PRE-GAME REPORT: Oilers vs. Flames (Split Squad)

The Edmonton Oilers will split their squad for pre-season matches against the Calgary Flames at both Rogers Place and Scotiabank Saddledome on Monday night.

You can watch Edmonton's home contest live on Oilers+ at 7:00 pm MT or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630CHED.

Subscribe to Oilers+ to unlock the Pre-Game Show that will begin 30 minutes before puck-drop, along with more exclusive live and behind-the-scenes content.

PRE-GAME REPORT: Oilers vs. Flames (Split Squad)

EDMONTON, AB – The Battle of Alberta will be waged on two fronts.

After defeating the Jets 3-2 in overtime in their pre-season debut on Sunday, the Oilers will split their squad in half for two simultaneous contests against the Flames at Rogers Place and Scotiabank Saddledome on Monday night.

Tonight's home matchup in ICE District will be streamed live on Oilers+ at 7:00 p.m. MT.

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch and his coaching staff will have 57 players in Oilers Training Camp to choose from when assembling two competitive rosters after Sunday's lineup was able to earn the sudden-death victory over the Jets thanks to defenceman Cam Dineen's winner 1:17 into extra time.

Oilers 2024 first-round Sam O'Reilly found the back of the net in the first period to ears an early goal from Winnipeg, while last season's leading goalscorer for the Bakersfield Condors in Raphael Lavoie tallied a power-play marker to briefly give the Blue & Orange the advantage during the middle frame.

Forwards Vasily Podkolzin and Matt Savoie contributed assists on Dineen's winner in overtime, while goaltenders Olivier Rodrigue and Collin Delia combined to make 18 saves in the victory.

"A little confidence," O'Reilly said. "Obviously, getting that first one pretty early in the game feels good and I just kind of tried to keep building off that."

"He was great," Lavoie said of O'Reilly. "Just the way he scored that first goal. He's really gifted offensively. For a young player, he really looked like he belonged out there. He didn't feel like he wasn't getting bullied out of the box."

O'Reilly and Lavoie are two prospects at different early stages of their maturation into NHL players and will both be aiming to try and build off their strong performances in Edmonton's pre-season opener last night on home ice.

Each of Monday's lineups is expected to feature a blend of veterans looking to get up to game speed, professional tryouts aiming to win a contract, and younger prospects attempting to leave a strong impression at Camp and further adjust to the NHL pace.

But as for how the bench boss plans to balance it all out the motivations and needs of everyone, we will have to wait and see.

“We do have some ideas,” Knoblauch said. “I'm not going to throw out why we're splitting the teams up the way we are, but I think we're going to have two competitive teams. Hopefully, they play well.”

The group of Oilers skaters who won't participate in either match tonight were on the ice for morning skate at Rogers Place, while the two rosters who'll be playing in tonight's contests didn't take part. That list of non-playing Oilers included veterans in goaltender Stuart Skinner, defencemen Darnell Nurse, Brett Kulak and Ty Emberson, and forwards Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark.

With the opportunity to pair some more established skaters with veterans and younger prospects on Monday, Coach Knoblauch is hoping some of his lineup combinations can give those players on the verge of cracking the Oilers roster the best chance to impress and position themselves for an opening-night roster spot or as one of the first call-ups from Bakersfield during the season.

"Those guys, they're always making an impression. They're always trying to make an impression on whether it's the head coach, the general manager, or just even the scouts," Knoblauch said.

"We're always talking who's best for our team, what can he do, their next contract, bringing them back to our organization or for a call-up or hopefully, to make this team this year. You're always trying to play your best, and maybe some of those guys might think that they don't have that opportunity.

"Maybe there isn't much opportunity to make that team in October, but depending on the player, maybe it's a call up in November, maybe it's a call up in February or maybe it's getting signed. I think it's important all those players are playing their best."