And so it begins.
The lengthy street to the 2023-24 NHL post-season started in earnest Sunday with the primary of eight (severely, eight!) pre-season video games for the Edmonton Oilers.
What the Sunday afternoon showcase in opposition to the Winnipeg Jets lacked in fireworks or drama, it made up for in knocking a type of eight video games off the schedule.
A 2-1 loss within the shootout additionally give head coach Jay Woodcroft his first have a look at a number of the new gamers in camp (Drake Caggiula, Lane Pederson and Brandon Sutter up entrance), a few defenceman (Philip Broberg and Vincent Desharnais) seeking to present how a lot progress they’ve made on defence and a junior-aged rookie (Beau Akey) seeking to get his title on the market.
“There was plenty of actually good indicators,” stated Woodcroft. “Our veteran line of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evander Kane and Zach Hyman actually set the aggressive tone for the sport and we acquired actually good contributions up and down the lineup.”
Possibly the most effective shock of the night got here from Akey, Edmonton’s first decide within the 2023 draft (56th general). He adopted up his robust exhibiting on the rookie camp in Penticton with a strong outing in opposition to Winnipeg in 17:26 of ice time.
“It’s fairly cool,” stated the 18-year-old. “The primary time getting into this environment in heat ups was fairly cool. You actually understand once you’re standing there how large that rink is, how large it feels.
“It’s undoubtedly a unique mindset — you’re going from junior to actual NHL gamers. It’s undoubtedly a change of tempo. You’re considering I’ve to be good this shift as a result of I’m going in opposition to these guys now.”
Woodcroft noticed extra good shifts than unhealthy for the Barrie Colts blueliner.
“You possibly can see why he was drafted the place he was, he has poise, he’s aggressive, he made plenty of actually good performs with the puck and was unafraid of the stage,” stated Woodcroft.
“That’s an excellent signal for our crew. He’s displaying a degree of maturity that I didn’t anticipate to see. In a 1-1 hockey sport at a time of 12 months when you possibly can experiment with issues, he didn’t look misplaced. He’s proven very properly.”
Akey goes again to Junior together with his sights set on making the Canadian World Junior crew, however he’s making good on his objective of giving the coaches one thing to recollect.
“Realistically, Beau Akey is aware of he isn’t taking part in for the Edmonton Oilers in the course of October, however he needs to return in and depart an impression,” stated Woodcroft. “One of many first steps to creating the NHL is to indicate that you just belong on the identical ice floor as NHL gamers.”
On the different finish of the expertise spectrum, Sutter performed the primary sport in his comeback from two years away with lengthy COVID and has some catching as much as do, which is comprehensible. He’s the primary to confess the entire state of affairs is a shock to the system.
“It doesn’t actually settle in till you’re on the market for the primary shift,” he stated. “It felt somewhat off at first, for certain, however it was good to get the primary few shifts in. It can take a while, however all in all I’m proud of the way it went. It’s very nice to get that first one below me.
He admits it’s unusual for a 34-year-old veteran to be nervous earlier than the primary sport of the pre-season, however his is a novel state of affairs.
“I’ve by no means been jittery earlier than a pre-season sport earlier than however it was good. My youngsters had been right here, they hadn’t had an opportunity to see me play in three years they usually had been little then so that they in all probability don’t bear in mind something. It was type of a particular night time for me.”
It’s going to be a course of. First he has to get his ft again below him, then he has to begin pushing towards a spot on the crew. For him, having eight pre-season video games on the schedule is ideal.
“It’s getting comfy and taking part in once more,” he stated. “It suppose it takes three or 4 video games earlier than you are feeling such as you’re as much as par, particularly when it’s been some time. Simply taking it a day at a time.”
• Dylan Holloway acquired his season began with a punishing hit on Winnipeg’s Nikita Chibrikov 5 minutes into the primary interval. Holloway seemed good in all three zones.
• Edmonton’s energy play acquired proper to work with Zach Hyman scoring on their first alternative 14:20 into the primary interval. Regardless that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl weren’t round to assist, Evan Bouchard, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman made it look pretty routine.
• Goaltender Olivier Rodrigue had a strong begin to the pre-season. He made the entire large saves he wanted to make (stopping 25 of 26 pictures) and solely allowed a first-period breakaway to beat him earlier than the shootout.
• So far as the veterans go, Kane seems to be like he’s in a significantly better place than he was within the wake of final season’s wrist harm. He hit the put up within the third interval and got here out on the fallacious finish of a few large saves from Winnipeg goalie Collin Delia.
“It’s an harm that in all probability takes a number of years to get again to 100 per cent by way of sensitivity and feeling,” he stated. “However by way of performance I really feel nice.”