Early game, great opportunity, especially for two Edmonton Oilers prospects

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This is from 630 CHED’s Reid Wilkins, the Edmonton Oilers were expecting line combos tonight against the Calgary Flames, a game that will be streamed live on EdmontonOilers.com.

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Benson-McLeod-Marody
Perlini-Shore-Turris
Sceviour-Ryan-Bourgault
Hamblin-Cracknell-Lavoie

Koekkoek-Bouchard
Broberg-Berglund
Lagesson-Kemp

Skinner
Konovalov

My take

1. It’s the first preseason game, but first impressions are huge for at least two young Edmonton Oilers prospects who need to put on a great show if they’re finally going to break the Oilers roster. They will have other opportunities to do so, yes, but time is running out, all the Oilers’ organizational eyes are on them, and it’s time to shine if they hope to stay in Edmonton. Both have golden opportunities.

2. Tyler Benson is the first of the two. The boy was recruited in 2016, five years ago. In fact, Benson is no longer a child. He’s 23, and all kinds of fellow forwards from that draft have established themselves as NHL players, including Auston Matthews, Matt Tkachuk and Patrik Laine from the top of the draft, but also forwards taken late in the first round or in the second round and after. , like Alex DeBrincat, Jordan Kyrou, Jesper Bratt, Tage Thompson, Max Jones, and Brett Howden. It’s Last-Chance-Gas for other relatively tall picks like Sam Steel, Rasmus Asplund, Nathan Bastian, and Boris Katchouk. Can they finally get a job in the NHL?

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3. Oilers general manager Ken Holland said in a radio interview last week that Benson is included in the lineup and that it is his job to lose. That’s good news for the young forward, but as the old saying goes, that and $ 2.00 will get him coffee at Tim Horton’s. Benson has to earn it now on the ice, Holland said. So far at camp the reports have been good, with Benson arriving at camp in excellent shape and looking faster on the ice.

4. Benson has teamed up at camp with his AHL linemates Ryan McLeod and Cooper Marody. They were arguably AHL’s best two-way line last year. McLeod already made the jump to the NHL and played two-way hockey well there late last season. He earned a spot in a few playoff games. Marody, like Benson, is in Last-Chance-Gas territory as a prospect. But the trio can attack and defend effectively. They need to do both tonight against Calgary. There is an external chance, say 20 percent, that the trio could somehow find their way forward together as Oil’s third scoring line to start the year.

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5. The other Oilers prospect on the hot bench is “Wild” Bill Lagesson, who has played seven full seasons since he was selected 91st overall in 2014. If he succeeds, he will be a rarity, a player that will eventually the NHL as a 25 year old who is still with the original team that selected him. It is such a glorious story that one has to think of whatever entity is functioning. Simulation will line things up for this to happen.

6. Lagesson got an early boost heading into camp, with veteran Kris Russell still injured and Duncan Keith even more veteran until his COVID quarantine ends next Friday. Lagesson will get a few exhibition games, maybe a few more than anyone had originally planned, but what will he do with them? Will he be the player who looked like he could deliver as a closed d-man when he played so well with Adam Larsson early in the 2020-21 season? Or is he the guy who struggled as the same season progressed and got hurt? Injuries are a major factor in any player’s career, of course.

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7. Right now, Benson is in place on the fourth line from the left wing. Lagesson ranks fifth on the left d-man list, after Darnell Nurse, Keith, Slater Koekkoek and Russell. But injuries do happen. Veterans slide. And sometimes a longtime prospect turns the corner and plays the kind of shocking hockey that allows him to stay in the NHL for a season or two or five.

8. The Flames have plenty of Big Bobby Clobbers in their lineup – Erik Gudbranson, Nikita Zadorov, Milan Lucic, Brett Ritchie and Martin Posisil – while the Oilers go skillfully. It will be an interesting test to see if Edmonton’s ability can hold out and bring out the best of Calgary’s muscle. Rock beats scissors, so the greasers will have to do more than make fancy plays. They will have to fight through the difficult things and be on top of these Flames, harassing and covering them at all times. Paper beats rock.

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