# 1998–99 Edmonton Oilers season

The 1998–99 Edmonton Oilers season was the Oilers' 20th season in the NHL, and they were coming off a 35–37–10 record in 1997–98, earning their 2nd straight playoff appearance.
During the off-season, the Oilers franchise remaining in Edmonton looked very unlikely, as Oilers owner Peter Pocklington would be talking to a group from Houston which, if successful in the purchase, would relocate the club to Houston. At the last minute, the Edmonton Investors Group, a consortium of 37 Edmonton-based owners, raised the funds to purchase the team from Pocklington, vowing to keep the Oilers in Edmonton. The Oilers received support throughout the NHL, and the club would remain.
Also during the off-season, the Oilers would lose goaltender Curtis Joseph, as he would leave the team as a free agent and join the Toronto Maple Leafs, leaving the goaltending duties to Bob Essensa and former Mighty Ducks of Anaheim backup Mikhail Shtalenkov, and Edmonton would join the newly created Northwest Division, along with their Western Canada rivals the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks, as well as the Colorado Avalanche.
Edmonton would start the season with a 7–4–0 record in their opening 11 games, and would remain close to the .500 mark until early February, despite losing Doug Weight to injuries. Edmonton would then go into a slump, and would drop out of a playoff spot, and on March 17, the Oilers would be 25–33–10, sitting in ninth place. Three days later, the Oilers would send Mats Lindgren and an eighth-round draft pick to the New York Islanders in exchange for goaltender Tommy Salo. Edmonton would also deal Boris Mironov and Dean McAmmond to the Chicago Blackhawks for youngsters Ethan Moreau, Christian Laflamme and Chad Kilger, and acquire Jason Smith from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a fourth-round draft pick on March 23.
The moves paid off for the Oilers, as they would post an 8–4–2 record after the Salo deal and sneak into the final playoff position, finishing the season with a 33–37–12 record. On April 3, 1999, Patrick Roy defeated the Edmonton Oilers and passed Glenn Hall with his 408th victory.
Offensively, Bill Guerin would be Edmonton's leader, scoring a team high 30 goals and 34 assists for 64 points. Josef Beranek would earn 49 points, while Mike Grier would have a breakout season, scoring 20 goals and earning 44 points. Doug Weight would register 37 points in only 43 games. Defensively, Boris Mironov would lead blueline with 40 points, but was dealt to Chicago at the trade deadline. Roman Hamrlik chipped in with 32 points, while Janne Niinimaa would earn 28. Sean Brown would have a team high 188 penalty minutes in only 51 games.
In goal, Bob Essensa and Mikhail Shtalenkov would split time for a majority of the season, each earning 12 victories. Shtalenkov would then be traded to the Phoenix Coyotes, and the Oilers would acquire Tommy Salo to become the new starter, and in 13 games, Salo would go 8–2–2 with a 2.31 goals against average (GAA).
The Oilers opened the playoffs against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Dallas Stars, who had finished the year with 114 points, 36 higher than the Oilers. Edmonton found themselves down in the series 2–0 after dropping two close games in Dallas. The Stars quickly eliminated the Oilers, winning the next two games in Edmonton by 3–2 scores to sweep the series. The Stars continued on to win the Stanley Cup.

## Regular season

The Oilers lead the NHL in power-play opportunities, with 438.

### Season standings

Northwest Division :
| R | CR | | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | PIM | Pts |
| 1 | 2 | Colorado Avalanche | 82 | 44 | 28 | 10 | 239 | 205 | 1619 | 98 |
| 2 | 8 | Edmonton Oilers | 82 | 33 | 37 | 12 | 230 | 226 | 1373 | 78 |
| 3 | 9 | Calgary Flames | 82 | 30 | 40 | 12 | 211 | 234 | 1389 | 72 |
| 4 | 13 | Vancouver Canucks | 82 | 23 | 47 | 12 | 192 | 258 | 1764 | 58 |
Western Conference :
| R | | Div | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | p – Dallas Stars | PAC | 82 | 51 | 19 | 12 | 236 | 168 | 114 |
| 2 | y – Colorado Avalanche | NW | 82 | 44 | 28 | 10 | 239 | 205 | 98 |
| 3 | y – Detroit Red Wings | CEN | 82 | 43 | 32 | 7 | 245 | 202 | 93 |
| 4 | Phoenix Coyotes | PAC | 82 | 39 | 31 | 12 | 205 | 197 | 90 |
| 5 | St. Louis Blues | CEN | 82 | 37 | 32 | 13 | 237 | 209 | 87 |
| 6 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | PAC | 82 | 35 | 34 | 13 | 215 | 206 | 83 |
| 7 | San Jose Sharks | PAC | 82 | 31 | 33 | 18 | 196 | 191 | 80 |
| 8 | Edmonton Oilers | NW | 82 | 33 | 37 | 12 | 230 | 226 | 78 |
| 9 | Calgary Flames | NW | 82 | 30 | 40 | 12 | 211 | 234 | 72 |
| 10 | Chicago Blackhawks | CEN | 82 | 29 | 41 | 12 | 202 | 248 | 70 |
| 11 | Los Angeles Kings | PAC | 82 | 32 | 45 | 5 | 189 | 222 | 69 |
| 12 | Nashville Predators | CEN | 82 | 28 | 47 | 7 | 190 | 261 | 63 |
| 13 | Vancouver Canucks | NW | 82 | 23 | 47 | 12 | 192 | 258 | 58 |
Divisions: CEN – Central, PAC – Pacific, NW – Northwest
bold – Qualified for playoffs; p – Won Presidents' Trophy; y – Won division

## Schedule and results
### Regular season

1998–99 regular season :
October: 5–4–0 (home: 2–2–0; road: 3–2–0)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
1October 10Los Angeles Kings2 – 1Edmonton OilersShtalenkov17,1000–1–00Recap
2October 13Toronto Maple Leafs3 – 2Edmonton OilersShtalenkov16,4330–2–00Recap
3October 14Edmonton Oilers4 – 1Vancouver CanucksShtalenkov14,4741–2–02Recap
4October 17Edmonton Oilers4 – 2New Jersey DevilsShtalenkov15,7372–2–04Recap
5October 20Edmonton Oilers2 – 3New York RangersEssensa18,2002–3–04Recap
6October 21Edmonton Oilers4 – 2New York IslandersShtalenkov5,2003–3–06Recap
7October 24Edmonton Oilers4 – 6Colorado AvalancheEssensa16,0613–4–06Recap
8October 28Washington Capitals2 – 8Edmonton OilersEssensa14,2904–4–08Recap
9October 31Pittsburgh Penguins1 – 4Edmonton OilersEssensa16,1715–4–010Recap :
November: 7–5–1 (home: 3–3–0; road: 4–2–1)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
10November 2Vancouver Canucks3 – 5Edmonton OilersEssensa15,2606–4–012Recap
11November 4Nashville Predators2 – 3Edmonton OilersEssensa14,0547–4–014Recap
12November 6Colorado Avalanche5 – 2Edmonton OilersEssensa17,1007–5–014Recap
13November 8Edmonton Oilers3 – 2Chicago BlackhawksOTShtalenkov16,3958–5–016Recap
14November 11Edmonton Oilers2 – 3Toronto Maple LeafsShtalenkov15,7268–6–016Recap
15November 12Edmonton Oilers1 – 1Ottawa SenatorsOTEssensa14,6808–6–117Recap
16November 14Edmonton Oilers4 – 1Montreal CanadiensShtalenkov20,3419–6–119Recap
17November 18Detroit Red Wings6 – 2Edmonton OilersEssensa17,1009–7–119Recap
18November 20Edmonton Oilers3 – 2Mighty Ducks of AnaheimOTShtalenkov16,36710–7–121Recap
19November 21Edmonton Oilers2 – 3Phoenix CoyotesOTShtalenkov16,21010–8–121Recap
20November 25Colorado Avalanche0 – 3Edmonton OilersShtalenkov15,49911–8–123Recap
21November 27Edmonton Oilers3 – 2Calgary FlamesShtalenkov17,10412–8–125Recap
22November 29Chicago Blackhawks3 – 2Edmonton OilersShtalenkov15,51512–9–125Recap :
December: 3–8–2 (home: 2–4–0; road: 1–4–2)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
23December 2Phoenix Coyotes3 – 4Edmonton OilersShtalenkov14,28113–9–127Recap
24December 4Tampa Bay Lightning2 – 1Edmonton OilersShtalenkov15,30313–10–127Recap
25December 6Dallas Stars6 – 2Edmonton OilersEssensa16,45813–11–127Recap
26December 8Edmonton Oilers3 – 3Nashville PredatorsOTShtalenkov14,52913–11–228Recap
27December 9Edmonton Oilers1 – 3Chicago BlackhawksShtalenkov15,54613–12–228Recap
28December 11Edmonton Oilers2 – 3Detroit Red WingsEssensa19,98313–13–228Recap
29December 13Edmonton Oilers2 – 2Philadelphia FlyersOTShtalenkov19,51313–13–329Recap
30December 15Edmonton Oilers0 – 3Carolina HurricanesShtalenkov5,68413–14–329Recap
31December 18Edmonton Oilers4 – 1Tampa Bay LightningEssensa10,28914–14–331Recap
32December 19Edmonton Oilers1 – 3Florida PanthersShtalankov17,95314–15–331Recap
33December 23San Jose Sharks5 – 3Edmonton OilersEssensa16,35014–16–331Recap
34December 27Vancouver Canucks0 – 3Edmonton OilersShtalenkov17,10015–16–333Recap
35December 29Montreal Canadiens5 – 2Edmonton OilersShtalenkov17,10015–17–333Recap :
January: 4–3–4 (home: 2–2–2; road: 2–1–2)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
36January 3Philadelphia Flyers3 – 3Edmonton OilersOTShtalenkov17,10015–17–434Recap
37January 5Los Angeles Kings4 – 3Edmonton OilersOTShtalenkov14,37015–18–434Recap
38January 7Edmonton Oilers7 – 1Phoenix CoyotesEssensa15,10216–18–436Recap
39January 9Edmonton Oilers1 – 1Los Angeles KingsOTEssensa14,93616–18–537Recap
40January 10Edmonton Oilers4 – 6Mighty Ducks of AnaheimShtalenkov17,17416–19–537Recap
41January 12Dallas Stars2 – 2Edmonton OilersOTEssensa16,20116–19–638Recap
42January 14Edmonton Oilers3 – 1Vancouver CanucksEssensa15,91017–19–640Recap
43January 17Detroit Red Wings1 – 4Edmonton OilersEssensa17,10018–19–642Recap
44January 21Edmonton Oilers3 – 3San Jose SharksOTEssensa17,48318–19–743Recap
45January 27Chicago Blackhawks4 – 3Edmonton OilersOTEssensa16,28118–20–743Recap
46January 30Mighty Ducks of Anaheim0 – 1Edmonton OilersShtalenkov17,10019–20–745Recap :
February: 4–8–2 (home: 2–4–2; road: 2–4–0)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
47February 1St. Louis Blues4 – 3Edmonton OilersOTShtalenkov14,02119–21–745Recap
48February 3Ottawa Senators2 – 2Edmonton OilersOTEssensa14,48719–21–846Recap
49February 5Nashville Predators2 – 4Edmonton OilersEssensa15,55220–21–848Recap
50February 8Edmonton Oilers1 – 2Calgary FlamesEssensa16,84220–22–848Recap
51February 9Boston Bruins2 – 0Edmonton OilersShtalenkov16,17320–23–848Recap
52February 11Edmonton Oilers2 – 4Detroit Red WingsEssensa19,98320–24–848Recap
53February 13Edmonton Oilers3 – 2St. Louis BluesEssensa20,20921–24–850Recap
54February 15Edmonton Oilers1 – 4Dallas StarsEssensa16,92821–25–850Recap
55February 17Edmonton Oilers6 – 2Mighty Ducks of AnaheimShtalenkov14,54022–25–852Recap
56February 18Edmonton Oilers2 – 3Los Angeles KingsShtalenkov11,28722–26–852Recap
57February 21New York Rangers2 – 1Edmonton OilersOTEssensa17,10022–27–852Recap
58February 24Mighty Ducks of Anaheim2 – 1Edmonton OilersPassmore16,00122–28–852Recap
59February 26Buffalo Sabres3 – 6Edmonton OilersEssensa17,10023–28–854Recap
60February 27Carolina Hurricanes2 – 2Edmonton OilersOTPassmore17,10023–28–955Recap :
March: 5–7–2 (home: 3–3–1; road: 2–4–1)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
61March 1Edmonton Oilers4 – 3Colorado AvalancheEssensa16,06124–28–957Recap
62March 3Edmonton Oilers5 – 3Buffalo SabresPassmore18,59525–28–959Recap
63March 5Edmonton Oilers2 – 2Pittsburgh PenguinsOTEssnesa15,68825–28–1060Recap
64March 6Edmonton Oilers3 – 4Washington CapitalsPassmore19,74025–29–1060Recap
65March 10Edmonton Oilers4 – 7Dallas StarsShtalenkov16,92825–30–1060Recap
66March 13Edmonton Oilers4 – 6St. Louis BluesEssensa18,07125–31–1060Recap
67March 14Edmonton Oilers1 – 3Nashville PredatorsPassmore16,14825–32–1060Recap
68March 17New Jersey Devils4 – 1Edmonton OilersPassmore15,58125–33–1060Recap
69March 20Vancouver Canucks3 – 4Edmonton OilersSalo17,10026–33–1062Recap
70March 22Calgary Flames2 – 2Edmonton OilersOTSalo17,10026–33–1163Recap
71March 24Montreal Canadiens2 – 0Edmonton OilersSalo17,10026–34–1163Recap
72March 26St. Louis Blues1 – 2Edmonton OilersSalo16,31827–34–1165Recap
73March 28San Jose Sharks2 – 5Edmonton OilersSalo16,51228–34–1167Recap
74March 30Phoenix Coyotes7 – 4Edmonton OilersEssensa17,10028–35–1167Recap :
April: 5–2–1 (home: 3–1–0; road: 2–1–1)
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPtsRecap
75April 1Toronto Maple Leafs5 – 1Edmonton OilersSalo17,10028–36–1167Recap
76April 3Edmonton Oilers2 – 5Colorado AvalancheEssensa16,06128–37–1167Recap
77April 7Calgary Flames2 – 4Edmonton OilersSalo17,10029–37–1169Recap
78April 9Edmonton Oilers4 – 1Calgary FlamesSalo17,10430–37–1171Recap
79April 10Edmonton Oilers1 – 1Vancouver CanucksOTSalo16,21730–37–1272Recap
80April 12Edmonton Oilers5 – 4San Jose SharksOTSalo17,48331–37–1274Recap
81April 16Colorado Avalanche1 – 5Edmonton OilersSalo17,10032–37–1276Recap
82April 17Calgary Flames2 – 3Edmonton OilersSalo17,10033–37–1278Recap :
Legend:
  Win (2 points)
  Loss (0 points)
  Tie (1 point) :

### Playoffs

1999 Stanley Cup playoffs :
Western Conference Quarterfinals vs. (1) Dallas Stars – Stars win 4–0
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceSeriesRecap
1April 21Edmonton Oilers1 – 2Dallas StarsSalo17,0010–1Recap
2April 23Edmonton Oilers2 – 3Dallas StarsSalo17,0010–2Recap
3April 25Dallas Stars3 – 2Edmonton OilersSalo17,1000–3Recap
4April 27Dallas Stars3 – 2Edmonton Oilers3OTSalo17,1000–4Recap :
Legend:
  Win
  Loss :

## Player statistics
### Scoring

* Position abbreviations: C = Centre; D = Defence; G = Goaltender; LW = Left wing; RW = Right wing
* † = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Oilers only.
* ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Oilers only.
| No. | Player | Pos | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| No. | Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM |
| 9 | Bill Guerin | RW | 80 | 30 | 34 | 64 | 7 | 133 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | −4 | 2 |
| 20 | Josef Beranek | LW | 66 | 19 | 30 | 49 | 6 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 4 |
| 25 | Mike Grier | RW | 82 | 20 | 24 | 44 | 5 | 54 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 10 | Pat Falloon | RW | 82 | 17 | 23 | 40 | −4 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Boris Mironov‡ | D | 63 | 11 | 29 | 40 | 6 | 104 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 17 | Rem Murray | LW | 78 | 21 | 18 | 39 | 4 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 2 |
| 39 | Doug Weight | C | 43 | 6 | 31 | 37 | −8 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −3 | 15 |
| 26 | Todd Marchant | C | 82 | 14 | 22 | 36 | 3 | 65 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| 22 | Roman Hamrlik | D | 75 | 8 | 24 | 32 | 9 | 70 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 94 | Ryan Smyth | LW | 71 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 0 | 62 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | −1 | 0 |
| 44 | Janne Niinimaa | D | 81 | 4 | 24 | 28 | 7 | 88 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 2 |
| 51 | Andrei Kovalenko‡ | RW | 43 | 13 | 14 | 27 | −4 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 37 | Dean McAmmond‡ | C | 65 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 5 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | Tom Poti | D | 73 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 10 | 42 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −3 | 2 |
| 14 | Mats Lindgren‡ | C | 48 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 4 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 28 | Alexander Selivanov† | RW | 29 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 19 | Boyd Devereaux | C | 61 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 2 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Kelly Buchberger | RW | 52 | 4 | 4 | 8 | −6 | 68 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −4 | 0 |
| 23 | Sean Brown | D | 51 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 188 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 42 | Kevin Brown‡ | RW | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | −2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | Ethan Moreau† | LW | 14 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 27 | Georges Laraque | RW | 39 | 3 | 2 | 5 | −1 | 57 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 2 |
| 33 | Marty McSorley | D | 46 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −5 | 101 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 46 | Todd Reirden | D | 17 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −1 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | Frank Musil | D | 39 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 2 |
| 34 | Vladimir Vorobiev† | RW | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 0 |
| 15 | Chad Kilger† | C | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 4 |
| 21 | Jason Smith† | D | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 32 | Craig Millar | D | 24 | 0 | 2 | 2 | −6 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 38 | Chris Ferraro | RW | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 30 | Bob Essensa | G | 39 | 0 | 1 | 1 | | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 24 | Christian Laflamme† | D | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −4 | 2 |
| 29 | Steve Passmore | G | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | Fredrik Bremberg | C | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 34 | Jim Dowd | C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 28 | Bill Huard‡ | LW | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | Joe Hulbig | LW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | Dan LaCouture | LW | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 21 | Daniel Lacroix | LW | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 35 | Tommy Salo† | G | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 |
| 35 | Mikhail Shtalenkov‡ | G | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |

### Goaltending

* † = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Oilers only.
* ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Oilers only.
| No. | Player | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| No. | Player | GP | W | L | T | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI | GP | W | L | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI |
| 30 | Bob Essensa | 39 | 12 | 14 | 6 | 974 | 96 | 2.76 | .901 | 0 | 2091 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 35 | Mikhail Shtalenkov‡ | 34 | 12 | 17 | 3 | 782 | 81 | 2.67 | .896 | 3 | 1819 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 35 | Tommy Salo† | 13 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 279 | 27 | 2.32 | .903 | 0 | 700 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 149 | 11 | 2.23 | .926 | 0 | 296 |
| 29 | Steve Passmore | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 183 | 17 | 2.82 | .907 | 0 | 362 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |

## Awards and records
### Awards

| Type | Award/honour | Recipient |
| League (annual) | NHL All-Rookie Team | Tom Poti |
| League (in-season) | NHL All-Star Game selection | Roman Hamrlik |
| Team | Community Service Award | Pat Falloon |
| Team | Defenceman of the Year | Roman Hamrlik |
| Team | Molson Cup | Bill Guerin |
| Team | Most Popular Player | Doug Weight |
| Team | Top Defensive Forward | Todd Marchant |
| Team | Top First Year Oiler | Tom Poti |
| Team | Unsung Hero | Mike Grier |
| Team | Zane Feldman Trophy | Bill Guerin |

### Milestones

Regular Season :
| Player | Milestone | Reached |
| Fredrik Bremberg | 1st NHL Game | October 10, 1998 |
| Tom Poti | 1st NHL Game | October 10, 1998 |
| Ryan Smyth | 200th NHL Game | October 17, 1998 |
| Andrei Kovalenko | 400th NHL Game | October 21, 1998 |
| Mike Grier | 1st NHL Gordie Howe hat trick | October 24, 1998 |
| Sean Brown | 100th NHL PIM | October 31, 1998 |
| Craig Millar | 1st NHL Assist | October 31, 1998 |
| Andrei Kovalenko | 300th NHL PIM | November 8, 1998 |
| Todd Marchant | 300th NHL Game | November 12, 1998 |
| Tom Poti | 1st NHL Goal 1st NHL Point | November 18, 1998 |
| Kelly Buchberger | 1,700th NHL PIM | November 25, 1998 |
| Tom Poti | 1st NHL Assist | November 29, 1998 |
| Josef Beranek | 100th NHL Assist | December 6, 1998 |
| Bill Guerin | 600th NHL PIM | December 23, 1998 |
| Marty McSorley | 900th NHL Game | December 23, 1998 |
| Boris Mironov | 500th NHL PIM | January 3, 1999 |
| Georges Laraque | 1st NHL Goal 1st NHL Point | January 7, 1999 |
| Todd Reirden | 1st NHL Game | January 7, 1999 |
| Todd Reirden | 1st NHL Goal 1st NHL Assist 1st NHL Point | January 19, 1999 |
| Janne Niinimaa | 100th NHL Point | January 14, 1999 |
| Georges Laraque | 1st NHL Assist | January 17, 1999 |
| Janne Niinimaa | 200th NHL Game | February 1, 1999 |
| Josef Beranek | 200th NHL Point | February 3, 1999 |
| Mike Grier | 200th NHL Game | February 17, 1999 |
| Alexander Selivanov | 1st NHL Hat-trick | February 17, 1999 |
| Dean McAmmond | 100th NHL Assist | February 21, 1999 |
| Dan LaCouture | 1st NHL Game | February 24, 1999 |
| Georges Laraque | 100th NHL PIM | February 24, 1999 |
| Steve Passmore | 1st NHL Game | February 24, 1999 |
| Sean Brown | 200th NHL PIM | February 26, 1999 |
| Dean McAmmond | 300th NHL Game | February 27, 1999 |
| Ryan Smyth | 200th NHL PIM | February 27, 1999 |
| Rem Murray | 200th NHL Game | March 1, 1999 |
| Steve Passmore | 1st NHL Win | March 3, 1999 |
| Steve Passmore | 1st NHL Assist | March 17, 1999 |
| Mike Grier | 1st NHL Hat-trick | March 20, 1999 |
| Marty McSorley | 3,300th NHL PIM | March 20, 1999 |
| Janne Niinimaa | 200th NHL PIM | March 20, 1999 |
| Pat Falloon | 500th NHL Game | March 22, 1999 |
| Bill Guerin | 300th NHL Point | March 22, 1999 |
| Janne Niinimaa | 100th NHL Assist | March 28, 1999 |
| Chad Kilger | 200th NHL Game | March 30, 1999 |
| Bill Guerin | 500th NHL Game | April 12, 1999 |
| Tommy Salo | 200th NHL Game | April 17, 1999 |
Playoffs :
| Player | Milestone | Reached |
| Sean Brown | 1st NHL Game | April 21, 1999 |
| Christian Laflamme | 1st NHL Game | April 21, 1999 |
| Georges Laraque | 1st NHL Game | April 21, 1999 |
| Tom Poti | 1st NHL Game | April 21, 1999 |
| Tommy Salo | 1st NHL Game | April 21, 1999 |
| Vladimir Vorobiev | 1st NHL Game | April 21, 1999 |
| Ethan Moreau | 1st NHL Assist | April 23, 1999 |
| Jason Smith | 1st NHL Assist | April 23, 1999 |
| Tom Poti | 1st NHL Assist 1st NHL Point | April 25, 1999 |
| Boyd Devereaux | 1st NHL Game | April 27, 1999 |
| Christian Laflamme | 1st NHL Assist 1st NHL Point | April 27, 1999 |

## Transactions
### Trades

| June 16, 1998 | To Pittsburgh PenguinsBobby Dollas Tony Hrkac | To Edmonton OilersJosef Beranek |
| June 18, 1998 | To New York IslandersMike Watt | To Edmonton OilersÉric Fichaud |
| June 27, 1998 | To New Jersey Devils3rd round pick in 1998 (Brian Gionta) | To Edmonton OilersFredrik Bremberg 4th round pick in 1998 5th round pick in 1998 |
| October 1, 1998 | To Nashville PredatorsDrake Berehowsky Greg de Vries Eric Fichaud | To Edmonton OilersJim Dowd Mikhail Shtalenkov |
| October 5, 1998 | To Philadelphia FlyersValeri Zelepukin | To Edmonton OilersDaniel Lacroix |
| January 29, 1999 | To Philadelphia FlyersAndrei Kovalenko | To Edmonton OilersAlexandre Daigle |
| January 29, 1999 | To Tampa Bay LightningAlexandre Daigle | To Edmonton OilersAlexander Selivanov |
| February 3, 1999 | To Washington CapitalsBarrie Moore | To Edmonton OilersBrad Church |
| March 11, 1999 | To Phoenix CoyotesMikhail Shtalenkov | To Edmonton Oilers5th round pick in 2000 |
| March 20, 1999 | To Chicago BlackhawksBoris Mironov Dean McAmmond Jonas Elofsson 2nd round pick in 1999 | To Edmonton OilersEthan Moreau Chad Kilger Christian Laflamme Daniel Cleary 2nd round pick in 1999 |
| March 20, 1999 | To New York IslandersMats Lindgren 8th round pick in 1999 | To Edmonton OilersTommy Salo |
| March 23, 1999 | To New York RangersKevin Brown | To Edmonton OilersVladimir Vorobiev |
| March 23, 1999 | To Toronto Maple Leafs4th round pick in 1999 2nd round pick in 2000 | To Edmonton OilersJason Smith |

### Players acquired

| Date | Player | Former team | Contract terms |
| August 13, 1998 (1998-08-13) | Chris Ferraro | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1 year, |
| August 14, 1998 (1998-08-14) | Kevin Brown | Carolina Hurricanes | 1 year, $330,900 |
| August 21, 1998 (1998-08-21) | Pat Falloon | Ottawa Senators | 1 year, $297,810 |
| September 10, 1998 (1998-09-10) | Mike Matteucci | Long Beach Ice Dogs (IHL) | |
| September 17, 1998 (1998-09-17) | Todd Reirden | New Jersey Devils | 1 year, |
| October 1, 1998 (1998-10-01) | Marty McSorley | San Jose Sharks | 1 year, $1 million |

### Players lost

| Date | Player | New team |
| July 13, 1998 (1998-07-13) | Terran Sandwith | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim |
| July 15, 1998 (1998-07-15) | Curtis Joseph | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| July 30, 1998 (1998-07-30) | Jean-François Labbe | New York Rangers |
| August 18, 1998 (1998-08-18) | Jesse Belanger | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| August 29, 1998 (1998-08-29) | Scott Fraser | New York Rangers |
| January 6, 1999 (1999-01-06) | Fred Brathwaite | Calgary Flames |
| January 11, 1999 (1999-01-11) | Petr Klíma | Detroit Red Wings |

### Waivers

| Date | Player | Team |
| October 5, 1998 (1998-10-05) | Dennis Bonvie | to Chicago Blackhawks |
| October 5, 1998 (1998-10-05) | Zdeno Cíger | to Nashville Predators |

## Draft picks

Edmonton's draft picks at the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.
| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/junior/club team (league) |
| 1 | 13 | Michael Henrich | Canada | Barrie Colts (OHL) |
| 3 | 67 | Alex Henry | Canada | London Knights (OHL) |
| 4 | 99 | Shawn Horcoff | Canada | Michigan State University (CCHA) |
| 4 | 113 | Kristian Antila | Finland | Ilves (Finland) |
| 5 | 128 | Paul Elliott | Canada | Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) |
| 5 | 144 | Oleg Smirnov | Russia | Kristall Elektrostal (Russia) |
| 6 | 159 | Trevor Ettinger | Canada | Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL) |
| 7 | 186 | Mike Morrison | United States | Exeter High School (USHS–NH) |
| 8 | 213 | Christian Lefebvre | Canada | Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL) |
| 9 | 241 | Maxim Spiridonov | Russia | London Knights (OHL) |