Familiar names back with the Oilers
In recent days, Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, Sam Gagner, and Adam Erne have all been called up to the Oilers, in part to give these guys big league reps and in part to rest some of the vets in preparation for the playoffs - in fact the Oilers had six regulars out of the lineup against Colorado.
Gagner and Erne have since been loaned back to Bakersfield to help out with their playoff run in the AHL and will no doubt be back once it's over to come to the Oilers playoff taxi squad.
Broberg and Holloway are staying up, which says that one or both may be supplanting veteran depth players next season.
Not super surprised by the list although I am a little surprised that prospect goalie Olivier Rodrigue didn't get the start against Colorado just to see what we have in him. He was rumoured as a call-up candidate in the second half of the year but it never materialized.
Also, the Oilers first-round opponent has been determined to be......the Kings. For the third year in a row. No doubt the Kings players are in a foul mood after getting knocked out by the Oilers the last two years in a row so expect a physical series - also since Todd Mclellan has been fired as coach of the Kings we can expect better in-game adaptation what Kris Knoblauch will throw at the Kings. Still, I believe the Oilers can prevail against them if they play the way we know they can.
It's also worth noting that in the West, the Blues, Wild, Flames, Kraken, Coyotes, Ducks, Hawks, and Sharks all missed the cut for the playoffs this year. The only ones I'm really surprised about are the Kraken and Wild - I assumed both franchises would do better this year, but as they say, that's why you play the games.