With the Edmonton Oilers rookie tournament underway in Penticton, waiting patiently for hockey season is finally over.
But as the Oilers best prospects try to make the best impression possible, this event does not hold the same potential impact when your team is coming off Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
A bunch of news of about both future and super stars in this edition of…
9 Things
9. The Young Stars Classic lands a little differently when the Edmonton Oilers are not relying on any of these kids being in the NHL lineup.
8. Yet, the Oilers top brass still showed up in Penticton to take in the action, as did Head Coach Kris Knoblauch. If the organization is really genuine about making player development “best in class”, showing up like they did Saturday night is a good step.
7. Beau Akey had an eye-opening training camp for the Oilers in 2022-23. Sadly, a major shoulder wrecked his season shortly after that. And he is still not all the way back from it. The 19-year-old is an impressive skater and has a chance at being an NHL’er if he can stay healthy.
6. The Oilers player who caught my eye the most on Friday night Young Stars was Max Wanner. A full season in Bakersfield playing against men was clearly good for the right-shot defender from Estevan, Saskatchewan. He also sported an “A” on his chest. Speaks to how the young man carries himself. He was solid Saturday, too. More about the Oilers Saturday tilt with Calgary in a minute…
5. An astute add to Oilers’ Hockey Ops: Tobias Salmelainen. He will work in Europe for the club in Player Acquisition & Development. With draft picks being dealt for deadline depth, finding prospects other than through the draft becomes critical. A former overseas pro, Salmelainen has since gained both management and player agent experience.
4. In this space last week, we forecast the signing of Travis Dermott to a PTO, which became official on Friday. I will not relitigate the case I made for him in my last 9 Things column. But organizational depth on the blueline is never a bad thing. Prospects come up short. Injuries happen. And NHL coaches usually have a soft spot in their hearts for a veteran D who they know what they will get from. I expect Dermott to get four, maybe even five pre-season looks.
3. Evander Kane is facing surgery for the Sports Hernia that plagued him for much of last season and eventually sidelined him late in the playoffs. I respected Kane a lot for trying to tough it out. But it became apparent that he just could not answer the bell any further. These surgeries often required 10 weeks of rehabilitation. Depending on when the procedure actually happens, Kane could be sidelined until sometime in December, maybe later. No question, the club will miss him. Kane brings that rare mix of power forward, agitator and de-facto police officer that few others do.
2. Darnell Nurse has spent a long, hard summer in the gym. We learned just after the season ended that Nurse indeed had been battling through an injury. No surgery was required, which is always good news. But it means no less work. It may be even more so. Nurse has been back on skates. But I get the distinct feel that the club is in no rush to insert him into contact sessions where he could suffer a setback. If it were me, I would only look at Nurse in the lineup as the start of the regular season as an option…and not a sure thing. If the Oilers are to contend again this season they will need a healthy Nurse. And they will not win or lose the Stanley Cup in the first two or so games of the season. Give him the time he needs.
1.Game Two of the Young Stars tourney was Saturday against the Calgary Flames and Edmonton’s top two prospects were in starring roles. But the Flames were the best team on the ice in the opening twenty minutes, Edmonton having trouble managing the ferocious Calgary forecheck. Carl Berglund scored the Oilers only goal of the frame and the game. It was assisted by Matt Savoie via a hard forecheck and then a slick pass out into the slot. It was the first of may good loks to come from Savoie. But alas, Calgary led 2-1 after 20. A lovely feed by Savoie to Ethan De Jong was the other Oilers hi-light in the First.
Edmonton came on in the second and was much stronger. The 25-year-old De Jong continued his effective play with a nice feed to Jayden Grubbe for a chance. Oilers goalie Connor Ungar stuffed Calgary’s Luke Misa with five minutes five left in second. And the line of Sam O’Reilly, Connor Clattenburg and Matt Savoie were highly effective. In fact, Savoie just missed a chance off a slick O’Reilly pass. The latter also executed a clinical back-check late, displaying the shrewd two-hundred foot game we have heard about.
The young Oilers continued to press in the Third but could not solve Calgary goaltender Waltteri Ignatjew. Savoie set up Hyde Davidson twice early in the Third. O’Reilly fed Petrov in the slot on the PP a bit later. And Savoie-O’Reilly teamed up yet again for a thrilling short-handed chance.
But Edmonton could not find the equalizer even with an extra attacker on. Eventually, the Flames just beat the buzzer with an empty netter late. Make the final 3-1 Flames.
But Edmonton’s brass had to be pleased with how their top two prospects Savoie and O’Reilly showed up in this one.
The Young Oilers will wrap up the tournament Monday against the Jets.
Now on Threads @kleavins. Also, find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at [email protected]. This article is not AI generated.
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