The Edmonton Oilers are keen on returning to the Western Conference Final, and beyond, and it’ll start with the first skate of training camp.Ā
The Oilers, whose Stanley Cup aspirations officially started Thursday, broke camp Thursday with two groups.
GROUP 1
Zach Hyman – Leon Draisaitl – Jesse Puljujarvi
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Ryan McLeod – Warren Foegele
Dylan Holloway – Ryan Malone – Jake Virtanen
James Hamblin – Noah Philp – Jake Chiasson/Matvei Petrov
Darnell Nurse – Maximus Wanner
Philip Broberg – Tyson Barrie
Markus Niemelainen – Jason Demers
Alex Peters – Michael Kesselring
Jack Campbell
Adam Fanti
Olivier Rodrigue
Hyman debuts with Draisaitl and Puljujarvi to form what’ll likely be Edmonton’s second unit behind Connor McDavid’s trio. Draisaitl was fourth in league scoring with 110 points (55 goals, 55 assists) last season.Ā
Nugent-Hopkins, at least to start, will start on the wing with the freshly signed McLeod and Foegele. Jake Virtanen, in camp on a try-out, is with Malone and Holloway.Ā
Oilers Group #1 Today:
Hyman-Draisaitl-Puljujarvi
RNH-McLeod-Foegele
Holloway-Malone-Virtanen
Hamblin-Philp-Chiasson/PetrovNurse-Wanner
Broberg-Barrie
Niemelainen-Demers
Peters-KesselringCampbell
Fanti
Rodrigue— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) September 22, 2022
Defenceman Cody Ceci will not participate in the first few days of camp, with a potential return date of Sunday. Ceci strained his hamstring during informal skates last weekend. Fellow blueliner Slater Koekkoek is out indefinitely because of personal reasons.Ā
Goaltender Mike Smith is expected to return to his home in Kelowna and be placed on long-term injury reserve for the remainder of his contract after failing his physical.Ā
GROUP 2
Evander Kane – Connor McDavid – Kailer Yamamoto
Mattias Janmark – Devin Shore – Derek Ryan
Reid Schaefer – Greg McKegg – Xavier Bourgault
Tyler Benson – Seth Griffith – Luke Esposito
Brett Kulak – Evan Bouchard
Ryan Murray – Dmitri Samorukov
Yanni Kaldis – Phil Kemp
Darien Kielb
Stuart Skinner
Calvin Pickard
Oilers training camp Day 1, lines and pairings (Group 2):
Kane-McDavid-Yamamoto
Janmark-Shore-Ryan
Schaefer-McKegg-Bourgault
Benson-Griffith-EspositoKulak-Bouchard
Murray-Samorukov
Kaldis-Kemp
KielbSkinner
Pickard— Daniel Nugent-Bowman (@DNBsports) September 22, 2022
Kane returns to a spot alongside McDavid to form Edmonton’s top duo. McDavid paced the NHL with 123 points (44 goals, 79 assists) en route to another Art Ross Trophy grab, and Kane was eighth in team scoring with 39 points (22 goals, 17 assists) in just 43 games after signing a one-year pact in Edmonton in January.Ā
Kane, who returned to the club on a four-year deal worth $5.125 million annually, also added 13 goals in 15 playoff games.
The pair is joined by Kailer Yamamoto in what could shape up to be Edmonton’s top line heading into the season.