As the Edmonton Oilers gather back after a short, but dramatic summer, the team will be getting ready for their Captain Skate, the opening of training camp and the first preseason game of the year on Sept. 22 against the Winnipeg Jets. The narrative coming from the team after losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final (SCF) to the Florida Panthers on June 24 has been a lot quieter than last season. You’re not hearing “Cup or Bust” as the mantra for the Oilers heading into the 2024-25 season. The team might be quietly saying it to themselves, but they’ve been watching what they say publicly and that’s another sign of a team with the right mental makeup to make another run. The strong silent types are always the ones to watch out for.
Surprises Coming Out of Camp in 2024-25
The Oilers have undergone some much-publicized roster changes since Game 7 of the SCF on June 24. In are: Viktor Arvidsson, Jeff Skinner, Vasily Podkolzin, Matthew Savoie, Roby Jarventie and Ty Emberson. Out are: Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway, Warren Foegele, Ryan McLeod, Vincent Desharnais, and Cody Ceci.
All eyes are still going to be on Oilers general manager Stan Bowman, and CEO & president Jeff Jackson to see who they’ll be bringing in on a professional tryout (PTO). No doubt, the Oilers still have some holes to fill for head coach Kris Knoblauch if they want to contend for the Stanley Cup in 2024-25 but if you’ve been a fan of the team since the decade of darkness, the holes aren’t quite as big as they were back then. After all, whoever joins the Oilers this season will have Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and Mattias Ekholm as teammates – just to name a few.
Related: Edmonton Oilers’ Top 5 Prospects
The players I’m most interested in seeing during the preseason are Podkolzin, Savoie, and Emberson. If you’re an Oilers fan you have to hope that at least one or two of these names show flashes that they’re ready to have a big season. If they do, that’ll take some pressure off of Bowman and Jackson in terms of continuing their search to find the right players for the team.
Olivier Rodrigue Comes Into Camp as #3 Goalie
It’ll be interesting to watch goaltender Olivier Rodrigue this season. He continued to improve in his role with the Oilers American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Bakersfield Condors appearing in 37 games and…
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