The Edmonton Oilers two top prospects announce their presence in Penticton BOA: 9 Things
With the Edmonton Oilers rookie tournament underway in Penticton, waiting patiently for hockey season is finally over.
A bunch of news of about both future and super stars in this edition of…
9 Things
9. The Young Stars Classic lands a little differently when the Edmonton Oilers are not relying on any of these kids being in the NHL lineup.
8. Yet, the Oilers top brass still showed up in Penticton to take in the action, as did Head Coach Kris Knoblauch. If the organization is really genuine about making player development “best in class”, showing up like they did Saturday night is a good step.
7. Beau Akey had an eye-opening training camp for the Oilers in 2022-23. Sadly, a major shoulder wrecked his season shortly after that. And he is still not all the way back from it. The 19-year-old is an impressive skater and has a chance at being an NHL’er if he can stay healthy.
6. The Oilers player who caught my eye the most on Friday night Young Stars was Max Wanner. A full season in Bakersfield playing against men was clearly good for the right-shot defender from Estevan, Saskatchewan. He also sported an “A” on his chest. Speaks to how the young man carries himself. He was solid Saturday, too. More about the Oilers Saturday tilt with Calgary in a minute…
5. An astute add to Oilers’ Hockey Ops: Tobias Salmelainen. He will work in Europe for the club in Player Acquisition & Development. With draft picks being dealt for deadline depth, finding prospects other than through the draft becomes critical. A former overseas pro, Salmelainen has since gained both management and player agent experience.
