The Odd Men Out: Who Are They?

By my count, the Edmonton Oilers have 17 forwards and eight defenseman (along with a pair of goaltenders) with a pretty decent shot at making an NHL lineup on opening night. Given that an NHL roster is only 23 men deep, who stays and who goes?

There really shouldn’t be much to debate here. Lennart Petrell and Darcy Hordichuk would be pretty small losses if waived, but the Oilers made a point of signing both to contracts this summer so presumably they’re in the plans – and Petrell’s age makes him a great option for the role of 13th forward/press-box guy while Darcy Hordichuk is the enforcer.

There are four spots for these seven guys – depending on how the coaching staff wants to do things, 2-3 spots for defenseman and 1-2 spots for forwards.

I feel confident saying that Nail Yakupov and Justin Schultz will make the team – the first overall pick and prized free agent acquisition have featured prominently in Ralph Krueger’s conversations with the media and it would be a major shock to see either cut out of training camp.

That leaves two remaining spots, and three players who need to clear waivers to be demoted: Omark, Peckham and Potter. Omark has yet to be signed, and the possibility exists that the Oilers simply let him take off for Europe if they aren’t able to find an interested team. Keeping Peckham and Potter on the NHL roster leaves the trio of youngsters – Paajarvi, Hartikainen and Lander in the minors.

But I’d be very surprised if that’s the way things work out when everything is said and done. Teemu Hartikainen got a push from the coaching staff last season, and Bob Stauffer’s been talking about him as a possible linemate for Nugent-Hopkins/Eberle – it’s possible that’s just his personal preference but I tend to think he’s reflecting the Oilers’ desire to have Hartikainen in the lineup on opening night. The team’s search for a big guy to play high in the lineup has been a constant for most of the last decade, and Hartikainen’s the closest fit in the system right now.

My guess would be that somebody – probably Peckham, who likely will have some value – is dealt before training camp, and that Hartikainen makes the team as one of the 14 forwards. That bumps Petrell and Hordichuk out of the top-12 (which is good), makes Corey Potter the seventh defenseman and still leaves the Oilers with some options on the farm – Paajarvi, Lander and Tyler Pitlick up front; Colten Teubert, Taylor Fedun, Alex Plante and Martin Marincin on the blue line (Some may quibble with my choice of Marincin for that list, but he and Plante were sent out at the same time last season, with Tambellini discussing the former as an NHL option in 2012-13 but not the latter; I think he’ll be in the mix if he shows well early).

A big trade would throw everything out of whack, but as we approach August a big trade seems increasingly unlikely.