Oilers Activate, Assign Connor Clattenburg
The Edmonton Oilers have activated defenseman Connor Clattenburg off of long-term injured reserve. He has missed the last 11 games after sustaining an eye injury in Edmonton’s December 4th win over the Seattle Kraken. Now, he’ll return to action in the minor-leagues where he has spent the bulk of the season.
Clattenburg is in his first pro season after making his AHL debut at the end of last season. He recorded two points and 59 penalty minutes in 15 games with the Bakersfield Condors to start the season. 41 of those penalty minutes came in just two games in which Clattenburg had three fights. That start tot he year was enough to earn Clattenburg the first NHL call-up of his career in late November.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound bruiser made a quick impact at the bottom of Edmonton’s lineup. He scored his first NHL goal in his second game and has racked up 13 penalty minutes in his first five games. His first NHL fight game in his third game against Seattle forward Frederick Gaudreau and only lasted a few punches.
Clattenburg took on his enforcer style over three years in the OHL. He racked up 115 penalty minutes in 56 games as an OHL rookie in 2022-23. That was, at the time, the most of any OHL rookie since Ty Bilcke recorded 221 PIMs in the 2011-12 season. Clattenburg finished his junior career with 74 points and 302 penalty minutes in 162 games. He will bring that grit back to Bakersfield lineup and could earn a return to the NHL with continued physical play.
Oilers Activate Jack Roslovic, Reassign Quinn Hutson
The Edmonton Oilers will have a bit more oomph in the lineup in Sunday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Edmonton has activated winger Jack Roslovic off of long-term injured reserve after he missed just under a month of action due to an undisclosed injury. In corresponding moves, the Oilers have also moved Connor Clattenburg from injured reserve to LTIR, and reassigned rookie winger Quinn Hutson to the AHL.
Roslovic was a big piece of the Oilers’ lineup before going down with injury. He was filling a goal-scorer’s role next to Leon Draisaitl on Edmonton’s best line by goal-differential. Roslovic has three goals in his last five games and 10 goals and 18 points in 23 games on the full season. He has also recorded an 18.9 shooting percentage, far above his career average of 12.8. That likely spells some scoring struggles as he returns from injury – but the well-rounded Roslovic should still be able to provide a strong utility-knife role.
His return will bump the rookie Hutson out of the NHL for the time being. Hutson scored his first NHL goal in Friday’s win over the Boston Bruins. It is the only point he has managed in five career NHL games – but he’s proven to be a reliable source of offense in the minors. The first-year pro leads the Bakersfield Condors with 16 goals and 28 points in 24 games this season. He also has a plus-four, third-highest on the team behind Isaac Howard and James Hamblin. Hutson’s hot scoring and continued adjustments to pro hockey should make him a top call-up option for Edmonton through the rest of the season.
Roslovic’s addition to the lineup comes at a great time for the Oilers. They have posted a 4-1 record in their last five games and a 6-2-1 record through nine games in December. They’ve managede a 38-to-24 goal differential in that span, largely on the back of surging play from superstars Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Roslovic will help Edmonton elevate those stars even further as they head into important games against Western Conference opponents. Edmonton has six games remaining in December.
Oilers Recall Max Jones, Place Clattenburg, Roslovic On IR, Walman To LTIR
Earlier today the Edmonton Oilers announced that Max Jones has been recalled from AHL Bakersfield, while fellow forwards Connor Clattenburg and Jack Roslovic have been placed on injured reserve. Finally, as was speculated yesterday, defenseman Jake Walman has landed on long-term injured reserve. The moves come in advance of tonight’s game versus Detroit.
Jones, a familiar face to Anaheim fans, was a first round pick by the Ducks in 2016. Now 27, he was once a potential top-six power forward, but was never able to pan out. Now an AHLer, Jones has a career high of 19 points at the NHL level, in 284 games so far. Injuries were a huge factor in his stunted development, especially as the Michigan native suffered a torn pectoral in 2021, which was a crucial year to prove himself in Anaheim.
After a stop in Boston, Jones made his way to Edmonton as an add-in from the Trent Frederic trade. He skated in 19 games as an Oiler last season, but has spent all of 2025-26 in the AHL so far. Jones has just seven points in 17 games with the Condors, but with 49 penalty minutes, he is trying to lean more into a grinder role at this point.
Edmonton has brought in other former first rounders who have been solid role players, such as Kasperi Kapanen and Vasily Podkolzin, and Jones may have an opportunity with the team’s numerous injuries, although he is not expected to play tonight.
Roslovic got off to a dynamite start to his Oilers tenure with 18 points in 23 games, prior to going down in late November. He is listed as week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, and may have his sights on a return by the New Year.
Clattenburg, just 20, brought needed energy in his first five NHL games. He has missed the team’s last two contests after an apparent eye injury. With just two points in the AHL this season, the winger brings limited skill, but at 6’2” he could be an eventual fixture on the Oilers’ fourth line, proving to be a nice find in the fifth round of the 2024 draft.
The headline of long-term injured reserve for Walman may cause concern, but the main motivation for such a designation is likely salary cap motivated. With his $3.4MM off the books for now, Edmonton can finally carry a full roster as they soon head off for a five-game road trip. The defenseman has dealt with multiple injuries after inking a seven-year extension at the start of the season. As he has already missed the last seven, Walman only has to miss three more games to meet the LTIR requirements. Similar to Roslovic, his ailment is also unknown, but a return before January would be a surprise.
Currently holding the second Wild Card spot, Edmonton is thankful to have most of their marquee talent healthy, however, their depth will be put to the test, a common theme throughout much of the McDavid/Draisaitl era in which the team has had a top-heavy construction. Their road trip ahead could be a turning point if the team can return to their true potential, and push for another deep run in the spring.
Oilers Recall Connor Clattenburg, Place Noah Philp On LTIR
The Oilers have made a pair of roster moves in advance of their game on Saturday against Florida. The team announced that they have recalled forward Connor Clattenburg from AHL Bakersfield. To create enough cap space to be able to afford the recall, forward Noah Philp has been placed on LTIR.
Clattenburg was a fifth-round pick back in the 2024 draft, going 160th overall in his second year of eligibility. The 20-year-old had 16 goals and 19 assists along with 108 penalty minutes in 46 games last season with OHL Flint before making his professional debut with one late-season game with Bakersfield.
This is Clattenburg’s first full professional season, one spent exclusively with the Condors to this point. His offensive production has been rather limited thus far with just one goal and one assist in 15 games although his 59 penalty minutes are the fourth-highest in the league. If he gets into Edmonton’s lineup, it’s likely that he’ll be suiting up on the fourth line.
As for Philp, he suffered an upper-body injury earlier this week and while the initial diagnosis was that he’d miss at least the next three games, he’ll be out considerably longer with this move as LTIR carries a minimum absence of 10 games and 24 days. The 27-year-old is in his first full NHL season and has primarily played on the fourth line with the Oilers; he has two goals and an assist in 15 appearances while averaging 10:02 per night.
Transaction Notes: Oilers, Ducks, Senators
As the preseason winds down and rosters take form, several teams have recalled players, having already cleared waivers, who are set to fill out NHL rosters before (most likely) being reassigned to their respective AHL clubs.
The Edmonton Oilers announced today that they recalled forwards Viljami Marjala, James Hamblin, and Connor Clattenburg from AHL Bakersfield in advance of tonight’s preseason tilt in Seattle.
Hamblin, an undrafted Edmonton native, proudly has 41 games under his belt for the Oil, but is expected to return to Bakersfield and continue to lead the Condors, in his sixth season with the team.
Other transactional notes from today:
- The Anaheim Ducks recalled Nathan Gaucher, Yegor Sidorov, and Calle Clang from AHL San Diego, per their announcement this afternoon. Gaucher, Anaheim’s first round choice in 2022 (22nd overall) headlines the group, likely looking to finally break out in the AHL this season, boasting an impressive frame at 6’3”. Clang, a goaltender, is likely back due to starter Lukáš Dostál’s injury.
- The Ottawa Senators updated today that they recalled a handful of players: Tyler Boucher, Hunter Shepard, Jorian Donovan, Oskar Pettersson, Xavier Bourgault, Tomas Hamara, Keean Washkurak, and Scott Harrington. Boucher and Bourgault are well known as former first round picks in 2021, who both face uphill battles to reach the NHL at this point in their careers. Harrington, a 32-year-old defenseman with 255 NHL games under his belt, recently joined the Belleville Senators on a PTO, having started camp on a tryout with Nashville, before being released.
Although none of the players are expected to remain with their NHL clubs by season’s start, it stands a chance for them to make an impression, and for fans to get to see some former notable prospects skate at the highest level.
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 Connor Clattenburg To Entry-Level Deal
Oilers left wing prospect Connor Clattenburg has put pen to paper on a three-year entry-level contract, his agent, Gold Star Hockey’s Dan Milstein, relayed today. The contract carries an $855K cap hit and will pay him $775K in the NHL and $82.5K in the minors, with an $80K signing bonus each season, per PuckPedia.
The Oilers just picked up Clattenburg, who stands at 6’2″ and 205 lbs, in the fifth round of this year’s draft. The 19-year-old had been passed over in the 2023 draft, but after posting 13 goals, 16 assists and 29 points in 60 Ontario Hockey League games split between the Soo Greyhounds and Flint Firebirds last season, he generated interest from Edmonton.
A bang-and-crash winger in the truest sense of the description, Clattenburg has improved his game offensively this season with 10 goals and 18 points in 22 games with Flint. He serves as the Firebirds’ captain and leads the team with 57 PIMs.
Clattenburg won’t play in the NHL this season and will remain on loan to Flint, so his freshly-signed ELC will slide to the 2025-26 campaign and expire in the summer of 2028. His $80K signing bonus for this season will be paid out regardless, though, lowering his cap hit slightly when his deal does go into effect.
He didn’t check in as a top-15 prospect in the Edmonton system in McKeen’s Hockey’s preseason ranking, nor did he crack the top-20 in Allan Mitchell of The Athletic’s offseason look at the Oilers’ prospects. His ceiling is that of a fourth-line piece, although a fringe recall option is a far more likely projection. Clattenburg will be eligible to suit up for AHL Bakersfield next season or return to the OHL for an overage campaign.