Alex Formenton made a solid first impression in an Edmonton Oilers sweater on Saturday night, scoring once in a 5-2 preseason win over the Winnipeg Jets and showing the kind of speed and size the club believes can help round out its lineup.
Skating on a line with Colton Dach and Mathieu Joseph, Formenton looked comfortable in his debut. His pace stood out, and at six-foot-three he brought a different look to a group that could grow into the Oilers’ fourth line. He also logged the most shorthanded minutes among Edmonton forwards, giving the club another glimpse of the penalty-killing role it says he can handle.
Formenton called the outing a good one and said the focus was on shaking off the rust and building back into game shape.
“To be honest, I’ve been laser-focused on trying to make this team and get better every day,” Formenton told reporters after the game. “Whatever role I have on this team, trying to perfect that.
“I’ve had laser focus on getting better each day.”
"It was nice to get a goal, but it was nice to get the legs moving & get back up to pace. It was a good, well-rounded team effort."
He added, “It was nice to get a goal, but it was nice to get the legs moving and get back up to pace,” and called it “a good, well-rounded team effort.”
The goal itself came on a breakaway, and Formenton said the night helped him settle into the pace of preseason hockey.
“It was nice to get a goal, but it was nice to get the legs moving and get back up to pace,” Formenton said. “I think it was a good, well-rounded team effort. Had all [defencemen] going and had all four lines.
“It was a good start.”
The off-ice story around Formenton, though, remains impossible to ignore. Before the game, a fan-led protest took place outside Rogers Place, aimed at his signing and calling on the Oilers to reverse course.
Formenton was acquitted on all charges of sexual assault last year, with the case tied to a scandal involving five members of the 2018 Team Canada World Juniors squad.
Inside the building, new Oilers coach Mike Babcock saw enough to like in his first game behind the Edmonton bench. He singled out Dach’s work on the line, but also had strong praise for Formenton.
“Pretty good, eh?” Babcock said after being asked about Formenton.
“He can skate a little bit. What a difference-maker he’s going to be for us.
Elite penalty killer; puts pressure on the other team. I thought him, Joe, and Dach were unreal.”
For the Oilers, that’s the part that matters on the ice: one preseason game, one goal, and a player giving the team exactly the kind of early return it was looking for.
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