The Edmonton Oilers have their opening-night roster in place, and the last round of cuts came down to one of camp’s closest forward battles.
On Monday morning, with Tuesday’s home opener against the Vancouver Canucks just ahead, the Oilers trimmed to the NHL’s 23-man limit. Josh Samanski was loaned to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, which officially opens the door for Owen Michaels to crack Edmonton’s roster.
“[Michaels] played well,” Babcock said after practice. “Very effective player.
He can really skate. Very effective player.
He won two championships [in the NCAA] […] He wasn’t supposed to be here, but that’s the great thing about plans; you get to change them.”
For Samanski, it’s a clear step back after a stretch that had him looking like a real candidate to stick. He had built momentum late last season and into the playoffs, then turned in a strong summer with Germany at the IIHF Championships. Coming into camp, he looked like he had a legitimate path to Edmonton’s opening-night group.
Babcock said the next step is straightforward, even if the role changes once Samanski is back in the AHL.
“Just get down there and get to work,” Babcock said. “The simple thing is you got to figure out who you’re going to be in the National Hockey League, and then you go down in the AHL, they put you in a totally different role.
“You have to become an elite face-off guy, elite penalty killer, a great two-way defensive centre to play here, because in the American League, they want him to be on the power play, play on the first line […] He’s old enough now to understand that’s what he’s got to do to get back.”
With the roster settled, Babcock wasted little time showing what the Oilers may look like when the season starts. Monday’s practice offered a clear look at the combinations Edmonton is expected to roll with against Vancouver.
The forward groups had Draisaitl-McDavid-Podkolzin on one line, Hyman-RNH-Kapanen on another, Howard-Michaels-Frederic, and Formenton-Dach-Joseph. On the blue line, the pairings were Ekholm-Bouchard, Walman-Murphy, and Shea-Mukhamadullin.
Max Jones skated as an extra forward, while Jason Dickinson was on the ice but not with a regular line. Babcock said Dickinson will not be available for opening night.
He also confirmed that Tristan Jarry will start against the Canucks.
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