Oilers On The Farm

The Edmonton Oilers are 4-1-0 on the season and playing their best October hockey in about eight years. Will that translate to success over the course of the full 82? I’m not sure, but the nice start is certainly a positive change of pace over the last few seasons for the Oilers.

Edmonton’s solid start hasn’t completely been mimicked by the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, but the club has some of Edmonton’s top prospects clicking early. The Condors earned a split in Winnipeg and return to California with a 1-1-0 record on the season.

What’s important to fans of the Oilers, however, is the start of some of this team’s future members. Guys like Jujhar Khaira and, yes, Griffin Reinhart have started out well in the top minor league.

Khaira Pushing:

One of the big surprises in training camp, at least to me, was the early dismissal of Jujhar Khaira to the AHL. I thought Khaira looked good in his first NHL stint a year ago and he had taken a step forward at the AHL level during the 2015-16 season as well.

Through a pair of games this year, no Condor has been as dangerous as Khaira has been. His stat line of 3-1-4 is pretty impressive for a guy who was supposed to be short on offense. His eight shots on goal also suggests that he is finding ways to get the puck to the net. He’s been getting a push as well, playing on the top line for Bakersfield thus far.

I would be absolutely stunned if we didn’t see Khaira at some point in the near future. He appears to have figured out the AHL game and continues to improve at that level. If he can figure out how to produce offense, he’s going to make it in the NHL. He’s already a smart player with a physical edge and some speed. The perfect complimentary player for a Peter Chiarelli team.

I think we should start wondering when the Oiler promote this player. I think he’d be a much better roster fit than, say, Anton Lander on the fourth line. His promotion would also allow Jesse Puljujarvi to head to the AHL and gain some valuable experience in a key role.

Aggressive Griffin:

A tip of the hat to Lowetide for pointing this out in his blog post this morning. Griffin Reinhart appears to have found that mean streak that the Oilers want out of him. After a goal by Jere Sallinen last night (his first!), Reinhart put fist to face on a member of the Moose who kept the pushing and shoving going.

Check this out >> Sallinen scores his first in North America and then @GriffinReinhart starts throwing bombs! #Condorstown pic.twitter.com/nPUvYU4JpD

— Bakersfield Condors (@Condors) October 21, 2016

Listen, whatever you think of Griffin Reinhart is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is, the Oilers need this guy playing good hockey and they need him contributing at the NHL level. Peter Chiarelli overpaid for this player but they still need to get some sort of return here.

If Reinhart can add that mean streak to his game, he becomes that much more valuable. This is a big man we are talking about, and he’ll become a better player if he is engaged physically and is willing to throw the body around. I think adding this to his resume is a pretty big deal and will help him immensely when he returns to Edmonton.

He has no points through two games, but is a +2 and has fired a pair of shots on net. A steady start to a VERY important year for Reinhart. He’s the most interesting Condor to me.

Rookie Performers:

Mathew Benning turned heads in training camp and made the final roster before getting sent down earlier this week. So far, Benning has proven that he can handle the pro game. He has moved the puck exceptionally well in both games for Bakersfield and even scored his first career goal last night. His stat line of 1-1-2 through a pair of games reflects just how dangerous he has been so far. I don’t think he lasts the full season in Bakersfield.

Joey Benik, who is on an AHL contract, has had a strong start as well. He tallied an empty net goal on Tuesday, then rifled one past the netminder last night. His 2-0-2 falls in line with what we saw in Penticton, a solid scorer who a dangerous shot. I think he’s got a chance to earn an entry-level deal this off-season, replacing a prospect like Mitch Moroz in the system.

Jaedon Descheneau (AHL only) has gone 0-1-1 so far, while Patrick Russell has an identical stat line. Interesting to note that these four rookie skaters are all seeing decent amounts of ice time and contributing. Are the Oilers changing the way the AHL team deploys it’s young players? Very early, but a lot of these guys are getting a push.

Next Up:

The Condors return to California and will host the Tucson Roadrunners for the first time on Saturday. That’s the lone game this weekend for the Condors, who return to action next weekend with a pair of games in San Jose.

I’m going to continue to be intrigued by Griffin Reinhart and Jujhar Khaira. Those two, along with Jordan Oesterle, are likely the top three recall options for Edmonton. Khaira and Reinhart are off to decent starts, which is good sign. The rookies are also worth watching too, as I think one or two of them could have NHL futures.

Nick Ellis is also an interesting player to watch. He started both games this week and appears to have a hold on a spot in the AHL. Pretty good start for the newcomer.