In the Edmonton Oilers’ first NHL season (1979-80), a deadline deal for a goaltender (Ron Low) proved inspired. Low’s addition vaulted the team into the playoffs during the inaugural season, giving fans an idea about what was to come. Since then, the Oilers have made several deadline deals for goaltenders, some of them famously helping the cause.

Even the best-laid plans at the deadline sometimes need a rewrite at important moments. Some of those deadline pickups delivered, but others got hurt and still others needed to be replaced before the playoffs.

In the history of the Oilers, famous goalie playoff tweaks have delivered agony and ecstasy via coaching decisions made in the heat of the moment. Here’s a quick look at the goalie changes, what happened in the days after the coaching staff made the big decision and how the current situation may impact the team this spring.

The 1980s

The 1980s in goal could be described as the Grant Fuhr decade. Among the 127 playoff games Edmonton played in the decade, Fuhr started 92 (73 percent) and won 66 playoff games. The Oilers were forced to make a move in net only twice during the decade. Both times, Andy Moog stepped in.

The 1981 goalie change happened at the beginning of the playoffs. Coach Glen Sather shocked the media gathered at the Montreal Forum on the morning of Game 1 of the series that spring between Edmonton and the Canadiens. He announced that the untested Moog would start against the legendary Montreal lineup. The media reaction was swift and decidedly critical. All Moog did was post a .938 save percentage in helping the upstart Oilers (called “pesky” and filled with “enthusiasm and hard work”) win the first-round series in three straight games.

The 1984 goalie change was truly unfortunate. Fuhr delivered the single most impressive goaltending performance in Oilers Stanley Cup Final history in Game 1 of the series versus the New York Islanders. In Game 3 of the series, New York forward Pat LaFontaine crashed into Fuhr, injuring the goalie’s shoulder and ending his postseason. Moog performed brilliantly in both seasons.

The 2006 final
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2006 will always be a difficult memory. The organization had a brilliant trade deadline courtesy of general manager Kevin Lowe, with goalie Dwayne Roloson acquired to shore up the only real area of weakness. Roloson was exceptional down the stretch and helped the team storm the Western Conference with brilliant goaltending. The Oilers had a big lead in Game 1 of the Final, but faltered, and then Roloson was injured 54 minutes into the game.

Ty Conklin entered the game for Edmonton after the Roloson injury. He was part of a two-way backup rotation, with Mike Morrison the goaltender who didn’t dress that day. Conklin misplayed the puck behind the Edmonton net, and the Oilers lost a game that should never have been in doubt. All these years later, it remains a painful memory for Oilers fans.