Big Phil
Registered User
- Nov 2, 2003
- 31,703
- 4,144
This was not that bad of a team, it wasnt great but it was better than '98 ironically. They at least reached the finals. But a very old team in general I must say. That's what led to them losing to the USA, was their age, USA was very young at that time. In brackets is who I think should have replaced them.
Goalies
Joseph (Roy)
Brodeur
Ranford (Fuhr)
This was a big shocker. Brodeur I can see. Ranford probalby got the nod because of '91. Joseph wasnt a shock but he made that team even thought he was in the IHL that year for a holdout. Why in the world Roy wasnt picked is a myth. Did Sather have something against him? How he didnt get in there when he nearly won the Conn Smythe is absurd. Other than that Fuhr was still much more solid than Ranford IMO. He was still a very good goalie.
Defence
Coffey
Stevens
Desjardins
Niedermayer
Foote
Blake
Odelein (Bourque)
Cote (MacInnis)
Oh my! What a horrible defence! No wonder the speedy and bigger Americans ran us to the ground. When a 35 year old is your best defenceman then that's rough. Coffey had no gas left in him. '96 was his last good season. He carried way too much of the load. The offense lacked on that defence. I know MacInnis was hurt and Bourque chose not to play but could we have picked someone better than Cote and Odelein? How about Pronger? I'd have dug up Doug Harvey before I let Odelein anywhere near that ice!
Forwards
Lindros
Sakic
Messier
Gretzky
Yzerman
Fleury
Shanahan
Damphousse
C. Lemieux (Recchi)
Graves (Kariya)
Linden
Primeau (Lemieux)
BrindAmour
Verbeek (Oates)
Not a bad forward corps but not great either. Mess and Gretz were far past their prime even though both were around 100 points that year. Verbeek should have sat down. Put Oates in there. Graves and Primeau should have been replaced by Mario and Kariya. Mario chose not to play and Kariya was injured. Then get out Claude Lemieux and throw in Recchi's all around game.
That's a more formidable team. Sather coaching wasnt a bad idea, but giving all three ex-Oilers a "letter" on their shirt was questionable. Lindros or Sakic should have been given a shot at that time.
Goalies
Joseph (Roy)
Brodeur
Ranford (Fuhr)
This was a big shocker. Brodeur I can see. Ranford probalby got the nod because of '91. Joseph wasnt a shock but he made that team even thought he was in the IHL that year for a holdout. Why in the world Roy wasnt picked is a myth. Did Sather have something against him? How he didnt get in there when he nearly won the Conn Smythe is absurd. Other than that Fuhr was still much more solid than Ranford IMO. He was still a very good goalie.
Defence
Coffey
Stevens
Desjardins
Niedermayer
Foote
Blake
Odelein (Bourque)
Cote (MacInnis)
Oh my! What a horrible defence! No wonder the speedy and bigger Americans ran us to the ground. When a 35 year old is your best defenceman then that's rough. Coffey had no gas left in him. '96 was his last good season. He carried way too much of the load. The offense lacked on that defence. I know MacInnis was hurt and Bourque chose not to play but could we have picked someone better than Cote and Odelein? How about Pronger? I'd have dug up Doug Harvey before I let Odelein anywhere near that ice!
Forwards
Lindros
Sakic
Messier
Gretzky
Yzerman
Fleury
Shanahan
Damphousse
C. Lemieux (Recchi)
Graves (Kariya)
Linden
Primeau (Lemieux)
BrindAmour
Verbeek (Oates)
Not a bad forward corps but not great either. Mess and Gretz were far past their prime even though both were around 100 points that year. Verbeek should have sat down. Put Oates in there. Graves and Primeau should have been replaced by Mario and Kariya. Mario chose not to play and Kariya was injured. Then get out Claude Lemieux and throw in Recchi's all around game.
That's a more formidable team. Sather coaching wasnt a bad idea, but giving all three ex-Oilers a "letter" on their shirt was questionable. Lindros or Sakic should have been given a shot at that time.