PRE-GAME REPORT: Oilers vs. Jets

The Oilers head to Winnipeg for a pre-season matchup against the Jets at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday night.

You can watch the game live on Oilers+ at 6:00 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. Jets

EDMONTON, AB – The Oilers continue to evaluate the players who remain in Training Camp for the few roster spots available as they head to Winnipeg on Wednesday night for a pre-season meeting with the Jets at Canada Life Centre. The game can be streamed live on Oilers+ at 6:00 pm MT.

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch and his coaching staff have began assembling their lines and defence pairings into their expected combinations for the start of the regular season after splitting the on-ice sessions into two groups on Tuesday—one filled mainly with NHL regulars and the other with players who are competing to fill holes in the bottom six and right-side of defence.

The fourth line remains one of the few battlegrounds left at Camp where spots could still be up for grabs after the lines during Tuesday’s main session looked as you’d expect for when the Oilers kick off their 2024-25 season on Oct. 9 at Rogers Place against these very same Jets.

Coach Knoblauch mentioned that he doesn't expect many of Edmonton's top-nine forward lines from Tuesday's main group to compete in Winnipeg as the auditions for role players in the bottom six continues with 53 players (six goalies, 17 defencemen, and 30 forwards) still remaining at Camp.

“We have an idea of what they are and what type of player they are, and we want guys to fill certain roles,” Knoblauch said. “We’re looking for our best hockey players, but there's an element of playing a role – whether we need physicality, we need speed or guys who can penalty kill or be on the power play.

“We’re probably not looking for power-play guys. I think we're all filled up on those. For guys who are trying out for our team, we are looking for a little bit of penalty-killing because we lost some of those last year. I think that's something we're looking for.”

Forwards Connor Brown, Mattias Janmark, Derek Ryan and defenceman Brett Kulak were non-participants at this morning's skate at Rogers Place, which leads us to believe they'll be in the lineup tonight. Goaltender Stuart Skinner didn't participate as well and looks poised to make his first pre-season appearance of 2024-25.

Forward Raphael Lavoie has impressed so far this pre-season with a goal and 11 total shots through two games against Winnipeg and Calgary (split-squad), but the Chambly, QC product won't dress tonight after pulling out of practice on Tuesday with a lower-body injury. Lavoie will take his rest and hopefully return to the ice on Friday to continue his strong Camp, Knoblauch said.

"I just got the update when I was leaving the ice. It doesn't look like he'll be playing tomorrow."

On defence, the Oilers still have eight right-shot defencemen at Camp with only two real vacancies to fill on the right side with Evan Bouchard likely to make up half of the top D pairing next to Mattias Ekholm. Beau Akey has been skating all week, but hasn't played any pre-season games and is expected to return to the OHL's Barrie Colts after missing all but 14 games last season with a shoulder injury.

That leaves Josh Brown, Connor Carrick, Ty Emberson, Phil Kemp, Troy Stecher and Max Wanner, but professional tryout Travis Dermott falls into that category despite being a lefty after proving over his career that he can play his off side. Until the number of righties dwindles down – with the next cuts expected following tonight's game in Winnipeg – Knoblauch wants to give those options the chance to lock up one of those spots first.

"I think it'd be beneficial for us to evaluate him on the right side," he said. "You look at who we have and we have a lot of right-handed defencemen, so to put a right-handed defenceman over the left side makes it a little more difficult. I think as we progress through Camp, if we have some more cuts, then maybe it opens up the opportunity for him to play the right side."