The Edmonton Oilers posted a good game on the coast last night, with plenty of pleasing storylines. Matt Savoie is going to eat some lunches on the way to the top two lines next season, Calvin Pickard was impressive at five-on-five, Andrew Mangiapane and Trent Frederic showed some signs of being ready for the season, and the Glimmer Twins scored on the power play.
We’re left this morning with what we think could be the roster but there are questions about how it all could go down. Who will play in Edmonton opening night and who is going to Bakersfield?
Last Monday, I wrote an article at The Athletic titled “Could the Edmonton Oilers make a trade before the regular season begins?” and the team dealt for Connor Ingram two days later. Part of the article focused on defense being a strength this year, and if Jake Walman can make the opening night roster I love this group.
I wonder now if we see a defenseman traded by opening night? Hear me out. If the Oilers run Ekholm-Bouchard (who have played 52 minutes together at five-on-five, with a 56 percent expected goal share), Nurse-Walman (72 percent expected goal share in 15 minutes) and Kulak-Regula (69 percent expected goal share in 13 minutes) that’s a strong group.
Question: Who is the seventh defenseman in this scenario? My guess is Ty Emberson, and that leaves Troy Stecher as the odd man out. Stecher was second in five-on-five TOI (to partner Darnell Nurse) last night and I wonder if we’re looking at something close to a showcase. He only got 30 seconds on the PK, and the five-on-five minutes could be attributed to playing with Nurse, so this suggestion folds like a cheap suit using logic and reason.
Still, it’s a question worth asking, because it gets us to this question: What could the Oilers get for Stecher (or Emberson, or Regula) that could aid the cause later in the season? I worry about center, specifically Adam Henrique there. I think the Oilers will run McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, David Tomasek and Henrique, with Noah Philp or Curtis Lazar alongside on that fourth unit. Is there a way to improve that depth chart, stay under the cap, and keep the waiver eligibles on the roster? Don’t know. Anyway, here’s my prediction for opening night:
Draisaitl-McDavid-Frederic
Howard-RNH-Mangiapane
Podkozlin-Tomášek-Savoie
Kapanen-Henrique-Philp
Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Walman
Kulak-Regula
Skinner (Pickard)
New for The Athletic: How the Edmonton Oilers’ AHL team has emerged as vitally important
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6679808/2025/10/04/edmonton-oilers-ahl-bakersfield-condors-2025/
First exhibition game today, right after the Jays game and, yes, I am excited.
A chain is only as strong as its weakest leak. Chaulk is on the critical path.
Chaulk has helped Holloway, Broberg and Kesselring on their way to the NHL.
He did not unlock Xavier Bourgault, who escaped Bakersfield one year ago and had the same season in Belleville. Same for Petrov and a pile of others but the failed prospects taken in the first three rounds of the draft since 2017 are Bourgault, Lavoie, Munzenberger, Olivier Rodrigue and Dmitri Samorukov.
Is there a spike in performance post-Condors you can point to? I’ll be honest, I thinkthe story of last year in Bakersfield was Rodrigue played well and then the organization started fiddling with the defensemen and it caved.
The Oilers always over think their roster.
Roll the lines … stack the TV time out and key ozone face offs and speciality teams. For 2-4 minutes of key moments in the game, when 97, 29, 2 have full charge.
1C McDavid
2C RNH
3C Tomasek
4C Henrique
is honestly bottom half of the league –
1C McDavid
2C Driasaitl
3C RNH
4C Philp
is the best in the league.
53-93-88 is a really good third line but ….
I think there is one obvious way to improve on that center depth chart….. play Leon Draisaitl at center…….
This may “require” giving Savoie or Howard some reps with McDavid or Drai – god forbid they do that without them having made enough tough plays on the wall first.
i watched last nights game and my impression is that they are not reqfy to
start the season a group
savoie is and he makes the team
Tomasek is close but needs the game to slow down for him a bit
and I think Howard could use some AHL time
about the D
Stetcher is good. And he can move around
Idk how you trade him. I’d prefer him over the other two
I do think this team is still hunting for a forward upgrade.
Im excited for the announcement of Mcdavid Walman Ekholm extensions on Tuesday
The Oilers big boys, except for Draisaitl, have been late to the start line three seasons in a row.
Will the Oilers have to wait for November again for Bouchard and McDavid to make an appearance?
Hey it’s not like there’s some huge decision hanging over the team this year I’m sure it’ll be fine.
It’s a good roster! I like the depth up front, but I honestly can’t get a handle on how I’d deploy the forwards. I’m not a fan of loading up 97 and 29, but I get the logic. I don’t mind Frederic getting the first crack there either. It’s going to look even better when Hyman gets back.
I agree totally with the D. I wonder if you could flip Emberson, Janmark and a pick for Reichel in Chicago.
Anybody in favour of putting together a new “Kid Line” with Howard-Tomasek-Savoie on the third line (at least at home)? All the necessary elements are there. Give them the keys and let them go!
I do hope they start Pickard in game 1 he’s been the better goalie in the preseason. We need W’s out of the gate and Skinner has not looked sharp let’s rightfully ride Pickard until he loses.
Michael Russo
@RussoHockey
Hearing the Wild have agreed to terms on a five-year, $34 million contract extension with Filip Gustavsson ($6.8M AAV)
He would have been a great target.
Prospectice!
The NAmateur pool this season is deep on collegiates, and they dominate today’s sched.
Michigan entered the season at #12 in Div-1. Park (G) and Barnett (A) each found the scoresheet in a romp yesternight. Park was listed as 4LW while Barnett was 3LD.
The other ranked team featuring a NAmateur is #19 St. Thomas, whose blueline is bolstered by Bauer Berry, making his NCAA debut like the aforementioned Michiganders did. Will he show more offense in college than he did in the USHL? We wait.
Lafreniere rounds out the sched–he has 1+1 in his three games since returning to junior.
Michigan (Park, Barnett) @ 5 p.m.
St. Thomas (Berry) @ 5 p.m.
Kamloops (Lafreniere) @ 7 p.m.
All times are two times and are also Sandy Lake time.
If coach insists on loading up to start the season and isn’t willing to give Savoie or Howard a look, I have some time for Tomasek getting a chance riding shot fun (Frederic shifting to center) or Mangiapane with his motor (looked good in a bit of time there last night).
I won’t “give up” on Fred there based on exhibition – veteran play in exhibition means nothing (and McDavid was just as ineffective) but the rope shouldn’t be long.
Once McDrai eventually get split up…
Mangiapane-McDavid-Hyman
Podz-Drai-Savoie
Howard-Nuge-Frederic
Henrique-Philp-Tomasek/Kapanen
Not so bad. You’ve got at least two real scorers on each of the top three lines, plus a grittier guy.
For now, Freddy plays in place of Hyman, and Tomasek/Kapanen move up.
I’d still like a little more grit in this group, after the loss of Kane/Perry/Brown, but I guess you pick that up at the trade deadline.
One could presumably nab a substantial (if lesser) roster player for Ekholm.
Boy, I hate to think about this. He has been exactly what this team needed. That trade is one of the biggest turning points for this team in the last few years.
But if (and that’s an if) he can’t turn the corner from what we’ve seen since his injury….might be time to sell high, before any other team realizes it.
This is a big leap but the emergence of Regula climbing the ladder to hopefully top 4 by seasons end could not only open up Cap room but also garner assets in a trade of Kulak or Ekholm.
it makes a lot of sense for a team on the rise but not something contending teams do.