2006 Goalie Trade Ignited Oil Country: Can Oilers Do It Again?

In the illustrious history of the Edmonton Oilers, few trades have carried as much weight as when GM Kevin Lowe sent a first-round pick and a conditional third to Minnesota for veteran Dwayne Roloson in March 2006. Edmonton was stumbling, and the veteran Roloson came in with a 6-17-1 record; a high-stakes gamble for a team just trying to earn a playoff spot.

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As Roloson commented, while reflecting on the timing of the trade and team expectations:

“We clinched the second-last game of the year to get in the playoffs. Whatever we did in the playoffs was just gravy.”

The Rocky Start and the “MacT” Factor

The transition wasn’t an instant success. Roloson’s first few starts were shaky, including an underwhelming .859 save percentage and a 0-2-1 record, which had critics questioning the trade. But head coach Craig MacTavish saw something else. Reflecting on Roloson’s mental toughness, MacTavish explained:

“The thing about [Roloson] is that when his game gets there, I’ve seen it stay there for three months. With the games he’s played, the game he played (Sunday), he’s back at the level we’ve seen him at before, and we know where that can lead you.”

MacTavish was right. Roloson became an impenetrable wall. Facing the powerhouse Detroit Red Wings in Round 1, Roloson performed incredibly and posted a .929 save percentage, fueling one of the greatest upsets in franchise history. The city ignited; Roloson quickly became a household name across Oil Country. When reflecting on what Roloson meant to the team, Jarret Stoll commented:

“The confidence that [Roloson] showed right from when we got him (at the trading deadline from Minnesota), it came throughout our team… We all know that confidence can do wonders … and we were absolutely rolling when we went into those playoffs. … we had unbelievable goaltending and timely goals.”

“Roli the Goalie’s” Immeasurable Legacy of 2006

In 2006, the Oilers came within a whisker of their sixth Stanley Cup, only for the run to pivot on the untimely Game One injury Roloson suffered in the Final series. While the series ended in a heartbreaking Game Seven loss, what Roloson gave Edmonton throughout the 2006 playoffs remains immeasurable.

Ultimately, the dominance displayed by Roloson through the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs couldn’t be summed up any better than through the words of teammate Ethan Moreau:

“We went from having the best goalie in the world at that time—and these comments have nothing to do with Jussi (Markkanen) or Ty (Conklin)’s abilities or qualities as teammates—but [Roloson] was at a different level. I really, truly believe that when we entered the playoffs, we had the best goalie in the world and the best defenceman in the world (Chris Pronger).”

Can the Oilers Do It Again, But Win This Time?

More than just a deadline deal, the March 2006 trade to acquire Dwayne Roloson helped redefine Edmonton’s ceiling and provided the backbone for a playoff run that has remained etched in the soul of Oil Country.

Now, with the Oilers having gone to two consecutive Stanley Cup Final series, this version of the team has gone to the market again. They traded for Tristan Jarry, who was coming off a tough 2024-25 season and then brought in Connor Ingram, who was overcoming personal health issues. Like Roloson, neither was a sure thing. Also like Roloson, the early returns have been positive.

Can this tandem take the Oilers through the 2026 playoffs and finally help this team achieve the one thing that’s eluded them since 1990?

Next: Are the Oilers’ Post-Jarry Goaltending Numbers Being Cherry-Picked?