According to our own Jason Gregor, Scottie Upshall passed his second physical after failing his first with a knee injury which puts the veteran back in the training camp mix for the Oilers. 

After news came out last week that Scottie Upshall had failed his physical as a result of a knee injury, it was fair to wonder how that setback would affect his opportunity with the Oilers. Now, only four days later, we’ve learned that Upshall’s knee problem must have been relatively minor as he has now been cleared by the Oilers’ medical staff and is back on the ice with the rest of the boys this morning. Though the initial reports looked grim, the severity of the injury was clearly overblown based on how quickly this situation took a 180.

While we’ll still have to wait and see whether or not Upshall’s PTO turns into a roster spot come October 6th, the fact that he’s back on the ice this quickly is good news for the Oilers. At this point in the pre-season, competition for jobs and roster spots is incredibly important and having a veteran like Upshall on the ice only adds to the idea. And frankly, based on his skill set, historical usage and overall NHL experience, Upshall has a reasonable chance of making the team so having him back on the ice without missing too much time is a good sign for both the player and team. Where Upshall’s PTO goes from here is anyone’s guess, but at least he’s back in the mix and ready to compete for a spot.