The Edmonton Oilers have three preseason games remaining before the real games begin. They play the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday, September 28, the Seattle Kraken on October 1, and the Canucks again on October 3.
They held a practice on Saturday, September 27, which featured a lineup that looks like the one they will head into Game One of the regular season with.
GettyJosh Brown Fights Tyler Bauer
After practice, they sent down four players to the Bakersfield Condors. Roby Jarventie and Josh Brown went on waivers for the purpose of being sent down. Viljami Marjala and Samuel Jonsson were assigned to the Condors and did not need to be put on waivers.
Edmonton Oilers Forward Line Combinations Raise Some Questions
GettyNoah Philp
The forward line combinations on September 27th are raising some eyebrows for fans and pundits alike. The practice featured five “lines” skating together.
For starters, they have kept the top line of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Trent Frederic together. This trio was together for one preseason game, and Kris Knoblauch spoke well of them despite their lack of results on the scoresheet.
Then things get interesting – the second line was comprised of Ike Howard, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Andrew Mangiapane. On paper, this line combination appears to be great. Nugent-Hopkins is the playmaker who is solid defensively, Mangiapane is an aggressive forechecker, and Howard brings a knack for finishing.
Adam Henrique, David Tomasek, and Matt Savoie are the “third line.” This has surprised some people who felt that Savoie could play higher in the lineup. Having two natural centers in Henrique and Tomasek is a smart move, as Henrique demonstrated in the playoffs that he has a knack for winning faceoffs, and so does Tomasek.
The fourth line appears to be Mattias Janmark, Curtis Lazar, and Kasperi Kapanen. For all intents and purposes, if this ends up being the Oilers’ fourth line in the regular season, that’s not a bad thing.
However, the “fifth” line could also be the team’s fourth line when they kick off their regular season against the Calgary Flames. Noah Philp centered Josh Samanski and Quinn Hutson to create this line. Samanski and Philp have been very noticeable during training camp and have earned their right to begin the season with the big club.
With Vasily Podkolzin on leave due to the sudden passing of his father (according to the team), and Zach Hyman continuing to recover, there are open positions for newcomers and rookies to seize.
Oilers Nine Defensemen in Training Camp
A first glance at the Oilers’ defense pairings should hold no surprises, mainly because Jake Walman is currently day-to-day with an injury.
Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard are the team’s top pairing. If there is anything that seems like a slam-dunk bet for the Oilers lineup, it’s that pairing taking top billing for the regular season.
As seen in their last preseason game, Darnell Nurse was paired with Troy Stecher. Stecher acts as a placeholder here because Walman will be inserted into the lineup when he is healthy, as Knoblauch said after Friday night’s preseason game.
The third pairing at practice was Brett Kulak and Ty Emberson. This was the team’s third pairing for the majority of last season, so that’s not terribly surprising.
Cam Dineen and Alec Regula were skating as the fourth pairing. Regula has been great in camp, but Dineen has not been as noticeable. This will be the top pairing for the Bakersfield Condors, and they could be two of the last players cut from the team.
The ninth defender was Arto Leppanen. The 26-year-old has been a camp standout and should be the team’s seventh defender, especially if there is an injury to begin the season.
Status Quo in the Oilers Crease
GettyStuart Skinner & Calvin Pickard
The Oilers (and 31 other teams) allowed Connor Ingram to slip through waivers. One theory is that teams want to see Ingram in action for a few games before making a trade. I’d expect there to be many pro scouts attending the Tucson Roadrunners’ first few games of the regular season.
The three goalies remaining at training camp are Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard, and Matt Tomkins. Skinner and Pickard are expected to be the goaltending duo. Tomkins will be the first call-up whenever a third goaltender is needed.
It will be interesting to see what other moves the team has up its sleeve before the end of camp.
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