This is the Edmonton Oilers training camp list (61 names) from September of 2016. All of the names you’d expect are here, plus some futures worth watching (mostly blue, man that Brandon Davidson had a career waiting for him if he could have stayed healthy).
Some NHL teams have released the main training camp roster (notably Seattle Kraken); the Oilers are apparently waiting until next week. Since we have time, being a long weekend and all, thought I’d see how close we can get to naming everyone who will be on the official list. Here we go!
PROJECTED TRAINING CAMP ROSTER (44)
Let’s begin with the names currently on the team’s website. We know these players will either be in camp or are injured (and we know four of those names already):
Center: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Jason Dickinson, Josh Samanski, Owen Michaels, Viljami Marjala, William Nicholl.
Wingers: Zach Hyman, Vasily Podkolzin, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Kasperi Kapanen, Mathieu Joseph, Trent Frederic, Colton Dach, Ike Howard, Quinn Hutson, Max Jones, Connor Clattenburg, Eduards Tralmaks, Matt Savoie, Mattias Janmark, Aku Raty, James Stefan, Brady Stonehouse
Defense: Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard, Ryan Shea, Connor Murphy, Jake Walman, Ty Emberson, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Spencer Stastney, Josh Brown, Alec Regula, Beau Akey, Riley Stillman, Atro Leppänen, Tomas Cibulka
Goalies: Tristan Jarry, Devon Levi, Frederik Andersen, Matt Tompkins, Samuel Jonsson, Nathan Day
There are a couple of omissions (Damien Carfagna, Connor Ungar) but we know both men are under contract and will be in camp. Here is the list of players I think we can assume will join the names listed above:
MORE NAMES (17)
Center: Tucker Robertson, Josh Davies, Caden Harvey
Wingers: Seth Griffith, Rhett Pitlick, Daniel D’Amato, Ethen Keppen, Hunter Johannes, Simon Tassy, David Lewandowski
Defense: Damien Carfagna, Samuel Sjölund, John Gormley, Zach Bookman, Andrew Robinson
Goalies: Connor Ungar, Eemil Vinni
That’s 61, same as 2016; I believe we have things surrounded. A PTO for Curtis Lazar is a reasonable idea, and there are some nice things out there. Edmonton doesn’t need a goalie, and defense is good (a RH wouldn’t go amiss, though) and we’ll see about the forwards.
Windsor’s preseason continued this afternoon with a 4-2 win.
Robinson had 1+1 and a team-high 6 SOG.
Harvey drew an apple on Robinson’s goal.
I am annoyed that they brought Ron McLean back.
There’s a reason they lost so much viewership. MacLean backstabbed his friend and co-worker showing his true colours just as was the case for the Esk’s team. Once you loose the grass roots folks that have money have fun with what you have left. People can spend their money any way they want. If the Edmonton football team wants to piss on tradition it’s not surprising most of the knot-hole long time season ticket holders said good riddance to such a weak organization.
OR here’s a thought. If your coworker does something stupid to get themselves fired, you don’t have to lose your own job (ie your ability to support your family) with some misguided and ultimately useless gesture to support their stupidity.
Amazon Prime is going to eat Roger’s lunch.
One area that Amazon already eats their lunch is the quality of their stream. Amazon’s 4k signal is pristine. Ironic because Rogers at their core is a carrier, but Bezos owns AWS and nobody has a better server infrastructure than that.
Not only that…but they also use significantly more cameras, have superior graphics and the on air talent is much better.
Canadian hockey broadcasters have become fat and lazy with their captive audiences that are now being scattered into the winds of change.
They had me at Charissa Thompson. The rest is gravy.
Rob Williams
@RobTheHockeyGuy
Bieksa has reportedly “entertained opportunities” to work in the U.S.
We should find out what the program formerly known as Hockey Night in Canada will look like in the next couple weeks.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/rumours-elliotte-friedman-kevin-bieksa-future-sportsnet
Bieksa was good to begin with then the CBC-Sprortnet muzzle came out. Get Bieska around some winning all-time greats like Messier-Gretzky instead of that loser Flamer Hrudrey and bootlick MacLean
With Anderson & Savoie not expected to start the season, doesn’t sound like Janmark will be involved, so they can either go with 14 forwards, 7 defensemen, or 13 forwards & 8 defensemen seeing as they will only have two goalies. IMO they should go with 14 forwards, there may even be some surprises.
They really only have 13 forwards left from the NHL tier – with Jones being 13F. The 14F would be from the Hutson, Michaels, Marjala, Tralmaks tier or an add.
With 7D, they still have to expose Stastney to waivers…….
I think they may go with the 8D – I remember back to the Drop and Bowman talking about maybe 8D/12F because they can always dress 7D if they are short a forward (when discussing 3G on the roster)
We don’t really know when we’re going to see 3 goalies on the roster. So it might be worthwhile to see what a 14th forward, as one of those four you mentioned, has to offer, at least until Savoie gets back. Losing Stastney to waivers can be dealt with in the event it actually even happens, if not he’s in Bakersfield. Honestly I’m excited to see Tralmaks perform.
Who’s your long-shot forward who warms Babcock heart and receives games and surprises? If you want to jump on the Clattenburg train you can be my Brakeman as there’s tons of room.
Tralmaks is the guy I see as that guy. I’m pretty sure they did away with the brakeman when they got rid of the caboose.
You can be the flagman. I worked lots in the lovely Hinton area. I was recently watching a documentary on it Jeez Louise that was hard watch even it happened 40 years ago.
I understand that and can see that but not sure they are going to risk Stastney on waivers in order to keep 2 forwards in the press box, one in the Hustson/Michaels/Marjala/Tralmaks level.
We’ll see – there may be more injuries at camp.
We don’t know? Maybe Babcock will want a bottom six with some size and fluidity.
Jones-Nuge-Tralmaks
Dach-Dickinson-Frederic
Or something like that to make it interesting.
With Samanski & Joseph to fit in as he pleases.
I think Babcock is going to dig deep and find a project turning him into a serviceable bottom 3-4 forward. If I had to roll the dice come on down Hutson oops I mean Tralmaks. Both can score in the AHL now if the skating holds up they may get a few unexpected goals with Babcock rolling the lines.
Apparently Howard can score in the AHL too. Haha.
Is Howard a fit he’s not taking anyone’s job on PP-1. That is unless Babcock is the first coach in a raccoon age to finally have a PP-2.
Howard does not need to be PP1 right away in order to have an impact.
Where’s he going to get his goals from can you see Howard playing top 6 now that Savoie is hurt?
I was calling for Howard to play top 6 before Savoie was hurt – how do you not know this? Do you actually read the posts?
Peope read hundreds of posts. Expecting someone to remember what anyone said a month ago requires constant reminding. Howard on the Draisaitl line is the right thing to do, I think most people felt that way after July 1.
I have discussed Issac Howard at length with Reja, almost daily, over the off-season – he has responded to dozens of posts of mine that speak to these thoughts.
rudolfs berzkalns has been named captain of the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL
That’s because he sleeps all night and he works all day.
You must have some inside intel.
Any insight into his bar attire?
How does he feel about wildflowers?
I remember Tkachuk slew footing Davidson behind the Oilers net *spits* hated him ever since.
Iginla did the same thing to Souray. Souray was one tough player who would have cleaned Iginla clock in a fight. That 26 goal season as well as the 23 goal season was special. Bouchard has a good blast but could you imagine Souray on our PP-1 Souray would shoot through the goalie. Peak Souray would get 30 plus goals on todays team. With one slew-foot from cheap shot Iginla would spiral Souray career into an actual nightmare.
Nobody did anything about either of these. Which is possibly even more disgusting.
The early Oilers were like a pack of wolves starting with Fogolin as captain. I brought this up before I remember hearing about Holloway coming to practice all decked out in Flames paraphernalia. Dylan would have learned a valuable lesson from Foggy that day Joey would have done clean up on aisle three for hours. Zito has 2 almost 3 Cups if not for Vegas beating us in 6 after Pietrangelo waltzed out of Edmonton after viciously giving our best player a full wide-up two handed slash. If that was Florida the brawl would be on last shift and first shift of the next game. Florida has enough skill with that full on pack of wolves mentality to get them 2 or 3 more Cups the next 5 years.
There has been some rumours/speculation that David Lewandowski was not returning to Saskatoon for this coming season.
3-4 weeks ago, Stauff made a comment to Guy G. on his show about an Oilers draft pick committing to Penn State – the coach said he couldn’t comment before anything was official. It made me think he was going there.
There is some talk about his return to the Saskatoon on the comments at The Athletic – one said he heard he was returning given the trade of a forward out but I looked and don’t see him on the Blades’ training camp roster……
The kid has size needs to grow into his bigger frame while getting his shot off more while absorbing contact. College would be next next step in his development.
The Blades seem to have their full complement of Euros already, so they would have to jettison one of their two Euro forwards. (Their other Euro is a goalie who will probably be their starter.)
I wonder whether CHL waivers might be an option. That’s how Austin Elliott, who had been in S’toon, wound up in London and put up a sparkling season a couple years ago.
If all else fails, he could always go back to Europe.
Do they have an issue even after trading Tristan Petersen?
Not anymore, it seems. Wasn’t aware they had traded Petersen.
I presume this settles it and he’ll be back but look forward to finding out officially!
Why PTO Lazar? They know exactly what he is so either sign him to league min or don’t, right?
For me, I 100% roll with Samanski as 4C, 10-12 minute per night plus PK for October (unless it craters quick, like really craters).
Sure sign Lazar, without any additional injuries, they do have room to keep him at 14F with Max Jones at 13F – although that means 7D and Stastney exposed.
For me, its more like sign Lazar with him knowing he’ll be waived and assigned once he clears – he’ll likely get call up games but I do NOT play him over Samanski because he shoots right. Lets not forget Lazar was unplayable on the PK last year as the season wore on.
Injury protection. Someone in the bottom 3 comes up lame in camp he probably gets signed if he hasn’t lost a step.
As long as he’s not playing ahead of better and higher ceiling players, as mentioned, on some premise of long-gone PK ability and right shot face-offs.
Weirdly, I wonder about the idea of Bunting on a PTO if it comes to that for him. I don’t really like him but I wonder if he would be a good third line fit here, depending on his numbers, which I havent deep dove on. He always seems like a pain the ass to play against.
We have so many guys now though. If Max Jones could just be consistent playing at his top level more, that is the best fit really.
Frederic too, maybe Dach.
A player we thought would be signed and at camp, Maxim Berezkin, a goal and assist in his season opener.
Let’s not forget, Oilers hold his NHL rights indefinitely so if he ever wants to play in the NHL……
At this point, I think it’s fair to say that ship has sailed. Oilers and Russia are not a good match historically, especially via the draft.
Sure “at this point” but we have no idea, zero, what this young man wants for his future. I’ve only heard one interview from last summer and it was clear that his dream was the NHL.
Maybe that’s changed, maybe it hasn’t.
What I do know is his only chance to play in the NHL is with the Oilers or if the Oilers trade his rights and him playing well in the KHL is something I will hope for.
He is probably just waiting for the Oilers to trade him to an Russian ex-pat North American city.
Agreed. In fact, I suspect Berezkin would already be in New York City if the Rangers had a high value on him.
Perhaps – either way, him playing well in the KHL continues to have potential positive benefit for the Oilers.
People talked about Slepyshev long after he left and after he became an NHL UFA (which Berezkin won’t prior to his first signing).
bcurlock
@bcurlock
Tidy start to the season for Maxim Beryozkin. 1-1-2 in the Lokomotiv season opener.
Isn’t that what I posted?
What is the point of this?
Hello, pot. Meet kettle. 🙂
Please, I have never done that.
You routinely post what is already in the article I’ve written! It happens all the time, OP. Honestly. I set my watch by it.
This sounds like the Martha Stewart incident in 2004.
Sometimes he posts everything that is in the article and then parses it word by word for our reading pleasure.
Yes, sometimes I take what’s in the blog, quote it and provide my opinion on the subject matter……. could you imagine, posting opinions on the subject matter of a blog in the blog’s comments section?
He is gone, comfy staying at home.
I love the hope and story but this guy is/was a complete unknown against NHL comp and highly likely he would be a marginal NHLer.
As much as I don’t want to PTO Formenton he would likely just as good as Maxim.
Ya. Doesn’t seem like Max is russian to get to the nhl.
For now but who knows what he may want in the future. We have no idea, zero, what this young man wants for his future.
What I do know is his only chance to play in the NHL is with the Oilers or if the Oilers trade his rights and him playing well in the KHL is something I will hope for.
I mean we actually do have a pretty good idea about what he wants for his future. Back to back years, he chose the KHL over the Oilers and committed for another two years there.
We know what choices he has made – we don’t know about what he’s planning 1, 3, 5 years from now or what he may be thinking in 1, 3, 5 years from now.
Not much chance of Max making the cut with Ike Howard in the mix. Figured he should just stay in Russia, right?
I have no idea what his thoughts are.
I do know that in the one interview I read with him, his desire was to play in the NHL. Maybe he decides never to try, maybe he decides in 1 year, 3 years, 5 years – Oilers hold his rights.
OP. Is there any way he could come over mid season? Obviously he’d need an out in his khl contact. Or is it just a hard no.
Either with an out or with agreement of Loco – that happens, see: Demidov. It would cost but Daryl has liquidity.
Actually I believe it has something to do with winning a third straight championship in Russia, which I’m not positive but I think it hasn’t been done before. So it’s a big deal.
1 Oilers sign Russian
2 Russian comes to camp, coach raves about size or speed or hands
3 Russian is sent to Bakersfield.
4 Russian flies home.
/scene
and that could still happen.
and #1 could still happen with an alternative ending to the scene. The key is, #1 could still happen at any time and not other team can sign him. In that regard, I will continue to follow his KHL career in real time.
Do I anticipate ever seeing him as an Oiler? Nope.
His rights will be traded to a more NHL friendly team that has positions for hire.
2.5 Russian player complains that the Teams bag skates are too easy, body checks the Zamboni and doesn’t remotely understand the concept of a sophomore slump when asked by the press. Misses his native food and the fact he doesn’t have to shower with a plastic bag over his head so 1 drop of water doesn’t enter his mouth giving him dysentery.
People have their ideas about the guy, but this is his 10th season in Lokomotiv system, and maybe he’s just happy there. He’s still only 24 so you hope he does well and you have conversations each year. Having a successful Podkolzin around who thrived in Edmonton doesn’t hurt. Like you said, take it year by year.
For sure, he very well may be.
All I’m saying is I (and likely everyone that posts in this community) have no idea what he’s been thinking, is thinking and might be thinking in the future.
One can opine that “the ship has sailed” and maybe that is the case, I don’t know.
What I do know is that he can only play in the NHL for the Oilers or a team the Oilers trade his rights to and, in that regard, I will continue to follow his progress and hope for up arrows – great start to his season!