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P1 & P2 Oilers vs Flames: First Viewings

September 26, 2016, 1:44 PM ET [200 Comments]
Matt Henderson
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Preseason games begin TONIGHT. Finally, some Oiler hockey!

As per usual the Oiler schedule kicks off with simultaneous games against the Calgary Flames here in Edmonton and in Calgary. The split squads will be run by split coaching staffs, with the Edmonton group likely getting the chance to see Puljujarvi up close.

Oiler training camp is still missing the three players who will make up the strength of the club, should they actually come together in reality the way it looks on paper. None of these games will feature McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins, or Draisaitl who should be 1-2-3 down the middle for an Oiler club that might finally turn the corner.

Expectations have been pathetically low for the Oilers for way too long. With headlines in the Journal like “Oilers aren’t ruling out playoffs this season” you can see that there’s no pressure from the media to hold a professional sports franchise accountable at all. With Edmonton’s defense bolstered by the return of a healthy (?) Klefbom and Adam Larsson, there is hope for improvement. For this group to really take off though, the Oilers need big steps forward from Darnell Nurse and Brandon Davidson.

Nurse and Davidson are an interesting duo to keep an eye on. They can act as an engine on the third pair this year if it all breaks right for them. They are also the two names most mentioned by Oiler fans when discussing the package it might require to pry Trouba out of Winnipeg and into Oiler silks.

The other players to watch, other than Puljujarvi who we will talk about in a second, are the men down the middle. Caggiula, Lander, and Khaira have the best chances to impress the coaching staff and make a case for being an option as the 3C of the club. While my immediate preference is Draisaitl, Leon may also be used as a winger in the top 6 depending on how things shake out.

As for our rookie, Puljujarvi. There has been so much excitement built up as he dominated competition in the Young Stars tournament and against the Golden Bears. This kid has the scoring chops against his peer group to project into something very special. Some have suggested he could be the team’s best winger within two years. This is just the first step in what will hopefully be a long and productive career in the NHL.

LINEUP @ Calgary

Maroon Lander Yak
Hendricks Letestu Kassian
Chase Currie Russell
Christoffer Sallinen Slepyshev

Davidson Nurse
Oesterle Gryba
Jones Bear

Gustavsson
Brossoit

LINEUP @ Edmonton

Lucic Caggiula Eberle
Pouliot Vesce Puljujarvi
Beck Khaira Versteeg
Moroz Platzer Pakarinen

Klefbom Larsson
Betker Fayne
Niemelainen Benning

Talbot
Laurikainen

OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME

1) Play For Jobs. There is real competition for the last couple defensive spots, the 13th forward position, and on the right wing. Although we know where most of the team belongs, the battles early in camp to make an impression are going to go a long way. Players like Benning and Oesterle are competing against each other as much as they are competing for the same club.

2) First Viewings. The newest Oilers are all playing in front of the Rogers Place crowd. Lucic, Puljujari, and Larsson are going to give roughly 18,000 people a chance to see them in Oiler silks for the first time tonight. Their official start with the club wont be until October, but all eyes are on this trio during preseason. We should expect to see Lucic run someone over, Puljujarvi dance with the puck, and Larsson…do…something in his own zone.

3) Structure. The coaching staff is going to quickly find out who can understand the structure of the game they want who can’t. The players lost in their own zone tonight aren’t going to last long. This is the lowest level of competition available in the preseason. Pretenders will be weeded out quickly. The defenders who cant keep up or make good decisions now are also going to stand out (looking at you, Betker). There’s a lot more offensive fire power in the Edmonton group, but that wont mean much if they play all scrambly.

Puck drops tonight at 7PM Mountain Time and can be viewed online at the Oilers website. Game On!

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