3 Oilers players on the bubble as final cuts near
The Edmonton Oilers have two more preseason games on tap before they open up their regular-season schedule next week.
With the roster currently consisting of 15 forwards, seven defencemen, and three goaltenders, fans are starting to get a real sense of the lineup that the Oilers could run with when the Winnipeg Jets come to town for game 1/82 on October 9.
However, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed on Tuesday that a few more rounds of cuts still need to be made before they submit their opening night roster on Monday. That means that a few players currently skating with the team will wind up being assigned in one way or another.
Here are three players currently on the Oilers roster who are battling to stay with the NHL club:
1. Noah Philp
Noah Philp is by far the most impressive bubble player to show his worth at Oilers camp this season.
Despite taking all of last season off to deal with personal matters, the 26-year-old Philp has not looked rusty at all and has earned an extended look with the NHL club in the preseason.
EDM SEA PS G5. September 28, 2024. Noah Philp goal. 2-2 tie. š„: Oilers+ pic.twitter.com/TeDSTHpUeK
— Nation Network Media (@NationNMedia) September 29, 2024
The former University of Alberta product is fighting for the fourth-line centre spot on the Oilers. After the team cut Lane Pederson and James Hamblin yesterday, the battle is now between Philp and NHL veteran Derek Ryan.
Oilers fans can expect a lot of discourse about Philp’s chances of making the opening night roster during these next two preseason games.
2. Raphael Lavoie
Another standout at Oilers training camp has been Raphael Lavoie.
The 24-year-old has been lighting up the AHL over the past couple of seasons and he’s brought that scoring touch with him into the NHL preseason this year. Unlike Philp, Lavoie got some regular-season action in the league last year, appearing in seven games but failing to get on the scoresheet.
EDM SEA PS G5. September 28, 2024. Raphael Lavoie goal. 5-4 EDM. š„: Oilers+ pic.twitter.com/mUbWJTXipD
— Nation Network Media (@NationNMedia) September 29, 2024
There is no question that the Oilers like what Lavoie brings to the table; the issue is that there is no obvious spot for him on this roster. His skill set would work well, maybe as a top-9 scorer, but Edmonton’s forward group is more or less set without him being involved.
He will still get a chance to show his worth over these next two preseason games, but he’ll be in tough to crack the NHL lineup.
3. Troy Stecher
The Oilers’ battle for a spot on the team’s third pairing next to Brett Kulak is coming to a close, and Troy Stecher is among the two finalists.
After being somewhat of a journeyman player over the last few seasons, the 30-year-old Stecher signed a two-year deal with the Oilers over the summer. He hasn’t had a wonderful camp, but he also hasn’t shown bad either. If anything, he’s shown that he can be a low-event defenceman who will go unnoticed on most nights, which isn’t bad for an NHL defenceman.
His competition is Josh Brown, who also signed with the Oilers over the summer. Brown has been on the opposite of the spectrum and has played a very noticeable game throughout the preseasonāfor all the wrong reasons.
Stecher should have the edge on Brown, but for some reason, they have not tried Stecher next to Kulak just yet. We’ll see if that changes over these next two preseason games.