Sixteen years ago, the great Michel Riesen (pause) made the Edmonton Oilers as part of a Bulldog line featuring Daniel Cleary and Brian Swanson. The trio had success with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 1999-00, and made the big team fall 2000 without a lot of pre-camp fanfare. In an effort to never let this happen again, here are all of the people who have a chance to make the team—their current estimate—and the players with no chance at all.
GOALIES
- Cam Talbot, 29. Quality from Dec. 1 to end of year in 2015-16, and the schedule early allows for much rest because of off days. Chances of Making the Oilers: 100%.
- Jonas Gustavsson, 31. His .908SP last year trailed NHL average (.915) by some margin, and he is at an age when erosion is reasonably certain. Chances of Making the Oilers: 60%.
- Laurent Brossoit, 23. I spoke to Catherine Silverman about him on the weekend, she sees a substantial prospect. Not Bernie Parent, but an NHL player. Chances of Making the Oilers: 40%.
- Eetu Laurikainen—He could play in Bakersfield, Norfolk or Finland this year.
- Nick Ellis—College grad could surprise and play a lot in Bakersfield.
- Dylan Wells—Oilers latest junior bet, needs a strong camp and season in the OHL.
- Keven Bouchard—TC invite. Maybe they sign him as the new Ty Rimmer?
LEFT DEFENSE
- LD Oscar Klefbom, 23. Early reports have him healthy. Music! Chances of Making the Oilers: 100%.
- LD Andrej Sekera, 30. Veteran should be an outstanding second pairing anchor. Chances of Making the Oilers: 100%.
- LD Brandon Davidson, 24. A strong debut season has his career trajectory on a much higher arc than most expected. We don’t know what he can’t do. Chances of Making the Oilers: 100%.
- LD Darnell Nurse, 21. Rugged defender had a difficult transition to pro, can he settle in and be effective on the third pairing? Chances of Making the Oilers: 90%.
- LD Jordan Oesterle, 24. Fast defender with offensive bent made some defensive adjustments in the NHL a year ago. Still miles to go. Chances of Making the Oilers: 45%.
- LD David Musil, 23. He has one big advantage—because he requires waivers, Edmonton may keep him if the club values him in a big way. Chances of Making the Oilers: 23%.
- LD Griffin Reinhart, 22. He is a PC acquisition and should get a push at some point during the year. Important to find out about him before the expansion draft—some believe his NHL role is already established. Chances of Making the Oilers: 25%.
- LD Mark Fraser, 29. He could see NHL time, unlikely to break camp with the big team. Chances of Making the Oilers: 2%.
- LD Dillon Simpson, 23. Remains a long shot for an NHL career, but his steady progress makes Simpson an interesting prospect. Chances of Making the Oilers: 1%.
- LD Andrew Ference—LTIR? Maybe he is healthy enough to play at some point this year.
- LD Joey Laleggia—A big season in Bakersfield could get him a cup of coffee.
- LD Ben Betker—End of the roster in terms of LD, he is a giant stay-at-home blue.
- LD Caleb Jones—I think there is a chance he hangs around training camp until very late.
- LD Markus Niemelainen—Mobile blue, looking forward to seeing his skating.
- LD Mikael Tam—A bit of a wild card, suspect he may see Norfolk in the fall.
- LD Kyle Jenkins—Apparently an invite, 20-year old with average size and some skill.
RIGHT DEFENSE
- RD Adam Larsson, 23. A substantial addition to the defense, he is a lock for the top pairing—likely with Klefbom, although Sekera is also an option. Chances of Making the Oilers: 100%.
- RD Mark Fayne, 29. Oilers badly need him to be an effective defender. From the Terry Harper family of blue liners, had a difficult transition to the Todd McLellan Oilers. Chances of Making the Oilers: 100%.
- RD Matt Benning, 23. He has a lot of things going for him and a strong training camp might get him in the conversation. Chances of Making the Oilers: 15%.
- RD Frank Simonelli—He is a righty blue from the Boston Bruins system. Bakersfield.
- RD Ethan Bear—A strong showing hoped for before he starts his final junior year.
- RD Aaron Irving—TC invite, I like his ability to move the puck. Promising addition.
- RD Dallas Valentine—Big (6.04, 205) defender has been invited to camp.
CENTER
- C Connor McDavid, 19. Franchise. If the Oilers make the playoffs this year—most are picking them to miss—97 will be a major part of the success. Chances of Making the Oilers: 100%.
- C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 23. Coming off a difficult season, I will bet on him 10 times out of 10. One of the few young Oilers who is a fully formed two-way player. Chances of Making the Oilers: 100%.
- C-R Leon Draisaitl, 20. He could play a utility (C-R) role but the team sets up currently with Leon as the soft minutes pivot. Chances of Making the Oilers: 100%.
- C Mark Letestu, 31. Underrated 4C, mostly because he had to play too high on the depth chart one year ago. I think he could still get PP minutes this year, at least until JP is established. Chances of Making the Oilers: 100%.
- C Anton Lander, 25. There is a spot for him. Can he grab it—and keep it?. Chances of Making the Oilers: 75%.
- C Jujhar Khaira, 22. I think Khaira is very close to securing an NHL job, but don’t know if this is the year. He could be here for good around the trade deadline. Chances of Making the Oilers: 40%.
- RC Kyle Platzer—A big season ahead, he has talent but needs a chance to show it.
- LC Josh Currie—AHL center impressed last season, won another AHL deal.
- C-L Joey Benik—Another AHL contract, Benik is a small (5.10, 174) and quite skilled. Bakersfield.
- LC Thomas Foster—Skill center delivered when healthy, intriguing invite.
- RC Tomas Soustal—I really like his numbers and scouting report. Invite possibility (Orientation).
LEFT WING
- L Milan Lucic, 28. Big man will play a massive role on a skill line, likely with McDavid. Unsure of his power-play presence on the club. Chances of Making the Oilers: 100%.
- L Benoit Pouliot, 29. One of the reasons Edmonton felt they could deal from strength at this position. Not a media favorite, his fancy numbers shine like a diamond. Chances of Making the Oilers: 100%.
- L Patrick Maroon, 28. We should temper our expectations (he scored at a 40-goal clip as an Oiler) but a bona fide addition. Chances of Making the Oilers: 100%.
- L Matt Hendricks, 35. Role players who survive in the NHL until 35 are damned hard workers who have sacrificed. Hendricks is such a player. Chances of Making the Oilers: 90%.
- C-L Drake Caggiula, 22. One of the wild cars this fall, we will notice his speed and skill. Suspect he has all kinds of success early, how deep into pre-season can he be a contributor? Chances of Making the Oilers: 10%.
- F Jere Sallinen, 25. Unknown Finns have a way of finding their way onto Edmonton’s roster, from Lenny to Iiro and now (possibly) Jere. Can do a few things, including play center. Chances of Making the Oilers: 4%.
- L Mitch Moroz—Oilers have one year to either give him a shot or continue to play him in half the games.
- L Braden Christoffer—Played well in Norfolk, needs to play in Bakersfield to show his stuff.
- L Ryan Hamilton—AHL only contract now, mentor for the kids and he will play in AHL. Bakersfield.
- L Scott Allen—A giant (6.03, 198) who came out of college (Alaska-Anchorage). Bakersfield.
- L Tyler Benson—I am pretty excited about this player. If he is healthy, first-round talent.
- L Collin Shirley—Two-way winger with size and some skill. Saskatoon Blades veteran.
RIGHT WING
- R Jordan Eberle, 26. If he stays all season with 97, a total of 30+ goals should be the expectation. He is 26, if Eberle can establish himself as McDavid’s shooter, he could be entering his goal-scoring prime. Chances of Making the Oilers: 100%.
- R Zack Kassian, 25. He has a chance to push out one of Nail or Jesse on the second or third line. Kassian has some nice things, including puck retrieval and passing ability. Chances of Making the Oilers: 100%.
- R Nail Yakupov, 22. It is almost certain now he breaks camp with the team, and if coach McLellan decides to put him back with McDavid this could be a very good year. The range of possible outcomes with this player remains mind boggling entering year 5. Chances of Making the Oilers: 90%.
- R Iiro Pakarinen, 24. Young physical winger pushed past all of the high draft picks in the minors to win the day with new coach Todd McLellan. Utility forward has a job in the NHL. Chances of Making the Oilers: 90%.
- R Jesse Puljujarvi, 18. He is big (6.04, 203), fast and skilled—and his best hockey a year ago came in the spring (10, 4-5-9 in Finnish playoffs) and International tournaments. Chances of Making the Oilers: 80%.
- R Taylor Beck, 25. Interesting addition, he has size (6.02, 203) and enough skill (NHL: 87, 11-12-23) to suggest he could be productive in a support role. Can play either wing. Chances of Making the Oilers: 12%.
- R Tyler Pitlick, 24. Has to separate himself from Pakarinen. Chances of Making the Oilers: 7%.
- R Patrick Russell, 23. A real long shot—new pro, speed a concern—but he has size and is physical so has a chance. Chances of Making the Oilers: 1%.
- R Anton Slepyshev, 22. A big season for him and there are many players ahead of him. Todd McLellan liked him a year ago and the Russian could see the NHL again this year. Chances of Making the Oilers: 1%.
- R Greg Chase—A quiet first year pro, expect he will push very hard for a feature role in Bakersfield this year.
- R Jaedon Descheneau—St. Louis(unsigned) pick in 2014. Small, skilled, AHL deal.
- R Carson Stadnyk—WHL scoring winger on the way to U of Saskatchewan (Rookie tournament).
- R Joel Rechlicz—Enforcer will no doubt be a popular player in Bakersfield.
POSSIBLE INVITES
- C Mike Richards—It sounds like an offer has been extended to him based on reports. If Edmonton plans on using him as 3C, that puts an end to unicorns.
- D Eric Gryba—He has been extended an invitation, and we should be prepared for 8D to start the season if he accepts.
POSSIBLE OPENING NIGHT ROSTER
I do think Eric Gryba ends up on the Oilers roster, although he may not play opening night. The one battle where the current favorite may not win the day? In goal, where Laurent Brossoit could win the job backing up Cam Talbot. Jesse Puljujarvi may come in an struggle, but if he has any chemistry at all with one of the three centermen one suspects he wins opening night employment.
LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE
A fun show, this morning at 10. Scheduled to appear:
- Bruce McCurdy, Cult of Hockey. The calm voice of reason talks Hall deal, playoff hopes and job openings.
- Jeff Krushell, Krush Performance. Safety in sports, including football and soccer.
- Andy McNamara, TSN. Andy has a new NFL show and we will chat about some of the big Week 1 stories.
- Tom Lynn, Veritas Hockey. Free agents without contracts, Versteeg, more.
10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter. See you on the radio!
So JP to Finland.
Glad we sorted that out.
My 2 cents. Richards should be offered a contract. He is exactly what we need. Grit, experience, penalty killing prowess, can handle lots of tough minutes, and something to prove. He is much better than lander or letestu.
Yeah he has slow feet but we are asking for two centres to play 10-12 ugly minutes behind mcdavid and nuge (or Draisaitl if there’s an injury). He fits the bill and could be a slam dunk comeback story.
75% odds are way too high for lander. I’d give him 33% same as slepyshev, beck, sallinen, and khaira. A Richards signing would hurt lander’s chances severely.
How did Schultz play? The last time I watched him he was still on the OIlers, playing like there was an old time OHL/IHL goon half a step behind him at all times, three seconds away from taking his head off.
Schultz wasn’t terrible when he joined the OIlers. What do you think happened?
hunter1909,
The Penguins appear to prove that with a few top players and a decent puck mover
PIT did wonders with the Dcorps that they had.
I think the key was *every* Dman moved the puck quickly to a spot and the forwards were unfailingly at that spot and the puck moved north in a hurry.
Very well coached team and had tons of neutral zone pressure so teams rarely gained the ozone with speed.
Great coaching.
hunter1909,
Tampa. I like cheering for smart management. Everything you could want in a roster too.
The defence this year is better than every year since the start of 2008 and if health holds, they are better than that team too.
Just replace Errrrr with JP. We know he’s making the team out of camp. 😉
I’ve always had a way with words.
I had to read that last line twice… the first time through, my brain automatically replaced “… err….” with “Hall”. No word of a lie.
The Penguins appear to prove that with a few top players and a decent puck mover …
And then I think of the OIlers. Defencemen that can barely get past their own face off circles…
That’s it. I can’t stand this team anymore. Not until they get a decent puck moving defenceman.
Isn’t there a team we Lowetide galley slaves can adopt this season en masse? A team like Florida, or my fave team in the universe, Tampa? I’ve never been able to get back to Clearwater Beach since college, but man that arena sure looks inviting(all that ice) after a hard day of work, mainly spent lying in the sun.
They were no screaming hell last year.
Playing two RHD in Van Reimsdyk and Seabrook together was a total disaster.
Campbell makes that team so, so, so much better.
A very good top 4 is so, so, so, important.
Probably
Haha stick him on the OIlers and he’s instantly Andrew Ference.
With Kane and Toews they’re always going to be strong.
Now with McDavid and… err….
I should have been named Rodney.
So FLA lost Campbell (52.9 xGF%, 46.6xGF%Off, +5.15 RelZSR)
Replaced him with Yandle (47.22 xGF%, 46.2xGF%Off, +26.6RelZSR)
and people expect them to be better?
Hmmmmm.
That’s a target for betting the under on point totals.
Brian Campbell.
5’10,170lbs, 37 years old and a total pisscutter.
CHI will be strong this year.
Because you create an atmosphere of safety and reasonableality so it attracts us, like needy friends, that don’t go to therapy , and never get better ?
ZING!
At least most of those guys can pass a physical.
April 6.
That also is correct
Leon had an excellent camp. It was after he got sent down that he struggled for a brief while. As soon as he got called back up he was fine. The case could be made based on his specific experience that sending him to the AHL was counterproductive. Though maybe it lit that fire under his ass that burned hot until Christmas, who knows.
As for nothing in training camp affecting the roster, I’d argue Eberle getting hurt in preseason was a big damn deal.
Can someone please tell me the date Oilers training camp starts?
Tom Renney nods in approval.
Lander shutters and throws up in his mouth a little.
One of those players were better than Versteeg last year.
LT told me to fix that for you. 🙂
This is correct.
Fayne’s RelxGF% with:
Sekera +0.57 RelxGF%
Klefbom -5.36 RelxGF%
Nurse -11.0 RelxGF% (!)
Davidson -25.7 RelxGF% (!!!)
He’s really not much good with anyone except Sekera last year.
Klef and Davidson led the Oilers in xGF% and it was not good with Klef (170min) and a disaster with Davey (only 23 min…)
Edit: Davey was a minus (!!) and these are all relative measures
Chachi,
I knew I’d win you over!
(also: you forgot ‘charming’ and ‘really really ridiculously good looking’)
Rich and virile too! Watch out ladies!
See that was a funny one! Keep it up!
Lowetide,
Can never have too many kids. (So says my wife anyway)
Drai had a great camp last year and they still sent him down. That was a good sign IMO. They also sent Nurse down.. also good.
So knocking it out of the park in training camp will not be enough. JP will have to first of all get good line mates and PP time in order to post crooked numbers. That may or may not happen.
Chia said last year they will look at the prospects in 10 game windows. I suspect JP gets sent down based on Drai last year but gets recalled fairly quickly.
The flip side is they keep him for 10 games and if he goes supernova then he stays. This would not surprise me either. This kid is the goods. Could be the best player from the draft.
Honestly. I have kids. Why do people think I need more kids?
Chachi,
Well, for sure you can’t take a joke like Trump.
Damn, how do you even type with hands that small? <- joke, feel free to take as insult if you like
Yes, in this conversation, I am Trump. You’ll find a lot of my posts talking about companies I have sold and cars I own. Keep trying to belittle people on this forum, it reveals your true character.
‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’
Chachi,
I have no doubt you know words, you have the best words.
For the team it was a fucking awful development path for a 6 overall pick. So as you can see I did mean something different by it. Different words mean different things.
I substituted your literal words ‘fucking awful development’ with ‘monumental failure of development’ because I felt it captured the point but sounded better.
But if you prefer ‘fucking awful development’, so be it.
I have mixed feelings about our top forwards on the PK. I get the desire to have McDavid or RNH on the PK to create some quick strike offence if the other team fumbles the puck. However, it should be situational, otherwise the risk of injury isn’t worth it to me. I recall one game last season when the Oilers were up 4 or 5 to 1 and McDavid was out killing a penalty in the 3rd period. That makes no sense to me.
McLellan should be telling those guys that if they are out there on the PK they have no requirement to block shots from the point. Maybe go so far as to tell them that they are not allowed to block shots.
I agree with everything you have written here. The problem as I see things is that if you send JP to Finland for another year (or two or three) he is a minimum of 2 years away from helping at the NHL level. That is fine for the prospect, but if the Oilers want to win now they need JP to work out quickly either by playing and playing well in the NHL in the next two years or by trading him. He is probably the most valuable asset to trade on the team now that Hall is gone and they need to win now.
First of all, feel free to pay me enough respect to not attribute arguments to me that I didn’t make. I never said the words monumental failure at any point until you brought it up. That’s all you reading things into my argument that aren’t there. I do think he should probably spend a year in the AHL if that is what it takes to get him ready for the NHL. If he needs more time than that to be ready for the NHL at that point they should look at trading him for somebody who can help in the near future.
– Sleppy is the example of the marginal guy that makes it as I cited. Not a difference maker, and they set him up to succeed, untill he played real games and at least this time they said: oh no”. Plus Ebs was out so they were hoping
– Last year they so wanted Lander to be ready, pumped his tires, set him up to succeed. Just look at the articles: fesh contract, improved a lot blah blah. It’s basically all figured out in advance.
– Drai 2 years ago, they should have sent him back. Sending him down last year was also a bit of Chia imposing his authora-tie
– All you have to do is read the main stream media, see who management is pumping. It’s all set up well in advance.
So really training camp is where you lose your spot by coming in under fit or playing poorly.
I’d have to disagree with you here.
Last year Sleppyshev Blew the doors off, he looked really well, an thus he stuck with the team a few games.
Afterall he was not quite ready.
Winning a job in TC is possible, it was also the reaosn Leon was sent down.
Oooh!
Oooh!
Oooh!
Thanks man!
I get pinged a lot on whether I’m going to upgrade to the new version of the NSX.
The problem is that I’m old(er) and gray(er) and I don’t drive very fast anymore, or without kids in the car!
Getting old sucks.
(P.S. @OilersNerdAlert)
I don’t think that the rink or the systems play is going to be as much of a factor, as the Fins play a very Canadian style game. The Finnish team at the WJC could have been coached by McLellan.
That said, the language and cultural differences are huge. Not so very long ago, Edmonton brought the mother of a player from Finland to help him. It’s a difficult transition. He would likely be better off in Bakersfield for the adjustment period.
stevezie,
It’s not up to me as a fan to determine the line for success, which is why I make the statement vaguely. Blowing the doors off forcing the management to keep them on the team seems like a solid line. Nurse isn’t blowing the doors off, yet he’s likely staying. The line is clearly undefined (oxymoron there) and is position dependant as well as tied to depth in that slot.
I did cherry pick LD… I suppose that I hate the mentality of “let’s send him down and develop him because that’s Detroit’s model”… We pick higher than Detroit (or Chicago or whoever), and they HAVE to develop that way. We are currently a perennial top 5-7 picker and their development curve is significantly different than that of a 15-30 pick.
I would be interested in an LT chart with top 10 picks and where they develop for how long.
Caramel Batman,
– yeah, hopefully this Oiler group is a little smarter. Remember that Russian Midget who played in the QMJHL, that so many were enamoured with because “he worked hard”, and “earned a spot”. Then they found out he wasn’t eligible, then he went back and reality set in: man was that a bad roster that a guy like that could get a chance to earn a spot.
– Here’s a truth that every hockey person knows: A young guy who can move from the slums to getting an NHL spot: he is going to train all summer, to be in peak shape for training camp. He is going to be amped up. He is going to put every ounce of energy into out-hustling veterans. He’s going to be told by the coach that “he has a chance”
– Training camps to determine roster spots is just a narrative made up to keep attention on the team, get fans and rookies excited and playing hard: except for maybe one marginal player, the roster has been made up.
– If they put pool-party with McD and Lucic and on the powerplay, you can tell he’s going to be given a spot.
– Barely anything can happen in training camp that effects the final roster. It’s a chance to make an impression to be sure, but the roster is set based on pedigree, track record, and whatever management has decided.
– That’s just how hockey works.
– Pool-party isn’t going to come into training camp and “blow the doors off, and “force his way onto the team”. they know where he’s going already, and they will set him up accordingly.
Are you defining success as “be better than Versteeg/Boyes”? Because I think it’s important to remember he not only needs to be decent, he needs to be better than the readily available other option.
That said, if a young player in contributing at an NHL level it is tough to send them down, a decision costing them millions, because it’s in the team’s best interests. I just think that the “contributing” line should be a lot closer to “blowing the doors off” than it is to “is more or less as good as a cheap veteran role player.”
And the “JP is ready now” guys should relax a little. If he goes down and scores 30 in 20, he’s coming up whether we signed Boyes or not.
To answer the question you asked someone else, I would not have called Drai up last year. Not as “punishment” for sulking in the AHL, but because I had no reason to believe he was ready for the NHL. He didn’t look ready in the A. Turned out he was, but I’d say he’s more exception than rule. It’s not a perfect maxim, but “people are going to do in the future as they have done in the past” is a pretty good guideline.