head coach: Ron Low

roster: C - Doug Weight, Jason Arnott, Todd Marchant, Mats Lindgren, Steve Kelly. LW - Ryan Smyth, Bill Huard, Dean McAmmond, Rem Murray*, Barrie Moore. RW - Andrei Kovalenko, Mike Grier, Kelly Buchberger, Brantt Myhres. D - Kevin Lowe, Bryan Marchment, Boris Mironov, Drew Bannister, Daniel McGillis*, Greg de Vries*, Craig Millar, Bryan Muir. G - Curtis Joseph, Bob Essensa*.
*-Unsigned free agent.

injuries: None.

transactions: 07/02 - Named Ted Green assistant coach. 07/03 - Signed unrestricted free-agent left wing Bill Huard (Dallas) to a multi-year contract; signed free-agent left wing Doug Friedman. 07/04 - Agreed to terms on a multi-year contract with left wing Mike Watt. 07/11 - Re-signed left wing Andrei Kovalenko to a multi-year contract. 07/23 - Agreed to terms on one-year contracts with defenseman Scott Ferguson and center Scott Fraser. 07/29 - Signed goaltender Steve Passmore to a multi-year contract. 08/08 - Agreed to terms with goaltender Jean-Francois Labbe on a multi-year contract. 08/10 - Signed forward Boyd Devereaux, their first-round draft pick in 1996, to a multi-year contract. 08/12 - Traded defenseman Jiri Slegr to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 1998 third-round draft pick. 08/15 - Signed defenseman Matthieu Descoteaux, their first-round draft pick in 1996, to a multi-year contract. 08/18 - Signed defenseman Kevin Lowe to a multi-year contract. 08/25 - Traded right wing Mariusz Czerkawski to the New York Islanders for left wing Dan Lacouture. 09/05 - Signed defenseman Boris Mironov to a multi-year contract.

standings:

1996-97 FINAL RESULTS
RECORD:     
 OVERALL      36-37-9
 HOME         21-16-4
 ROAD         15-21-5        
POINTS:             81 (13th)
GOALS SCORED:      252  (8th)   
GOALS AGAINST:     247 (17th)
POWER PLAY:      18.0%  (6th)
PENALTY KILLING: 82.5% (18th) 

game results:

PRE-SEASON RESULTS
None.

team news:

by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief

LAST HURRAH?

Just when it seems the Edmonton Oilers are close to regaining their place among the league powers, owner Peter Pocklington is once again threatening to sell the team to a U.S. owner. Pocklington is giving local investors first crack at shelling out the $70 million (US) purchasing price. Word is that a local group is preparing a deal and will be contacting Pocklington around Tuesday, September 16. If he doesn't receive a valid offer by the end of that week, Pocklington will start accepting bids from groups south of the border. Houston is reported to be interested.

OFFENSE: Run and Gun

Provided the impending sell of the team doesn't create too much of a distraction, the Edmonton offense should have no problem supplying goals. The club finished tied for seventh in scoring last season and employ an exciting, wide-open brand of hockey. There's no such thing as a neutral zone trap in Edmonton. This team is all about speed.

The top line will likely feature playmaker extraordinaire Doug Weight centering speedster Todd Marchant and the Little Tank Andrei Kovalenko. Weight is simply one of the best passers in the game and could be near an assist-per-game pace this season. Kovalenko had a wonderful first year in Edmonton, recording a career high 32 goals. He's a powerful skater built low to the ground, hence the name Little Tank, that can finish around the net. As for Marchant, he can just flat out fly. Few who witnessed it will ever forget the amazing burst of speed he put on to blow around the Dallas defense and score the Game Seven OT- winner to eliminate the Stars in last season's playoffs. Marchant spent most of last year playing on the third line and killing penalties. It wasn't until the playoffs that he got promoted to the top unit. His postseason performance should have been good enough to retain his spot this season.

Jason Arnott will center a second line with last season's scoring sensation, Ryan Smyth. In just his second year, Smyth exploded for a team high 39 goals. He also tied Brendan Shanahan for the league lead with 20 power-play goals. It'll be tough to match those numbers this season, but he should be good for at least 30. Captain Kelly Buchberger played the right side on this line last season and always brings a hard-working, check-throwing presence to the mix. Although this line might not remain in tact for long, since there have been some Arnott-to-Chicago trade rumors floating around. That's something to keep an eye on.

Youngsters Rem Murray, Mike Grier, Steve Kelly, Mats Lindgren, and Joe Hulbig will fill out the bottom two lines. Former first- rounder Jason Bonsignore is also looking to make the club after three pretty disappointing seasons in junior. He's still only 21, but Bonsignore has to make his move soon. Swiss right winger Michael Riesen, this year's first-rounder, came to camp and is good enough to play in the NHL right now, but has decided to return to Switzerland this year in order to earn his high school diploma. Which, oddly enough, is exactly what I did in my senior year. They don't even know what the hell Algebra is in Switzerland. It was sweet.

DEFENSE: Life Without Luke

As expected, the Oil lost Luke Richardson to free agency over the summer. That leaves quite the void along the Edmonton blue line. Kevin Lowe will be back to provide his veteran leadership, but most of the playing time will fall to the club's youthful core of defenders, headed up by potential offensive star Boris Mironov.

Mironov has all the tools to be a serious threat from the blue line. He got off to a hot start last season with five goals and 27 points in his first 41 games before a shoulder injury limited him to just one goal and five points in 14 games during the second half of the campaign. Mironov needs to step forward and become a leader this season.

Dan McGillis had a tremendous postseason and could develop into a Richardson style stay-at-home standout, although he does have enough skill to move the puck and even anchor a point on the power play. McGillis is definitely a keeper. Greg de Vries is cut from a similar cloth and should see a dramatic increase in playing time, perhaps getting paired with Drew Bannister.

Bryan Marchment will be back to his old tricks after suffering a scary injury during last year's playoffs when he fell head-first into an open bench door. Marchment isn't exactly the kind of guy who's likely to be effected by such an event, and should be back to his aggressive, hard-hitting ways.

GOALTENDING: CuJo in Command

The Edmonton defense doesn't have to be great as long as Curtis Joseph remains in net. CuJo's glove can cover up for most any defensive mistake made by the youngsters in front of him. There have been some trade rumors involving Joseph, but hopefully that's just jive. If Joseph leaves town, the Oilers are scrap.

While Joseph remains the main man, at least for the time being, Bob Essensa will not return as his backup. The club will either go with one of two AHL standouts, Steve Passmore or J.F. Labbe.

GEE, THAT'S SWELL

* The Oilers are one of the few teams left that play a fast- paced, skating game.

* Weight is a great playmaker in the middle.

* Joseph gives them a chance to win every time out.

TROUBLE

* Team's impending sell could be a major distraction.

* Club is still extremely young.

* The youthful defense could be especially susceptible.

1997-98 OUTLOOK: The Oilers are an exciting young squad. Unfortunately, until the ownership problems get settled, it's kind of hard to pick where they're going to finish. If the club is sold to a local group and stay in Edmonton, and Arnott and Joseph don't get traded, the Oil will be a force. However, if they do get sold to a U.S. owner, all bets are off.

PREDICTION: Third in the Pacific and back in the playoffs.

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