Each season, some players are on the verge of losing their shot and getting passed by in the depth chart. Some of them toil away in the minors for a while longer while others fall out of the NHL and end up continuing their careers in Europe.
The Edmonton Oilers have a few of these players in their depth chart this season. Some are prospects who are oh-so-close to making the NHL roster, but just as close to being passed over and stuck in the minors. And some are longtime NHLers who may be at risk of losing their place on the team.
Here are five players entering make-or-break seasons for the Oilers in 2024–25.
Vasily Podkolzin
Vasily Podkolzin was acquired this past offseason for a fourth-round draft pick. The former 10th overall pick of the Vancouver Canucks was due for a change of scenery.
Podkolzin has been on a downward trend each season since he arrived in the NHL. A promising rookie campaign that saw him score 14 goals and 26 points in 79 games has yet to be matched. He has essentially halved his NHL games played each season since, ending up with just two points in 19 games last year.
This is a crucial point in Podkolzin’s career. Although he is not projected to be in a huge role with the forward group, he is expected to be a contributor of depth scoring. And his playstyle should serve him well. But he does need to find a way to maintain a regular place in the NHL and turn his career around.
Evander Kane
We know what we’re getting from Evander Kane. He has a place in the Oilers’ depth chart once he is back healthy. But will he be able to keep it by then?
At the end of last season, there were rumblings that Kane would not be remaining an Oiler heading into this season. His reduced role in the playoffs and general inconsistency/underperformance last season, though explained away by injury, could have led one to believe he was on the verge of losing his place in the lineup.
And now that the Oilers have brought in a variety of other wingers to fill the same place in the lineup Kane played, will his roster spot even be available when he is healthy?
Surely, it will be. It’s hard to remove a player with Kane’s scoring potential and physicality from the lineup when he is available. But as the team grows and builds without him, if he returns from injury and is not the same player he has been at his peak with Edmonton, he could find himself replaced.
Ty Emberson
The player acquired for Cody Ceci gets the first shot at replacing him in the lineup. Ty Emberson is in a golden opportunity to set himself up with a solid career this season. He is the player most likely to fill the hole at second pairing right defence.
After an impressive rookie season with the San Jose Sharks last season, Emberson earned some praise as an up-and-coming shutdown defender. Exactly what the Oilers need in this role.
Emberson has been spending training camp this far largely on Nurse’s pairing, leading the assumption to be made that he will start the season there.
He has 30 games of NHL experience. And is being given a huge role on a cup-or-bust team. If Emberson looks good, he will make a name for himself and earn a bigger, more secure contract extension next offseason.
Raphael Lavoie
The last few seasons, Raphael Lavoie has been regularly considered one of the Oilers’ top prospects. He has slowly been developing with the Bakersfield Condors but has yet to make an impact at the NHL level. He made his debut last season, playing seven games while recording zero points.
With the departure of Dylan Holloway and Kane’s injury, there are spots on the Oilers roster for a winger of Lavoie’s skillset.
This is a make-or-break season for him in his development into an NHLer because there are a couple other prospects who have been brought in that may easily move past him in the depth chart. Roby Jarventie and Matthew Savoie are competing for the same spot that Lavoie is. He could find himself stuck behind those two very quickly this season.
James Hamblin
The presumed fourth line centre is Derek Ryan, but he played a lot on the wing last season. Meaning there is room for someone else to take that spot.
James Hamblin is high on that list. He has played in this role at times the last couple of seasons, to an acceptable level of success. However, he only has three points in 41 games.
The spot is open for the taking if Hamblin can grab it. His skillset and playstyle would work great in this role. But after a certain length of a trial run without really blossoming into the role, someone else will get a chance.
The Oilers have another internal option in Noah Philp and they could easily find someone to trade for to fill it, if Hamblin doesn’t work out. If he gets a chance to stay in the NHL this season, he needs to step up his game or else he may find himself trapped in the AHL.
Who do you think has the best chance of succeeding in their make-or-break season? Drop a comment down below!
2 Comments