EDMONTON, AB - The cream of the prospect crop on the Edmonton Oilers blueline has been slowly percolating over the past handful of seasons.
At Oilers Main Camp later this month, it's set to reach a boiling point.
Edmonton has a number of valuable prospects vying for a full-time role on the back end this coming season, with Main Camp set to become the proving grounds for one of them to seize one of the few spots available.
The retirement of Duncan Keith opens up the opportunity and potential for one of the club's rookie rearguards -- Philip Broberg, Vincent Desharnais, Markus Niemelainen and Dmitri Samorukov -- to seize the spot as their own and round out a D-core that already includes Darnell Nurse, Cody Ceci, Tyson Barrie, Brett Kulak and Evan Bouchard.
In the cap-focused world of the NHL today, the importance of having prospects rising through the ranks can't be overstated, as was the message from Oilers General Manager & President of Hockey Operations Ken Holland to the team following the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.
"One of the things you need is an internal push," he said in his end-of-season media availability. "You've got to dig in here in the off-season to come in here in September and push for a bigger piece of the pie, bigger responsibility, or bigger minutes whether you're chipping in on the penalty kill or if you're some young player like Broberg or Holloway trying to push to make the team."
"I do plan that one of those young defencemen is going to be on our team for sure, maybe two. I told them that face-to-face at the end of the year. We're trying to win and if I have to put someone back in the AHL or waivers, I'm prepared to do that."
Each potential option possesses different advantages and has taken a different road in order to arrive on the cusp of cracking the Oilers roster, making the battle between young defenceman for a full-time role that much more intriguing to fans, teammates and even the coaching staff and management.
"I think everybody's excited about the opportunity for these young D-men and the work they've put in to put themselves in a position to be in that conversation," Head Coach Jay Woodcroft, who's worked with all four defencemen either with the Oilers or the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL, said earlier this month on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer. "I think all of them represent different skillsets, represent different ingredients, where they're at in their personal cycle, how many years have been invested in them since their draft year, and everything like that.
"I can tell you that everybody's excited about watching these younger guys try to battle it out for an NHL opportunity."
FEATURE: Battle for opportunity brewing on Oilers blueline
The prospect quartet of Broberg, Desharnais, Niemelainen and Samorukov are the frontrunners to contest the limited spots up for grabs on the Oilers blueline next season