9 - Edmonton Oilers

NEW PLAYERS 5
NEW RULES HELP
BETTER THAN '03-04? YES

When Defenseman Chris Pronger coughed up the puck a few times during the Oilers ' first public intrasquad scrimmage last month, the buzz from hockey's smartest fans brought a bemused smile to general manager Kevin Lowe 's face. "People's expectations need to be realistic," Lowe says. "Prongs isn't a superhero." Maybe. But in a small market that has seen its hockey franchise strip-mined for its talent for 15-plus years, a 6'6" Norris Trophy--winning defenseman who actually came the other way, to Edmonton in a trade (and who signed a six-year, $30 million deal that will keep him there), is about as close to Superman as it gets. You think the staunchest pro-ownership fans during the lockout miss being a major player in the NHL ? More than 3,000 citizens showed up at an outdoor press conference when Pronger and new teammate Michael Peca were introduced to the media in August.

Edmonton , bless it, has always aspired to play " Oilers hockey"--the dashing brand that led to five Stanley Cups between 1984 and '90--but it didn't have the resources to keep much of its high-end offensive talent. The new labor agreement and the looming presence of Pronger, 30, alter the equation. He is a superb passer, a quarterback for the power play. "Pronger can take a lot of pressure, and that'll buy some time for the forwards to run some routes," says coach Craig MacTavish . Pronger will have to tone down his liberal use of the stick--he can be Paul Bunyan without the ox--but he has the hockey sense and lateral quickness to still flourish in a faster NHL . Peca, a Selke Trophy winner, and Pronger bring a rough-hewn edge that makes this freewheeling team a tough opponent every game. "If having me and Peca allows the rest of the guys to feel like we have a better chance," says Pronger, "then you've won part of the battle."

Unless the opposition wears kryptonite pads, Oilers hockey will matter again. --M.F.

Insider
If unproven Ty Conklin doesn't win early, G.M. Kevin Lowe will start shopping for a more consistent goalie.

LINEUP

LW
Ryan Smyth
Raffi Torres
Ethan Moreau

C
Shawn Horcoff
MICHAEL PECA
Marty Reasoner

RW
Ales Hemsky
Radek Dvorak
Fernando Pisani

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS
CHRIS PRONGER
Marc-Andre Bergeron
Jason Smith
Steve Staios