A few more players were sent back down to their respective teams over the weekend. Most notable of those was Sam O'Reilly who had a phenomenal training camp with the Edmonton Oilers. The 18 year old never looked out of place and impressed on both sides of the puck. O'Reilly will head back to the London Knights and likely have a dominant season. He could be a regular Oilers roster player as early as next season.

Another notable name was Matt Savoie. Savoie also had a very solid camp, getting some reps with McDavid and Hyman in a pre-season game against the Kraken and not looking at all out of place. Savoie will benefit from top minutes in the AHL and is a player we could still see in the lineup at some point this season.

Of the players that are left Noah Philp, James Hamblin, and Raphael Lavoie are the key guys to watch. Philp continues to look like the best option for the 4th line centre role and despite not playing at all last season, is looking NHL ready. Lavoie is a scorer and even though he has been playing in a 4th line role through much of camp he has still produced which has to catch the attention of his coaches. Hamblin has been fine if unspectacular and I don't see him being a long term fit on this roster. Likely a guy who gets some games if an injury occurs.

Right now, here are the likely locks for the Oilers:

RNH-McDavid-Hyman
Skinner-Draisaitl-Arvidsson
Janmark-Henrique-Brown
Podkolzin

Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Emberson
Kulak

For the last defensive spot right now it seems to be between Stetcher and Brown which really doesn't feel like much of a contest as Brown has just looked brutal even in pre-season games.

The more intriguing spots are the 4th line. If you were to ask me today I would put Philp and Lavoie in over Perry and Ryan which is sure to earn the ire of some. I would keep Ryan on as a 13th forward to assist on the PK and give Philp the break when he needs it. The Perry signing remains baffling to me as I just don't know how much he has left in the tank.

Without the likes of Philp and Lavoie, the bottom six lacks speed and actual scoring talent. Podkolzin isn't a flashy player but he has shown in camp that he has a useful set of tools in the bottom six. If he was paired with a couple players with some actual skill than this could be a very useful line for the Oilers.

The Oilers play another pre-season game tonight against the Canucks and I would assume all of these potential players will get in tonight, with close to final cuts being made the following day. That would give Edmonton two pre-season games with essentially a locked roster to start to build that chemistry and get a sense of what the completed roster looks like.

Thanks for reading.

Join the Discussion: » 13 Comments » Post New Comment

» What Is This Oilers Team?

» Mc1000

» Oilers vs Islanders - Finding Ways to Score

» Oilers Scoring Woes Changed Against Canucks

» Oilers vs Golden Knights - McDavid Returns