We’re moving the Edmonton Oilers Faceoff from Fridays to a weekend report, giving you a broader look at the week’s developments. Oilers players and head coach Kris Knoblauch made themselves available to the media this week, addressing plans as the Edmonton portion of the preseason ends on Sunday night and the team will head on the road before the regular season begins.
Among the topics: the rookies and bubble roster players have had a strong showing this week, while Jake Walman is close to an extension, but is dealing with a minor injury. The Oilers chose not to claim Connor Ingram off waivers, and Trent Frederic is getting a long look on the team's top line.
Before the weekend slips away, let’s dive in:
Oilers' Early 2025-26 Season Projections: The Goalies
Oilers' Early 2025-26 Season Projections: The Forwards
Oilers' Early 2025-26 Season Projections: The Defense
Oilers Face Key Absence as Walman Nears Contract Extension
The Oilers hit the ice Saturday with their stars, but defenseman Jake Walman was absent, leaving his status for Sunday’s matchup with the Vancouver Canucks uncertain. Head coach Kris Knoblauch listed him as “day to day,” though there’s no immediate cause for concern. Walman is expected to play a pivotal role alongside Darnell Nurse once healthy.
In his place, the Oilers rolled out Troy Stecher with Nurse. Beyond that, Edmonton will go with a near-regular set of defensive pairs: Mattias Ekholm with Evan Bouchard, Nurse with Troy Stecher, and Brett Kulak with Ty Emberson.
Off the ice, Walman is close to finalizing a long-term deal, with projections of five years at $6.5 million or six years at $6 million per season. It would be a solid signing for the Oilers, who wanted to get the blueliner inked to an extension this summer.
Walman praised his time in Edmonton: “It’s been great for my career and it will be great going forward playing with this group.”
Trent Frederic Getting a Long Look On The Oilers Top Line
At practice, McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Trent Frederic reunited on the top line. It will be the second game for this trio to be tested and see if they can develop some on-ice chemistry.
The Oilers fell 4-1 to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, and while McDavid and Draisaitl created some dangerous scoring opportunities, the line struggled defensively as a whole. They allowed two even-strength goals and one into an empty net.
Frederic, signed to an eight-year extension this summer, is being tested in a top-six role due to injuries to Zach Hyman and the absence of Vasily Podkolzin, who returned to Russia after his father’s passing.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch acknowledged the line’s struggles but remains committed to giving it time. “If you look at the stat line, it doesn’t look very good,” he said, “but we hope he can complement them.” With prior 18-goal seasons, Frederic has the scoring ability, but the question remains whether he can consistently produce alongside two of the NHL’s elite players.
Rookies Playing Well In Preseason
Noah Philp, Isaac Howard, and Matt Savoie have all played well in preseason, with older newcomer David Tomasek also drawing attention. It's unlikely all four will be on the opening night roster, but each has earned consideration.
Savoie and Howard are starting to get comfortable and use their speed, getting time on the second power play unit. Savoie has added an element of quickness to the Oilers that they were missing last season. Howard's shot is becoming a weapon.
Philp Making Strong Case For Fourth-Line Center Role With Oilers
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers">Edmonton Oilers</a> may have found their answer to depth down the middle, and his name is Noah Philp.
Meanwhile Philp has played well in the games he's been involved in, producing on offense and playing well defensively. He admitted that his faceoffs need to improve if he wants to earn a spot on the roster, but he's been working with new assistant coach Paul McFarland.
Tomasek is getting a long look from the Oilers, showing particularly well in the faceoff circle. He too, has no issues shooting the puck, but he's also made some nice plays on the forecheck, which have led to offensively opportunities and a goal for newcomer Josh Samanski.
Oilers Pass on Goaltending Opportunities
After being placed on waivers, it was assumed goaltender Connor Ingram would drawn some NHL interest, including whispers linking him to the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers chose not to look at Ingram, who ultimately cleared waivers.
Ingram, 28, played 22 games for Utah last season before entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, and his .882 save percentage last year marked a decline from prior seasons. Edmonton didn't seem interested in adding a $2 million salary to their books while they still feel confident that the tandem of Stuart Skinner (who struggled on Wednesday in the loss to Seattle) and Calvin Pickard (who secured a shutout on Friday vs. Winnipeg) can get the job done.
While Ingram could have be acquired without giving up assets, the Oilers appear committed to staying the course.
Tom Gazzola of Hello Hockey also noted that the Oilers were never in on Carter Hart, who is likely to sign with the Vegas Golden Knights. Gazzola said, "That was a fan driven thing, and media, the team was never interested in him."
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