This has been an up-and-down season for the Edmonton Oilers, with some days the team seemingly unbeatable while other weeks, the team struggles to get anything going at all. Down on the farm team, things have been broadly the same. The Bakersfield Condors sit fifth in the AHL’s Pacific Division, with a 7–6–3 record through their first 16 games.
How has the team looked?
Consistency has been the name of the game for the Condors, who have also gone 5–5 in their last ten games. To contextualize it, as the Oilers’ farm team, they are supposed to be led by the team’s prospects. But the Oilers are in win-now mode, and have traded away many draft picks over the years in exchange for NHL-ready players to support their cup runs. To see the Condors running at about a 0.500 pace makes sense.
Surprisingly, no Condors player is at or above a point-per-game pace this season. Leading the way though is Seth Griffith who has 13 points in 15 games. The former Boston Bruins draft pick has been in the Oilers organization for the last five seasons, and has had at least 60 points per year in each of the last five seasons. The 31-year-old is on an AHL deal this year.
Just behind him is Matthew Savoie, who is the only other player in double digits this year with 10 points in 16 games. The former first rounder from a couple years back is getting his feet wet in his first full AHL season, and should hopefully see those point totals jump substantially. Expect him to earn an NHL call-up at some point this season, likely after Christmas.
The other player worth highlighting is Noah Philp, who has eight points in 13 games after playing three games in the NHL. He was outstanding in training camp and has been mostly playing as the Condors’ top line centre since coming back to the AHL. Expect him to get another NHL look before too long.
From the blueline, the Condors have gotten remarkably little in the way of scoring. Nobody has more than one goal, and Noel Hofenmayer and Connor Carrick are tied for the team lead with six points. The biggest surprise has been Max Wanner, who has just two points on the year. He has bounced up and down the blueline, playing with nearly every left shot defenceman this season.
In net, the Condors have split their starts between Olivier Rodrigue and Collin Delia, who have started nine and seven games respectively. The former has looked far better, with a 0.926 save percentage in those games. This is good for 17th in the league. On the flip side, Collin Delia sits 51st in the league with a 0.899 save percentage. This isn’t bad but definitely not ideal.
What to expect for the balance of the season?
Given the team on the ice, the strength across the division, and the number of players that will likely see time in Edmonton, the Condors probably won’t get much better than they are right now. That being said, they probably won’t be much worse. There is enough strength in the lineup for them to continue to be a mid-tier team in the Pacific.
If everything goes perfectly, the Condors should find their way into a playoff. The top seven teams in the division make it into the playoffs, and the Condors have a very good chance of being one of those teams. Bakersfield will likely be fighting with the Abbotsford Canucks, Tucson Roadrunners, and Ontario Reign for a playoff spot, with three of the four earning a berth. From there, it’s anyone’s game.
