We don’t talk about recalls from the Bakersfield Condors at this time of year, because why would we? All attention is focused on the NHL 23, with the battles (15 forwards, eight defensemen and three goalies) holding our attention. Please read this.
The AHL team is interesting always, partly because it tells us a lot about how much general managers value depth. Back in the olden days, Glen Sather’s AHL teams always had a pile of interesting forwards (not all made it, especially during the 1980’s when the parent club was basically an all-star team) and at least one defensemen who you could project to the NHL.
Kevin Lowe built fascinating AHL teams as general manager, but was derailed when the EIG handed in the minor league team and sent the minor league players as loaners to other clubs.
Steve Tambellini is often maligned when we look back on Edmonton general managers, but he re-established the minor leagues as a bona fide roster tool. Craig MacTavish continued the build, and Peter Chiarelli was aggressive in signing college free agents. Ken Holland viewed the minor leagues as a place to overcook prospects and overload with AHL-only contracts. Overall, the Holland tunnel was not enjoyable.
That brings us to Stan Bowman. He is more devoted to youth, and appears to be taking a helluva (but worthy) risk at center this season in the AHL. Assuming Josh Samanski and Mattias Janmark make the Oilers, the Bakersfield depth chart at center may well be Viljami Marjala, Owen Michaels, William Nichol and recent AHL-only signings Tucker Roberson and Simon Tassy.
That’s brazen, and I like it. Bowman is going to ask Michaels and probably Nicholl to play feature roles out of the box. The club showed its cards re: Michaels with his contract, a deal that pays him $900,000 in year two no matter where he plays. Bowman is betting it’s the NHL.
I understand why previous managers signed men like Josh Currie and James Hamblin to play the middle. You need veterans at that level to keep the score close, and to mentor young wingers. However, the dearth of centers in the system (and across the NHL, really) means the club is wise to attempt fast tracking players like Michaels and Nicholl. We’ll know one year from now if this works out. I applaud the plan, even though it would not be my preference.
On the Lowdown today, our feature guest will be Kevin McCurdy. We’ll chat about the Oilers roster, how we see opening night lines and pairings, and our personal favourites to surprise during camp among the prospects. Noon to 2pm, Sports 1440 and You Tube.
Edmonton Oilers rookie forwards prepare to audition for new coach Mike Babcock
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7522331/2026/08/19/edmonton-oilers-rookie-forwards-mike-babcock/
Howard and Samanski battling for opening night roster spots (Howard likely to make it, Samanski, we’ll see).
The likes of Hutson, Tralmaks, Michaels, etc. looking to make an impression and maybe put themselves in the coach’s head for an injury call up.
Oilers will be playing two games in Germany during the 2027-8 season. Games will be played in Draisaitl’s hometown of Köln. Opponent(s) TBD.
Boston will be doing likewise, though their games will be in Munich.
It’s only three hours old so I’ll post the link. Staples asks a great freaking question. I hope that we’re not making the same mistake again. Many here, whom I agree with, question the lack of love this guy gets from the pundits.
https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/are-edmonton-oilers-about-to-make-same-old-mistake-and-lose-young-centre
Answer: No.
The Oilers have NHL depth at the bottom of the roster and, unless there are two injuries (including Janmark), two can’t be on the opening roster as they will only be able to carry 13F.
I agree with Dave 100% that Samanski should be pencilled in to the NHL roster (and lineup) for opening night but I could see the organization assigning him to Bako.
I won’t agree with that if it happens but, if it does, I will also understand that its likely very short term as he’ll be recalled with the first injury – shouldn’t be the end of the world.
Of course, if they do something silly like sign a Gladdening and block him with a 37 year old, that would be egregious. Even Lazar who they couldn’t even trust on the PK last year – don’t block Samanski in that regard – I don’t think they will.
Be funnier than all get out, if Hutson and Michaels are more than what the numbers are showing. Samanski too.
Crazier things have occurred. Nobody thought Hyman was going to turn out the way he did.
Career AHL players, tweeners or guys who carve out a role/spot in the NHL, I will root for them.
While I appreciate the optimism, HOPE has never been a great strategy in the NHL.
Yes. I started a deep dive into the Bakersfield Sound a few months ago. Now I’ve got my own Telecaster and an ornately embroidered pearl-snap shirt, and I’m singing along with Dwight and Buck about the lessons learned on the Streets of Bakersfield!
Nice!
You might want to give Buck Owens “Kickin’ In” album a listen to, absolutely fantastic tunes for the most part. Quite partial to “All the tea in China” and “They’d have to carry me away” myself.
Thanks.
Homer Joy wrote it, it’s such an iconic song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtfEUVvqjf8
Dwight Yoakam says these are part of the Bakersfield Sound. I suppose that’s good enough for me. The intersection of the Glimmer Twins, Emmylou and the Bakersfield Sound is undeniable.
https://youtu.be/MchWI3sLUQo
https://youtu.be/KBgDCMo68uA
https://youtu.be/4fCTZ0ZnD44
Need more Bakersfield Sound on Twang Tuesdays.
There’s a great Marty Stuart short that in about 10 minutes connects a lot of musical dots for me. Way Out West
https://youtu.be/yOz9MJCbkzs
ps What Marty and his Fabulous Superlatives (including the phenomenally superlative Kenny Vaughn) are doing is musically wonderful. Not sure what there opinions are on Babcock’s probable lineups, however.
Something Oilers fans aspire to, homer joy. June 2027?
ps. I heard Homer’s story recently (part of the deep dive). The song was written out of spite, about being rejected by one of the Bakersfield studios, back in its Buckaroo heyday.
In the first period of the first game of round one the Oilers demolished the Ducks.
Absolutely faster, stronger, more skilled.
Unfortunately it did not last and turned quickly. However, my point being that when healthy, that roster had excellent potential.
Also, when creating, the top two lines are excellent and can win you games. When not creating and they had to rely more on systems play and strong defensive play, they foundered. Coaching failed them.
This roster is shaping up to be better than last years roster. If coached into a good team first, then you allow the magic of Leon/Connor to flourish second, they will be very dangerous. I like the formula that looks to be coming together for this season.
The Oilers were the better team at 5 on 5 during the series, per the numbers – despite the injuries.
The Ducks PP (or Oilers PK) was the only reason the Ducks won.
I like Max Jones to make the team. I felt he should have made it last year because he can bring what was lacking, and he was much better than Frederic. In hindsight, Frederic should have taken another 3 months of light skating.
Babcock may hear that Jones lacks consistently, but may choose to try him out to see how it goes. Jones has the potential to put up double the points of Frederic or Dach.
I think Jamark is on IR, Howard and Joseph are on the roster, and the last spot is between Jones and Samanski.
One more IR injury saves the other…..
As soon as I saw the title of this article my mind immediately went to Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street. Now I can’t get that song out of my head.
Yep he had a couple of songs once you hear them they’re trapped in your head on a loop for days
Since Sather, the Oilers have excelled in hiring managers who are strong in some specific area of the job, hoping they will be able to expand upon it.
Unfortunately, leadership and executive decision-making doesn’t work that way.
All of the people since Sather could have certain had A job with the team. Maybe even a pretty big one.
None have been the class of leader and decision-maker that a top flight NHL team should employ.
James Hamblin is going to be a major loss for the Condors. I hope he gets some NHL games in Anaheim (which would also be telling as he’d be about 15 or 16 deep on the Oilers depth chart).
I don’t think Janmark makes the Oilers – I think we see him in IR to start the season – Stauff has alluded to his health being in question a bunch over the last couple of weeks.
If that is true, the last forward roaster spot is likely between Samanski and Jones – I hope Samanski is in the NHL and Jones clears.
Mariela is a legit 1C in the AHL. Owen Michaels, to me, until he shows otherwise, is a middle six AHL center so hopefully he can run with 2C.
That’s a tough spot for the rookie Nicholls – he’s a real prospect in my mind and I hope he gets slotted in appropriately for his experience and readiness.
Anaheim Centre Depth:
Carlsson
Granlund
Poehling
Washe
_______
Gaucher
McQueen
Nilson
Colangelo
Pettersson
Wahlberg
All of the above prospects were picked in the first 2 rounds of the draft.
They have others.
They probably need to move Poehling in order to get Guathier signed.
Washe – lol – he’s essentially James Hamblin.
You’re hilarious.
Washe:
24 – 6’3″ 212 – 41 NHL GP plus 12 NHL playoff games – 36 games in the AHL before callup.
Hamblin:
27 – 5′ 9″ – 185 – 41 NHL GP none since 2024 – 282 games played in the AHL.
Of note:
Washe scored .75 PPG in the AHL last season while Hamblin scored only .64
So Washe is younger, much bigger, more experienced in the NHL and has secured an NHL roster spot but is “essentially James Hamblin” who is none of those things.
And the Ducks are much more likely to move Frank Vatrano, Alex Killorn or Chris Kreider before moving Poehling.
He played 41 NHL games, ineffectively.
In his first and only pro season, playing 4th line minutes, Washe scored 5 points in the NHL.
In his 6 pro seasons Hamblin has scored 3 points in the NHL.
And yet you somehow claim they are the same.
Hamblin had 3 points in 31 games a couple year ago in the NHL.
Holy hell you are defending a 24 year old with 5 points a -6 in 41 NHL games on a team’s NHL team, as part of great center depth. This dude is a tweener, the exact same as James Hamblin.
Are you really this petty that you are defending this dude as part of NHL centre depth?
Good Grief.
Do you have to do this
every single day ??
Maybe they didnt get another center in Bakersfield because they think Samanski will be there. Would align with what Stauffer has been saying all summer about Samanski/Howard
Maybe – I hope not, but maybe.
Even if they suspect he starts in Bako, I imagine they don’t think he’ll be there all season long, or even for most of it. If re-assigned, he’s surely right at the top of a call-up list.
Ding-ding-ding you are connecting the dots on your own. If in fact Samanski warms Babcock big centre craving and makes the team I think Bowman makes a move for more coverage at the AHL centre level.
Michaels will play more Oilers hockey then Hutson imo.
I suspect you’re correct. Hutson seems to be borderline nhl ready but with Howard and Savoie as long term fits the only spot I could see for Hutson would be in a Derrick Ryan type role.
The Oilers probably prefer a different player type in the bottom 6.
Agreed
Hutson could surprise with a new coach. Babcock has a few decisions too make. One of those is Jones who has these spurts of being a power forward. If Babcock can harness Jones-Dach-Kapanen-Joseph-Frederic into more consistency all 5 could be a reason we win a Cup especially if we face the new Broad Street Bullies in the Final again.
He could but, the issues in his game that Chaulk spoke of a couple weeks ago are exactly what Babcock likely would have a distaste for – for example, bigger compete level in the offensive zone than the defensive zone.
I presume Hutson will work his ass off to impress in camp skates and the exhibition game(s) he gets in. Two more forward injuries and he’s in the conversation for call-up.
I didn’t like the Babcock hiring yet he did mold bottom 6ers like Hyman-Brown-Bozak even Kadri-Van Riemsdyk up and down top 6ers Then there’s top pedigree Nylander-Matthews-Marner he has to get some credit for the way these players blossomed into stars. I would like to hear from die-hard Leafs fan and what they really think of Mike stint in TO. Mike was able to juggle a lot youngsters from stars to borderline players he molded into everyday NHLers. If he had time to see his team age who knows if the Leafs don’t win the Cup. Mike started from the bottom teaching young kids how to be better. I think K.K was good to the veterans I think Savoie scored 19 goals in spite of K.K coaching. Anyhow what I’m trying to say is maybe I’m dismissing Mikes talent which is his teaching skills by all the outside flutter that get’s hits on tik-tok.
Hutson is a tweener for sure.
I have Micahels as a tier below until//unless he proves otherwise – light producing forward in the NCAA don’t scream “NHL prospect” to me. I mean, LT’s write-up has concern about him handling 2C…… in the AHL.
Shooting right handed can only take one so far….
I hope he blows me away like Hutson did last year (I believe he’s a tweener but he showed MUCH more than I anticipated a year ago).
Long term, Michaels is likely to be an effective AHL center. That’s the eventual floor. Eventual ceiling? No. 3 center in the NHL. Bowman thinks he’ll see the NHL or he would not have agreed to the contract.
Can’t disagree with that – I haven’t seen him play but his pedigree shows he’s likely to have that AHL career floor. Sure, maybe 3C ceiling, same way Hutson has a 30G top 6 winger ceiling, right?
I suspect that contract was negotiated last spring and it was agreed to as part of Michaels signing with the org. Sign the ELC and it immediately burns the one and only year and the 2-way RFA contract was agreed to as part of the overall deal.
I would suggest Bowman agreed to it to get Michaels in the org, not necessarily because the thinks he will play in the org this year. The Oilers owner has agreed to this type of financial outlay without hesitation over the years. Lane Pederson was given a one-way contract, for example.
They need to find a replacement for the loss of O’Reilly in the system whether it be Samanski or Michaels. Besides the need for a bottom 6 centre Bowman is covering his backside especially if O’Reilly pops early.
I don’t think anything Bowman does, or does not do, is impacted by anything Sam O’Reily does, or doesn’t do, since he left the Oilers org.
I agree. In short viewing time Hutson does not have the speed to keep up. This may have changed (hopefully) but probably not significantly.
Undersized with mediocre boots and not elite skill is a tough NHL
road. He might get games but someone will keep bumping him
We have seen this movie before in Benson etc The one attribute that may make up for the skating is that the puck gravitates towards Hutson. We’ve seen it in the AHL regularly and we seem glimpses of it in the NHL. Hutson comes from fine stock could he be the player Babcock molds into a everyday NHLer
Hutson is a better skater than Benson and has a MUCH better shot. He doesn’t have Benson’s vision or puck skills.
Likewise I would be fine running two rookies in net on the farm. If they flounder then adjust accordingly, but hockey remains super conservative regarding goaleur progression and development. I would bet most goalies of note are overcooked by the time they break in.
It would be exiting to have Ungar/Jonsson share the net in Bako but, of course, two non-established AHL players – that’s a big risk.
Bad goaltending can crater a team and a successful on-ice product is beneficial to optimum development of real prospects.
Matt Tomkins was a big part of the the Condor’s success on the ice last season and getting them in to the playoffs. I have little doubt that his veteran presence is a big plus both on and off the ice – the AHL can be chaos.
Similar to Michaels, Alec Regula has a contract that pays him $450K to play in the minors this season as opposed to just $215K last season.
Bowman is building his own AAAA team of Michigan-born players.
This leads me to a follow-on thought:
Is it easier to convince a player from Michigan, or Germany, or Finland to spend their winters in the minors in California as opposed to Red Deer or Cape Breton?
To put it another way, could Cheveldayoff have convinced Michaels to spend a winter or two as a Manitoba Moose?
I think if it was in Edmonton, because the AHL players could be around the stars regularly. I think it might encourage drive in the young fellas to make it, seeing it up close, catching some games live. If Winnipeg can support NHL AHL WHL Edmonton surely could
On June 16, 2023, the Western Hockey League announced that the Winnipeg Ice franchise was sold and relocated to Wenatchee, Washington, becoming the Wenatchee Wild.
Well there’s that. Edmonton could do it though I think being larger and hockey crazy
The biggest issue in Winnipeg was the lack of a suitable arena for the junior team.
When you have 3 teams playing a full schedule, managing that on only 1 sheet of ice becomes a huge challenge.
The Ice were playing at the U of M arena which did not meet WHL standards.
I’m not sure you could call Bakersfield a particularly desirable location
In the early 2000s, I spent a lot of time in Bakersfield for work. Great people, food and music. However, Bakersfield is one of the worst cities in the USA wrt air pollution. When you fly in all you see is a tan-brown layer below the tops of the mountains. Terrible place to put athletes!
It’s famous for having the worst air pollution in North America.
Why do I feel like I’m showing my age to say, if you have to convince a player who hasn’t yet made the NHL to play for your AHL team no matter where it is located, as likely the best opportunity to be noticed and monitored by the NHL team, then maybe they aren’t ready to make the jump to the NHL mentally?
Lets not forget Tralmaks will be making $400K in Bako – no doubt a primary reason he signed with this org.
Yes money floats many boats. Tralmaks needs to make as much as possible before age or injury ends the gravy train for him. I think he could care less what City he’s playing in as long as the moolah is real.
That’s a very distinct possibility with Tralmaks but, really, I have zero idea, I know nothing about him as a person or what matters most to him. Perhaps he chose Edmonton primarily because he thinks there is an opportunity to move up the depth chart and play in the NHL – I dunno.