Turris clears waivers, likely for Oilers' opener
Everybody's all abuzz about who makes opening NHL rosters after training camps, but in 2015, Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse didn't make the team at the outset, spent just a few weeks in Bakersfield and never returned to the minors.
Teams make decisions today on salary-cap stuff, who can go on waivers and who doesn't have to, who the organization has invested years in after picking them high in the draft, who fits a bottom-six role better? So, the Edmonton Oilers roster should be written in golf scorecard pencil rather than Bic ballpoint.
This is the starting point, the first step, not the finish line.
For now, Kyle Turris, on waivers because of cap gymnastics, predictably cleared Monday because of his Us$2.2-million salary and $1.65-million cap hit and will likely line up on right wing with his usual camp partners, Devin Shore and Brendan Perlini, on the fourth line Wednesday against the Vancouver Canucks.
The Oilers didn't want to put their second-round 2016 draft pick, Tyler Benson, on waivers because they thought Arizona, Detroit or Seattle might take the point-a-game American Hockey League winger, so he's made the 23-man roster even though he had a lukewarm camp and will start as one of the extra forwards with Ryan Mcleod. Both were beaten out by older players and both are trying to gain the full trust of coach Dave Tippett.
The Oilers expected defenceman William Lagesson, on the roster all of last season, playing 19 games often as a partner with Adam Larsson, would clear. And Lagesson, No. 8 on the depth chart through camp, didn't get picked up even with his $725,000 salary, which is under the current league minimum $750,000.
For now, he's on injured reserve with a minor injury, but when he recovers he'll be going to Bakersfield. The 2014 fourthround pick will be the most experienced D-man on the farm, with Philip Broberg, who is on the 23-man Oilers roster in a paper move so his salary/performance bonuses help them for their longterm injury pool of money, still the organization's top prospect.
As of now, tryout winger
Colton Sceviour, who was on the third line with centre Derek Ryan and Warren Foegele, hasn't been signed. When he likely is, he'll put the Oilers over the 14-forward max, but Kassian could start the season on IR, even if he's on the roster now.
Either Kassian goes on IR or they can farm out Mcleod because he doesn't have to clear waivers, which would be some message-sending after the youngster didn't build off last season's 14 games, including four in the playoffs.
“The opening-night roster is the meaning of training camp,” Tippett. said. “If a coach tells a player that he has a chance to make the team, then the player should feel he's got a legitimate shot. We want to set it up that way. You earn a job, you get a job.
“Obviously, there's players on the opening roster, for sure, but the ones on the bubble? They have to earn it. That said, while everybody wants to play the first game, I guarantee things will change from Game 1 to Game 82.”
Last season was a sobering experience for Turris (753 NHL games), when getting scratched for every playoff game. He was better at wing in camp than last year's centre, and got some second-unit power play time.
“Kyle seems stronger, faster. He put in an unbelievable summer of training. The year before, he was caught in the middle, trying to get his family moved here,” Tippett said. “We put him in the centreman role and he struggled with it. He's a good veteran who realized he had a poor year and he wants to prolong his career and he's put the work in.”