The 10 biggest sliding doors moments in Edmonton Oilers history: Modern era

Its time to complete our list of the top 10 Sliding Doors moments in Edmonton Oilers history.

Last week we took a look at five what ifs from before 2000 , so this week well be exploring five from after the new millennium.

Lets get started! Roloson avoids Game 1 injury The 2006 Edmonton Oilers are the subject of two of the biggest sliding doors moments in team history.

Perhaps the most obvious What if to many modern Oilers fans concerns Dwayne Roloson in the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.

The Cinderella Oilers had made their first trip to the Final since 1990 largely off the back of Roloson, who was playing the best hockey of his life after being acquired at the trade deadline.

In 18 playoff games he had a .927SV% with a 2.33 GAA, and was likely on his way to Conn Smythe consideration.

In the third period of Game 1 however, Roloson suffered a season-ending injury in a net-front collision.

The Oilers played valiantly, but ultimately fell in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Many felt at the time, and continue to believe today, that losing Roloson cost the Oilers the Cup.

That Edmonton team was on a tear, having knocked off the loaded Detroit Red Wings in Round 1, coming back against the San Jose Sharks in Round 2, and dominating the Anaheim Ducks in round 3.

The term team of destiny gets thrown around sometimes, but if a team was ever worthy of the title, it was the Oilers.

What if Roloson avoided the collision that ended his season, and was able to backstop the Oilers to their sixth Stanley Cup? Roli the Goalie would never have paid for a drink in Edmonton again.

Furthermore, that whole Oilers roster etches their names into history and asserts their place as one of sports all-time Cinderella runs.

Beloved players like Ryan Smyth, Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff, and Jason Smith all become Stanley Cup Champions.

Edmonton would have finally had a major franchise moment separate from the dynasty 80s team, and a new generation of Oilers fans celebrate a championship of their own.

Shame it didnt happen.

Rolosons injury isnt the only moment concerning that 06 Oilers team though...

Chris Pronger stays an Oiler The Oilers might have made the Final off the back of Roloson, but they made the playoffs off the back of Chris Pronger.

Acquired in the summer of 2005, the former Hart and Norris Trophy winner made an immediate impact to the Copper and Blue.

Edmonton also signed Pronger to a long-term five year extension after the trade, ensuring he stayed in Oil Country for the foreseeable future.

Pronger had a monster playoff during Edmontons run, posting 21 points in 24 games, anchoring the first pair alongside Jaroslav Spacek.

Even though Edmonton lost a heartbreaker in Game 7 against Carolina, there was lots to be hopeful about for the Oilers.

Theyd be able to return more or less the same core next season and give it another shot.

That was until Pronger publicly requested a trade just four days after the deciding game.

Pronger cited personal reasons as basis for his request.

Word around the league was that Prongers wife was unhappy with the prospect of living in Edmonton, forcing the defencemans hand.

Whatever the case may be, Pronger was dealt to Anaheim for Joffery Lupul, Ladislav Smid, Anaheims 2007 first roundera conditional first dependant on the Ducks reaching the Cup Final, as well as Anaheims 2008 second-round pick.

Not a bad haul for just one player, but no assets in the league would have been able to fill the Pronger sized hole on Edmontons roster.

The Ducks became Cup favourites almost overnight, and wound up lifting Lord Stanley that following June.

To this day, Pronger is still hated by some Oilers fans, but what if he had been able to stay? Imagine a world where Pronger stays in Edmonton.

The Oilers roster wouldnt have changed very much heading into the 200607 season, even assuming Michael Peca still leaves in free agency.

Smyth, Hemsky, Horcoff, Pisani, and Roloson were all still around.

Instead of floundering the following season, which led to the infamous trade of one Ryan Smyth, the Oilers would have likely returned in the playoffs to defend their Western Conference crown.

More importantly, the trade of Pronger sent the Oilers into a tailspin, essentially guaranteeing the need for a rebuild by 2008.

If hes still in town, Edmonton could have contended for at least two more seasons, or attempted to retool on the fly by building around their stars The entire late 2000s NHL changes if Pronger remains in Edmonton.

Patrick Stefan hits the empty net Although it might seem like this entry doesnt really relate to the topic, this sliding door is one of my favourites.

Everyone has seen the clip of Patrick Stefan hilariously missing the empty net with seconds to go in a January 2007 game against the Oilers, enabling Ales Hemsky to dash up the ice and dramatically tie the game with 2.1 seconds to play.

Its one of hockeys all-time funniest bloopers, but not many people know that it also spawned one the sports most interesting what-ifs.

Ray Ferraro not pulling any punches on the call here You see, Edmonton gained an extra point from taking the game to overtime.

They would ultimately finish that season with 71 points, tied with the Chicago Blackhawks.

By virtue of a tiebreak, Chicago was given the fifth highest odds in that seasons draft lottery, and Edmonton was given the sixth highest odds.

When the lottery balls were all drawn, Chicago jumped five spots to win the first overall selection, where they would select Patrick Kane.

But if Stefan hits the empty net, Edmonton doesnt get the extra OT point, putting them at 70 points on the year.

That wouldve given the Oilers the fifth best odds, and hypothetically, the firstst overall pick if things shook out the same way.

Lets imagine they did.

What if Patrick Stefan avoids one of the most well-known errors in sports history, and gives Edmonton the 1st overall pick in 2007? If Edmonton was to take Kane, suddenly NHL history is altered forever.

Not only do the Oilers gain a tremendously skilled player in Kane, giving them a young star as the rebuild begins in proper, but the Blackhawks miss drafting a franchise icon.

Does Chicago go on to win three cups without Kane? Do they win any? Or does missing on Kane open the door for teams like the early 2010s Canucks and Sharks to rule the West? What does Edmonton look like with Kane in their lineup? Does he develop into the same player? Lets suppose he does and Edmonton rights the ship by 2012 and are a playoff team by 2014.

Suddenly theyre not in a position to draft Ryan Nugent Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl, or Connor McDavid.

One missed empty net goal potentially alters a decade of hockey and multiple championships.

No Reinhart for #16 and #33 After nearly a decade lost wandering in the darkness after 2006, it seemed that fate had finally given Edmonton a chance at the 2015 NHL Draft.

Not only had the Oilers won yet another draft lottery and the #1 pick, but they had a generational talent incoming.

Connor McDavid was hyped as the next in line to Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemeiux, and Sidney Crosby.

Edmonton was all too happy to take McDavid first overall as the new face of their franchise.

Aside from McDavid, the Oilers were also in possession of the 16th and 33rd overall picks in a draft that was incredibly deep with talent.

The Oilers already had a young core in Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle that were all about to hit their prime years.

Unfortunately, then-Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli made a move that would backfire spectacularly, sending the 16th and 33rd overall picks to the New York Islanders in exchange for Griffin Reinhart.

At the time, the trade was perhaps understandable.

Reinhart had a tremendous junior career, leading the WHLs Edmonton Oil Kings to an Memorial Cup the previous year.

However, he hadnt quite transitioned to the AHL the way New York had hoped.

Edmonton was all too willing to bring a former Oil King into the fold, but Reinhart failed to meet his lofty pre-draft expectations.

The Islanders used the 16th pick to select Matthew Barzal, and traded the 33rd overall selection for Anthony Beauvillier, two players who became core pieces of their team.

What if Edmonton had hung onto their picks and drafted at 16th and 33rd overall, on top of taking McDavid at first? Barzal was still available, but the Oilers could have also had Kyle Connor, Thomas Chabot, or Joel Eriksson Ek with that selection.

Brandon Carlo was taken at 37th, but he could have been an Oiler at 33rd.

Imagine an Oilers team with a forward core of Hall, Eberle, and Nugent-Hopkins supported by the new faces of Draisaitl, McDavid, and one of Barzal, Connor or Eriksson EK.

Or an Oilers defence hurting for talent getting a Chabot or Carlo.

The early McDavid years were fraught with a lack of young talent throughout the lineup, but if Edmonton had simply kept their two picks they would have been able to add more young guns to grow into NHL roles.

If Barzal or Connor were Oilers, maybe they develop chemistry with McDavid and remove the need to play Draisaitl on his wing, an issue that still impacts the Oilers heading into the 202526 season.

The McDavid era could have been changed completely if the 2015 draft goes different.

Reinharts failure to develop had more far-reaching consequences, however.

Without him blossoming into the defenceman he was hyped to be, Edmonton was forced to make a trade to fix their defence going into the 201617 season.

You might have heard of it...

Taylor Hall isnt traded Trade is one for one: Adam Larsson for Taylor Hall.

That was the famous tweet from TSN Insider Bob McKenzie on June 29, 2016.

The Edmonton Oilers had shockingly, inexplicably traded Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for Adam Larsson and...

nothing.

One for one.

Straight across.

Maybe Edmonton did desperately need qualified defencemen and maybe Larsson was a good bet to trade for at just 24 years old.

Even so, the entire hockey world agreed that the Oilers surely could have gotten a better deal for the young winger.

Hall went on to win the Hart Trophy in 201718, leading the Devils to the playoffs for the first time in five seasons.

Larsson, to his credit, was a solid player for Edmonton, anchoring their top pairing with Oscar Klefbom for almost three seasons.

But what if McKenzie never has a trade to tweet about? What if Hall wasnt traded? Of course those early McDavid teams would have benefitted from continuing to have Hall in their top-six.

Although Hall and McDavid never developed major chemistry during their lone season together in 201516, Hall did develop a rapport with Leon Draisaitl.

Imagine a world where Draisaitl continues to evolve into the Hart Trophy candidate he became with Hall on his wing.

Draisaitls lack of established wingers has been a problem for Edmonton even during their consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final.

If Draisaitl had Hall the first few years, then the Oilers offence isnt solely based on the production of himself and McDavid.

Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins could have rounded out a highly skilled, young top-six.

However, there is the flip side worth considering.

The Oilers defence at the time of the Hall trade was terrible.

Klefbom and Sekera were good, but Justin Schultz was a riverboat gambler defensively and Darnell Nurse was still young.

Its possible the Oilers dont make the playoffs in 201617 without the Klefbom-Larsson pairing.

The Oilers were likely going to need to move a young forward for a defender soon, but it didnt need to be Hall.

Even though McDavid had taken the face of the franchise mantle, having Hall around in the early McDavid years would have have done wonders for team offence.

Spreading the workload around rather than pinning it all on #97 and #29.

However, it could have also doomed the team to be a common rebuilding archetype: all offence, no defence.

Larssons impact on the top pairing with Klefbom cant be understated.

Ultimately, its still a massive what-if no matter which way you slice it.

And thats our list! The 10 Biggest Sliding Doors Moments in Oilers History.

Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments!.

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