Team

Betting

OilersNation has no direct affiliation to the Edmonton Oilers, Oilers Entertainment Group, NHL, or NHLPA

The standouts, the notables, and the disappointing performances from the Oilers’ NextGen game

Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

By Ryley Delaney

Sep 15, 2026, 16:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 15, 2026, 16:07 EDT

Comments

The first Edmonton Oilers game of the 2026-27 pre-pre-season was a 6-1 victory on Monday evening.

Though the Oilers prospects defeated a team with one of the best prospect pools in the National Hockey League, they didn’t have a player who dominated. Instead, it was a collective effort featuring two power play goals, two goals from a defencemen, and a goal from each the second and fourth lines.

Let’s take a look at the standout performances, the notable performances, and the disappointing performances in the Oilers’ 6-1 victory.

The standout performances

On a conventional grading scale, there are five Oilers who earned an “A” grade, four forwards, a defenceman, and a netminder.

The best player of the bunch was Viljami Marjala, who lined up as the Oilers’ second-line centre. The 23-year-old centre made things happen offensively, picking up four assists while playing some solid defence. Two of those assists came on the power play, one came on the empty-net goal, and the last one was the best of the four, protecting the puck and drawing in four Flames before dishing it off to an open man at the point.

Last season, the Finn scored just 17 goals, but added 43 apples in 72 American Hockey League games, as well as six assists in the Bakersfield Condors’ three playoff games. Playmaking is his calling card.

The Oilers used three netminders in this game, Nathaniel Day in the first period, Eemil Vinni in the second period, and Samuel Jonsson in the third period. Of the three, Vinni stood out the most. Not only did he face the most number of shots in his period (12), but the Finnish netminder also turned aside a few high-danger scoring opportunities with ease.

He showcased solid lateral movement and sound positioning, a big reason why the Oilers selected him with their second-round pick in 2024. The 20-year-old netminder missed most of 2024-25 after undergoing back surgery and didn’t have a particularly encouraging 2025-26 season in Finland’s second tier, but we’ll see how he does in North America.

Also playing in Europe last season was defenceman Tomáš Cibulka, who scored seven goals and 22 points in 47 games in Czechia’s top league. Signed as a free agent in the spring, the 22-year-old showcased strong outlet passes and was easily the Oilers’ most notable defenceman on both sides of the ice, even if he didn’t score. The only knock on him was that he was a bit too passive on the Flames’ lone goal.

Of course, the Oilers’ top line was the standout offensively. While they didn’t score a five-on-five goal, both Isaac Howard and Quinn Hutson found twine on the power play, while Josh Samanski was great in his own end.

With a combined 64 games between the three of them, anything less than a standout performance from the trio would’ve been underwhelming. That said, Hutson showcased his defining attribute, his great shot, while Howard showed a more well-rounded game, playing on the penalty kill. All three players have the opportunity to factor into the 2026-27 Oilers.

The noteworthy performances

Moving to the solid performances, which come in as a “B” grade, Nathaniel Day stopped all six shots he faced, but only had one high-danger opportunity. It was a solid game for the 21-year-old netminder selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft.

Samuel Jonsson allowed the lone goal that the Flames’ prospects scored, but also faced the most high-danger chances of the three netminders in this game. It was a good outing for the 22-year-old, but that goal he allowed knocked him into this category.

Owen Michaels lined up as their third-line centre and picked up an assist on the second goal. There were several plays where the right-shot centre created an offensive chance by carrying the puck into the zone. I liked that from him.

On the back end, Zach Bookman scored a goal, picked up an assist, and made some solid breakout passes, though he was one of the older players playing in this game. The 24-year-old finished out his 2025-26 season with the Oilers’ ECHL team.

Kyle Heger also scored a goal, as he was the recipient of Marjala’s best assist for the sixth goal of the game. Unfortunately for the defenceman, he was released from his amateur tryout contract on Tuesday morning. Top pairing defenceman Damien Carfagna also mustered a few shots on net.

Rhett Pitlick scored an empty-net goal while Caden Harvey gave the Oilers an insurance goal, putting them up 3-0 early in the third period.

The disappointing performances

And then we have the disappointing performances. No Oiler had a poor game, but there were several notable prospects in the organization who just didn’t perform as one would expect them to. These players sit in the “C” range.

Rūdolfs Bērzkalns, drafted with the 58th overall pick in 2025-26, picked up an assist on Harvey’s goal but was pretty much invisible throughout the game aside from that play. A reason for that may have been due to the fact he lined up as their fourth-line centre.

Beau Akey, drafted 56th overall in 2023, also had a pretty quiet game. The right-shot defenceman made a few errors that didn’t cost the Oilers, but didn’t showcase what makes him an intriguing prospect, his puck-moving ability.

David Lewandowski also had a quiet game, as did Will Nicholl. Both were on the ice for a goal, but neither forward leaned into what makes them a notable prospect in the Oilers’ organization.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFOEdmonton, DFOCalgary, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on X at @Ryley__Delaney.

THE FIRST NATION VACATION OF THE 2026/27 SEASON IS HERE!

Toronto is calling — and this isn’t your average hockey trip.

The first 2026/27 Nation Vacation presented by JetSet Parking is here, and we’re taking over Toronto for one hell of a weekend.

From November 13–16, 2026, you’ll experience Edmonton vs. Toronto from a VIP suite surrounded by your people, fellow Nation fans and special guests who’ll make this more than just a night at the rink.

Add in Nation events, a pre-game celebration, a downtown Toronto stay and a weekend built around hockey, and you’ve got an experience you simply can’t get from buying a ticket and booking a hotel.

And you can reserve your spot with just $500 down.

Bring the jersey. Bring your crew. We’ll bring the Nation.

A hockey trip is good. A Nation Vacation is better.

RESERVE YOUR TRIP at nationexperiences.ca.