The vibe around opening day for the Edmonton Oilers first day of training camp had a different feel to it.
And why wouldn’t it? The team is coming off its deepest post-season run in more than a decade, ending just a few goals short of a berth in the Western Conference final as the team lost out in Game 7 to the Anaheim Ducks by a 2-1 score.
With the summer helping the players get over the disappointment, the players feel confident about the start of a new season full of expectations.
“We found ways to win games and had a good team and had a good run, and that obviously helps. Everyone in the room is pretty close and we look forward to going to battle for each other,” said team captain Connor McDavid.
“We expect … to do what we did last year.”
Right wing ‘wildcard position’
What isn’t clear is how some of the new faces will fit in.
Jordan Ebele’s trade to the New York Islanders added forward Ryan Strome into the fold.
Strome knows if he can gel with McDavid and Patrick Maroon it could make for a fun start to his career with the Oilers.
“Watching these guys last year, and watching how good they were and how close they were is real exciting for me,” Strome said.
“Just by being around this group I can tell that there’s a lot of winners, a lot of leaders and I think this team’s going to have a great year.
“To be a part of it is really humbling and I’m really excited, and with that comes a great responsibility for myself and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Head coach Todd McLellan has his go-to pairings in McDavid and Maroon and Leon Draisaitl and Milan Lucic, but who will round out the top six forward grouping remains up in the air.
“Our unknown comes on the right side, especially with Slepyshev out,” McLellan said.
Anton Slepyshev recently injured his ankle.
“Strome coming in as a new player, we’ve got to see where he fits, and how he gels with different line mates,” McLellan said. “The right side in my opinion is the wildcard position on our team right now.”
Lean and mean
During the off season, Lucic focused on his fitness, knowing he needs to improve his mobility.
“It feels different going into this season than it did last season,” said a leaner Lucic but who still tips the scales near the 230-pound mark.
Lucic, who still owns a home in Manhattan Beach just south of Los Angeles, teamed up with an unlikely partner in six-time Pro Bowler Terrell Owens.
The former NFL trash talker and Oilers tough guy made for an odd partnership in the gym, but it was one Lucic says he benefited from greatly.
“He’s definitely still in good enough shape to play in the NFL,” Lucic said. “It was a pretty fun, and great workout partner to have and to learn from.”
The Edmonton Oilers start their two-a-day scrimmages at training camp on the ice 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Sunday’s training camp will be the first chance for fans to watch their team on the ice at Rogers Place.
The camp is open to the public, with entrance to Rogers Place free of charge.