Four players hit the waiver wire as the Oilers pare down their training camp roster.
Four players hit the waiver wire as the Oilers pare down their training camp roster.
With only two pre-season games remaining, the Oilers' roster looks just about settled.
That's after five more players have been cut from training camp. Defencemen Ben Gleason and Phil Kemp, forward Lane Pederson, and goaltender Collin Delia have all been put on waivers, while waiver-exempt forward James Hamblin has also been sent down to the AHL.
None of these cuts are big surprises. Pederson, Gleason, and Kemp are all career AHLers, while Delia was signed this offseason as a third-string goalie and Bakersfield battery mate for the young Olivier Rodrigue.
Hamblin, who got into 31 games with the Oilers last season, was one of a few players fighting for the last forward spot in the NHL lineup. Competition for that role now seems to be down to Noah Philp, Drake Caggiula, and Raphael Lavoie.
Of the four players on waivers, Gleason had the most impactful pre-season. The 26-year-old defender had four points in four games, playing big minutes while filling in for the injured Darnell Nurse in all situations. He capped off a successful camp with a powerplay goal on Monday against Vancouver.
Though waiver claims are rare in the pre-season, Gleason didn't look out of place next to NHLers and could get a look from someone on the waiver wire. He outplayed Josh Brown, who's likely to win a spot next to Brett Kulak on the Oilers' bottom pair.
This leaves the Oilers with 26 healthy players in camp, along with injured prospects Beau Akey and Roby Jarventie. Akey will return to juniors this season, while Jarventie will be sent down to the AHL once he's healthy.
Caggiula, Philp, and Lavoie are battling for the aforementioned 13th forward spot, while Brown, Troy Stecher, and PTO invite Travis Dermott are all in the mix for the 6th and 7th defence spots. Brown still has a hold on the bottom pair, but his pre-season performance has been lacking.
Calvin Pickard is expected to be healthy in time for the regular season, backing up Stuart Skinner as Rodrigue splits time with Delia in Bakersfield.
The Oilers hit the road for their final two pre-season games, starting in Seattle on Wednesday.
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