20 Days Until The Season Begins
By Cam Lewis
10 months agoThroughout the summer and into the fall, we’ll be counting down the days until the Edmonton Oilers begin their 2023-24 season with a daily trip down memory lane. Today at No. 20 we have Radek Dvorak, a skilled winger acquired during a wild trade deadline in 2003.
Dvorak was selected by the Florida Panthers with the 10th overall pick in the 1995 draft and immediately stepped into the NHL as an 18-year-old. He was moved to the New York Rangers in a three-team trade in 1999 that saw Mike Vernon go to Florida and Todd Harvey wind up with the San Jose Sharks.
The 2000-01 season saw Dvorak post a career-high in goals with 31 and points with 67 playing alongside fellow Czech Petr Nedved. Dvorak saw his production dip the following season and he underwent major knee surgery in the subsequent off-season.
Dvorak had a slow start to the 2002-03 season and wound up getting traded to the Oilers along with defenceman Cory Cross for Anson Carter and Ales Pisa. The Oilers also traded defenceman Janne Niinimaa to the New York Islanders that same trade deadline day for forwards Raffi Torres and Brad Isbister.
Edmonton Journal Newspaper Clipping From March 12, 2003.
Dvorak had a big bounce-back performance offensively in his first full season in Edmonton in 2003-04, scoring 15 goals and 15 points in 78 games, though the Oilers missed the playoffs. When the NHL was locked out in 2004-05, Dvorak returned to HC Ceske Budejovice, the team he had come up playing for in the Czech Republic.
Ales Hemsky jumped Dvorak on Edmonton’s depth chart in 2005-06 and his production declined to just eight goals and 28 points over 68 in the regular season. The Oilers acquired Sergei Samsonov ahead of the trade deadline and Dvorak fell out of an offensive role entirely and put up just two points during the team’s playoff run in the spring.
Dvorak signed a one-year deal with the St. Louis Blues in free agency for the 2006-07 season and then returned to Florida in 2007-08. He stayed with the Panthers until 2010-11 when he was dealt to the Atlanta Thrashers.
After stints with the Dallas Stars, Anaheim Ducks, and Carolina Hurricanes, Dvorak retired from hockey in 2015. He scored 227 goals and 590 points over 1,260 games in the NHL.
PLAYER COUNTDOWN PRESENTED BY BETWAY
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- 45 Days Until The Season Begins — Ales Pisa
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- 37 Days Until The Season Begins — Mike Peca
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- 35 Days Until The Season Begins — Dwayne Roloson
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- 32 Days Until The Season Begins — Matt Greene
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