Hockey season is back and the Edmonton Oilers officially took to the ice this morning. Over the next week we will likely see a variety of line combinations and movement. Right now, here is the setup for the Oilers forward group:
RNH-McDavid-Hyman
Skinner-Draisaitl-Arvidsson
Janmark-Henrique-Brown
Podkolzin-Ryan-Perry
The top six defense is interesting to start:
Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Emberson
Kulak-Brown
Yesterday the Oilers announced that Mike Hoffman was signed to a PTO, joining Travis Dermott as the (current) PTO invites. Hearing the Oilers potentially wanting to add another forward when there is a clear need on defense seemed odd but I think Hoffman is a decent player to gamble on.
First off, a PTO costs the team nothing and especially early in pre-season with split squad games and a need to have a certain number of vets playing, Hoffman helps to prevent the likes of McDavid and Draisaitl from playing too many meaningless games. Second, one potential issue in the bottom six remains scoring threats. Last season Hoffman scored 10 goals and 13 assists, averaging just over 13 minutes a game. He only had 71 shots in 66 games.
A year prior with the Canadiens, Hoffman was playing 15 minutes a game and in 67 games put up 148 shots, scoring 14 goals and 20 assists. If Hoffman can come in and be a volume shooter for the Oilers on a third line and add a scoring threat than he could be a solid depth add for this roster.
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Right now I see the following forwards as not having an NHL job locked down; Podkolzin, Ryan, Perry, and potentially Janmark though with his PK ability and all round skill I think at the worst he is a 13th forward on this team.
Ryan and Perry in particular will be players to watch early in the pre-season. I could see the likes of Raphael Lavoie, James Hamblin, Noah Philip, and Lane Pederson competing for those spots. For the likes of Lavoie and Hamblin, this is likely their last chance to impress the coaching staff and have any chance of an NHL career, with the Edmonton Oilers at least.
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I didn't talk much about Dermott at the time of his PTO signing. It's a decent low risk option for the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers have been fortunate over the past couple seasons with not dealing with really any long term injuries to any of their key defenders. The right side for the Oilers isn't great but there are a number of depth options that could be called up to fill in from game to game. That is not the case on the left side. Dermott is a low event player who could also can play either the left or right side. I could see the Oilers signing him and trying to sneak him down on waivers close to the start of the season.
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The more I hear the more I think the Oilers believe they have an excellent young shut down defender in Ty Emberson. He is the player I will be watching the closest in training camp and pre-season to see what elements he brings to the ice and if he could be ready to fill in as a shutdown top 4 option.
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One other player who may not be as safe in his role as some believe is Calvin Pickard. Pickard was a fine if unspectacular backup last season when it was clear Jack Campbell was not. Pickard also jumped in during the playoffs and had a key win against the Canucks. But a year ago, no one expected him to see any NHL time. This year the Oilers have the young Rodrigue who is likely still a couple years away but if Pickard struggles and he plays well could change the narrative. They also have 30 year old Colin Delia who is essentially "new Pickard," the AHL veteran and callup in case of an injury. There is a real chance Delia could outperform Pickard.
I'll update as more info comes out. Thanks for reading.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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