BLOG: Hamblin hoping to showcase his versatility during Camp

EDMONTON, AB – To stick around in the NHL, forward James Hamblin has figured out that he needs to be a capable all-around contributor – especially when you’re trying to crack a roster as deep and skilled as the one in Oil Country.

Coming into Oilers Training Camp off an injury-shortened but impactful fourth professional season, during which he had the longest run of NHL starts of his career which included his first NHL goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 18, 2023, the 25-year-old is working to fit the type of mould the Blue & Orange will be looking for in their bottom six.

To do that, Hamblin is aiming to build up his speed, showcase his tenacity on forechecks by separating pucks from defencemen, and exemplify his proficiency as a penalty-killer over Camp and during preseason, where the Edmonton-born forward has been getting his feet under him after a long offseason spent training inside the world-class facilities of Rogers Place as a local product who grew up cheering for the Oilers.

"I think my speed and being able to use it as much as possible, being kind of that energy guy on the forecheck and then a solid two-way player making sure that I'm doing a really good job in my own zone and trying to contribute as much offensively as I can," Hamblin said following Tuesday's skate at Rogers Place.

“I'm trying to prove that I'm that versatile guy who can fit exactly into that bottom six. I can play centre or wing, I can play on the PK and play meaningful minutes. That's what I want to do.”

Hamblin is coming into Camp this year with the confidence of knowing that he’s feeling 100 percent health-wise and “energetic” after his ’23-24 season came to an end early due to injury, which limited his impact over the second half after he was re-assigned to the Bakersfield Condors on Jan. 20 amidst Edmonton’s storied 16-game winning streak.

“I'm really excited just for the opportunity that's in front of me and obviously, I'm just trying to put my best foot forward every day and try to make this team,” he said.

Hamblin stood out early on in Bakersfield last season, contributing three goals and two assists in the Condors’ opening six games of the AHL campaign before injuries to Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown in early November left the Oilers with 17 skaters – necessitating the centre’s recall on an emergency basis.

What followed was Hamblin’s longest run in the NHL – 31 straight games – where he contributed to Edmonton’s resurgence under newly-appointed Head Coach Kris Knoblauch and notched his first NHL goal against the Lighting in a 6-4 defeat with a sweet snipe and point to the sky for his mother Gina, who passed away from cancer in 2017.

Over his extended stay in the NHL, Hamblin developed an appreciation for the minute details of the game and how his ability to satisfy those requirements could help him lock down a regular NHL role with the Oilers this season and in the future.

“I think it definitely built my confidence a bit coming into this Camp knowing what's needed out of me and how I need to perform on a day-to-day basis,” Hamblin said. “I think it's a lot of those little things that you're not really aware of before you come to the NHL, and once you get here, it’s those day-to-day things that you need to be really good at.”

Despite limited ice time during Edmonton's record-setting win streak between late December and early February – capping out at 10:45 on Dec. 28 in a 5-0 win over San Jose and a season-low of 4:49 on Jan. 11 against Detroit in a 3-2 victory – Coach Knoblauch was pleased with the contributions of the 25-year-old and how he was accepting of his role.

To the Oilers bench boss, you can never have enough players in the bottom six who can play a two-way game and Hamblin is on track to becoming one of those guys for the Blue & Orange.

"I think he's a very reliable player," Knoblauch said. "During our winning streak, he was playing really good hockey for us. I'm not exactly sure how many games he played during that 16-game winning streak, but I think majority of them if not all of them and he was a big contributor for us.

"His minutes weren't up, which is hard when you're not in the game regularly, so sometimes there's only six minutes or maybe 11-to-12 minutes. But I know he was always ready to play and he was always reliable, and I know a lot of guys aren't comfortable doing that and aren't ready to contribute. I thought he contributed a lot.

"I think with his speed, that helps our team because you look at our team and we've got a lot of good hockey players. But we could add physicality, so we're looking for guys who can add that dimension for our team. We're also looking for more speed."

The 25-year-old is also hoping a number change this season to No. 52 – a touching homage to his mother’s age when she passed – can help him start a new chapter in his career on the right footing.

“I was very fortunate that the Oilers organization let me change my number in this case,” he said. “It was something that I've kind of wanted to do for a long time and I'm super excited about it. Just to kind of have her as a symbol on my back pushes me every day, and it just reminds me that there's more to life than just hockey. I have an amazing support group around me.”