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Sharks, Oilers meet in season opener

Oct 4, 2007 - 3:33 PM San Jose at Edmonton 9:00 pm EDT

EDMONTON, Alberta (Ticker) -- Two teams which could be headed in opposite directions this season face off as the San Jose Sharks take on the Edmonton Oilers in the season opener for both squads on Thursday.

After losing in the Western Conference semifinals last season, the Sharks are poised to make a return to the playoffs and are hoping to make it further than they did last year.

Evgeni Nabokov will once again patrol the crease for the Sharks. The 32-year-old has been one of the most consistent goaltenders in the NHL, registering a goals-against average of under 2.75 in six of the last seven seasons.

San Jose won't have much trouble scoring goals with its strong front line. Joe Thornton leads the offense after becoming just the third player in NHL history to register 90 or more assists in back-to-back seasons. The 6-4, 235-pound center registered a NHL-best 92 assists in 2006-07 a season after notching 96, joining Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux as the only players to accomplish the feat.

The Oilers, on the other hand, appear to be in a rebuilding year. After making a magical run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2005-06, Edmonton finished below .500 last season.

After dealing heart-and-soul left wing Ryan Smyth at the trade deadline last season, the Oilers traded captain Jason Smith during the offseason. Edmonton struggled after trading Smyth, scoring just 25 goals in its final 18 games. If Smith's departure yields similar results, the Oilers could be in for a long season.

Edmonton did manage to sign two-time All-Star defenseman Sheldon Souray, who is coming off a career-season with the Montreal Canadiens. The 6-4, 220-pounder recorded career highs of 26 goals and 38 assists while setting an NHL record for defensemen with 19 power-play tallies.