Are there any forward positions up for grabs when the Edmonton Oilers training camp begins on Thursday? Evander Kane’s health will open up one roster spot, but the opportunity to be one of the 12 forwards in the lineup is still limited.

The top-six forwards will be Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Jeff Skinner, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Victor Arvidsson. The only question is which left winger, Skinner or RNH, will play with McDavid and Draisaitl.

Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark, and Connor Brown are locks to make the team. It isn’t a guarantee they will be a line, but if healthy they are in the lineup every night.

That leaves three forward spots. Corey Perry will be one of the 13 forwards when the season begins October 9th. I don’t expect him to dress every game, but he did score 12 goals in 54 games last season split between Chicago and Edmonton. They value his leadership, gamesmanship and tenacity. Raphael Lavoie will push him for the fourth line RW spot, and they could split time, but Lavoie will need a strong preseason to push Perry out of the lineup and into the press box.

Vasily Podkolzin is 23 years young. He was acquired from Vancouver, in essence, to replace Dylan Holloway, who left via an offer sheet to St. Louis. He would have to play his way off the roster during preseason. I’d be quite surprised if he wasn’t on the roster on opening night. Roby Jarventie will push him, but Jarventie is waiver-exempt, while Podkolzin requires waivers and that is a big factor if both play equally well.

And that leaves the fourth line centre position.

Derek Ryan is the incumbent fourth line centre. He has played 570 regular season games and 60 playoff games. He dressed for 19 of the Oilers 25 playoff games last season. Ryan made his NHL debut at 28 and became a regular when he was 29. He is a fantastic example of perseverance and constantly working to improve your game.

He will be pushed by James Hamblin, Lane Pederson and Noah Philp so let’s look their resumes.

PROS: He has the most experience. He can penalty kill and is reliable defensively. He was 55.8% on faceoffs last season. He went 161-106 at even strength and was 66-75 on the PK. Smart player, respected in the room and not afraid to speak up when needed.

CONS: He turns 38 in December. He’s never been fast, by NHL standards, and he’s succeeded by being a very smart player, but the game keeps getting quicker and you wonder if he and Perry can play on the same line regularly.

PROS: He played 31 NHL games last season. He posted solid numbers in those games 51.8SF%, 50.89xGF%, 49.9SCF% and a 64.29 GF% as he outscored the opposition 9-5. He produced 2-1-3 in 239 minutes at 5×5, which was similar to Ryan’s 3-4-7 in 589 minutes. Ryan had 0.71 points/60 while Hamblin was 0.75 pts/60. He was 50.6% in face offs which was similar to Ryan McLeod (50.8%) and better than Nugent-Hopkins (48%). He plays the right way, supports the puck well and is good on the PK.

CONS: He shoots left. Ideally the Oilers would like a right-shot centre, to go with McDavid, Draisaitl and Henrique, but it isn’t a must. He doesn’t have Ryan’s experience, but he’s quicker. Doesn’t need to clear waivers, neither does Philp, and that could be a factor in the final decision.

PROS: He has scored 39 goals and 76 points in 84 games the past two seasons in the American Hockey League. He turned 27 last month and has played 71 NHL games and he shoots right. Solid two-way game has the most offensive upside in the group and has been a good leader in Bakersfield.

CONS: He is more offensive-minded and hasn’t really been in a checking role, but he skates well and if Kris Knoblauch wanted to, he could use the Janmark – Henrique – Brown as his checking line and have Podkolsin – Pederson – Lavoie/Perry play against opponents’ fourth lines, and third lines if needed.

PROS: He’s big, skates well, has a very good shot and shoots right. He had a very good rookie season in the AHL with Bakersfield in 2023. His size, skating and checking combination is the best fit for the fourth line centre position. He is the wildcard for me.

CONS: He didn’t play last season. He took a year off for personal reasons, but he wasn’t physically injured so he doesn’t need time getting back up to speed. No NHL experience thus far, so he will need to show very well every day in practice and in the preseason games he plays. He is waiver exempt, and that could be a factor, at least coming out of camp.

It isn’t a big surprise there aren’t many forward positions up for grabs. The Oilers are an elite offensive team, and their forward group is full of proven, NHL veterans. The fourth line is where the most intense battle will be, and while Ryan is the incumbent, his age and size, and the fact he wasn’t in their top four PK forwards in the playoffs, suggest he is in a battle for his job. The benefit for Ryan is he is comfortable in this situation. He wasn’t drafted. He played University, then went to Europe before finally getting a chance in the NHL. He will be well prepared for the competition.

Hamblin and Pederson are hungry to stick in the NHL, while Philp is excited to be playing again. All four offer something a bit different, and in theory the Oilers could keep Ryan as well as one of Hamblin, Pederson and Philp, and put Lavoie on waivers.

For me, the fourth line centre battle is easily the most intriguing forward battle to watch, and I don’t see an overwhelming favourite.

Who do you think wins the job to start the season?

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