Edmonton Oilers kick off rookie camp game at home in classic Battle of Alberta

The Edmonton Oilers kicked off their rookie camp announcing their roster on Tuesday and opening camp on Wednesday September, 10th bringing prospects in their system as well as a number of free agent invites along.

They are set to face off against their provincial rival in a classic 'Battle of Alberta' showdown against the Calgary Flames at Rogers Place on Friday. It is the first taste of National Hockey League (NHL) action for Oilers fans since the team faced a devastating loss in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers.

There is no news about the lines or which goalies are starting ahead of tonight's matchup but there are plenty of interesting players to watch on both sides of the ice.

Oilers players to watch

Of course for many fans, they will think every player is important to watchout for -- and they are right -- but there are a few who generate more interest. Ike Howard and Matthew Savoie both look to make big impacts on the Oilers roster this upcoming season and will be battling for an NHL job in the coming weeks.

There are also free agent additions like Viljami Marjala and Josh Samanski who are coming over to North America from Europe and look to adapt to the professional game here. As well, NCAA free agent Quinn Hutson is attending camp after recently being named to the NHLPA rookie showcase.

There are also 2025 NHL Draftees Tommy Lafreniere and David Lewandowski who are attending rookie camp and may find themselves as two of the team's 12 forwards who will suit up tonight.

Flames players to watch

The saying 'keep your friends close but your enemies closer' exists for a reason and it is important to keep a watchful eye on players who may soon be key fixtures of the battle of Alberta rivalry matchup. The Flames released their Prospects Training Camp roster on September 10th, the day camp began.

Some players of significance are Andrew Basha, Matvei Gridin, Jacob Battaglia, and Samuel Honzek. All four of these players project to be legitimate NHL contributors down the line and should be big pieces of the Flames offence going forward.

On the backend, one player specifically stands out above the rest and that is Hunter Brzustewicz, a player who has seen his NHL stock rise in recent seasons after breaking out with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). There is also 2025 draftee, Mace'o Phillips who is a big bodied shutdown defender and has some strong support himself.

There are also free agent invites like defencemen Daniil Skvortsov and Eduard Bondar as well as forward Nathan Brisson.

Preview

It should be an interesting matchup as it always is between these two teams that have true passion and hatred for one another. There is a reason this is one of the sport's most heated rivalries and it should continue even in an exhibition format between the team's prospects.

It will be fun to get a preview at some potential future battles between this historic rivalry. There are a number of exciting players on either side and although the final score holds no bearing on the success or failure of the prospects or the respective teams, it will be a good showcase for these prospects to see how they stack up against one another.