ROSTER REDUX: Warren Foegele

EDMONTON, AB - With a versatile toolkit boasting a strong blend of speed, skill, shooting, defensive reliability and physical edge that's built for a middle-six role with the Edmonton Oilers, forward Warren Foegele has the ability to get the upper hand on his opponents in a lot of different ways.

"Playing more direct and simple is what I'm trying to do," Foegele said this past season in January. "I'm playing more direct and trying to be more responsible in my own zone. I'm trying to go to the net because that's where the puck is going to be and I'm trying to play quick."

On the Markham, Ont. product's fifth goal of the season back on Jan. 17, Foegele blended together everything that embodies the type of hard-nosed and energetic playstyle he brings to the Oilers during a hard-nosed sequence against the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Place.

Playing on a line with Zach Hyman and Leon Draisaitl, the 27-year-old accelerated between the Kraken defence on a partial 3-on-2 break and posted up in front of goal, where he outmuscled and outbattled Calder Trophy winner Matty Beniers and took three whacks at Draisaitl's rebound before tumbling onto his backside.

The play, however, was far from over. Hyman came barreling into the crease after taking the initial shot and worked the puck loose in the scramble to goaltender Martin Jones' left, where from his back, Foegele batted in a backhand before raising his hands to the roof in celebration - albeit from a bit lower of a location on the ice.

"Never scored one like that, but I'll take it," Foegele said. "I'll probably have to call it a garbage goal, but I have really good hamstrings and I had to really reach for that there, so I can take credit for that. It was probably a nicer garbage goal.

"I just saw the puck in front of the net and I had a whack at it while I was falling down and I was fortunate enough to get it in. I have to keep going to the net and good things should happen."

For Foegele and the Edmonton Oilers, they'll hope those types of efforts will come more regularly from the winger during the upcoming '23-24 campaign after he experienced an up-and-down season that still culminated in his best season as a member of the Blue & Orange.

The Markham, Ont. product came two points shy of his career-high for points during his second season in Edmonton, finishing with 13 goals and 28 points in 67 games as one of 11 forwards on the Oilers roster to eclipse the 10-goal plateau and contribute some much-needed depth scoring during the 2022-23 NHL campaign.

"I think I've shown that in my career, especially when I was in Carolina, that I can go up and down the lineup and play either side of the wings," he said. " I'm just hoping to show that here."

Foegele began the season with three goals and two assists in the first 20 games, registering an assist in the Oilers third-period comeback on Nov. 26 at Madison Square Garden over the New York Rangers before an accidental collision in the neutral zone with forward Vincent Trocheck in the third period ultimately led to a 10-game absence due to injury.

Foegele had been enjoying a strong stretch of games as a product of an elevated role in the lineup due to Evander Kane's wrist injury, posting three goals and an assist in his last eight contests prior to his injury.

"I think all players crave opportunity. For players that are on the bubble and outside the lineup, they just want to get into the lineup," Head Coach Jay Woodcroft said. "I think that's what people crave and we've got to make sure that we're paying attention to see who takes advantage of those types of opportunities."

In his first eight games back from injury, Foegele produced a goal and assist, but soon fell victim to the numbers game when Woodcroft elected to omit the forward from the lineup for a two-game stretch in order to add an extra blueliner to his lineup in an 11-forwards, seven-defencemen approach.

After serving as a healthy scratch one more time before All-Star Weekend, what Foegele responded with coming out of the extended break was one of his best games in an Oilers uniform as he was able to contribute two goals, four shots and three hits in a dominant performance from the former third-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2017.

It was a challenging stretch for the forward, but his efforts and sacrifice were being observed and applauded in the locker room by his teammates and coaches.

"I'm quite happy with Warren, specifically in the month of January and here into the month of February," Woodcroft said. "He didn't play last game, and it wasn't because he did anything wrong. It was just because went with a lineup that was eleven and seven. One of the things we don't want to do is make sure that people aren't going to be out of the lineup for too long.

"I thought he played a great game. It's one of the best games I've seen Warren Foegele play. He should feel real good about himself and there's nobody more happy for him than his teammates and his coaching staff."

To Foegele, it was a reset that allowed him to focus on the aspects of his game that helped him get to this point in his career and finish the campaign with 13 points (4G, 9A) in the final 30 games of the regular season.

"I think when you get hurt, coming back there's an adjustment, especially the injury that I had," he said. "I was able to skate, but not skate the way I'm supposed to be skating."

"Now, I have the confidence to work on things off the ice and on the ice that allowed me to move the way I know I can move, and I think I've been moving a lot quicker the last few games and I think I can continue that."

Carrying his late-season consistency into a new campaign in '23-24 will be the priority this season for Foegele, who'll look to contribute to Edmonton's push for a Stanley Cup as a middle-six forward who can utilize his strength, size, and speed in order to provide depth scoring and command the ice whenever he doesn't have the puck.