Edmonton Oilers alternate history: Jarome Iginla, Edmonton legend

This Oilers team returns to the playoffs, like real life, upsets the Dallas Stars in Game 7 overtime with Todd Marchant scoring the series winner. However, unlike in real life they give the Colorado Avalanche a bit more of a fight in the second round, pushing the series to six games instead of five. Iginla has a great rookie season, putting up 50 points as he and Grier trade the 2RW spot throughout the season. It seems like Edmonton might have a winner with their hometown selection. Hopes continue to run high among Oilers fans that this team could one day compete for the Cup again.

The 1997–98 draft/season

The 1997 Draft was a better one, but there honestly isn’t much improved drafting to do. For the large part, we’ll let the draft play out the way it did in real life. The one alternate pick would be to take Maxim Afinogenov in the third round, as he was taken one pick after our 68th overall selection, but that’s too big of a hindsight choice for my liking. We do pick up future NHLer Jason Chimera in the fifth round, like in real life. The only offseason transaction we’ll still make is trading Mariusz Czerkawski to the Islanders, as we’ve got Sturm ready to come over from the DEL.

In season, we’ll still be trading Bryan Marchment and Jason Bonsignore to Tampa Bay for Roman Hamrlik and Paul Comrie. However, Steve Kelly was also sent to the Lightning in this deal, so we’ll replace him with Michel Riesen, who we just took in the first round at this year’s draft. Neither player came to be much, so I feel it’s a fair shake.

We will not, however, be making the trade that sent Jason Arnott and Bryan Muir to New Jersey for Bill Guerin and Valeri Zelepukin. With Iginla on the team, we’ve got a winger for Doug Weight. Instead, we’ll keep Arnott as our second line centre. Iginla officially takes the 1RW spot this year, but takes a step back in points as he adjusts to the role. Sami Kapanen joins the team, as does Tom Poti. We’ll also be making the deadline deal for Janne Niinimaa that happened in real life.

The lines of the alternate post-deadline 1997–98 Oilers look like this:

The Oilers once again make the playoffs and once again are faced with a powerhouse in the first round, in the form of the Colorado Avalanche. Like in real life, this Oilers squad stuns the Avs in seven games to take the series, and moves onto face the Dallas Stars in Round 2. Edmonton is unable to overcome the Stars this time, but they lose in six games, instead of five like in real life. Although the Oilers haven’t been able to break through into the Conference Final, they’re giving the powers of the West more of a fight.

The 1998–99 draft/season

At the 1998 NHL Draft, not much changes. The only real pick of consequence we’ll make is taking Shawn Horcoff in the fourth round like Edmonton did in real life. Off the ice, the Edmonton Investors Group still purchases the team from Peter Pocklington, ensuring the Oilers stay in Edmonton.

However, due to my time travel shenanigans, the EIG is struck with a windfall of extra money, which we use to keep Curtis Joseph in town, rather than seeing him leave in free agency to Toronto. Joseph has a bit of a down season, so we’ll still make the trade to bring in Tommy Salo from the Islanders.

I’ll also still be making the Boris Mironov-to-Chicago-deal at the deadline, sending him and Dean McAmmond to the Windy City for Ethan Moreau, Christian Laflamme, and Chad Kilger. We will also still acquire future Oilers captain Jason “Gator” Smith from the Leafs as well. We do lose Kelly Buchberger in the Atlanta expansion draft. Iginla bounces back from a down season to score 51 points, and looks to be forming serious chemistry with Smyth and Weight on the top line.

The lines of our post-deadline 1998–99 Oilers look like this:

In real life, the Oilers were swept in yet another meeting with the Dallas Stars. However, this Oilers team takes Dallas the distance with seven hard fought games, although Dallas prevails and continues onto win the Cup. It’s another competitive season for Edmonton, but to finally get past the Dallas/Colorado barrier, they’ll need another level.

The 1999–2000 draft/season

The 1999 NHL Draft still doesn’t bring much change in our alternate history. Jani Rita is still our first-round pick, and we still take Mike Comrie in round three. There aren’t any trades to reverse either.

Instead, we’re counting on some internal development from players like Iginla, Smyth, Sturm, and Grier to push the Oilers this season. Joseph and Salo form one of the league’s best tandems, with “Cujo” beginning to cede some starts to the younger Salo. Poti takes Richardson’s spot at 2RD, joining with Smith to form an effective shutdown pair. Other than that, the lines remain identical. Iginla pops for 63 points (his actual total from that year) and is perhaps a season or two away from becoming one of the NHL’s best young players.

The Oilers once again meet Dallas in Round 1, but unlike their five game defeat in real life, Edmonton once again shocks the Stars in seven games to advance to the second round, before again falling to Colorado in six hard-fought games. The Oilers are beginning to develop a league-wide reputation as a serious playoff dark horse, a team that could easily take you out if you’re not careful.

The 2000–01 draft/season

As the millennium turns, we make some moves at the 2000 NHL Draft. We only make one alternate pick of consequence, selecting Brooks Orpik 17th overall, one pick ahead of his actual selection at #18. We sell high on Roman Hamrlik, sending him to the Islanders for a package revolving around young defenceman Eric Brewer (like real life). We also trade Marco Sturm, who’s a luxury on our third line, along with a second, to Boston in exchange for Anson Carter and a first-round pick.

In real life, Edmonton traded Bill Guerin, not Sturm, but we never made the Guerin trade, so we’ll replace him here. Iginla truly breaks out, scoring 31 goals and 71 points on the top line. Salo largely takes Joseph’s spot as the starter, although they still operate in a tandem. Brewer plays on the top pairing with Jason Smith, and the two munch minutes as a strong shutdown pair.

The lines of this team look as such:

The Oilers once again meet the Dallas Stars in Round 1, and once again, they upset them. Edmonton flips the script to take the series for themselves in six, with Joseph turning back the clock in two key games to seal the deal. Against the St. Louis Blues in Round 2, the two-headed monster of Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis is too much for Edmonton to handle, as the Blues take the series in six. However, there’s a feeling in Oil Country that the Oilers are just a couple breaks away from making a serious run.

The 2001–02 draft/season

Thanks to Boston’s pick, we select Ales Hemsky 13th overall at the 2001 NHL Draft. I also don’t make one key trade, as due to another magic influx of cash Edmonton has the money to keep Doug Weight around instead of needing to trade him to St. Louis. Keeping Weight allows him to hold his spot on the top line with Smyth and Iginla, who finally explodes. 52 goals and 96 points for Iggy wins him his first Rocket Richard Trophy, as well as the Art Ross and Lester B. Pearson (Ted Lindsay) awards. Iginla also comes second in Hart voting, just behind Montreal goalie Jose Theodore. Salo is also a force, winning 30 games and posting a career-best 2.22 GAA as he truly plants himself as Edmonton’s starter in the pipes.

At the deadline, I orchestrate a big swing for Edmonton, sending Rem Murray and Tom Poti away like in real life, but instead of getting Mike York from the Rangers, we receive Bryan McCabe from the Leafs. McCabe instantly anchors our second pairing with Niinimaa, and the Oilers look like a true contender for the first time since the early ‘90s.

The lines of the alternate 2001–02 Oilers look like this:

The Oilers make the playoffs and meet (can you believe it?) the Dallas Stars in Round 1. The Oilers and Stars beat the brakes off one another for seven games, but Edmonton ultimately comes out on top. In the second round the Oilers get the San Jose Sharks, who put up a solid fight but are eliminated in six games, propelling Edmonton to their first Conference Final since 1992.

There they face the powerhouse Detroit Red Wings. The Oilers don’t blink. They give the Wings everything they can handle, including a dramatic Game 6 OT winner from Iginla on home ice sending the series back to Joe Louis Arena tied. Detroit wins Game 7, and goes onto win the Cup. However, the Oilers can hold their heads high after the franchise’s first true run in a decade.

Overall, this Oilers team is much more of a playoff contender, rather than a doormat for Dallas or Colorado. With Hemsky, Horcoff, and Pisani coming alongside Comrie, Smyth, and superstar Jarome Iginla, this alternate Edmonton team could have made the same 2004 Stanley Cup Final run the Flames did. If only they had taken Iggy instead of Steve Kelly…