We know Aku Räty is a fast skater, and we know he is a righthanded shot. We know his NHL equivalencies since age 20 are 15, 29, 32, 15 and last season 41 points per 82 games. Please read this.
Is he any good? We’ll see. He is 25, 6.0 and 189 pounds. He had a strong season in the Liiga, but plenty of power-play points. Five of his 20 goals came on the man advantage.
Does he spend the entire season in Bakersfield? I think that’s a reasonable guess. Based on his performance and what I’ve been told by people who know more than I do, Raty isn’t an especially strong player away from the puck.
What’s the scouting report? Good speed, can score, good passer but at times erratic, can win battles and interrupt play but is not consistently effective in this area.
Sounds like all the Oilers wingers. Haha. I think we know the depth chart well enough to suggest Raty is a Condor right away this fall.
What does the depth chart look like? Using expected GA-60 from last season, and with the knowledge Mike Babcock plans to run Leon Draisaitl on right wing, we get the following list: Draisatil (2.65), Zach Hyman (2.99), Matt Savoie (2.88) and Kasperi Kapanen (2.47). If they run without Draisaitl, I imagine that means Hyman, Savoie, Kapanen and Trent Frederic (2.41).
What does the depth chart in Bakersfield look like on right wing? It’s impossible to say really, but I think Quinn Hutson will be No. 1 right wing and then Räty would be a candidate for second line.
You like Chaulk, what’s Mr. Genius going to do? I don’t think Chaulk is a genius, that title belongs to Jay Woodcroft. I’ll guess the top two lines are Tralmaks-Marjala-Hutson and Max Jones-Owen Michaels-Räty.
What about the third and fourth lines? It all falls apart in the AHL because we have to include minor-league contracts and that is difficult. I’ll suggest Clattenburg-Nicholl-Griffith for the third line but won’t try the fourth and I’m wildly uncertain about the third unit.
You don’t think Clattenburg can do it? No, well yes, but I don’t think that line makes sense. Clattenburg is an energy player, an agitator. People can hope he’s going to turn into a checking and transporting winger who can take or make a pass, but that isn’t him really. Clattenburg has good hands in close, no fear, and is fast enough to my eye. I don’t think he’ll ever going to be a checking winger or especially grand as a two-way type. He’s got a brain in his head so passing should improve, but he’s not going to be Ethan Moreau. Or if he is, there’s going to be an amazing progression.
So it’s Nicholl you don’t like? Love Nicholl. I just think he needs better linemates for what might end up being the checking line..
Who would you choose? Ideally it would be Mattias Janmark and Tucker Roberson with Nicholl. That line could play at par, plus a little I’d bet.
Why can’t it be a line? Chaulk might use all three at center. Certainly Robertson, who is righthanded and a veteran He could be the second line center, but I think Chaulk will want Michaels and Nicholl in the middle. We’ll see.
Won’t Chaulk want veteran centers to mentor the talented young wingers? Who are the talented young wingers? Hutson will get Marjala and the next best young skill winger is James Stefan.
You are a filthy liar! You could go Stonehouse-Janmark-Stefan.
Shut your whore mouth! Or you could move a defenseman up like Atro.
Door slams.
Where every Edmonton Oilers prospect stands entering 2026-27 season
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7586926/2026/09/13/edmonton-oilers-prospects-2026-27/
A note about St. Thomas:
The men’s Div-1 program, which had been in the CCHA, just joined the NCHC as of this season.
The women’s program is in the WCHA, as it became a women-only league a few years ago.
Edmonton has been hockey first, rough stuff second for many years now. Babcock will think old school. I think this will be a huge unexpected change this season, unexpected from the opposition. Players like Frederic, Dach will have more leeway, and players who are not willing to push and shove will be faded. I would not be surprised if Clattenburg is used to provide some energy and POP to the line up for 4-5 game stints.
McDavid looks thin. I was hoping to see him 10 pounds heavier for this fall.
McDavid with Draisaitl do not play any system at all except puck possession at all costs. Their intense desire to create and score is admiral but playing with the puck all the time it does not take advantage of mistakes or turnovers by opposition. Sometimes the play needs to be simple.
Trading depth for the best line in the league may work. Yet Carolina showed us a counter plan for this strategy.
Having two of the best play makers on two different lines now make 4 other players better.
The opposing argument is ice time and team identity or contribution. Separate lines for these two hog all the ice, thus the other players are not all pulling on the rope but instead sitting. Good point. Im interested to see how it works out.
What a beautiful ending . . . I actually laughed out loud.
I love Matty – straight up asked Samuel Jonsson what the deal was with the going back to Sweden rumour.
He said he has no idea – it was never a thought. He loves it over here on the small ice and had a great time for Ft. Wayne last season. Even said the Oilers reached out and asked him about the rumour…..
Said he’s never had as much fun playing hockey as over here – absolutely loves the small ice and loves it over here.
EDIT: Sorry, didn’t see Lenny posted on this a little while ago – sorry.
No worries at all.
Samuel Jonsson just raving about being part of this org, playing in North America, and his dream is to play in the NHL. Says the rumours of him going back to Europe were completely untrue. Seems like a great kid with an awesome attitude.
https://x.com/edmontonoilers/status/2099195958911480283?s=46
Cal Nichols has passed away.
Sad day. Damn. RIP
Nice guy. RIP
A masive person in the history of this team.
A statement from Bettman:
https://x.com/frank_seravalli/status/2099261468621275393
Vladdy gets off the “shneid” at home!!
Now just needs a triple for the cycle. Has not had a three-bagger yet this season.
I think even Kirk has one…..
Not this year. His lone career triple was in 2024.
Vladdy has six, but only one his last six seasons.
Jays triples so far this year:
Springer x 2
Clement
Giménez
Straw
Smith
Bateman
I’ve probably watched 80% of the innings on the year and that back to back to back with Vladdy in the middle may have been the funnest portion of the year to date.
With the near miss in his prior AB for a double, Vladdy looks to be going on one of his classic heaters and those are special and can carry a team.
Is anyone else once again worried about the goalie situation?
Anderson is ancient and injured.
Jarry was brutal last year.
I like Levi but unproven in the NHL and poor NHl results so far.
Yeah I could definitely see it going either way especially with Andersen injured. They can always pull Ingram out of his Psych 104 class I guess
Jarry was good until he was injured. His lateral movement was not good when he returned. His one playoff game he was excellent until a couple of fortunate goals by the Ducks. Andersen is playoff insurance that’s why they have 3 goalies. Jarry has 2 years left then it could be Levi’s ball moving forward.
Nah – with a better structure and puck management, the goalies will be set up for success (the opposite of last year).
OP right there with you. This is the Stanley Cup winning hope.
Anyone else find all the offseason talk nauseating. It comes off as a self-burn. I.e, why was this team not prepared for previous seasons?
Because they convinced themselves they could slack until the playoffs, and had a coach that wasn’t correcting them. Probably 2 coaches actually.
The team almost coached themselves to two Cups. Oilers needed an answer to Florida Shenanigans during the 1st Cup final Kane was injured. The 2nd Cup Final we couldn’t afford to take penalties as our PK sucked. The inability for K.K to line match caught up to us in both Finals.
If they’re going to run 29 and 97 together, when is someone going to wake up and realize that Leon is the better C? It isn’t particularly close, in fact.
If you’re going to do it (I wouldn’t), put McDavid on the wing and tell him his job is goal scoring. The guy will pop 65+ and the team can manage with that to outweigh the low performance of other lines.
Yep this is the way to go Leon is definitely better as a Centre that include face-offs. I would love to see Connor using his speed more from from the wing than the middle of the ice.
They don’t really play “center and wing” when together, do they?
and that creates issues with their defensive execution – or at least has in the past.
If they are going to play Babcock’s hard-on-the-puck 1-2-2 from the faceoff circles in the O-Zone back the the OIlers goal, McDavid and Draisaitl are going to have to know who is who.
They 100% have to change the way they play when they are together – more structure instead of pond-hockey with the puck. Babcock will be on it.
McDavid in his interview with Friedman “We’re going to be the most prepared team in the NHL.”
Talk talk talk.
Yeah, hopefully it ages better than his ‘we only really get up for the postseason’ comment of last season…
With Babs I believe it. It sounds like that is kind of his thing. Makes me think of McD talking about Cooper last year – that’s what they were looking for
I don’t get the cynicism what do you want him to say?
Of course it’s Crickets after dissing our Captain.
OK, I can see this McDrais thing maybe being a fun thing for home games. But if it doesn’t work the idea should float away.
OH HEY!! Did Gretz & Mess ever play together?
Nein. Canada cup is it.
The most concerning verbal this entire offseason appears that with Babcock at the helm, somehow the team:
– will be more prepared (not a slow start)
– will have exponentially better systems so our stars don’t burn out and goalies won’t be exposed
– overall better line matching and coaching
Based on the player moves and acquisitions this summer, if Babcock is a middle of the pack coach, I can’t see how the Oilers are magically going to be substantially better then last year.
Alot of folks are putting alot of balls in Babcock’s purse IMO.
There really seems to be mixed messaging before main camp. I mean can’t see the lines formed in the captains skate meaning anything at all? The coaching staff is nowhere at hand, the captains skate is run by the players, unless I’m mistaken.
I really can’t see the Oilers going into the season without a strong center spine, with the top two lines belonging to McDavid & Draisaitl each in the middle of their own lines, period. Then Nuge & Dickinson in the middle of their own third & fourth lines. Samanski is in a position to learn from some of the best centers around, eventually he will become one himself, until then he’s a winger.
Draisaitl on RW? Are you kidding?
No. Babcock has talked about this, Bowman has talked about this, the players have talked about this. I’m surprised you’re surprised. This is a thing. McDavid made an intreresting comment recently, saying the team would like more consistency on the lines. I don’t think this works, honestly. But I do believe, based on verbal, they are going to run McDavid-Draisaitl heavily at five-on-five at the start of the season. We’ll see. Maybe they’re just joking.
It’s weird. Same verbal was floating around at the beginning of last season. Makes me think the idea is coming from McDrai / management. Which is very funny since management traded away the team’s centre depth. Management seems to think the best way to get depth players involved is to have McDrai minutes on the same line.
Yes I believe it’s coming from McDrai as well. Pretty sure Stauffer was talking about them playing together before they even hired Babcock.
If they are going to run McDrai, Bowman better be brainstorming on his vision board ways to acquire Robert Thomas.
They need Babcock to save them from themselves.
If they want consistent lines they need strong center depth. I can see Nuge as a terrific third line center and Dickinson might be the top fourth line center in the league. And of course how can you deny McDavid & Draisaitl aren’t the top one-two punch at center league wide. It just seems to me to be a terrible thing to waste.
Mass formation psychosis! -).
1) The head coach has been in contact with all the players all summer long. He was in Montana hunting the last bit but it’s not hard to send a text suggesting some lines for the skate, right?
2) Words are just words but the coaching staff has all but told us that McDavid and Drai are going to play together at 5 on 5 at least part of the time.
3) Nuge has had success as a center with Hyman on his win. I do not discount his ability to play 2C and I think he’ll be looking for a bounce-back season after last year. I also think Samanski is more than fine as a 4C so, in that regard: McDavid/Nuge/Dickinson/Samanski could be a fine spine for me.
South Dakota.
Is there any history of a coach meddling with an informal player’s skate? That seems… ehhh… a bit rich. The Captain’s Skates are an informal team bonding exercise to get everyone going and integrate the new guys so they’re not showing up to camp cold. Certainly willing to be shown citations to the contrary but I can’t see it from here.
To me, a lot of that would depend on two things. 1) If they’re able to get a true hard minutes line to generate clear air when home ice advantage allows for leveraging line changes, and 2) how the D-pairs shake out with respect to chemistry, health, and puck moving ability on the second and third pairings.
I wouldn’t think it would be considered meddling by the players – I presume they would be happy to seek direction on that. I do not think the lines that we saw (Howard/Nuge/Hyman) and things like Frederic centering Jones were a coincidence.
Sorry off topic, but man those Elks are something else, what a turn around in short order. While the players have to do the job, to me it highlights how important it is that the entire organization is on the same page, and that the mood of the org is positive
Coaching is critical to players being able to execute at their best, and the managers getting the right types of players that can play the style desired. I think the Oilers are on the same path, at least at a higher level than it has been. Can’t wait for the season
Hervey changed everything. The Elks were not well run for a long time, and Hervey took two shakes of a lamb’s tail to get it right. Very similar to the job Roy Shivers did when taking over the Roughriders 25 years ago. I think it took Shivers three years, Hervey did it in two.
They’ve summoned their inner Eskimo.
That’s it, exactly. Reaching back to what worked like a charm.
That blocked punt in the end zone recovered for a TD was astounding.
Some very good luck that the ball just stayed right there for the recovery.
I presume this is, at least, partially directed at me and my opinion on Clattenburg.
Of course, I have never opined, nor even implied, that he needs to be come a checking and transporting winger but is it even arguable that he need develop at a minimum ability to make be able to get pucks off the defensive wall and out, to take a pass in the neutral zone and make the next play at pace, etc. if he’s going to play in the NHL and be the agitating player that can impact? The organization keeps talking about “getting Connor to play hockey”.
My opinion has been very clear – Clattenburg can skate and he does have good hands and I think he can be an impact 4th liner in the NHL if he commits to developing a few required hockey skills for 2-3-4 month stint. I’ve never said to stop agitating and protecting teammates and hitting – that is a key part of his game. My opinion has been for the player to lay off the pure hunting for hits and fights and ignoring the hockey part of the game – the fights can, and will, come naturally. He is not going to make it to the NHL if he spends more time in the penalty box than on the ice and on IR 3 times a year.
Clattenburg is the player he is, OP. He can get better at moving the puck up the wall and out, but some of that is skill as opposed to brawn. If you’re suggesting he can take a deft pass at the high slot, control it, carry the puck through the neutral zone and then make a pass that works inside the opposition zone, I don’t think any of those things are going to be a strength
The player Clattenburg currently is will not be played by a coach in the National Hockey League.
I have never suggested he needs to do what you describe.
What I have expressed is thing such as:
– being in position in the defensive zone, getting a puck of the defensive boards and out of the zone, with consistent
– taking an outlet pass in the neutral zone and making the next play with pace (whether a dump in or a further pass
I have never said to stop playing an aggressive game, getting in on the foredeck and getting bangs in, protecting teammates, etc. What I’ve suggested he needs to get away from is hunting for big hits and fights as his primary focus (and sometimes sole focus) and not “playing hockey”. If he doesn’t he will continue to fail to develop the minimal skills necessary to play in the NHL and end up hurt more often than not – which has been the case since he turned pro.
For crying out loud his coach has said, multiple times “we are trying to get Connor to play hockey”.
Last season, upon re-assignment, he was demoted down to 4LW playing behind ECHL call-ups, injured for term and, when he came back, he played one game and was healthied in the playoffs.
Does that sound like a player that was doing what he needs to do in order to make it to the NHL?
– being in position in the defensive zone, getting a puck of the defensive boards and out of the zone, with consistent
– taking an outlet pass in the neutral zone and making the next play with pace (whether a dump in or a further pass
Yeah. That. He can’t do that. Clattenburg has a future NHL role as a fourth line energy checker fella, kind of like Dach except one day Dach might be trusted in his own zone. Clattenburg can do some things, some of the things Luke Gazdic (as an example) couldn’t do, but I don’t think he’s going to be the player you are hoping for.
He’ll have to do those things or no coach will play in the NHL.
He 100% has the ability to do that type of stuff if he commits to being on the ice and getting touches and reps in.
He was played by a coach in the NHL for 5 games. In those 5 games he scored one and could have scored one more ( missed the net) He went to the net hard a few times and got a few shots towards the net in those 5 games . As for this year he still isn’t 100% ( his own comments in an interview yesterday and stated he had injuries over the summer he was working on. So he obviously wasn’t completely healthy at the end of the year and playoffs. , including his ankle) , so hopefully he goes down and keeps working on his game.
As for not making it because he spends too much time in the sin bin and fighting and hitting, Isn’t that why he was brought up for the 5 games ( because we were a bit soft?)
No clue if this kid ever makes it back to the show in Edmonton or not. Hope he does as he was a big ball of energy and as long as he doesn’t take team hurting penalties, guys like that should always be welcome.
He showed very well in his 5 games – he actually played hockey and did’t hunt for fights and hits and made some plays. He also started to leak and got sent down despite scoring.
I haven’t listened to today’s interviews from camp yet.
I believe his ankle injury was suffered at development camp – not last year. His injury down in Bako last year was a broken hand and he came back to play prior to not playing in the playoffs.
I’ve never said to stop fighting or, in particular hitting. That’s his game but he has to play hockey and develop his skills and what he was doing after re-assignment last year was completely ignoring hockey and hunting for big hits and fights.
This isn’t just me opinion he needs to play hockey, its the Oilers organization expressed through the words of his coach, multiple times.
Shut your whore mouth!
Sorry OP, just having a little fun here, and only hacking on you.
“Why’d you kill him Billy?”
“Cause he was hacking on me”
Clattenburg made his NHL debut at 20 years of age. Connor was a 5th round pick 160th overall. This is almost unheard of would it kill you to say a nice thing about him?
What are you even talking about?
I’ve been very clear that:
1) he did a fantastic job earning a call-up
2) he did a great job while he was called up – actually playing hockey
3) he is a good skater and has good hands and can impact in the NHL if he commits to working on a few things for 3 months or so.
I’ve said all of that repeatedly.
You post is mind-boggling – you continue to not understand my post, over and over and over again – continuing to misinterpret and attribute opinions to me that I’ve never expressed or implied.
You continue to be oblivious to reja’s obvious troll job. He is just trying to rile you up (and doing an effective job)
I don’t think he is – I think he unintentionally misinterprets my positions repeatedly. He sees almost everything in blank and white. He truly think I dislike Clatt because I think he has some work to don’t think he treated the 2nd half of last season the proper way, etc.
Clatt’s interview today said he hopes to spend less time in the penalty box this season.
Talked about needing to work on the details and getting in better shape and staying healthy – that’s what he needs to do to make it to the NHL
Great to hear, sounds like he knows he needs to play some hockey to achieve his goals.
Clattenburg has beaten the odds and I do hope he keeps improving. I do think Bowman will give the kid more games this year as he has a unique skill set.
He certainly had beaten the odds and I presume he will keep improving as well – he likely knows that he wasted most of the 2nd half of last season.
He very well could play NHL games this season – I would suggest that he will touching the puck more and dropping the gloves less if that’s the case.
What I don’t understand is, why are they trying to turn Clattenburg into the second coming of Red Kelly? It’s obvious that they’ve got another Buchberger on their hands and they want to turn him to a Swiss Army knife instead of just letting him be free to do the things that got him to the NHL in the first place.
Judging by this thread me and Lowetide know exactly what Clattenburg is. Connor is a smart kid and showed such in his 5 game debut. Why don’t you pushback on Lowetide and no asking for OP’s help.
NHL coaches will not play him in the NHL and allow him to do the things that he can do to positively impact the game without real development in certain areas.
Connor Clattenburg did not play smart hockey upon re-assignment to the AHL – not sure how one can argue against that given he got himself demoted down the AHL lineup playing 4th line behind ECHL call-ups, hurt and the a coach’s decision not to play in the playoff games.
Just today Clattenburg said he hopes to spend less time in the penalty box this season – here is hoping he can do what he knows he needs to do.
Clattenburg had the unfortunate injury that was very close to a Brett Callighen type eye injury. Callighen ended up being blind after repeated surgeries it cost him his career. Gretzky-MacDonald-Callighen didn’t take long surprising the league and instantly had our first tag on a line being called the GMC line. As for Clattenburg he was improving and was on his way to game 6 of his career before the injury sidelined him. I say this injury lead to his less than stellar second half of his season. I would also think Connor went super hard training this off-season trying to get his man strength preparing him for the Panthers clash.
I 100% disagree that he was improving and on his way to his sixth game.
The eye injury was very unfortunate but the silver lining was that it earned him a bunch of cash as it delayed his re-assgnment (you can’t re-assign an injured player) as his play had regressed and he was making multiple mistakes per game and, while I can’t remember who it was, a player was about to come off IR.
Nope, as per his interview today, he didn’t go super hard on his training has he was rehabbing mostly his ankles, which he hurt at development camp and still ins’t 100%.
I dubt he plays tomorrow.
Also, it’s hard to imagine an eye injury being the reason that he didn’t focus on developing hockey skills but only hunting hits and fights…… if anything, one would think an eye injury would have him kept his gloves on.
The kid was learning every game until the injury. There had to have been a psychological letdown being sent back to the minors. The kid was definitely trying too hard in the second half. He definitely needs to learn to pick his spots especially in the AHL and his game will grow from it.
The signing of Formenton may have punched Jones’ ticket to Bako but, if they keep a 14th forward (I think they keep Stastney as 8D over Jones as 14F) its likely Jones to start.
I agree with this. For me, Raty is in the 2nd tier along with Hutson/Tralmaks/Majala/Michaels and I think he’s likely at the bottom of the group.
That’s funny, the genius title belongs to Jay Woodcroft. Good one LT.