I bet you don’t remember him. Anton Burdasov was a late addition to the Oilers 2019 training camp, and in his short time in the organization showed a willingness to shoot. Starting during the anthem. He played 28 minutes during the preseason, five shots, all at five-on-five. He’s 34 now, and went back to the KHL where he remains.
I love these kinds of stories, and we’ll probably get a late signing, trade or PTO to discuss in the days to come. I would like DiPietro or Reimer, perhaps you’re hoping for another name. Here are the certain, uncertain and distant bell Oilers based on what we know currently.
CERTAIN OILERS (16)
We may have some slight disagreements here, but they should be minor. I think Ike Howard makes the team, with a trip to Bakersfield during the first half of the season a distinct possibility. However, he is uncertain enough entering camp for me to exclude him from the certain group.
UNCERTAIN OILERS (14)
Lots of forwards in the uncertain pile, for me several names here (Howard, Curtis Lazar, Kasperi Kapanen) are pretty certain. However, there are three factors that leave me uncertain about some of the names. First, does Howard make the team? Second, does David Tomasek make the team, and at what position? Finally, does the organization trade or demote Mattias Janmark? So, the large forward group here is intertwined and the positions have less certainty than we’d like because of those questions.
The defense has some up in the air spots at No. 3 RH and No. 7. I can’t imagine Atro Leppanen makes it as No. 7, but I’m also not certain Troy Stecher and Ty Emberson both make the team.
Finally, there are some questions about the goaltending. I don’t feel comfortable placing anyone in the uncertain pile.
DISTANT BELLS (25)
There are some interesting stories here, and we could see someone from this list (Quinn Hutson, Beau Akey) play in the NHL this season. There are intriguing players here, including Viljami Marjala, Connor Clattenburg, Damien Carfagna and the Pitlicks. We’ll see, maybe someone from this list makes it to the uncertain group by the end of spring training. Overall, there are 55 names here. My guess is we see one or two more in front of actual training camp.
New for The Athletic: What Connor McDavid’s next contract could tell us about the Oilers
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6557219/2025/08/17/connor-mcdavid-oilers-bowman-contract/
Thanks for these lists LT, I enjoy these write ups prior to and during training camp to track everyone. Question for you or anyone who watches these lists closely. Has a distant bell ever made the opening day regular season line up?
“I bet you don’t remember him. Anton Burdasov was a late addition to the Oilers 2019 training camp, and in his short time in the organization showed a willingness to shoot.“
Why yes, yes I do, posted about all the PTO’s I could remember over the last decade or so a few weeks ago.
For PTO’s I wonder about players like: Oliver Wahlstrom, Hudson Fasching, Brett Murray, Jake Livingstone, Daniel Sprong, Noah Gregor, Egor Sokolov.
I’d have time for Wahlstrom, Sprong and Gregor on a PTO.
I think Sprong signed in the KHL(CSKA) for 2 years not that long ago. My apologies if I’m mistaken.
Team Construction thoughts….Contracts are not carved in stone, get out of the Henrique situation, and who I really want to see at camp is Radko Gudas or his slightly younger, and bigger uglier brother Gaston. Bring a big bunch of nasty with one signing….yes I know the Non Canadian trade rumour, but remember, both Ruth and Gretzky were moved.
There is literally no way to get out of the Henrique contract unless he agrees or does something that permits the team to terminate the contract – seems unlikely.
I think the org values Henrique more than most of the fanbase.
I noticed Vlasic from San Jose was bought out. 38 years old left shot D, with a productive career. Is there enough left there to sign him to a PTO or a one year league minimum? Can he play the Right side as well, enough to be of interest?
I get the thumbs down votes, but can you elaborate and share your thinking?
I haven’t voted, but think the thought process is: 1. already an old team, don’t need another old guy taking up room ahead of young up and comers, and 2. a LHD, do we really need another one of those?
I would agree here. The Oilers are 7 NHL D deep.
Their seventh D is league min and can play 50 games and playoff fill in games – he likely won’t survive waivers.
They won’t carry 8D so are they going to waive Vlasic and try and stash him?
I didn’t down vote, and I think it might be worth it just to see if he has anything left. Vlasic played a long time for a bad team, and bad teams make defensemen look worse than they are.
Thanks, LT. That was my thinking as well. His options are likely limited, and if the underlying metrics are reasonable ie foot speed and other possibly degrading skills, I can see taking a look see… I just don’t know what those metrics look like in his case.
He did play LD and RD, and at least might be a good hurdle to measure against for those who are vying for the 3RD and 7D spots?
I’d rather see Regula get a push. He also can play either side and is 14 years younger.
Agreed about D on bad teams. I remember Lowe plucking Tarnstron and Spacek in 2006 or so, and they were good adds at the time!
Adam Henrique sitting there making 3 million to be 4C is wild, sure move Janmark but get this atrocious cap hit of Henrique out of town. Pressbox until he agrees to a move.
Henrique, Janmark, Pickard or Skinner have a combined caphit that can land a hell of a player.
If you think Henrique at $3 million to play 4C is wild, the Oilers signed Boyd Gordon in 2013 for $3 million (x 3 years) – that’s about $4.5 million in today’s dollars as the salary cap is up ~50% since then. I believe Gordon played mostly 4C – although he may have played a little at 3C.
I thought Boyd got heavy D Zone minutes as a shut down specialist, and I had thought he did so on the third line. But y’know I never check these things…
Its time to play hardball with Henrique, he either agrees to a move or he sits in the press-box….at his age he knows he can’t sit for long.
We have 2 young cheap alternatives chomping at the bit…both Tomasek and Philp will save around $2M. Include Janmark as a sweetener and we cut another $1.5.
Its tough management but ask yourselves what would Vegas do ?
He was probably the most important forward on the PK for much of last year and, while overall probably underperformed his cap hit, provides actual on ice value over a replacement level player. Janmark, does not provide value over the Philps and Lazars of the world.
Janmark cannot be used as a sweetener, he is a negative value contract that would require a sweetener for a team to take on.
One more year for Henrique won’t hurt.
Henrique likely to play as much top 6 wing as 4th line, I would suspect.
I really thought Henrique was going to be the difference on winning a Cup. That is how much I value a above water no special treatment 3rd line centre that kills penalties and wins faceoffs. A bonifide 3rd line 20 plus goal scorer. I thought it was a good trade and a good signing as he wasn’t all beat up from playoff hockey over the years yet he runs out of gas at 35. Now that I’ve said he’s almost done watch him score 20 this year and shut me up.
I honestly don’t think Lazar plays more than 20 games with the team.
The fact he is RH and can play center will help him. I do wonder if keeping Lazar and waiving Philp makes sense. Preseason will decide and that’s a small sample size.
Lazar is an NHL placeholder until both Philp and Howard show that they’re ready for the major leagues.
Similar to Adam Erne holding Holloway’s spot until he was ready.
Philp is waiver eligible.
and Howard and Lazar are not competing for similar jobs…..
When first signed, my initial thought was AHL call-up for injuries and “Philp-insurance”. Since then, I’ve changed to him having poll position on Philp and the team thinking he will be a roster player – maybe sometimes 13F.
Truth be told, he is one year removed from a very solid bottom six season and, from acounts, last season he had terrible issues with his knee from a surgical screw that didn’t dissolve.
I just hope they don’t default to Lazar and not give Philp a real look.
Franky, I could see both on the 4th line in a game. Janmark and Kapanen should be competing for these two nightly (although Janmark likely not with the team).
As long as Lazar plays his game adequately I believe Philip blew his chance to impress the new boss last year. When your on the Mendoza line you sometimes only get one chance just ask Rodrique who’s laying on some beach in Croatia as we speak.
I would be surprised if he doesn’t. Exhibition seasons is prime for young high skilled prospects to produce. It doesn’t actually mean they are NHL ready, that can only be shown once the regular season gets going, but I expect he’ll put up some numbers in exhibition season.
I think the plan is for him to make the team and he probably does. I do think he’s a top 9 players, not a 4th liner, but, darn if there are not alot of options for that top 9. He can be 4C, 4RW or potentially be 3RW.
Can you imagine if he is legit and hands as a legit complimentary scoring 2RW? At some point something like that has to happen for this org.
Its getting harder and harder to imagine him on the roster come opening night. That over $1.4MM cap hit puts his job hugely at risk – he isn’t worth double the cap hit over Lazar/Philp who have added elements of being true centers and right shots. With all the alluding Stauffer has done, I think he’s likely on waivers unless injuries save his roster spot.
I would love DiPietro but they need to be comfortable with risking Pickard on waivers and losing him.
I don’t see an avenue to get DiPietro to the AHL Condors – whether the Oilers trade for him or claim him (and I think Boston may waive Korpisalo), the Oilers must expose him to waivers to try and get him to the Condors.
Do we think he can provide 30 games of back-up tending along the lines of Pickard as a floor? If so, sure, maybe its worth the risk because there is real upside here and his recent years in the AHL have been sublime.
I personally don’t really want the Oilers to bring anyone in on a PTO.
I mean, the Oilers are set with 7 NHL D (plus Dinnen, and I guess Brown) as a serviceable injury placement and plus Regula as a potential earn NHL time on merit) and 14-15 NHL forwards (plus Max Jones and Hamblin as “serviceable tweeners” as far as injury replacements and plus Jarventie as a potential make the team on merit).
I see no chance of a PTO making this team – part of that is because we know that exhibition performance means all but nothing right? I mean, Klim Kostin can come in and core 4 goals in 5 games and it would mean nothing more than when Brandon Perlini did it and I don’t sign Kostin over any incumbent based on exhibition given he’s been below replacement level for two full seasons.
Samsanov can let in 1 goals in 6 periods and it won’t mean he’s a better option than Pickard, right?
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I’d prefer to give ice time to Leppanen and Regula and to Marjala and Samanski and Jarventie and Hutson (in addition to Petrov). I’d prefer to give Jonsson more reps on North American ice, etc., etc.
TEST. OP does it all the time so I’ll give it a try.
And he’s a BIG boy… don’t know if he has any growl in his game though.
Is there a way to get Victor Olofsson onto this roster?
Another dude with the ability to score 15-20 goals (maybe closer to 15) would really tie the room together.
Thoughts?
I’ve asked about him and for some reason the bloom is off the rose based on feedback (non-Oiler, but industry). Not sure why.
I’m surprised to hear this. I thought he was good in Vegas and from my recollection has usually looked dangerous against the Oilers.
My only concern would be his size and maybe holding up in the playoffs, but that’s a relatively minor concern all things considering.