Oilers will need some road wins early on
If Edmonton Oilers want a quick start to making the playoffs for only the second time since 2006, they’ll have to win some games on the road.
The Oilers open at home with games against Vancouver Canucks Oct. 2 and Los Angeles Oct. 5, but have nine of their next 13 away from Rogers Place, including a four-game trip to play the Islanders, Devils, Rangers and Blackhawks, a three-game trek to Detroit, Columbus and Pittsburgh and two road games in Minnesota and Winnipeg. Interesting home dates:
■ Nov. 6, Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues;
■ Dec. 14, Toronto and Auston Matthews;
■ Dec. 20, Montreal;
■ Dec. 21, Pittsburgh and Sidney Crosby;
■ Dec. 31, New York Rangers;
■ Feb. 19, Stanley Cup finalist Boston Bruins.
In a quirk, the Oilers don’t play their main rival Calgary until Dec. 27 here, the first of five games with the Flames (three in Calgary, two at Rogers Place). The Oilers play six of their last seven at home if they’re chasing a playoff spot, finishing the season in Calgary on April 4.
The Oilers have nine back-toback games this season and nine afternoon games, three at Rogers Place (Florida Panthers Oct. 27, Dallas Stars Nov. 16 and Coyotes Jan. 18).
They have a 10-day break in January because of the mandated break for all teams, plus the All-Star Game.
Predictably the Oilers qualified wingers Jesse Puljujarvi and Jujhar Khaira Tuesday to keep their rights, but didn’t send out QO’s to Ty Rattie and Tobias Rieder, so they’ll be unrestricted freeagents July 1. Rieder could end up in Germany unless another NHL team wants to sign him for a bargain-basement price ($1 million). Rattie had a terrific camp last fall (seven goals), but it didn’t translate to the regular season, where he had four goals and 11 points in 50 games. The Oilers are also letting farmhands Colin Larkin and Tyler Vesel go to UFA status.
The Oilers still have Corey Perry in the back of their minds as a free-agent signing. The question is can Perry play a whole season at 34, coming off a major knee problem which limited him to 31 games in Anaheim? They believe there’s still lots of fight in this junkyard dog winger, who loves being on the ice. Will his body hold up for most of a season if signed?