is no longer with us, his impact in Edmonton is not forgotten. Some other skilled wingers that deserve an honourable mention for this position include Craig Simpson, Petr Klima, and Todd Marchant.
Centre: Doug Weight
It’s sort of a quiet and very little talked about period of Oilers hockey, the early 90s to mid-2000s. However, whenever it is brought up, the name Doug Weight is usually the first. He’s a guy who came in and made an immediate impact on the Oilers and was consistent throughout his tenure there. He totalled 577 points from the end of the 1992-93 season to the end of the 2000-01 season with Edmonton. He drove the offence in a time when they were searching to get back to the top of the mountain they were at for so long in the 80s.
Weight was a three-time All-Star with the Oilers and is in the team’s Hall of Fame. He came to the team in a one-for-one trade with the New York Rangers and was shipped off in the summer of 2001 to the St. Louis Blues. An underrated star of his time. Some other centres that should be mentioned are Anson Carter, Michael Peca, and Mike Krushelnyski.
Right Wing: Bill Guerin
Speaking of that little-known period roughly 30 years ago, Bill Guerin stopped in Edmonton for a few years during that time. Though he only played parts of four seasons in Oil Country, Guerin was very productive. He posted 20-plus points in all four seasons and 45-plus in his two full seasons. He was a nice complement to a guy like Weight and made the Oilers more competitive every night. He was also not afraid to drop the gloves if he had to, making him a very versatile player.
Related: The Best Way for Oilers to Cash in on Stuart Skinner
Guerin came to Edmonton in a two-for-two trade with the New Jersey Devils, and later departed in a trade that brought in Carter and the draft pick that was used to select Ales Hemsky. This was a tough position to pick from as the Oilers have not historically made a lot of trades at this position, surprisingly. Some honourable mentions include Dave Lumley, Radek Dvorak, and Zack Kassian.
Defenceman: Chris Pronger
One of, if not the most polarizing and memorable member of Oilers’ history is easily the top defenceman on this team. Chris Pronger may have played just a single season with the Oilers, but it was electric. After coming up north during the offseason, he stepped in and was a star. A booming slapshot to go along with a high hockey IQ, he was exactly what a borderline playoff team like the Oilers needed. He was the perfect mix of physicality and offence. He recorded 56 points in 80 regular season games and added an impressive 21 points in 24 playoff games.
Pronger came to Edmonton from the Blues for a trio of players. He and the Oilers came up just shy of the Stanley Cup in 2006, and he was shipped out the following offseason, but his legacy lives on.
Defenseman: Jason Smith
“Gator” makes the cut as the second defenceman on this trade team. Jason Smith played 542 games as an Oiler, and although he wasn’t the flashy, game-changing talent that maybe Pronger was, he was the steady and reliable guy that you could always go back to. He recorded over 10 points in every season but one with the team, and played a very defensive-minded game. He was very good at it, too. Not to mention his unbelievable ability to stop opposing players dead in their tracks. He led the playoff field in hits during the Oilers’ 2006 Playoff run with 59 hits.
Aside from his strong abilities as a player, Smith was a leader. He served as captain or alternate captain for nearly his entire tenure in Edmonton. He led the way, as mentioned, when the team was just one win away from the Cup in 2006. Smith was brought in late in the 1998-99 season from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a couple of draft picks, and departed in the summer of 2007.
A lot of good defencemen were brought in via trade, but Smith takes the cake due to his consistency, skill, leadership, and overall tenure. Some runner-ups include big names like Marty McSorley, Mattias Ekholm, and Jake Walman.
Goalie: Bill Ranford
The toughest position to decide of all deserves to be taken by a legend in the organization and the hockey world. Bill Ranford played 449 games in an Oilers jersey, winning 167 of those games. That places him second all-time in wins in the organization’s history. Though his stats don’t look as good on the surface, it should be taken into account the amount of goals being scored and the type of game that was played in his time. He was a very good goalie in his era. He is also the only goalie to claim MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Canada Cup, and the World Championship.
Ranford was a part of two Stanley Cups in the 80s for Edmonton. He got there through a trade that was centred around sending Andy Moog to the Boston Bruins, the team that drafted Ranford. He played for a few different teams in his long career, but the Oilers were by far his most notable. Other great acquisitions include Dwayne Roloson, Curtis Joseph, and Tommy Salo.
An all-trade second team could easily be created out of all the moves Edmonton has made over the years, as we can see from the honourable mentions. Hopefully, this team changes over the years as the Oilers get better and win more Cups.
