After Edmonton Oilers’ first-round pick Sam O’Reilly’s excellent training camp, through his four pre-season games, we can expect a three-year entry-level contract coming his way soon after the teenage centre was sent back to his junior London Knights team Sunday.
“He got better and better every day,” said Oiler coach Kris Knoblauch, who had the 18-year-old O’Reilly on a line with the 38-year-old Corey Perry and Vasily Podkolzin Saturday night in his last Oiler exhibition — fitting because O’Reilly will be skating back in London and seeing Perry’s No. 94 retired jersey there nightly.
“It’s a big jump to go from junior to an NHL camp for the first time and we gave him a lot of responsibilities, either in a checking role, or playing with more offensive guys. He had penalty-kill work, some power play time and, everything we gave him, he handled well. He showed why our scouting staff believed in him,” said Knoblauch.
If his play is as solid in London over the next two months, maybe he gets invited to Canada’s U20 selection camp for the worlds in Ottawa over Christmas.
The Oilers believe in Matt Savoie, too, after they traded Ryan McLeod to Buffalo for the local product and especially need his young legs on the oldest team in the NHL but Savoie, 20, was sent to Bakersfield. He played six AHL games last season in Rochester, but that’s the extent of his pro career. He played about 60 minutes in his four pre-season games and assisted on Cam Dineen’s OT winner in the game against Winnipeg here but he needs to be playing 17-20 minutes every night on the farm, either at wing or centre, not hanging around as a bubble guy.
While O’Reilly’s back in London for a second OHL season, defencemen Connor Carrick (242 NHL games, signed as a free agent in July) and Cam Dineen are on waivers. If they clear, as expected, they are on their way to Bakersfield along with forward Seth Griffith who has an AHL contract.
The Oilers have 30 players left in camp, 10 defencemen, including farmhands Ben Gleason and Phil Kemp and PTO veteran Travis Dermott, who might be offered a two-way contract at the end of camp. It’s pretty crowded on the farm if Gleason, Kemp and Dermott wind up in Bako (all three have to clear waivers), along with Dineen and Carrick, along with young Max Wanner and Noel Hoefenmayer
No room at the inn
Winger Mike Hoffman, who turns 36 in November, was always in tough on his camp tryout here so it’s not a huge surprise he’s been released from his PTO. There was a feeling that Hoffman might get a two-way offer for veteran offensive insurance after a goal and three assists in pre-season—at the NHL minimum and a good buck to play in Bakersfield—but that scenario didn’t come about.
Maybe the Oilers weren’t pitching it, maybe Hoffman, who was last in the minors in 2013 on Ottawa’s farm team with Cody Ceci, wouldn’t have liked the idea of playing in the AHL at his age.
Hoffman, coming off a 23-point season in San Jose last season, might be nearing the end of the NHL line. No tag days for him: he’s made $46 million in his career.
Looking at the PK
Oiler coach Kris Knoblauch says Viktor Arvidsson will be one of his go-to penalty-killers, which would mean two of the top six forwards (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) in the three tag-team rotation. For now, RNH and Derek Ryan appear to be the forward pair sent over the boards first, with Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown the second pairing. It’s possible Arvidsson and winger Vasily Podkolzin, who played with Connor McDavid against Vancouver Monday will get the 5-6 forward PK role with Leon Draisaitl out for some defensive zone draws in regular season as usual.
“The PK is about chemistry, especially with the forwards who are pressuring (up ice),” said Knoblauch. “Podkolzin has pretty much done zero penalty-killing in the NHL but we want him to excel at that and so far (pre-season) he’s done a great job (scoring a shortie off a Ryan pass against Seattle last Saturday). We want guys who have roles on the team.”
Waving the Golden Bear flag
Knoblauch is a U of Alberta alum as is Ryan and now we’ve got Noah Philp in the picture, trying to make it as 13th forward at centre, all good for the program.
“I feel U of Alberta is the premier team in the CIS, a good tradition and they have the luxury of recruiting the best players but also a sense of pride in the program and a really good alumni,” said Knoblauch, who spent five years with the Bears as an offensive winger and has a ton of respect for CIS as a whole.
“It’s a great league. I don’t think you’re going to be pulling out NHL stars or first-line players for NHL rosters from the CIS but it is under-utilized for prospects who can fill a role, either as good American League players or come up and play in the NHL,” said Knoblauch.
Randy Gregg is the No. 1 Bears alum, winning five Cup rings on the Oiler defence and going up on the team’s Wall of Fame Oct. 25, along with Craig MacTavish. Cory Cross and Kevin Primeau also played for the Oilers and Don Spring for Winnipeg Jets.
This ‘n’ that
The odds of players getting claimed on waivers halfway through camp is meagre but a year ago today the Rangers tried to send current Oiler defenceman Ty Emberson to their AHL team in Hartford to play with Knoblauch and San Jose claimed him… Story yet to be written: winger Roby Jarventie, acquired from Ottawa for Xavier Bourgault, didn’t get a chance to play any NHL exhibitions because of knee issues. When healthy he’ll be off to Bakersfield… Arvidsson grew up with ex-Oilers D and possible Seattle captain Adam Larsson, all through minor hockey in Skelleftea, in northern Sweden… Still in camp, one-time Oiler Drake Caggiula, in the running to be new captain on the farm team with Brad Malone, now an assistant coach in Barrie in the OHL… Ex-Oilers goalie Jack Campbell has his hands full making the Red Wings with free-agent signee Cam Talbot, Ville Husso and Alex Lyon the top 3 on the depth chart and ex-Oil Kings starter Sebastian Cossa, their best prospect, in the picture.
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