Even with only four pre-season games, you still see game rosters consisting mainly of non-NHL players. Tonight’s Edmonton Oilers roster has four players who will likely start the season in Edmonton.

Earlier this week, Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said he’d be okay with cancelling preseason games.

“I’d sooner go to 86 games and zero preseason if that’s the way we’re going. Guys are in such good shape now, why waste the games on the fans that don’t count? Let’s play the ones for real,” said the defending Stanley Cup champion head coach.

He added that competition for roster spots isn’t like it used to be.

“It’s not like even I remember, there was always spots available. There were 10 guys, maybe, that you knew were on the team, then there were a couple guys fighting for different spots, maybe even a goalie spot might’ve been open. That doesn’t happen now hardly ever. The team is picked.”

When the Oilers’ training camp opened, I felt there were no real battles for roster spots. They would carry 13 forwards, eight defensemen and two goalies and those spots were taken, with Max Jones likely the forward going down. Granted, if Matt Savoie, Mattias Janmark and Frederik Andersen were healthy, there would have been competition for some spots. The Oilers would have carried three goalies, seven D-men and 13 forwards and the forward competition would have been much more interesting.

I don’t believe the NHL will ever get rid of preseason games. Carolina is the defending champion, they had no holes on their roster, while the 16 teams who missed the playoffs, and some who made it, do have a few roster spots that are wide open as they are hoping to improve their team. There is a benefit to preseason games, but each organization is different, and the Oilers roster tonight illustrates the reality of their training camp — The real battle for roster spots and ice time will begin in the regular season and will ramp up when Savoie, Janmark and Andersen are healthy and available.

Mike Babcock has said many times he is still getting to know the players. He has an idea of what they can do, but the players need to show it. Every year is different. It is fun to speculate and project what could happen and who will play where, but Babcock will need time to find out which combinations work. Sometimes an unexpected trio clicks and stays together, but very few lines remain intact all season. Last season only 17 lines played more than 400 even-strength minutes together. It is rare across the NHL, and with a new head coach and some new players, the combinations we see on opening night will look different by game five, 10 and so on.

Tonight’s roster has only two players I have projected to be on the opening night lineup: Tristan Jarry and Isaac Howard. Ty Emberson and Spencer Stastney will be on the 23-man roster, but likely as the seventh and eighth defenders. The rest will be in Bakersfield, but if the Oilers get bit by the injury bug, they have some players who could come up and contribute. Max Jones could play in the bottom six and not look out of place. Viljami Marjala had a good rookie season in the AHL last year, and he looks stronger this year. I expect he will play a lot and play well in Bako. Owen Michaels can really skate, and has potential to be a bottom-six centre in the future. We will need to see how he handles the adjustment to the AHL. It is not easy.

Aku Raty scored 57 points in 51 games with Karpat last year. I wouldn’t be shocked if he gets a recall during the season if they get some injuries on the wing. Quinn Hutson has looked okay. His battle level will need to become more consistent. He has the offensive skills to be in the NHL, but he will need to engage and win more battles. When you watch tonight’s game, you will get a preview of more of the Condors’ lineup than the Oilers, and that isn’t a bad thing.

— Last season 42 per cent of shot attempts by the Oilers blueliners hit the net, which was the highest in the NHL. The Oilers were great at getting pucks to the net, but they were only 14th in rebound goals.

— Tristan Jarry will start. I thought they might give him the home game on Saturday, and maybe he plays some of that game, but him going tonight might be that they expect him to get a lot of action, and a goalie needs that. The Canucks are dressing an NHL-heavy lineup, so he will be facing NHL shooters, which should help his timing.

— Mike Babcock had an interesting take on Isaac Howard’s game in Winnipeg. “When you’re used to playing in a different league, and you have the puck all the time, and then you get out here, and you never get the puck, I think for young guys, it can be frustrating,” said Babcock. “Then you try to do too much instead of just doing your job, check it back, do your job, check it. You’re going to get a chance. Then you got to make it count. So, it’s just a growing experience for Howie.”

I thought Howard had a solid, but not great game. He made a few nice passes to set up Zach Hyman, but the game didn’t have much emotion or intensity. It is difficult to play in a game where it seems most players are just trying to get through it, rather than own it. I think it is great that Howard is playing again tonight, and we could see him play on Saturday as well. Young guys should want to play as much as they can early in a season, and Howard gets another chance to get comfortable tonight. He is also considered a veteran under preseason rules, and the Oilers need eight vets dressed. Howard, Seth Griffith, Max Jones, Rudolphs Berzkalns (second round pick in last three years), Spencer Stastney, Ty Emberson, Riley Stillman and Jarry are the eight.

— I asked Babcock about Howard getting to play again, which I think is a positive, and what he has seen from him during camp and two preseason games. “It is a hard league, a miserable league, if you are an offensive guy and just arriving and they won’t give you the puck. You have to figure out how to get the puck back and that’s why he gets a chance to play over and over again. We like how hard he works. We like how he prepares, we like what he is doing, he still hasn’t figured out how to have the puck all the time so that is the challenge for him.”

I see Howard playing all three games, and likely the fourth on Saturday as a positive for him. He gets more opportunities to work on his game and get comfortable, and tonight playing against NHL players will be a better test than the first two preseason games.

— I mentioned most of tonight’s roster will start the season in Bakersfield, but I asked Babcock what those players can do tonight to make an impression on him and management. “Be ultracompetitive, because that is what we are attracted to. The veteran guys going there instead of playing 12 minutes or whatever they play, they will get to play much more so that is a great chance for them, and everyone else gets to send a message to the organization that I’m for real and I want to be here. So that is the opportunity and take advantage of it.”

Howard-Michaels-Hutson
Jones-Samanski-Raty
Tralmaks-Marjala-Griffith
Clattenburg-Berzkalns-Lewandowski

Stastney-Emberson
Stillman-Cibulka
Leppanen-Carfagna

Jarry
Ungar

I liked Eduards Tralmaks forechecking ability. He is a bit older than Hutson, Marjala and other young prospects, but he is more NHL-ready. I won’t be surprised if he is noticeable tonight against NHL players. This will be a great opportunity for him to let the coaches see that he could be a recall option during the season.

Debrusk-Pettersson-Karlsson
Ohgren-Rossi-Boeser
O’Connor-Chytil-Lekkerimaki
Cotter-Cootes-Gallagher

Buium-Hronek
Oleksiak-Schenn
Brisebois-Mancini

Lankinen

The Canucks are going with an NHL-laden lineup. They play tonight and Saturday at home and have been saving their veterans for their final two preseason games, as none of the vets dressed tonight played in the first two games. Sherwood Park product Brandon Cootes will play his third consecutive preseason game as the Canucks are giving him every opportunity to get comfortable.

GAME DAY PREDICTION: Canucks win 3-2, and are saved from hearing the “They can’t beat an AHL team” line.

OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Oilers don’t score a power play goal.

NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: Tralmaks scores.