Oilers assign three to Bakersfield

We knew the roster would be trimmed down again this morning, and while the three names aren’t all that surprising, it’s maybe the players that DIDN’T get sent down that may raise some eyebrows. The Oilers assigned D Dillon Simpson, D Jordan Oesterle and G Laurent Brossoit to Bakersfield this morning.

Dillon Simpson actually really impressed me last night. He seems to have a no-panic calm to his game and he can move the puck. I expect to see him get some NHL time this year on a recall basis. Next year he should be able to win a spot. Simpson has developed at a slow pace, but that was the plan all along for him. Using the Detroit model again with this player.

Jordan Oesterle being cut is a bit of a head scratcher. I’ll be the first to tell you I’d take him over Eric Gryba or Griffin Reinhart any time. Oesterle played well last season in his audition, but it’s likely that he’ll get top-pairing minutes in the AHL (cough, with Griffin Reinhart) and that will make him a better player than playing the 7th dman role. It seems as if Matt Benning is the real reason why Oesterle goes to California today.

While Jonas Gustavsson hasn’t done anything to warrant winning the backup job, Laurent Brossoit’s demotion is likely because he will play more games in the AHL. Kris Hansen discussed Brossoit’s future in Episode Two of The Oilers Rig podcast during the Rapid Fire segment that Brossoit is in the backup role by January. Let’s hope he plays lights out in Bakersfield until then.

WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN CUT?

Griffin Reinhart.

Now I’m not being blunt because I spite the player, but because he simply has not had a very good camp. I still believe there is hope for the player we acquired for the pick that became Mathew Barzal, but it is getting down to the wire. Reinhart struggles to move the puck and he hasn’t improved his skating as much as he needs to.

Eric Gryba.

I was an advocate for Gryba resigning last season, but I must say he’s not the type of player we need this year. We have enough Gryba’s. We have Fayne’s, Nurse’s, and Reinhart’s. We should only have two of those guys at most. We need puck-movers and Gryba is not that at all. Mike Johnson was on Bob Stauffer’s show and he warned that if the Oilers need to bring back Gryba they should be concerned. I really respect Mike Johnson so his input is something I take very seriously.

ADD ANOTHER ONE TO THE INJURY TRAIN

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Oilers will start the season with another player on the IR. Matt Hendricks was injured in last night’s game against the Anaheim Ducks and Todd McLellan said it’s not a matter of days, but weeks instead.

With Pakarinen and Hendricks beginning the year on the injured reserve, it’s almost all but guaranteed that Tyler Pitlick and Anton Slepyshev make the team.

REMAINING ROSTER

Goalies (2): Cam Talbot, Jonas Gustavsson

Defense (10): Andrej Sekera, Mark Fayne, Adam Larsson, Griffin Reinhart, Andrew Ference (LTIR), Darnell Nurse, Eric Gryba, Oscar Klefbom, Matthew Benning, Brandon Davidson

Forwards (18): Nail Yakupov, Kris Versteeg, Jordan Eberle, Tyler Pitlick, Patrick Maroon, Matt Hendricks (IR), Iiro Pakarinen (IR), Milan Lucic, Leon Draisaitl, Drake Caggiula, Jesse Puljujarvi, Anton Slepyshev, Zack Kassian, Anton Lander, Mark Letestu, Benoit Pouliot, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor McDavid

With Ference on the LTIR, the Oilers are down to 9 defensemen, meaning it’s likely two more get cut. You know my take; cut Reinhart, release Gryba, Benning stays. I mentioned that on Monday’s podcast.

With Hendricks and Pakarinen on the IR, the Oilers are down to 16 forwards, so two more must be cut. I think it’s best for Jesse Puljujarvi to start in Bakersfield and I haven’t seen enough out of Anton Lander. Slepyshev, Pitlick and Caggiula make the club.

Two more preseason games to go!