There’s a lot we can’t sort out yet about the Edmonton Oilers and Bakersfield Condors heading into summer, and that uncertainty starts with Mike Babcock. The new Oilers coach is going to make roster calls and line decisions nobody can really map out right now.
That’s part of the fun and part of the problem. Every summer brings somebody who has spent the offseason grinding away in a backyard, and somebody else who has quietly lost a step on the road to becoming just another mortal. We don’t know what we don’t know.
That idea has long been at the center of the annual “farm workers” look, where prospect backgrounds and the right things to watch are the point. Jordan Oesterle is a perfect example.
When the Oilers signed him out of Western Michigan, there wasn’t much buzz around him at all. The story at the time was that Andy Murray told Craig MacTavish to scout him, and MacT brought in the quick defender.
He had no real prospect profile, but he still went on to play more than 400 NHL games before retiring this week.
Eduards Tralmaks fits that same “you never know” lane, just in a different way. He’s a player I wrote about recently because his path is intriguing.
He can put the puck in the net at the AHL level, and his shooting percentage there sits at 20.5. He’s 29, but the reports on his skating are positive, and when you add that to his size - 6.04, 225 - you get a player who stands out in camp.
He also scored three goals at the Olympics.
On the right wing, the numbers on the depth chart tell part of the story. There are 14 forwards listed as NHL roster players, and among the rookies, only Josh Samanski is in the mix. That makes the odds of Tralmaks getting into, say, 10 NHL games this season pretty slim, especially with Max Jones and Connor Clattenburg also pushing for opportunities.
Still, there’s a path to him getting noticed. In the earlier piece, I said, “It isn’t out of the realm of possibility that Mike Babcock takes a liking to him in preseason and remembers the big Latvian when injuries hit during the year.” That still feels like the right read.
The point with Tralmaks isn’t to pretend the Oilers signed a finished NHL solution. It’s that they brought in a player with size, reportedly real speed, and a track record of converting shots at a high rate in the AHL. That’s enough to keep an eye on.
If he does anything at the NHL level next season, it’ll be a story worth paying attention to. He’d be the kind of player who comes out of nowhere and forces his way into the picture. For now, the safer bet is that he scores 25 in Bakersfield and turns heads at camp.
In Other News...
These 3 Oilers Exits Could Hurt More Than Fans Expect
The Oilers offseason has already brought a few notable changes, with Frederik Andersen arriving in goal and Ryan Shea joining the blue line, while Curtis Lazar, Jack Roslovic and Connor Ingram have all moved on. Roslovic has landed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Ingram is now on the open market after Edmonton added Andersen and brought in Devon Levi, leaving the clubs crease picture looking very different from where it stood just a short time ago.
Of the three exits, Ingram may be the one that stings most for Edmonton. He ended up playing a heavy role down the stretch, appearing in 32 of the teams final 46 games and giving the Oilers a steady enough run to matter in the bigger picture, which is why his departure feels more consequential than a simple roster shuffle. Lazars place had already looked shaky once the bottom-six depth chart filled out, but the real question for the Oilers now is how much stability they lost by letting Ingram walk. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Fans Are Bracing For Another Wild Superstar Rumor
Around the league, the trade chatter never really stops, and a few recent developments have only added to the noise. Shane Pintos reaction to Brady Tkachuk being moved in Ottawa was a reminder that even the most jarring roster shakeups eventually become part of the business, while Steve Yzerman stepping down in Detroit has opened another fresh chapter for an organization that now has to sort out its direction and revisit Dylan Larkins place in it.
For Edmonton fans, the bigger takeaway is how quickly one superstar rumor can take on a life of its own. Connor McDavid has been the subject of plenty of speculation before, and the latest round has only fueled that familiar league-wide obsession, even if the proof behind it remains thin. It is the kind of chatter that tends to linger until someone with real authority shuts it down, and for now it is still hanging out there. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Prospects Suddenly Have A Real Chance To Force The Issue
Edmontons prospect pipeline has not exactly been overflowing with obvious openings, which is why the next stretch feels a little different. The roster still leans heavily on veterans, but the organization is also staring at a coach in Mike Babcock who has a history of leaning on structure, puck possession and players who can handle the details well. For a group of young hopefuls trying to climb into the picture, that can be a useful setup if they arrive ready to play a cleaner, faster game than the depth chart has recently demanded.
The timing matters because the Oilers are already looking for young skaters who can make camp uncomfortable for the people above them. A few names in the system fit that mold, especially on the blue line and among the forwards who can move the puck and keep plays alive. If Edmonton gets the kind of internal pressure it has been missing, the conversation around the bottom of the lineup could change quickly, and the real intrigue is which prospect ends up forcing the issue first. [Read more 🡒]