Wake up and smell the pumpkin spice; Edmonton Oilers rookie camp starts this Friday, September 11th, and the main camp begins on September 15th. Which dark horses could make an impact? I’m not going to include players like Ike Howard, Ty Emberson, Josh Samanski, or Spencer Stastney. They have a decent chance to make the team or be in the press box. Let’s take a look at ten lesser-known players who could surprise:

In my opinion, the two-time Stanley Cup champion has the best chance in this group to make the roster. Mathieu Joseph is exactly the kind of player the Oilers need. He is a speedy, defensively responsible winger. The Laval product is also a strong penalty killer, aggressive forechecker, and gets under the skin of the opposition. Joseph would work well on a shutdown line with Jason Dickinson and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. His production dropped off last year with the Blues and Kings, as he only had 2 goals and 9 assists in 51 games. However, the winger is only two years removed from one of his best seasons. Joseph put up 11 goals and 24 assists in 72 games with the Sens. His former Ottawa coach is now an associate coach with Edmonton. Possible fit: bottom-six winger

The Riga native has several assets that the Oilers could use. For a heavy player, he skates well, can protect the puck, and has a good shot. Seeing video of him in action in the AHL is impressive, and his scoring was in the 96th percentile in the Czech Extraliga. Tralmaks had 26 goals and 16 assists in 64 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins last year. His 21 five-on-five goals were second in the AHL. The highly competitive player also showed well for Latvia at the Olympics, with three goals in four games. Possible fit: bottom-six winger

The Finnish winger is the older brother of Aatu Raty of the Vancouver Canucks. I think he’s the kind of 200-foot player that Mike Babcock might like. He’s a hard-nosed, speedy winger who competes every shift. Like Matthieu Joseph, he is an aggravating player to play against. Raty is also one of several intelligent players on this list, well-spoken, with a good hockey IQ. He played all of last year in the Liiga, the top Finnish hockey league, finishing 7th in scoring. Possible fit: fourth-line winger

As with Tralmaks, Jones has a large frame and could play on an Oilers’ 4th line. He fit in well with the team in his brief call-up last year. Jones has some offence, will get involved physically, and is a decent defensive player. He had 10 goals, 8 assists, and 61 PIM in 39 games with the Oilers farm team, the Bakersfield Condors. Possible fit: fourth-line winger

Quinn is one of three brothers in the league, with Lane in Montreal and Cole in Washington. Spencer Pomoty recently wrote in his Prospect Countdown series that “he could see Hutson playing in some NHL games this upcoming season.” In 67 games with the Condors in 2025-26, he had 30 goals, 33 assists, and 84 PIM. Hutson was also called up to Edmonton for four games, and he scored his first NHL goal. Like Howard, Hutson has a wicked NHL-quality shot. He’s also a playmaker and exhibits a feisty style. Similar to his brothers, he has a high hockey IQ, but he needs to improve his defensive game. Possible fit: top-six right wing

Not only is he one of five Josh Browns on hockeydb.com, but he’s also still in the Oilers’ system. Josh Brown is a stay-at-home defenseman who might be a part of Babcock’s plans. The Oilers don’t have a heavyweight on their roster, and Brown can handle himself. He is also an experienced penalty killer, something Edmonton badly needs. Possible fit: third-pair defenceman

Clattenburg is a throwback player and a doppelganger of that Billy guy from Stranger Things. He is also a fearless competitor who hits everything that moves and will drop the gloves. In his injury-shortened 2025-26 AHL campaign, the opposition spent much of their time trying to deal with him. If he can improve his skating and produce some offence, he’s got a chance to play. Possible fit: fourth-line winger

Last season, the Finnish forward surprised many people. Marjala had a good training camp and played a lot in Bakersfield. I’d have him higher on this list, but the Oilers don’t really need another skilled centre, and there are at least two skilled wingers ahead of him. He had a solid 17 goals and 43 assists in 72 games with the Condors. Possible fit: top-nine winger

Michaels has been playing at Western Michigan University. He’s a defensive, right-shot centre, and that’s something Edmonton lacks. His skating needs work, so he’s not the finished product. I think he needs time at the AHL level, but he’ll be someone to keep an eye on. Michaels captained his college team and has a high hockey IQ. Possible fit: fourth line centre or winger

He’s an undersized player who will have to fight for a spot given Edmonton’s surplus of defencemen. Like Marjala, he’s a skilled individual, but the big club has a fair amount of high-end skill. Last season, he produced 11 goals and 27 assists in 53 games with the Condors. The Finn led the farm team’s defencemen in almost every category. Leppanen is a fluid skater but needs to work on the defensive side of his game. Possible fit: third-pair defenseman

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