Edmonton Oilers: Training Camp Roster and Expectations
By Sammi Silber
The Edmonton Oilers announced their training camp roster last night, cutting Keven Bouchard, Rihards Bukarts, Kevin Davis, Cole Linaker, Jordan Papirny, Tyler Soy and Colton Waltz. What a list that seems to be, but the truth of the matter is, is that the roster still sits at a whopping 59 players, consisting of 20 defenders, 33 forwards and six goalies.
On-ice sessions begin tomorrow, but today, they start with physical and medical fitness testing off the ice. Tomorrow is where we will start to get a huge glimpse at what the Oilers this season will look like, led by Todd McLellan and other big-name Oilers.
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That being said, our Twitter, @oilonwhyte, as well as our website right here, will be updated constantly, giving you up-to-the-minute updates on what’s happening on the ice and what camp is like. It’s like you’ll be right by the boards, you know, just behind your computer screen.
Right now, however, we’re going to take a look at the training camp roster and tell you what we expect, as well as what we have noticed and how that will affect camp.
The Big Three
Let’s start with the fact of who is going to be there. Sure, Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins and Hall are the real big three guys at camp, but there is another big three who is still in it to win it. Connor McDavid, Darnell Nurse and Leon Draisaitl are all still here and are ready to fight for their spots on this Edmonton squad.
McDavid, though he was scratched from half of the rookie games, made a HUGE impact last night. His speed was incredible; while defenders were out of breath and nearly standing still to stop Golden Bears forwards on the backcheck, McDavid flew after them like a rocket, and he caught up right away. This was a display that Oilers fans were waiting for; McDavid has wheels. Who can stop this kid flying down the ice? Can anyone stop him?
And if you do stop him, he’ll just make a no-look pass to his linemate in front of the net. Let me tell you that in all of my young years watching NHL hockey, I have never seen a set-up man like this kid. Lightning fast, tough on the backcheck and amazing when it comes to setting up for goals. In his first game at Rexall Place, he notched three assists.
Nurse is another part of the party. A large defender, Nurse is not a kid. He’s 6’4″ and weighs in at 205 pounds. He smashes around. He shows no mercy. He will backcheck and do whatever he can to make sure that he protects his team, protects his rink and allows no one over that blue line.
Draisaitl is another great forward. He has some grit and some passion in his game, and he makes for a reliable checking forward. He has wheels and he knows how to play both aspects of a forward, may it be scoring or playmaking. He will make this team if he keeps up the good work.
The Oilers
Nugent-Hopkins has been bulking up this past off-season, and he is ready to make a huge impact at camp. He is one of my players to watch for camp, along with Eberle. Hall and McDavid are going to be on the ice together again, so we will get to see more of this power duo. Cam Talbot will also be hitting the rink for the first time with the Oil, competing with Scrivens and Nilsson for the #1 spot.
Andrew Ference will enter camp as the captain of this team, but my prediction is is that there will be a new captain once camp is done with, and it will go to whoever McLellan finds is truly showing outstanding performance. I also predict a new Oiler will make an appearance… if a trade ever goes through.
The Bottom Line
Never the less, we’ll just have to see in camp. So many storylines, so little time. Let’s go Oil!