After three rounds of cuts, there are only one or two roster spots up for grabs in Oilers camp.
After three rounds of cuts, there are only one or two roster spots up for grabs in Oilers camp.
We're halfway through the pre-season, and there are more and more empty stalls in the dressing room every day.
The Oilers have cut 12 players from NHL training camp in the past two days. That leaves 36 healthy players in camp with just under two weeks left before opening night. Roughly half of those players will be with the Oilers when they take on the Winnipeg Jets in the season opener on October 9th.
As befits a Stanley Cup contender, most of that opening night roster is set in stone, down to the projected forward lines and defence pairings. Only two spots are really up for grabs: thirteenth forward and seventh defenceman. With cap space at a premium, the team will likely only carry one of those positions at all.
With that being the case, the next few games will be more about impressing the coaches and possibly earning a midseason call-up than winning a spot out of camp.
The biggest roster battle is for the fourth-line centre/13th forward role. One of those spots will be taken by Derek Ryan, who at age 37 might not have the footspeed to play centre anymore. Wednesday's game served as a tryout for that spot, as Noah Philp, James Hamblin, and Lane Pederson all got a shot against a loaded Jets lineup.
Based on his performance, Philp has the inside track to win the job. He was involved physically, saw time on both special teams, and contributed a workhorse assist on the team's only goal. As a 6'3" righty, he also supplies a bit of a different look to the Oilers' bottom six. Philp is waiver-exempt, so he could still be sent down with no downside, but he's got a real shot at making this team out of camp.
Competition for the 6th/7th defence spot is just as tight, but for less encouraging reasons. Free agent acquisition Josh Brown has had a very trying training camp, looking slow and making mistakes with the puck in each of his two pre-season games.
Troy Stecher was acquired as the team's seventh defenceman at the trade deadline last season and has spent most of his NHL career in that role. He's far from your typical bottom-pair defender at 5'10", and hasn't been all that noticeable in pre-season play. Ideally, he'd be the seventh defenceman again this year, but could be pressed into service if Brown can't cut it.
Also fighting for a depth defenceman role is PTO invite Travis Dermott. He's been the most noticeable of the three defenders in the pre-season, moving the puck well and playing a quiet defensive game, but has a tougher road to minutes as a left-shot defenceman. It's possible he ends up on his off-side next to Brett Kulak, or as the team's seventh defenceman, but his handedness and contract status are against him. The Oilers would prefer one of their waiver-eligible veterans to a player on a PTO.
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The vast majority of non-NHLers in camp will be mainstays in Bakersfield this season. Defencemen Connor Carrick, Cam Dineen, Ben Gleason, and Philip Kemp are all ticketed for the AHL, and all five have shown flashes of NHL talent during the pre-season. Kemp could vault himself into consideration for the 6/7th defenceman spot if he keeps up his steady defensive play.
Among forwards, Carl Berglund, Drake Caggiula, Raphael Lavoie, Matt Savoie, Brady Stonehouse, and the injured Roby Jarventie are all guaranteed spots on the Condors.
Savoie and Lavoie have both had good camps, especially on the offensive side. They won't be able to break into the NHL's top six but should put up plenty of points together in Bakersfield. Both players should get NHL looks at some point this season, especially in the event of an injury to a top-six winger.
2024 first-round pick Sam O'Reilly has had a very impressive camp for a rookie, even notching a goal in his pre-season debut. He'll head back to the London Knights soon, where he should be one of the best players on one of the best teams in the OHL.
The other forward in camp is PTO invite Mike Hoffman. At 34 years old, Hoffman just doesn't look much like an NHLer anymore. He's still got that shot, though, so he could stick around in Bakersfield or catch on with a bottom feeder like he did in San Jose last year. If not, it looks like Europe or retirement for Hoffman.
Things are even more locked up on the goaltending side, where Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard will occupy the crease for Edmonton. Their camp teammates Olivier Rodrigue and Collin Delia will fight for starts in the AHL. Delia has filled in in the NHL before, but the Oilers are surely hoping that the 24-year-old Rodrigue can force his way into the team's plans this season.
We'll get our next look at the Oilers' training camp roster on Saturday when they welcome the Seattle Kraken to Rogers Place.
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