The Edmonton Oilers trimmed their training camp roster Monday night, sending Ryan Cameron back to the United States Hockey League and releasing three players from amateur tryouts after their NextGen game against the Calgary Flames.
The four players on the move were Ryan Cameron, Weston Cameron, Olli Wahlroos and Kyle Heger. Ryan Cameron, the goaltender Edmonton drafted in the 2026 NHL Draft, did not appear in the NextGen games. Nathaniel Day, Eemil Vinni and Samuel Jonsson each played a period instead, and the 19-year-old will now return to the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
Cameron’s junior numbers were enough to get him onto the Oilers’ radar. Last season, he finished with a .882 save percentage and a 2.92 goals-against average in 40 games, along with a 24-11-5 record.
Edmonton used its seventh-round pick to take the six-foot-two, 183-pound netminder from Berwyn, Pennsylvania. He is committed to Boston College and is set to begin his college career in 2027-28.
The other three cuts all had some involvement in the NextGen matchup. Weston Cameron dropped the gloves with Flames defence prospect Mace’o Phillips and came out on the wrong end of the fight.
Heger found the back of the net late, scoring the Oilers’ sixth goal in a 6-1 win. Wahlroos, meanwhile, skated as the 13th forward and didn’t make much of an impression.
Wahlroos is 18 and spent last season in Finland’s junior ranks. He is scheduled to make his North American debut in 2026-27 with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings.
Heger will head back to the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes after putting up 11 goals and 35 points in 59 games split between the Medicine Hat Tigers and Hurricanes in 2025-26. He is committed to Western Michigan for 2027-28.
Weston Cameron is also headed back to the Canadian Hockey League next season, returning to the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers, the reigning Memorial Cup champions. He scored six goals and 44 points last season, though he appeared in only one postseason game. Cameron is committed to Massachusetts for 2027-28.
The Oilers open preseason on Saturday when they host the Winnipeg Jets at 6:00 PM MT.
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