Edmonton Oilers first-round pick Sam O’Reilly will get a huge opportunity to showcase his talents on the second line tonight in pre-season action against the Seattle Kraken. The 18-year-old forward will skate alongside veteran Corey Perry and Vasily Podkolzin, a clear sign that the team wants to see how he handles top-six minutes before making final roster decisions. This is the second game that the Oilers have placed O’Reilly with seasoned NHLers, and it’s likely the last. Unless O’Reilly stuns with a magnificent game (even if he does), it will probably be his last appearance before being sent back to junior. This will be O’Reilly’s fourth preseason game, and head coach Kris Knoblauch has praised the young forward for his steady improvement throughout camp. “His level has gotten higher. Usually, guys fade, especially younger players, but he has not faded. He’s just continued to grow,” Knoblauch noted. The Oilers originally targeted O’Reilly in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, trading up to snag him at 32nd overall. He has played smart, hard hockey and has been committed to learning from veterans. He’ll play with the most veteran player on the team in Perry on Saturday night.
Despite his strong performance, this could be O’Reilly’s last game with the big club this summer. With the Oilers’ roster starting to take shape, it’s likely the team will send him down after tonight’s matchup to continue developing his game. That’s the smart play considering the depth Edmonton has on the roster and O’Reilly’s age. Even if O’Reilly doesn’t crack the lineup this season, the future looks bright for the promising young forward. The Oilers have been impressed with O’Reilly and the team has given him a ton of looks to see what they traded for when they made a move at the draft with the Philadelphia Flyers. It appears to have been smart to give away next year’s pick to land this young center. He’s got a lot to learn, but the ceiling appears high. Ironically, it was another O’Reilly in Ryan, who made the Colorado Avalanche at the age of 18 in 2009. These two have said to be similar style players.
The Line-Up: Oilers vs. Kraken
As per the Oilers’ official team site, the expected lines for tonight’s pre-season meeting with the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Place.
Forwards
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Connor McDavid – Zach Hyman
Vasily Podkolzin – Sam O’Reilly – Corey Perry
Raphael Lavoie – Derek Ryan – Mike Hoffman
Lane Pederson – Noah Philp – Matt Savoie
Defence
Mattias Ekholm – Evan Bouchard
Travis Dermott – Troy Stecher
Ben Gleason – Philip Kemp
Goalies
Calvin Pickard
Olivier Rodrigue
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