"I think for me, just trying to be consistent and as well here in Training Camp trying to fight my way to get on the PK. That's something I used to do throughout my whole career and something I didn't get to do last year. Just getting those minutes to be in the flow of the game is huge, so I'm trying to push hard in Training Camp to get on that."
As a bottom-six player for the Oilers, Foegele is keen to showcase his versatility by returning to the right wing and seizing a role on special teams as he did in Carolina to earn himself more minutes and give himself more opportunities to make an impact.
"Warren's a proud NHL hockey player in the prime of his career that wants to have the best season that he can," Woodcroft said. "He's a really analytical person and someone who spent a lot of time in the summer thinking of ways that he can improve."
Foegele met with Woodcroft at the start of the summer in Ontario, where they discussed last season, came up off-season plan and spoke about how the forward could see an increased workload this upcoming campaign.
So far, through the first week of Camp, Foegele has answered for a lot of those focal points according to the Oilers bench boss.
"We just sat down, we mapped out a game plan for his season, we mapped out a game plan for his training camp, and I think he's looked very good through these first six-or-seven days," Woodcroft said. "He's someone whom we're giving a shot to on the penalty kill, especially in preseason here, in order to enhance his role and get him some more minutes.
"When I sat with Warren in the summertime, I just said: 'Get ready, because you're going to get your chance here in Training Camp'. As you saw in that first pre-season game against Winnipeg, he played a lot on the penalty kill and we're going to continue to give him looks. Now, it's on him to make good on them."
LINEUP NOTES
The only other notable lineup update from Woodcroft on Wednesday morning was the unfortunate update that defenceman Vincent Desharnais will miss a few weeks after suffering an upper-body injury before Camp during captain's skates.
The 26-year-old has been around the team but has not able to take to the ice during Training Camp following the injury. After there wasn't much natural progress in his recovery, the decision was made by Desharnais to undergo surgery that will shut him down on a week-to-week basis.
"They were hoping that it would heal over time, but it didn't end up healing over time and the player made the decision to have surgery," Woodcroft said. " So it's my understanding that the surgery went really well and I don't foresee it being too many weeks, but he'll be out for a few weeks for sure."
-- Jamie Umbach, EdmontonOilers.com
