Yesterday the Oilers assigned the following players to the AHL. Here, briefly, are my impressions of the players after this camp:
Bogdan Yakimov: Quiet camp but he’s a big man who missed time to injury last year. I still anticipate he will compete for an NHL job in the next 12 months.
Matt Ford: Who?
Braden Christoffer: Had a fantastic rookie tournament and a good camp. He just might be a player. On an AHL deal though.
Josh Winquist: Maybe the best of the players on AHL contracts. Let the Winquisition begin!
Jujhar Khaira: If he doesn’t have a good year in the AHL in 2015-2016 then we have concerns. Greg Chase: Lots of undisciplined penalties but that doesn’t shock me with the role he’s trying to play. There’s a potential NHL player there, but he needs to keep getting better and learning what he can get away with and what he cant.
Kyle Platzer: His upside intrigues me.
Kale Kessy: Still not Tobias Reider, and he never will be. It’s not his fault.
Jordan Oesterle: I thought he looked good in preseason. He can skate well, moves the puck up ice. Definitely an option down the road.
David Musil: Mobility is still the biggest problem he has. Oh, and about 10 other guys ahead of him on the depth chart.
Laurent Brossoit: Wasn’t really given too much of a chance at main camp. He should be the 1A of the Condors this year. Might be the NHL backup next year if all goes right.
Eetu Laurikainen: Turned heads at the rookie camp. He looks like a real prospect. He’ll probably start in the ECHL this year.
Brad Hunt: Dallas is gone, so are Hunt’s chances.
Joey Laleggia: He looked great in both sets of camp. I think he’s going to leapfrog everybody not named Nurse or Reinhart. That’s how good he’s been. He’s smart, thinks offensively, and can skate really well.
Phil McRae: Was present.
Additionally the Oilers placed the following players on waivers:
Tyler Pitlick: It was impossible for him to crack the lineup but he was invisible. He didn’t show any of the attributes that almost earned him an NHL job the last few years. I cant see him staying with the organization after this contract.
Andrew Miller: Maybe the most surprising cut. I’ve said it before, I like these types of players. He’s about as close to a finished product as we’ll see among this group. I still think he’s just 1 injury to a C away from being called up.
Ryan Hamilton: Still hanging around, I guess.
The players who were on waivers all cleared, as they would. There are a few players who are injured as well but they really don’t have a chance to crack the lineup. As soon as they’re healthy they will be sent back down.
The top 4 lines at practice today were:
Hall McDavid Draisaitl Pouliot RNH Eberle Yakupov Lander Slepyshev Korpikoski Letestu Hendricks
It feels like Slepyshev is just keeping Purcell’s spot warm. He has played well and my guess is after the trade deadline he will be on that 3rd line, barring a meltdown in the AHL.
Many thought Draisaitl should spend time in the AHL, to date he has had the best chemistry with McDavid. I cant think of any reason that involves reality to send him to the Condors. He might be the top line RW of the team on opening night.
Yakupov has 3 points in the preseason. Hall has 0. Not sure why I felt compelled to write that…
Reinhart and Nurse are still with the big club for now. I think Reinhart has the inside track because he has more pro experience and the type of game he plays makes people feel safe. Nurse is much more inclined to jump into the play. I hope they don’t coach that out of him, but instead teach him when doing that is most effective.
HOT RUMOUR
Georges Laraque was on Oilers Now and said that he knows Taylor Hall will be named the next Captain of the Oilers. Take it for what it’s worth.
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