Oilers Expecting Healthy Lineup For Playoffs
A laundry list of injuries has pulled the end of the Edmonton Oilers season into disarray. The bunch of inactive Oilers is led by superstars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, who has missed the team’s last two and eight games respectively. They’re joined by a seemingly endless list of impactful Oilers on the sideline – including starting goaltender Stuart Skinner (six missed games), top-four defensemen John Klingberg (five games) and Mattias Ekholm (six games), and freshly-injured top-six centerman Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. On top of that, Edmonton has only received one game out of Trade Deadline acquisition Trent Frederic, and continues to grapple with uncertainty around Evander Kane.
But with so much to bear through, Edmonton isn’t expecting the injuries to carry into the postseason. Head coach Kris Knoblauch shared in a Wednesday press conference that he expects to get “everybody” back from injury before the end of the season. He further specified that McDavid and Draisaitl will remain out on a day-to-day basis, up to a week. That timeframe puts the pair of superstars on track to return just ahead of Edmonton’s final games of the regular season, which take place on Monday April 14th and Wednesday April 16th.
The Oilers haven’t technically clinched a playoff spot just yet – but with a six-point advantage over the rest of the Pacific Division, a locked-in spot is a matter of when not if. That will make their half-strength run through the end of the season a bit easier to withstand, though the Oilers will still be icing an unprecedented lineup on Wednesday night. They’ll be without eight routine NHL players including Kane. That equates to $42.2MM in cap space that will be left on the shelf, as shared by Jason Gregor of Sports 1440.
The decimated Oilers will move forward with rookies Noah Philp and Olivier Rodrigue respectively filling the role of fourth-line center and backup goaltender. Second-year defenseman Ty Emberson will also stick in the Oilers lineup with this news, giving him a chance to continue the search for his first goal of the season. Emberson has 10 assists in 71 games this season, while Philp has recorded two assists in the first 12 games of his NHL career this year. Rodrigue has also played in the first two games of his NHL career this season, and has 25 saves on 29 shots (0.862 save percentage) and a 0-1-0 record.
Together, the trio of young additions will look to push Edmonton past a hard-nosed St. Louis Blues team, fresh off the end of a 12-game win-streak, on Wednesday night. They’ll be rewarded with a lighter game against the San Jose Sharks on Friday, but then close the year with matchups against the top-ranked Winnipeg Jets, playoff competition Los Angeles Kings, and another match against San Jose.
Edmonton Oilers Recall Noah Philp On Emergency Basis
Following yesterday’s announcement about Trent Frederic‘s aggravation of his ankle injury, the Edmonton Oilers made an emergency recall as soon as permitted. According to a team announcement, the Oilers have recalled Noah Philp from their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
It’s not the first time Philp has been recalled this season for similar reasons. Despite spending most of the year with AHL Bakersfield, Philp has suited up in 12 games with Edmonton this season, with his last NHL contest coming in early February.
He wasn’t heavily utilized in those appearances. Philp has tallied two assists while averaging 8:40 of ice time for the Oilers, maintaining a +1 rating while playing on the fourth line. He displayed quality possession and defensive metrics, but Philp wouldn’t have been an improvement on their other options when healthy.
Still, he’s had a quality season with the Condors, scoring 15 goals and 30 points in 52 contests. That offensive output places him seventh on the team in scoring, and he remains one of the best defensive-minded forwards on the roster.
The season is even more impressive considering Philp’s 2023-24 campaign, or lack thereof. Just over two years ago, Philp retired from professional hockey, citing personal reasons. After spending a year away from the game, the Oilers quickly signed Philp to a one-year, $775K contract on the opening day of free agency.
Oilers’ Trent Frederic Re-Injures Ankle
Oilers deadline pickup Trent Frederic re-aggravated his ankle injury when making his Edmonton debut against the Kings this weekend. He’ll miss tonight’s game against the Ducks as a result, Mark Spector of Sportsnet reports. The team’s Tony Brar adds Frederic is expected back when the playoffs begin later this month.
Injuries are piling up for the Oilers, who will remain without Leon Draisaitl, Mattias Ekholm, John Klingberg, Connor McDavid, and Stuart Skinner tonight as well. That doesn’t leave them with enough cap space for a call-up from AHL Bakersfield to replace Frederic in the lineup. Since they only have 17 healthy skaters without him, they’ll be down a player for tonight’s game before being able to use a $0 emergency exception to add a 12th forward from the AHL for their next game Wednesday against the Blues.
Frederic skated just 7:10 in his debut, recording two shots on goal and a minus-two rating in a 3-0 loss. The Oilers surrendered forward prospect Shane Lachance, young defenseman Maximus Wanner, and a second-round and fourth-round pick to acquire him from the Bruins in a three-team deal with the Devils the week before the trade deadline.
The Oilers hoped Frederic, a pending unrestricted free agent, could add some tertiary scoring and, more importantly, physicality to their bottom six in the postseason. That’s still tracking to be the case, but he’s not going to have the adjustment period from one of the league’s worst offensive systems in Boston to one of the best in Edmonton that either side hoped for. He’s posted 8-7–15 in 58 showings this year with 29 blocks and 157 hits. That’s a far cry from the career-best 40 points he recorded with the Bruins last year, but the Oilers hope he can rediscover that production in a more scoring-friendly environment.
While dealing with so many short-term injuries is always a difficult situation to juggle, it comes at a rather inconsequential time for Edmonton. They’re a win away and a Flames loss from clinching a playoff berth, and realistically, they stand very little chance of moving up or falling down from third place in the Pacific Division. They have an eight-point lead on Calgary with six games remaining and trail the Kings by four.
Oilers Notes: Carfagna, Clattenburg, Rodrigue
Sunday has been a busy day for the Edmonton Oilers’ AHL ranks. It was kicked off when the Bakersfield Condors announced that they’ve signed college free agent Damien Carfagna to an amateur try-out for the remainder of the season. Carfagna will turn pro after wrapping up his junior year of school at The Ohio State University. He was first draft eligible in 2021, during his time with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL.
Carfagna was a high-impact defender in juniors on the back of strong play on both blue lines. He began his final year in the USHL – the 2021-22 campaign – with a strong 37 points in 40 games with the Green Bay Gamblers, then joined the eventual championship-winning Sioux City Musketeers via trade and contributed an additional 13 points in 31 games. Carfagna moved to the University of New Hampshire in the following year, and managed a stout 16 points in 35 games as a freshman. He moved to Ohio State for his sophomore season, and saw a dip to just six points in 34 games in his first year as a Buckeye. But Carfagna straightened that out this season, finishing the year with 28 points, six penalty minutes, and a plus-16 in 38 games.
He’ll now look to maintain his strong footing into the pro ranks. Carfagna is likely to serve as a depth option, rotating in-and-out of the lineup, through Bakersfield’s final seven games of the season.
Other notes out of Edmonton:
- Joining Carfagna on the Bakersfield blue-line will be Connor Clattenburg, who the Oilers have reassigned to the AHL after the end of his OHL season. Clattenburg has spent the last two seasons with the Flint Firebirds and totaled 35 points, 108 penalty minutes, and a plus-two in 46 games this season. His OHL career – which was split between tenures with the Firebirds and Soo Greyhounds – ends with 74 points in 162 career games. Edmonton drafted Clattenburg in the fifth-round of the 2024 NHL Draft – drawn in by the hard-hitting style of the six-foot-two, 205-pound centerman. Clattenburg will also serve a depth role through Bakersfield’s remaining season.
- Longtime Bakersfield goaltender Olivier Rodrigue is expected to receive his first career NHL start on Monday night per Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. Rodrigue made his NHL debut in relief of Calvin Pickard on March 27th, after the latter allowed five goals on 29 shots. Rodrigue went on to allow one more goal on eight shots. Pickard has allowed 13 goals and platooned starter Stuart Skinner has allowed 15 in their last five games respectively. With that precedent, and a playoff spot all but guaranteed, Edmonton will look for a spark with their AHL starter. Rodrigue has set a 18-15-7 record and .899 save percentage in 40 AHL games this season. He posted a .916 in 37 games, and a .912 in 29 games, in the last two seasons respectively.
Oilers Sign Goalie Nathaniel Day To Entry-Level Deal
The Edmonton Oilers have signed goaltending prospect Nathaniel Day to a three-year, entry-level contract, per a team release. Day was the organization’s sixth round selection in the 2023 draft.
Day was named the OHL Flint Firebird’s 2024-25 team MVP after leading the league in games and minutes played by a goalie. In 59 games, Day recorded a less-than-stellar 26-25-2-3 record and an .894 save percentage but also faced the fourth-most shots in the OHL. He recorded his first three professional shutouts this season, added a .902 save percentage in five playoff games, and was named the OHL’s Goaltender of the Week on three separate occasions.
The Burlington, Ontario native sits at 6’4, 205 pounds and possesses the size coveted by today’s NHL teams. And while only 20-years-old, the 2024-25 campaign marked the fourth season Day has appeared exclusively for the Firebirds. All told, he has appeared in 153 regular season games for Flint and an additional 17 playoff contests. Last fall, he also participated in the 2024 Young Stars Classic representing the Oilers and also made his NHL preseason debut.
Day is among a list of goaltending prospects in the Oilers’ organization, including 2022 fifth round selection Samuel Jonsson, 2018 second round pick Olivier Rodrigue, and current ECHL goalie Connor Ungar. Then there is also Brett Brochu, who recently earned a call-up to AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and has performed admirably, recording a .937 save percentage through three starts. In 35 games in the ECHL this season, Brochu, 22, has recorded a .924 save percentage to go with his 20-10-4 record. He has worked his way up the ranks, showcasing solid stats throughout the PJCHL, OHL, ECHL, and now AHL. Rodrigue was recently recalled to Edmonton to provide support during Stuart Skinner‘s injury absence.
Trent Frederic Makes Oilers Debut
Edmonton Oilers’ forward Trent Frederic was activated from the injured reserve list today and is in the lineup for their game against the Los Angeles Kings. Team TV host Tony Brar said yesterday there was a slight chance for a return for Frederic today, who has been out since Feb. 27 with a lower-body injury. Today marks his first action in an Oilers jersey since being traded on March 4 from the Boston Bruins as in a three-team deal.
Frederic is set to hit free agency following the season but should prove to be a strong resource for the Oilers heading into the playoffs. The 27-year-old has appeared in 22 playoff contests in his career, including 13 games last season in Boston.
Draisaitl Out Day-To-Day, Frederic Could Debut
The Edmonton Oilers will again be without star forward Leon Draisaitl in their lineup. According to team TV host Tony Brar, Draisaitl has sustained a minor lower-body injury, although it’s unrelated to his previous ailment.
Draisaitl had recently missed four consecutive games for Edmonton with an undisclosed injury. Upon his return on April 1st, the 11-year veteran tallied one goal and one assist against the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks. Thankfully for the Oilers, there’s no concern that Draisaitl’s recent string of injuries will impact his availability for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Oilers Sign David Tomasek To One-Year Deal
The Oilers announced they’ve signed free agent center David Tomasek to a one-year contract for 2025-26 worth $1.2MM. The 29-year-old is expected to end up on Edmonton’s opening night roster next fall.
Tomasek, a 6’2″, 187-lb center, lands his first NHL contract after spending the last 10 seasons in top-level professional leagues across Europe. The Prague native can play both down the middle and at right wing.
While he’s long been an effective scoring presence overseas, 2024-25 saw Tomasek reach new heights. After leading the Swedish Hockey League in goals last year, he took home the overall scoring title by posting 24-33–57 in 47 games for Färjestad BK. He managed only two assists in six playoff games as his club was upset by Skellefteå AIK in the quarterfinals of the SHL playoffs, though, ending his season Monday.
A well-rounded offensive talent and heavy power-play contributor overseas, Tomasek has experience in four of the best leagues in Europe – the SHL, Czech Extraliga, Finland’s Liiga, and the Kontinental Hockey League. He was at his peak in Sweden with Färjestad, though, posting 49-53–102 in 99 games for the club over the last two seasons. Hitting the point-per-game mark in the SHL is no easy feat – only three qualified players did it this season, the most since eight did it in 2021-22. Tomasek’s 1.21 points per game cleared Penguins prospect Filip Hallander‘s 1.04 by a significant margin for first place.
Tomasek’s professional career has also involved stints with HC Dynamo Pardubice, JYP, HC Sparta Prague, and Amur Khabarovsk. He’s clicked around a 0.60 points-per-game pace with those clubs before joining Färjestad.
While it’s Tomasek’s first NHL deal, it’s not his first time playing in North America. He played his youth hockey in Michigan before playing a pair of major junior seasons with the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League in 2013-14 and 2014-15, recording 26-32–58 in 119 games there while going undrafted by an NHL club.
Tomasek becomes the 11th forward Edmonton has on a one-way deal next season. They have no pending RFAs up front on the NHL roster, although minor-league names like top prospect Matthew Savoie should be considered likely to make a push for an opening-night job. That, along with what should be limited cap space after working out a new deal for star RFA defenseman Evan Bouchard, means the Oilers won’t be very active up front on the NHL free agent market this summer. A couple of cap-clearing trades could make things easier – veterans Viktor Arvidsson and Evander Kane are some candidates there – but it’s clear Edmonton’s priority lies with acquiring low-cost talent to help fill out their depth lines next year. The Oilers also signed German center Josh Samanski to an entry-level deal earlier today, but he’s likely ticketed for AHL Bakersfield out of the gate.
Oilers Sign Josh Samanski To Entry-Level Deal
The Oilers are the first team to make a foray into this year’s European free-agent market. They announced they’d signed 23-year-old forward Josh Samanski to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning next year. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Samanski crosses the pond for the second time in his playing career. The German forward previously played junior hockey in Canada, suiting up for the Junior ‘A’ Brantford 99ers in 2018-19 before spending 2019-20 with the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League. After completing his junior career when the pandemic hit in 2020, he took his talents back home.
The 2020-21 season saw him make his professional debut with the Ravensburg Towerstars of the DEL2, Germany’s second-tier pro league. He notched 22 points in 41 games for the club while also representing his country at the World Juniors, something he’d also do as an alternate captain in 2022.
That was Samanski’s last meaningful stint outside of a top-flight professional league. He cracked the Straubing Tigers’ roster the following season to play in the high-level DEL and has remained with the team ever since. The 6’5″, 190-lb center/left-winger has steadily upped his point totals over his quartet of campaigns in Straubing, culminating with a breakout 14-goal, 40-point campaign in 52 appearances this season.
He’ll now join an NHL training camp for the first time in Edmonton next fall. He’ll try to crack the roster as a cheap depth scoring option but could be destined for AHL Bakersfield instead. It’s unclear if his deal has a European assignment clause, which may force the Oilers to loan Samanski back to Germany after a certain amount of time if he’s not on the NHL roster. His contract with Straubing expired after this season, though. He’ll be a restricted free agent when his ELC expires in 2027.
Oilers Sign Damien Carfagna To Two-Year Contract
Apr. 1: PuckPedia shared the terms of Carfagna’s two-year entry-level contract with the Oilers earlier today. He’ll earn a salary of $775K at the NHL level and $85K at the AHL level. Additionally, Carfagna will receive an $87.5K signing bonus for each year of the deal and have access to $12.5K in performance bonuses for an unspecified number of games played. After including his signing bonus, Carfagna’s cap hit rises to $862.5K each year of the contract.
Mar. 31: The Edmonton Oilers have joined in on the race for college free agents. The team announced they’ve signed junior-year defenseman Damien Carfagna from The Ohio State University. Carfagna has agreed to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2025-26 season. There has so far been no indication on if he will join the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors through the end of the season.
Carfagna becomes yet another undrafted college free agent to earn a pro deal. He just wrapped up a fantastic season with the Ohio State Buckeyes, ranking second in scoring on the team’s blue-line with seven goals and 28 points in 38 games. Carfagna transferred to OSU ahead of the 2023-24 season, after spending his freshman year at the University of New Hampshire. He posted a modest 16 points, two penalty minutes, and minus-15 in 35 games with UNH, then fell to just six points in 34 games with Ohio State last year. At a glance, it seemed Carfagna’s search for a bigger role at a bigger school had flunked – as he fell from UNH’s second pair to Ohio State’s third pair. But he regained plenty of ground this season, and had his feet planted on Ohio State’s top pairing by the end of the season.
Carfagna is a stout five-foot-11, 170-pound defenseman who excels at making plays over both blue-lines. He’s strong on the puck and has grown substantially in his ability to play through contact – though he’s still working on his ability to clear out the danger areas of the ice. His ascension to OSU’s top role was built on a stellar ability to move the puck, and his great stylistic compliment to fellow nimble puck-mover Aiden Hansen-Bukata. Carfagna will likely need a hardy runway to translate his smart plays and responsible positioning to the pro flight, but his ability to support the breakout and join the rush should soon stand out.