Which Edmonton Oilers Are Locks to Make the Team

Which Edmonton Oilers Are Locks to Make the Team

How many how many spots on this team are locked in? Write them in Sharpie on the whiteboard because they won’t go anywhere. Okay, so McDavid, Hyman, Podcen, Dryidle, Frederick Nj, Manapani, Henrik Kaepern. You think Kanan’s a lock, eh? I uh I don’t think he’s quite a lock. I just think Yeah. No, you’re right. He’s a lock. They’ll put him on waivers. That’s nine guys. Would you add anybody else? Try to make McDavid Heyman Nude Frederick Manapani Henrik and Pod Coulson. I I have eight guys as locks. Who was the one guy? You had your ninth was Kapan. No, that was my 10th. Oh, no, that was my ninth. Take him off. Um, yeah, I view eight as lock. So, if you’re going to kind of look at this lineup, there’s obviously a spot potentially two spots next to Conor McDavid up for grabs in training camp, which is crazy. And I think the betting odds favorites to get those spots would be, you know, NE potentially as a winger. Yeah. Uh maybe even Henrik as a winger, but I think they’re pretty uh I think they’re pretty set on having Henrik play as a center. Um at least that’s the way they handled it last year. Trent Frederick would be in the conversation to maybe get a spot up the lineup. We we really don’t know how a healthy Trent Frederick fits in with this group. Man, the two kids, Frederick, Nooj, maybe Kaan gets a look up there from the way from the way they talk. Um, Pod Coulson will be a lock next to Dry Settle, but then there’s a spot open next to Dry Settle. Like if if and we are assuming he is cuz again hasn’t shot a puck all summer. Zack Heyman won’t be here to start. Three of the top six, half your top six is open. Yeah, it is. Uh, Shuda said in year 10, how have the others not found 97 wicked wingers? They have. One of them is just out Christmas in Heyman, so it’s not really an issue, a roster issue. It’s just an availability issue. You could also make the argument that they found Conor McDavid an elite winger and Leon Dry settle and then Dry Settle just got too good. Yeah. And then it’s like, oh we can’t really play them together cuz he’s an MVP when he’s on his own. So like I I do believe that the captain skates, Dry Settle, McDavid, and Seavoy actually skate together a little bit. I think Brandon Escot tweeted that. I love that cuz I love that if if Connor and Leon are taking an interest in and Howard was at an NHLP PA thing, that’s why he wasn’t at those captain skates early on. But like if Connor and Leon recognize that like man, let’s start molding these guys. Let’s get them to think and and see the game at the same way we do. Like that’s a that goes a long way in this. Yeah, totally agree. And I I really again I think those guys are going to love what Matthew Seavoy can bring to the team. Um, there was a line in the playoffs, was it? N Pod Coulson, and I can’t remember who it was, but it seemed like that trio was pretty solid. I can’t think who it would be off the top of my head. I I can find it for you. But so that seemed like a good little line. But yeah, the obviously some I think I have Seavoy and Howard as locks. I think they both make the team, but also too if they have let’s just say they have poor camps or like not up to standard, they’re not. No, but like I think I would have them as like the next two guys up as like a hey, like let’s do it. more Seavoi as a lock than Howard if I had to pick out of the two just because Seavoy has a year of pro under his belt and we spoke about the other day of like what if Howard has to go and play 10 games in Bakersfield or something like that like that’s fine and then who else didn’t we have we didn’t have Phelp we didn’t have Lazar we didn’t have Kaen I guess Thomas locks there’s a lot of competition like Max Jones another guy like I don’t think he’ll make the team but he’s in the conversation I guess you could say yeah so dry McDavid nooge let’s say there’s going to be I could see them running 14 forwards. It’ll just depend on if Heyman’s LTIR or not. Like, do they do they want the cap relief from him to start the year to bring a guy up? Not to trade for anyone obviously, but just to keep an extra guy on the roster. I wonder if they’ll do that. Schedule to start the year. Are they at home a lot? Are they on the road a lot? Cuz they start at home cuz maybe that depends on it too, right? If they’re on the road, maybe they take an extra guy. Yeah. Oh, I see what you’re saying. Yeah. And that could affect if you want him on LTR. Here’s October. It’s over. So, it starts at Calgary on the 8th. to home and then actually yeah they probably will carry an extra because they go straight east. Okay. So then uh let’s let’s live in a hypothetical here for a moment where Heyman is on LTIR and they’re going to carry 14 forwards. Det McDavid n Frederick Majapani Henrik let’s say everyone listed on Puckedia makes the team. So both Howard and Seavoy have made it. Yanmark Kaepern and Thomas are all there. Pod Coulson and Lazar are both on the roster as well. Who who would you who’s the 14th forward there? Who would you who do you think will get the edge on the column? Probably Max Jones, right? Like is Max Jones their 15th forward? Yeah, you would think so. Noah Phillp can play center. Depends what you want, I guess. James Hamlin. Uh James Hamlin is probably not in there. I mean, if we’re going to James Hamlin territory, that’s again play center. Uh what about Ruby Darvente? He’s a real intriguing name. Like he’s only 23. the like the guys who watch more of the non-NHL hockey than us, you know, you read the Kurlocks and the original Posars and the stuff those people post like he seems to be an intriguing name amongst some people who I would call very smart. Yeah. And he’s young, right? Like he’s only what is he 23? He’s 23. He didn’t come in with a lot of fanfare because it was just like this sort of random what was it an August trade where I was like, “Oh, Boro’s gone.” Oh, yeah. Yeah. Maybe maybe like uh Wink Da said is like he’s a he’s the wild card guy and he is hey maybe if Makersfield if he plays better than Max Jones he’s probably not in the same conversation as Phil just cuz he’s not a center maybe that adds into it. Do they have any other like young forwards down there like obviously Petro and I’ll see him in Quinn Hudson and Josh Samansky are both 23. Yeah maybe Phil Hammy Marhala is 22. Yeah they got a few options I guess but who we’ve been told to put some respect on his name so we will I’ll learn how to say it. Apologies to the Marhala family. Um, yeah, there’s no one else really down there that I’m like, ah, they’re they’re a sleeper. They could slide in. Like Jarventi is the wild card. I would say Jo. It’s probably between Jones and Philp for that last spot. So, if you were to ask me what’s up for grabs in camp, Jarventi could earn a spot. One of Philer Jones should be on the team. The only way two of Jones, Jarventi, or Phil on the team is if someone loses their job, like their spot. Like I think Howard and Seavoi probably need to be like and I’ll put it in air quotes poor. Really struggle. They have to struggle if they’re going to lose their spot. Captain would have to really struggle to lose his spot. Yeah. I’m almost at the point just cuz he’s at captain skate and he’s buzzing around and there seems to be some hype about him. I think Thomas almost has to be poor. Like I don’t think it’ll be enough for Noah Philip to just be better than Thomas. I think it’ll have to be like whoa Phil is very good and Thomas is bad. And I don’t think that’s going to happen. Like I think the path to two of those three making it is a really tough one. The only guy and this is where we had some disagreement out in out in the hall earlier. The hall. Well, whatever in our prep room. I don’t think Curtis Lazar is as much of a lock as you do. Just cuz I’m a little like I know you’re like he was hurt all last year. Yeah. He’s in his 30s. If guys have to take a step back because of injury and they get into their 30s, there’s never a guarantee that they find the step they lost. And I want him to work because I think he’s an awesome story. But well, he’s only 30. He’s not that old. Um yeah, shout out Aaron whose birthday is in two days. He turns 30 days. Uh 3 days. Can’t forget it. Never forget. Um God, what were you saying? 775,000 if they look to like make a little bit on the cap. And I know that’s the same as Phil, but I I don’t even know if I have them in the same conversation as like competing for their spot. They are competing against each other, but I could see a world where they both make the team. I just think they’re willing to take the chance on Lazar and give him a really good runway to like prove that you’re back. But cuz like by reading his story and like his interviews and listening to them, like the stuff he was going through is kind of crazy and like you hope he can kind of come back and we’ll really know the answer when preseason starts rolling around. I’m imagine out of the veterans, he’s a guy that gets quite a few games to get his legs underneath him. But Philip’s just intriguing. He’s not like he he’s not a young buck. Yeah. You know, and he’s not old. He’s only 27, but he’s just like not a lot of experience. And what do they go with? I think they appreciate the fact that they now have right shots in them in the new organization. And that is great. And that’s awesome. Thank goodness. The only counterpoint I’d have to a cuz I actually do think it’s a pretty direct piece of competition of like Lazar versus Philp. It’s interesting too that Thomas today said that he played center so much in Sweden. I didn’t know that. I thought he was just like an out and out winger and and he could factor into that as well. If you go through camp and let’s say Philp and Lazar like you’re scoring them, you’re putting grades on games, you’re watching and they’re dead even. Yeah. Both need waiverss. Does that not do you not have to give the edge to the 27y old that you’ve been trying to develop for the last few years who you assume has a bit more upside? Because like I Lazar would clear. I think they both clear. They probably both clear, but like does some organization look at Phil be like, “Fuck, he’s 27. He’s barely played like Or do they look at Lazar in the same boat and be like we got a guy here that’s played close? Was he probably 500 games? They would have just given him league minimum. They would have given him 900,000 if they liked him.” Right. I think it’s going to be very they are really like the true competition in Wipedia also says Jarventi isn’t waiver exempt anymore. So that’s another out of his first year deal or whatever they call it. Um but like if you have and again I don’t think this plays out but like if Jarventi looks really good and Thomas X’s meh do you Thomas doesn’t need waiverss even though he’s seven years or six years older than Jarventi. First NHL deal. First NHL deal. So, like, do you send down Thomas that can keep Jarventi? Like, maybe the waiverss thing will keep Jarventi around longer than we think because there probably is something to like you want to keep him till later in camp and try to just squeeze guys through when every team’s putting five guys on waiverss every day, right? Do you think Jvent is the I know we always have this the answer belt and I don’t wanted to label his that because I don’t think it’s an accurate thing for him but like do you think he’s the guy that kind of lingers around for a while and he’s like this guy still it’s like do you remember a few years ago when and I know it was more like a uh what do they call it the veterans ro what was that Espazito Espazito was just around to like the final cut like is this guy going to make the open night roster? Do you see that as Jventi? Could be. You can think about defenseman too cuz they have tons. Yeah. And I think a guy if we’re talking blue line, we’ve said his name a few times like Alec Regular is a player to watching camp. Absolutely he is. 24. I can’t believe that. They must see something in him too. Like he signed a two-year deal with him. I don’t think he’s currently on their NHL roster technically. They can claim other guys from waiverss if so many people suck. Decent point. Totally. They When was the last time they did that? that I don’t know. Well, regular Raphael Lavois. Oh What’s he where is he? He must be in B. He must be in Henderson still, I would assume. I think he ressigned with them. Did he? I think so. Do you know what I’m very curious about? Cuz they had a quote this summer that just caught me. And I wrote an article about this of like things to expect in questions we can get answered in September. I don’t think he’s going to make the team, but like what does Bo Ay look like? He had a poor poor season in B in Barry. He was uh a third highscoring defenseman on the team as a 20-year-old defenseman. That’s really not good. Um did he was a first round pick was on the team. He went this year. I can’t remember his name. Hen or something. Herson Kashan Herson, I think his name. And then another fella outscored him was a second round pick. I just wonder like what does he come here and do? Like he’s going into his first year pro. I don’t think he has a shot to make the team, but can he like make a statement of being I do belong in the NHL? Like I can go up against my fellow rookies or guys around my own age and I can compete and I can play well because he didn’t really show that in Barry from what I’ve read and seen a little bit of. And the hype on him has dropped significantly. But he’s essentially the only prospect in Bakersfield that’s a defenseman. So they really need him to show. Regular’s not a prospect, but he is only 25. Yeah. Yeah. And like there’s also this auto leaning guy. Leaning. Yeah. He’s a left shot defenseman. 26. Led the finish league in points. I think he’s the highest scoring defenseman in like most points by a defenseman ever in that league. 63 points. It’s not nothing. Nope. It’s left shot though. Yeah. The blue tons. And maybe we’ll do blue line stuff on Wednesday. Um, but yeah, the forward group there, I would say Lazar and Thomas X spot and the potential Heyman spot. There are three spots that are legitimately up for grabs come day one of training camp. What’s up, Nation citizens? If you like that video, then you need to be subscribed to the Oilers Nation YouTube podcast, live shows, exclusive interviews and analysis, everything you need from your favorite voices at Oilers Nation. And you don’t want to miss any of it, so hammer that subscribe button.

The Edmonton Oilers will have some fresh faces in camp this season, and the competition for roster spots could get intense. With a mix of off-season additions and young prospects pushing for a shot, not everyone will be guaranteed a place on the opening night lineup. For a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, every roster decision will matter as they look to build the best possible group around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Tyler and Liam break down which newcomers could make an impact right away, who might be battling for a depth role, and which players could be on the outside looking in. They also discuss how the Oilers’ depth chart stacks up compared to last year and what these changes could mean for the team’s chances this season.

Who do YOU think could be a surprise at training camp?

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