The Oilers’ rookie camp gave the usual mixed bag, but a few names stood out for very different reasons. The older players, the ones with pro experience already in their pockets, mostly handled themselves well.
Ike Howard, Josh Samanski, Quinn Hutson, Viljami Marjala and Damien Carfagna were all part of that group, and in this setting that matters. The Flames had some older players in the mix too, but the Oilers’ established men made a strong showing.
Howard was around the puck constantly and finished with a goal-scorer’s goal. Marjala brought the kind of creativity and elusiveness that can jump off the ice, especially for a center.
Samanski looked like a real force over the full 200 feet. Hutson also had his moments, including a nice snipe on the first goal, though the foot speed he’ll need to make the NHL step didn’t really show up.
It’s one game, so nobody should get carried away. The goaltenders, for what it’s worth, were all liked as well.
The younger players are the ones worth watching most closely in these kinds of games, because the leap is bigger for them. David Lewandowski is technically turning 20 in February, but he still fit the second line well and turned in a game that was easy to like.
The skill is obvious, but so is the way he thinks the game. He looks like a winger who can process things quickly, and the belief here is that he can play, even if the exact lane - middle six or bottom six - is still unclear.
Rudolphs Berzkalns, at 18 and listed at 6.04 and 204, looked like a lot to handle. He may not grab headlines from a rookie game, but with his age and experience, he was impressive.
Caden Harvey, also 18, had a solid outing of his own and scored on a play that came from driving the net and winning the second effort. That’s the kind of first impression Oilers fans can appreciate.
Simon Tassy is another name Bakersfield Condors fans should keep in mind this fall. He looked good, though he’s 25. Eemil Vinni also drew notice with a strong showing in goal, making some saves that stood out.
The bigger issue coming out of the game is offense. A lot of these players have a solid two-way base and could eventually become useful complementary NHL pieces, but there aren’t many in the 18-to-21 range who project as skill-line players. If Ike Howard is the last skill forward before the Oilers head back toward lottery territory after McDavid, that would be a very bad thing.
On The Lowdown today, former Oilers player Shawn Belle will join the show to talk about training camp testing and what it takes to make the team when the window is so small. The show runs from noon to 2 p.m. on Sports 1440 and YouTube.
In Other News...
Oilers Fans Can Stop Worrying About One Young Goalie
Samuel Jonsson has put an early end to any speculation about his next move, and that should be welcome news for an Oilers organization that has been keeping an eye on its young goaltending depth. The prospect said the chatter about him heading back to Sweden was never accurate, and he made it clear he is taking part in Oilers Rookie Camp with plans to spend this season in North America.
For Edmonton, that matters because Jonsson is part of a goalie pipeline where every chance to stay and compete counts. He said the battles among goalies in the system push him, and he also noted the game moves faster in North America than it does in Sweden, which only adds to the challenge as he settles into the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Just Made Their First Telling Prospect Cuts Before Camp
Roster trimming has started around the league ahead of training camps, and the first wave has already reached Edmonton. While Buffalo sent four players back to junior and a handful of other organizations added depth on the fly, the Oilers also began narrowing their own rookie camp group, making the kind of early moves that usually signal who is still in the mix and who is headed back to a different level.
For Edmonton, the process included parting ways with a few players on amateur tryout deals and sending a goaltender back to his junior team, the sort of housekeeping that can fly under the radar but still matters for the organizations prospect picture. With camps getting closer and roster decisions starting to stack up, these early cuts are the first small indication of how the Oilers are shaping the next phase of their offseason evaluation. [Read more 🡒]
Why Oilers Made Their Most Controversial Bet Of The Offseason
The Oilers took one of the offseasons most scrutinized swings by signing Alex Formenton to a one-year contract, a move that immediately put the club under a harsh spotlight because of his connection to the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case. Formenton, who was acquitted, had split his recent hockey life between the Ottawa Senators and the Swiss league, where his production has been uneven enough to keep the conversation as much about his past as his game.
From Edmontons side, the bet is that there is still something useful on the ice worth chasing. The organization is looking past the noise and into a player profile that once made him appealing in Ottawa, hoping the speed and role-specific value can outweigh the controversy that has followed this signing from the start. [Read more 🡒]