PRE-MATCH REPORT: Oilers at Flames

News and notes about the Oilers organization.

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CALGARY, AB – Continue building in Cowtown.

The Edmonton Oilers continue their eight-game schedule as they work their way through training camp and have an Alberta battle against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

As you’d expect from the home side in a situation similar to that faced by the Oilers in Seattle on Monday, the Flames will have a strong and veteran lineup tonight that also includes new signings Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri and Mackenzie Weegar.

Regular number one goaltender Jacob Markstrom will start for the Flames, and of the eight defenders Calgary will deck tonight, five were part of Calgary’s Game 5 loss to the Oilers in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the past season.

Despite their opponent’s impressive lineup, head coach Jay Woodcroft is excited about the chance to pit his players against NHL-quality opponents while the Oilers fine-tune their game at preseason training camp. Opener on October 12 against the Vancouver Canucks.

“I see tonight as an opportunity,” he said before the game. “It’s an opportunity for some individuals to create a little division in their struggles to form the team. I think tonight is an opportunity for our team to build their game. I like the steps we’ve taken on the way here to the first few days of training camp. I thought we were really competitive early on in some tough drills. We had a blue and white scrimmage where we saw some good things and I saw some growth in the first two preseason games.

“I don’t see anything tonight but a great opportunity for some individuals but also for our team to make a step. We’re going to go in there and try really hard.”

Video: PRE RAW | Jay Woodcroft 9/28/22

Woodcroft would not reveal any lineup notes for tonight, save for his goalies, who will be Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard after both made a 29-saver shutout in Edmonton’s opener win over Winnipeg on Sunday. But tonight’s roster for the Oilers should include a mix of veterans and youth, as well as players who will be shown in a variety of situations as the competition for different roles on the team continues.

“We said from day one there were jobs here,” Woodcroft said. “But beyond that, there is Ice Age and Ice Age for privileged and special teams here. They’re putting people in positions to show you what they can do and we’re going to try to make the best possible decisions based on the information they can give us this preseason.”

FOEGELE’S GROWING ROLE

Forward Warren Foegele followed an up and down 2021-22 NHL season with one of his most productive summers.

The 26-year-old put on about five pounds of muscle in “probably the healthiest summer I’ve had in a couple of seasons,” he said, and has had the welcome relief of being able to devote his time more to preparation rather than recovery. Some of his earlier off-seasons included surgeries during his time as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.

“I think it would be fair to say that it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster year,” he said. “Obviously a bit of adjustment.”

“I thought I had a good start last year and then as a team we all sort of struggled through struggles. I don’t know if I have an exact thing but I think for myself I just have to be consistent. Whether I play seven minutes or 13 minutes, it has to be the same game. I have to do it myself and it definitely hasn’t been an easy year.”

One of those players vying for the expanded roles mentioned by Woodcroft is Foegele, who will deny responsibility for killing penalties and may play more on the right wing after playing more of both in three full seasons with the Hurricanes .

Video: PRE RAW | Jay Woodcroft 9/28/22

“I think for myself, I’m just trying to be consistent and try to fight my way through here in the training camp to get into PK. It’s something I’ve done my entire career and something I couldn’t do last year. It’s huge to have those minutes in the flow of the game, so I try to push hard in training camp to do that.”

As the Oilers bottom six, Foegele is looking to show his versatility by returning to the right wing and taking on roles on special teams like he did at Carolina to earn more minutes and give himself more opportunities to make an impact take.

“Warren is a proud prime NHL hockey player who wants to have the best season possible,” said Woodcroft. “He’s a really analytical person and someone who spent a lot of time over the summer thinking about how to improve.”

Foegele met with Woodcroft earlier in the summer in Ontario, where they discussed last season, set out a plan for the off-season and how the forward might see an increased workload this upcoming season.

So far in the first week of camp, Foegele has responded for many of those priorities, according to the Oilers bench chief.

“We just sat down, we laid out a game plan for his season, we laid out a game plan for his training camp and I think he’s been looking really good for those first six or seven days,” Woodcroft said. “He’s someone we give a chance to, especially in pre-season here on penalties to reinforce his role and give him more minutes.

“When I sat with Warren over the summer, I just said, ‘Get ready because this is where you get your chance at training camp’. As you saw in that first preseason game against Winnipeg, he played a lot on penalties and we’ll continue to see him make her look good. Now it’s up to him to make amends.

INSTALLATION NOTES

The only other notable lineup update from Woodcroft Wednesday morning was the unfortunate update that defenseman Vincent Desharnais will miss a couple of weeks after suffering an upper-body injury before camp during the captain’s skates.

The 26-year-old was in the team but was unable to go on the ice after suffering an injury in the training camp. After there wasn’t much natural progress in his recovery, Desharnais decided to undergo surgery that will leave him crippled by the week.

“They were hoping that it would heal over time, but it didn’t heal over time and the player made the decision to have surgery,” Woodcroft said. “So I understand the surgery went really well and I don’t expect it to take too many weeks but he will be out for a couple of weeks for sure.”

— Jamie Umbach, EdmontonOilers.com

OILER at FLAMES

CURRENT: 19:00 CET; televised on EdmontonOilers.com

Oilers Team Scope

The Edmonton Oilers were on either side of shutout results to start the preseason after back-to-back games against the Winnipeg Jets and Seattle Kraken.

The Oilers emerged from their show opener with a 4-0 win at Rogers Place over Winnipeg on Sunday and received a split shutout from Stuart Skinner (15 saves) and Calvin Pickard (nine saves) before appearing at the Climate Pledge the Road Arena were hidden 3-0 by the Kraken on Monday night.

The Oilers battle the Flames on the road at the Scotiabank Saddledome tonight before the two provincial rivals return to Rogers Place from Alberta for another preseason battle on Friday.

Flames team scope

The Flames will play for the second straight game Wednesday night after suffering the same result as the Oilers last night — a 3-0 loss to Seattle. Netminder Dan Vladar made 32 saves in the loss.

In a preseason opener split-squad, the Flames recorded 3-2 and 4-0 victories over the Vancouver Canucks.

— Jamie Umbach, EdmontonOilers.com