Big Players

The image above shows us the most likely candidates to be vying for a job this fall come training camp barring any major surprises. The team is basically set, with Oilers GM Ken Holland confirming that the defense and goaltending are ready to go, though did mention he would keep an eye on the waiver wire. That means there is not going to be anymore major additions, with Holland’s signing of Connor Brown in Free Agency and the Oilers being strapped tight for cash there wasn’t a lot of room to maneuver this summer.

The Oilers will have to cut down on their numbers from here, and we’ll take some time to discuss it as training camp goes on, who is or isn’t worth a contract/roster spot. I figure, it’s good for us to get an idea of who this Edmonton Oilers team is going into the season, so we are going to take a bit a dive into some player profiles for all of the players with a shot at the roster. We’ll start with the centres, move to the wingers, defense, and finish with the goaltenders.

Each player will get a player profile including, some achievements over their career, stat lines, where were they last year, and what can we honestly expect from these players this season.

Bubbling Under

Forwards

In my player profiles, I have players like Raphael Lavoie and Dylan Holloway making real strong arguments to start the year with the big club. Other forwards like Lane Pederson, will have to duke it out in training camp with the likes of PTO (Professional Try Out) signings Sam Gagner (Fan Favourite), and Brandon Sutter (Sat out last year due to Covid related health concerns).

Other forwards bubbling under who will be making a push but I don’t see as options for the opening roster include Xavier Bourgault, James Hamblin, Drake Caggulia. These players won’t be recieving individual profiles but are worth mentioning and will have a feature on them closer to training camp

Defense

I have Vincent Desharnais, Markus Niemeläinen, and Philip Broberg battling it out for the number 6 and 7 spots on the roster. The Oilers under the guidance of head coach Jay Woodcroft often like to run with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen. So it’s quite likely that 2 out of these 3 men will make the big club out of camp. However, due to salary cap constraints, one of these men will likely be headed to Bakersfield to start the year.

Looking at the Oilers depth chart there are not a lot of other prospects I’d consider to be bubbling. Phil Kemp has been in the system for a while now and may get a cup of coffee with the Oilers if he starts the season strong and injuries pile up. Max Wanner is fresh out of junior, so he’ll need some time. Noel Hoefenmayer is an interesting name, has played a few seasons in the AHL for the Toronto Marlies and put up decent numbers (11-27-38 in 65GP). Cam Dineen has also played some games for the Arizona Coyotes two years ago.

These names however don’t inspire a lot of confidence if one or two of the top 6 go down with injury, so we probably should keep our eyes peeled to the waiver wire as the season approaches to get a little more depth in case of injury.

Goalies

Outside of Skinner and Campbell, who are locks to start the year in Edmonton. The Oilers have Calvin Pickard as their 3rd string who has played a good handful of NHL games before and played well for the Condors last year, though his season was put off track for a while due to injury.

Other Goalie prospects Ryan Fanti, and Olivier Rodrigue, are not overly enticing if injuries pile up. More time is needed in the AHL and ECHL, wherever they can get playing time.

The Rundown

The plan is to do a player profile every weekday for the men who will most likely be on the opening night roster and include some profiles for those in a tough battle for a spot. The distant prospects will have their own time after the main profiles are done. The team is looking good, only time will tell.