Edmonton Oilers Updates: Puljujarvi, Reinhart and Fayne
The Edmonton Oilers are getting closer to finalizing their opening night roster, but they still have key decisions to make. Recent headlines and updates, however, give some insight into who stays and who goes.
We here at Oil on Whyte have all the updates for you right here.
– Edmonton has yet to make a decision regarding whether or not Jesse Puljujarvi will remain with the team. Despite flashes of greatness, Puljujarvi has been rather quiet this preseason. This should not be unexpected, considering Puljujarvi is only 18 years old and shouldn’t be expected to be an elite NHL player right off the bat. Time in the AHL would likely do him well, but considering Kris Versteeg’s injury, he may get to start the season with the Oilers.
– The Oilers gave Eric Gryba permission to explore other options, and will likely not offer him a contract. If he does not sign with another team, he will skate with the Oilers without a contract.
– Before assigning Griffin Reinhart to Bakersfield, general manager Peter Chiarelli said he had a talk with him regarding his play. The two discussed how Reinhart needs to be more assertive, and the 22-year-old blueliner was reportedly all ears. Reinhart was not impressive during training camp and looked nowhere near NHL-ready.
– Edmonton used their money from the Nail Yakupov trade to sign Kris Russell Friday. He will skate on a pairing with Andrej Sekera and play on the right side. With this, Mark Fayne becomes something of the odd man out, and his $3.5 million AAV will still hold. Is there a trade in the future involving him? Time will tell.
– Drake Caggiula has an apparent hip injury, and it’s unknown whether or not he will start the season with the team. He likely made the opening night roster, and if he doesn’t get to play to begin the year, Leon Draisaitl will likely take his spot at the third line centre. However, this does take away from their depth down the right wing.
– Former Oilers winger Lauri Korpikoski was released from his PTO with the Calgary Flames. He will likely sign with a team in Finland, or look for another job to come up.
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