Comrie

The Oilers finished with 92 points, but missed the playoffs for the first time since '96. A midseason slump, when they won just seven of 27, proved too much to overcome. Forwards Mike Comrie and Ryan Smyth join Anson Carter to lead a speedy attack, while budding star Eric Brewer and captain Jason Smith head up a versatile defense. If they can avoid any prolonged dips, the Oilers will be back selling playoff tickets in April.

	The Big Question
	Q: Can small and fast survive in the West? Yes, I think so -- mainly because goaltender Tommy Salo makes up for a lot of mistakes. Mike York and Mike Comrie are both small, but they will control the fast and talented top two lines. So I think there might be some changes in the No. 3 and 4 lines. There have been some trade rumors, with Todd Marchant's name talked about a lot. But overall, the Oilers always stick to the same formula, and that's why they're so much fun to watch. Young and talented, they have speed, plus a game plan with an attitude. The Oilers will really benefit from the up-tempo game with quick whistles because they love to crank it up and keep it cranked up. With their speed and mentality, the game's new hurry-up process will help them. It was unfair that they didn't make the playoffs last year -- they had 92 points and were 10 games over .500. They just got caught in the numbers of the Western Conference. Yes, they will survive, and I think they'll move forward this year. -- Brian Engblom
	Good: Jiri Dopita's inability to stay healthy didn't help his cause in Philadelphia, but the big Czech also suffered from his role on an unstable third line. Playing on Edmonton's second line with an offensive talent like Mike York should help him rehabilitate his reputation. Bad: Edmonton may still have the best ice in the league, but this isn't a run-and-gun offense. With Craig MacTavish preaching defense, the Oilers allowed the second-fewest goals in the league. That kind of approach limits Ryan Smyth's fantasy productivity, making it unlikely he'll score more than 30 goals. -- Eric Karabell
	Top Prospect
	Tony Salmelainen, RW A Finnish winger, taken in the second round of the 1999 draft, Salmelainen is only 5-foot-9, but makes himself dangerous because of his explosive speed and excellent shot.
	Minors Outlook
	Hamilton Bulldogs The Bulldogs ignored lots of off-the-ice turmoil to put together a splendid season last year, almost making it to the playoff finals. They will be getting players from Montreal this season, as well as Edmonton, and it looks like a roster heavy with excellent young talent, but light on experience. -- Bill Ballou

Forwards The Oilers had one of the league's best lines last year in Ryan Smyth, Mike Comrie and Anson Carter. But it only lasted until mid-November when Smyth went down with a broken ankle. The trade acquisitions of Jiri Dopita and Mike York give the Oilers the elements for a second scoring line, but each of them had their struggles last season (Dopita with a knee injury, York producing without Eric Lindros and Theo Fleury). Mike Grier, Todd Marchant and Ethan Moreau also had sub-par offensive seasons, though Grier was recovering form shoulder surgery. The league's crackdown on obstruction should bring more of the Oilers' small and speedy players into the mix. But it remains to be seen if they can finish when given the room. Western Conference Position Ranking: 9th Defensemen The Oilers have one of the more underrated collections of defensemen - one that was comfortable in ushering Tom Poti out of town. Collectively, veterans Eric Brewer, Jason Smith, Janne Niinimaa and Steve Staios provide a solid mix of offense and defense. After them, the Oilers are reliant upon Scott Ferguson, who spent a majority of his eight-year career in the minors, and a handful of prospects. Western Conference Position Ranking: T6th Goalie Olympic flubs aside, Tommy Salo is coming off one of his best seasons as a pro (2.22 GAA, .913 save pct.) and is one of the few players whose head hasn't been requested on a silver platter recently. Jussi Markkanen and minor-leaguer Ty Conklin are better than average backups. Western Conference Position Ranking: T5th

Rankings: 7th Overall
Forwards | Defensemen | Goalies

RECORD: 38-28-12-4, 92 points Rank: 15th overall 9th West 3rd Northwest Playoffs: None Home: 23-14-4-0 Road: 15-14-8-4 2001-02 results 2001-02 statistics 2002-03 schedule 2002-03 roster OFFENSE DEFENSE GOALS FOR/AVG. Overall: 205/2.50 (21st) Home: 110/2.68 (17th) Road: 95/2.32 (20th) POWER PLAY Overall: 15.3/51-333 (16th) Home: 15.9/27-170 (18th) Road: 14.7/24-163 (12th) GOALS AGAINST/AVG. Overall: 182/2.22 (2nd) Home: 84/2.05 (4th) Road: 98/2.39 (6th) PENALTY KILL Overall: 85.6/50-348 (12th) Home: 86.8/23-174 (9th) Road: 84.5/27-174 (12th) STATS LEADERS GOALS Mike Comrie (33) Anson Carter (28) Jochen Hecht (16)* ASSISTS Janne Niinimaa (39) Ryan Smyth (34) Carter (32) POINTS Comrie (60) Carter (60) Smyth (49) PENALTY MINUTES Georges Laraque (157) Sean Brown (127)* Steve Staios (106) PLUS/MINUS Comrie (+18) Jason Smith (+14) Niinimaa (+13) GAA (MIN. 20 GP) Tommy Salo (2.22) SAVE PERCENTAGE Salo (.913) * - no longer with team