Here at Oil on Whyte and across the Fansided NHL network, we are doing a themed week surrounding Team Lore. I have decided to kick off our coverage by writing about the Edmonton Oilers' 1980's dynasty and how they got there.
Following the Scotty Bowman led Montreal Canadiens' dominance through the latter 1970's, leading into the New York Islanders' dynastic reign in the early 1980's led by legends such as Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier, and Denis Potvin.
Right behind them was the Edmonton Oilers who were putting together one of history's greatest assembled teams of all-time. One of nine recognized dynasties throughout the NHL's nearly 110 year history.
Following the collapse of the NHL's rival World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1979, the Edmonton Oilers joined the NHL along with the Hartford Whalers, Winnipeg Jets, and Quebec Nordiques. The Oilers becoming by far the best of those four.
Oilers built through the draft
Although the Oilers do not have the best draft record today, looking back in time, the Oilers had an elite run of drafts from 1979-1981 despite picking no earlier than sixth overall. These three drafts laid the foundation for one of the strongest teams that the game of hockey has ever seen.
In 1979, the Oilers came away with three truly elite players selecting defenceman Kevin Lowe 21st overall, centre Mark Messier 48th overall, and winger Glenn Anderson 69th overall. In 1980, the Oilers drafted defenceman Paul Coffey 6th overall, winger Jari Kurri 69th overall, and goaltender Andy Moog 132nd overall. In 1981, the Oilers selected goaltender Grant Fuhr 8th overall and defenceman Steve Smith 111th overall.
In addition to this core, the Oilers were luckily able to retain18 year old phenom, Wayne Gretzky who was not only a franchise player but a generational talent. He was the face of the league and sport, helping to push hockey towards the mainstream consciousness and was an Oiler until he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988.
How the Oilers became a dynasty
Following the Islanders' fourth straight Stanley Cup victory in 1983, that saw the club face the up-and-coming Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals defeating them 4-0, the two clubs rematched in 1984. This time the Oilers prevailed, defeating the Islanders 4-1 in the series to take the Cup back to Edmonton.
The Islanders were aging and although not 'old' they had played a lot of hockey in a short period of time and simply could not hold it together any longer. Mike Bossy would only last a few more seasons before being forced to retire due to injury and the team overall was much less productive, especially come playoff time.
This fall gave way for the Oilers to have their turn at forming a dynasty led by Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Coffey, Anderson, Lowe, and Fuhr as their core. The team was able to win four of the next five Stanley Cups in 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1988.
There were many things that made the Oilers so successful during this period but nothing was more important than simply how deep they were. Between a rock solid goaltending tandem of Moog and Fuhr, they had a strong defensive core with Lowe and Coffey at the top but with Randy Gregg, Steve Smith, and others. They were also able to supplement their high end forwards with a supporting cast of various names like; Esa Tikkanen, Craig McTavish, Craig Simpson, Mike Krushelnyski, and more.
The Oilers during this time had insulated their core so well that their supporting cast was made up of players who would be one of the best on other teams. While Gretzky notched 208 points in 1984-85, Krushelnyski potted 88.
This level of depth is a big part of the reason that the Oilers were able to find so much success. Of course, having the stars they did helped too.
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