The Oilers’ first games of the 2024-25 season have gone poorly.
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Fortunately, these games were exhibitions, part of the Young Stars Classic in Penticton. The Oilers The rookie team lost all three of its games over the weekend, falling 2-0 to Vancouver3-1 to Calgaryand 2-0 to Winnipeg.
When you lose every game and only score one goal, there’s obviously not a lot of positives to take away from the experience. After all, it’s one of the weaker systems in the league. Still, we got a chance to see how the Oilers’ prospects stack up against their peers and who stands out.
Goalkeeper
The Oilers gave all three of their goaltenders a chance to start in Penticton. All three played well, but Nathaniel Day and Brett Brochu were excellent. Day, a sixth-round pick by the Oilers in 2023, stopped 28 of 30 shots the Canucks’ prospects put on him Friday. Day has struggled in the OHL, posting save percentages below .875 in back-to-back seasons.
After Connor Ungar After allowing two goals on 20 shots against Calgary on Saturday, Brett Brochu finished the weekend with 32 saves on 34 shots against Winnipeg yesterday. Brochu, who was undrafted, signed with the Bakersfield Condors after posting a .920 save percentage in the ECHL last season.
Brochu, 22, will have to fight for starts in Bakersfield behind veteran Colin Delia and 24-year-old Olivier Rodrigue, not to mention Young Stars teammate Ungar, but he’s had good numbers everywhere he’s played so far.
Physical
We saw a few of them perspective Games Things were tight this weekend, and it was no different in the Okanagan. Defenceman Nate Corbet dropped the gloves in all three of his games, facing Vancouver’s Joe Arntsen, Calgary’s Lucas Ciona and Winnipeg’s Mark Liwiski.
He wasn’t the only one, either. 2024 fifth-round pick Connor Clattenburg got into a fight with Calgary’s Parker Bell, while Jayden Grubbe was given 19 penalty minutes Monday, dropping the gloves with Winnipeg’s Danny Zhilkin.
These rookie tournaments are always filled with young enforcers trying to make a name for themselves, and the Oilers clearly have some young candidates if they decide they need a Matt Rempe equivalent. We know the Oilers like Clattenburg, a physical forward drafted this summer, and Grubbe, whom they traded in the spring of 2023.
Maxime Wanner
With Beau Akey out due to injury, 2021 seventh-round pick Max Wanner has emerged as the Oilers’ No. 1 defenseman. Wanner spent all of last season in Bakersfield, making him the only defenseman with professional experience on the rookie camp roster. The big blueliner performed well on both sides of the puck, especially Friday against Vancouver.
Wanner led the Condors in plus/minus last year with 13 points, contributing 17 points in 68 games in his first professional season. With his strong performance this weekend, he has almost certainly earned a spot in training camp. Considering the Oilers’ poor record in the draft over the last few years, turning a 212th overall pick into an NHL player would be a huge win.
Ultimately, the performance of the Oilers’ prospects matters little this season. Top Prospect Matt Savoie He looked good, contributing to the team’s lone goal and contributing on both sides of the puck. He’ll be scrutinized in training camp and any contribution from him in the NHL would be a success for the league’s system this season.
While the Oilers’ rookie performance this weekend was disappointing, the Oilers have bigger fish to fry. Major league training camp begins Wednesday, while the pre-season schedule begins Sunday afternoon with a game against the Edmonton Oilers. Winnipeg Jets.
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