There’s a big difference between a team on paper and how it performs on the ice. The Edmonton Oilers know all about that, especially after how good the team looked this past July 1 when they signed forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner.

All things considered, the trade deadline Stan Bowman and company delivered for the Oilers looks good at first blush.

Giving the Edmonton Oilers a chance to get a game further than they did last year. Lately, though, it's looked about as likely as Canada sacking the beaver in favor of the bald eagle. And that was before Friday afternoon.

The NHL’s trade deadline has come and gone and the Edmonton Oilers not only nibbled around the edges, but tried to make some big swings. The two trades