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Edmonton Oilers Talk: Local Scribe on Tyler Benson, “for all of his sweat labour, not much is happening.”

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Cult of Hocke

Another round of predictable cuts as Edmonton Oilers bring training camp roster down to size
  • 2021 first-round pick Xavier Bourgault, who has been reassigned to Shawinigan Cataractes for his final season of major junior. Bourgault played in two of the first three preseason contests, both on the road… Bourgault flashed both his high-end skills and a level of calm decision-making uncommon in an 18-year-old… the 6’0, 172-pound forward fared surprisingly well along the walls and in the battle zones with his anticipation and subtle stick skills.
  • Raphael Lavoie, a big right-shooting winger with an established history as a volume shooter… The organization’s #7 prospect made excellent progress, but remains something of a long-term project, an observation that was fortified by his low-profile deployment in training camp.
  • Kirill Maksimov enters the final year of his Entry Level Contract at something of a crossroads… Penciled in for Oilers rookie camp, then training camp, the 22-year-old right-shot winger never did put in an appearance first or last…
  • Ostap Safin is another large winger drafted in that same 2017 draft… He had a fine showing in the first rookie camp game vs. Calgary, but made very little impact in his Oilers preseason debut in Winnipeg Wednesday night.
  • Tim Soderlund is entering the final year of his own ELC, although the first first with the Oilers organization… The small winger has received zero buzz from either the organization or elsewhere, and did little at rookie camp, let alone main camp, to change that.
  • Devin Brosseau is a 26-year-old centre who split his first pro season between Dornbirn of the Austrian League and Bakersfield.
  • Matteo Gennaro, 24, is a product of the St. Albert minor hockey program. An offensive-minded pivot, Gennaro played five full seasons (338 GP) in the WHL before turning pro in 2018.
  • Yanni Kaldis is the lone defenceman among today’s cuts… Undersized but skilled, he impressed at rookie camp with his mobility and puck-moving skills.
  • Dino Kambeitz is a four-year veteran of the WHL, the last of which he served as captain of the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
  • Remaining at camp, for now, is a quartet of forwards under AHL contract. That group includes veterans Adam Cracknell, Luke Esposito, and Brad Malone, all of whom played, and played well, in Winnipeg on Wednesday. The fourth is local product James Hamblin who scored the winning goal in his Oilers debut at Calgary last Sunday but hasn’t played since.

BLH’s Thoughts: Well, that answers yesterday’s question regarding whether or not the club might keep Bourgault around a little longer. 

It’s a shame that Maksimov didn’t get into any part of camp. I guess he only received the Russian vaccine for COVID and Canada doesn’t recognize that, so he had to get another one. Man, he’s never going to have to worry about catching that bloody virus with the amount of vaccine he’s got in him when it’s all said and done. That said, not being in attendance for any of rookie camp or training camp will hurt his chances of appearing for the club until next year and even then, if he doesn’t destroy the AHL in 2021-22, he might be taking his talents to Moscow. 

I’m a little disappointed Rafa Lavoie didn’t get more of a chance. I didn’t mind what he was bringing to the ice, but Coach Tippett is whittling down the numbers and the cuts will be coming fast and furious in the next 7 days. I feel like he’s going to have himself a really good year for Bakersfield this season and in turn that will put him in a good position going into 2022-23 for the Oilers. 

The rest of the relegated bunch, aside from the rookie games, they weren’t going to get a long look as it is. So no surprises there. 

Edmonton Sun

Oilers head coach Dave Tippett still sorting out training camp roster
  • The Oilers would love it if Tyler Benson made it on left-wing because they’ve invested five years in the kid…  but for all of his sweat labour, not much is happening.
  • The most dangerous power play in the world, got more lethal with the addition of Hyman to dig pucks out of the corner because he’s the ultimate grunt — maybe the best puck retrieval player in the league on the PP. And Puljujarvi, who looks like he could be an immoveable object as a net-front on the second PP unit.
  • Warren Foegele looks like a perfect third-line NHL winger. This was a good trade for young Ethan Bear… Foegele makes things uncomfortable for defenceman on the forecheck and he also gets inside for shots on the offensive side. In a lot of ways, he plays like Ethan Moreau.
  • Ryan McLeod can skate past 90 per cent of NHLers, transporting the puck from A to B, but there’s still this nagging feeling that he might be an 185-foot player. That last 15 feet to the net may be hard on him to find offence.
  • If this is Last Chance U for Kyle Turris, he’s fighting the good fight… He’s dug in, he’s been used as a second-unit PP option with his playmaking skill. In a lot of ways he’s like the Jets and Mathieu Perreault for years. There’s room for him on the team.
  • Evan Bouchard, who was terrific his first two pre-season games against Calgary and Seattle but lukewarm against the Jets, will be playing with Slater Koekkoek to start the season in the third defence pair which is where he should be…
  • Koekkoek looks like he’s got the spot ahead of Kris Russell, for now.

BLH’s Thoughts: I suspect Benson and some of the other bubble bottom-sixers will get another shot tonight against Seattle in addition to one of the top-six lines to appease the Kraken and their fanbase in Everett. 

My feeling is that they’re going to give Benson as many games as they can until they feel he’s shown that he’s worthy of a spot or that he’s not, but man, he’s fighting quite the uphill battle with Perlini finding his stride early. 

Personally, if he’s not going to make the team, I think Holland will do him a favor and find him a team that he will play on. Maybe that’s Arizona or Buffalo or even Seattle, but if he goes on waivers, somebody will claim him and it’s not in the best interests of the team to lose him for nothing. 

Regarding Ryan McLeod, what do you think we’re going to get with this guy? He’s a fantastic puckhandler and his skating is elite. I think as a two-way forward he’s a lot better than others at his age, but one has to ask, is he another Jujhar Khaira-type? Meaning, he’s got the tools to play the position but the offense is always wanting. Is there a world in which he could be an NHL player but provide value albeit only being able to score 20pts a year?

Lineup Prediction Time! (I’m writing this at 5:30am Edmonton time FWIW)

Hyman-McDavid-Puljujarvi
Foegele-Ryan-Yamamoto
Benson-McLeod-Sceviour
Perlini-Malone-Esposito

Nurse-Barrie
Broberg-Berglund
Lagesson-Bouchard

Koskinen

Spector’s Hockey

NBC SPORTS: Adam Gretz observes there’s been little word on the status of contract talks between Johnny Gaudreau and the Calgary Flames… Gaudreau holds a lot of control over his current situation. His no-trade clause has kicked in for this season, limiting the Flames to just five potential trade partners… Gretz speculates Gaudreau’s next contract could be in the $7.5 million to $8 million range per season at a minimum.

THE TENNESSEAN: Paul Skrbina reports Mattias Ekholm still hopes to remain with the Nashville Predators beyond this season… Skrbina notes Ekholm’s name surfaced in trade rumors last season, which made the blueliner uncomfortable as he and his wife had a four-week-old baby at that point. He could get a raise for around $6 million annually.

Ekholm’s teammate and fellow UFA, Filip Forsberg, said his focus is on training camp and not on his contract status. He’s in the final season of a six-year, $36 million deal.

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