Three Edmonton Oilers Who Have Something To Prove At Camp
The Edmonton Oilers training camp is close to starting. Camp is where the bubble players can make or break their spot in the line up. Camp is also a place where players can solidify themselves on top line or drop them down the depth chart.
In this article I am going to name a couple players that have the most to lose or gain in the time before the NHL season starts. This will include the play during inter-squad games and preseason games.
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For me there is not many questions win a majority of the players. We know where McDavid, Draisaitl, Kane and Hyman will be playing on forward. We also know that Nurse will be the go to defenseman.
It is the support for those players who have the most to gain from having a good camp. Camp can also be used for younger players to push veterans out of the lineup. The older players are usually given the benefit of the doubt, but if they are outplayed by a lot they will lose their roster spot.
The final decision will come from the coaching staff. The main goal of the coaching staff is to make the best team possible. With this being Woodcroft’s first full season, he now has the chance to build this team how he wants.
Jesse Puljujarvi
After an offseason of trade rumours surrounding him, I think Jesse Puljujarvi will be either playing to stay with the Edmonton Oilers long term or playing to increase his trade value. With either of these to options he will need to improve on his last season stats and play.
Coming into this season I think Puljujarvi should get a crack on the first line with Kane and McDavid. He played on that line last season for a while and that line had success. I just don’t know if that was because of Puljujarvi or in spite of him.
Honestkly if you put anyone else in that spot they will have at least a small amount of success. This preseason and training camp Puljujarvi needs to show up and make the line better than it is with any other player.
He has the ability to do it I think, as he did show glimpses of it early last season. His season took a turn for the worse with illness and injury, after that he just couldn’t get back into the grove of things.
The Battle For McDavid’s Wing
There will be lots of other players looking to grab that spot on the wing with McDavid and Woodcroft is going to chose the best player at the time not the player that played well a year ago. That could benefit Puljujarvi as well as in the time with Woodcroft as coach Puljujarvi had his struggles.
I previously wrote that I do believe that Puljujarvi will be one of McDavid’s wingers. In the article I highlighted a few reasons as to why I think he would be a great fit. One of them being his ability to win puck battles. He is one of the best on the Edmonton Oilers at doing that.
None of this will matter if he comes into camp and gets outplayed by another player. This isn’t the Edmonton Oilers of a few years ago where Ty Rattie is playing on McDavid’s wing. There is lots of skill on this team and Puljujarvi will need to earn his spot.
Dylan Holloway
Dylan Holloway is already off to a solid start in his preseason. He is playing and looking very good in the rookie tournament. He is on the line that has looked the best in both of the games, That’s not just the best Edmonton Oilers line, but the best line on the teams they have played.
I am aware that that skill in these rookie games don’t correlate to the skill of NHL players. I am more focused on the fact that if he stands out against rookies he should at least fit in with most NHL players.
After having wrist surgery last year, Holloway will actually get to participate in the NHL camp this year, Which is good cause I think he has a realistic chance of making the team this year. He may not be playing in the top six, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts on the third line.
Veterans Are Going To Lose Their Jobs
In the NHL really only one thing matters and that is winning. With that being said you want to make the best team possible. With there being only 18 skaters on the bench per game and the roster being much bigger than that, not everyone gets to play.
To me this Edmonton Oilers teams could have as many as 3 young players join their lineup. The spots aren’t free right now they are filled be veterans. These veterans have been on the team for a long time, but they are no longer then better choice for that role.
This is how I think Dylan Holloway gets into the Edmonton Oilers lineup. He may not have the NHL seniority that Devin Shore has, but he may have more skill. This is what Holloway needs to have a good camp. If he plays good enough he could bum down Shore or even perhaps Warren Foegele.
Warren Foegele
Warren Foegele is on the other side of the same coin as Dylan Holloway. He is by no means a bad player, It just he isn’t a way better player than most of this Edmonton Oilers team. Foegele has found himself in a tough spot after last season.
The issue with Foegele is he doesn’t really do anything great. His speed is okay, his shot is okay, he is average physically and so on and so forth. With him not being anything special that makes him easier to replace.
Playing For Edmonton Oilers Your Life
To me Foegele needs to have a good camp this year. If he comes into camp and struggles it could be the end of hi time with the Edmonton Oilers. Foegele has been in a few trade rumours as well.
The Edmonton Oilers have a bit of a cap crunch right now. Foegele has a cap hit that makes him a potential trade candidate. His cap hit of $2.75 mullion makes him a fairly expensive option for the 4th line.
I think if Foegele struggles and it looks like he is going to be on the fourth line that Ken Holland will start shopping him around. The thing is Foegele is a third line player on most teams in the NHL.
The fact that the Edmonton Oilers are a good team and tight to the cap makes Foegele replaceable. To me the player that takes his spot at some point is going to be Dylan Holloway. With Holloway being on his entry level his cap hit is much lower.
In Closing
To wrap up this article I am going to give some props where props is dues. Ken Holland has made this team better. So much so that winning the Stanley Cup doesn’t sound like a crazy impossible feat.
The fact that there is so many battles and tight races for spots only makes your team better, If you gift a spot like the Edmonton Oilers have done in the past you know your team isn’t going to be good.
Sending NHL ready players back to the NHL is a nice thing to have. If there is an injury then at least you know that can come into the lineup and play. Plus, if they have success they can stick around.
This preseason is going to be a good one to pay attention to.
dark. Next. Who Will Provide The Toughness For The Oilers This Season?