The Edmonton Oilers get their 2022-23 NHL season underway on Wednesday night when the Vancouver Canucks visit Rogers Place.
You can watch the game on Sportsnet and listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630CHED, at 8:00pm MT. ]
Subscribe to Oilers+ to unlock the Live Pre-Game Show that begins at 10:45am MT along with more exclusive live and behind-the-scenes content.
Read the Preview below then check back later in the afternoon for the Pre-Game Report.
Video: THE PANEL | 22-23 Season Preview
News and notes from Oilers practice at Rogers Place on Tuesday where the players put in their final preparations for the start of the 2022-23 NHL campaign.
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EDMONTON, AB – Check back later in the afternoon following media avails for the Pre-Game Report.
— Michael Arcuri, EdmontonOilers.com
OILERS vs. CANUCKS
STREAM: 8:00 p.m. MT; televised on Sportsnet
Oilers Team Scope
The Edmonton Oilers begin their regular season at Rogers Place on Wednesday night with the first game of a six-game homestand following a three-week training camp and eight-game exhibition schedule.
“It’s been a great camp,” goaltender Jack Campbell said. “I think we’ve worked on a lot of great things and I’m just excited to go out there with the guys and compete for real in the regular season. We’re ready to get it going.”
An extended camp and preseason may have felt like forever, but it gave veterans like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse ample time to find their stride for the upcoming year while providing some younger standouts, like Dylan Holloway, the chance to impress and earn his place in the Oilers opening day roster.
During their pre-season meeting back on Oct. 3 in Edmonton, Holloway impressed with a hat trick and Campbell made 28 saves in a 7-2 victory.
Head Coach Jay Woodcroft built on the foundation he helped establish with Dave Manson and the rest of his coaching staff during his first training camp as a head coach since arriving in Edmonton from Bakersfield in mid-February, and there’s a strong feeling of cohesiveness in the Oilers locker room heading into a season with high expectations.
Video: RAW | Jay Woodcroft 10.11.22
“From a team side of things, those eight games that we played in the preseason allowed us as a coaching staff to monitor where the team game was at; how some of the things that we wanted to be implemented were looking in live-fire game action against another team,” Woodcroft said.
“We’re pleased with the amount of work that was put in. We thought we got a lot of things done and we’ve worked hard to prepare for the test, but the race begins in earnest (Wednesday) when we begin our NHL regular season.”
Forwards Warren Foegele and Kailer Yamaoto will be game-time decisions and Campbell is slated to make his official Oilers debut after signing a five-year contract in the offseason with Edmonton and taking the last month to adjust to his new surroundings, teammates and organization.
“I just feel great. We’ve really gelled on the ice, off the ice, and it’s just a fun group to compete with and hang out with,” Campbell added. “I think it’s been a smooth transition and tomorrow we’re playing in front of our home fans. It’s just really exciting and we want to get off to a strong start. We had a great camp and now it’s the fun time. We get to go battle.”
Canucks Team Scope
The Vancouver Canucks look to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since reaching the Western Conference Finals in the bubble back in 2020 after finishing five points out of the postseason in 2021-22.
Forward Elias Pettersson hopes to start the year better off than the previous campaign after being limited to three goals and seven assists in his first 22 games. He’ll centre the second line with Swedish countryman Nils Hoglander and NHL newcomer Andrei Kuzmenko, who looks to follow in the footsteps of Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov and St. Louis’ Vladimir Tarasenko in recent seasons as Russians who experienced immediate success in the NHL after making the jump from the Kontinental Hockey League, where he had 20 goals and 53 points in 45 games for SKA St. Petersburg.
Video: RAW | Jack Campbell 10.11.22
Thatcher Demko returns to lead the Canucks betwen the pipes in the second year of a five-year deal worth an AAV of $5 million. The American netminder suited up in 64 games for the Canucks last season and is expected to carry a heavy workload again this campaign in front of backup Spencer Martin.
After having hand surgery in late September and being expected to miss three-to-four weeks, Brock Boeser is ahead of schedule on his recovery and pencilled in on the top line with J.T. Miller and Tanner Pearson. Boeser recorded his fourth 20-plus goal season in 2021-22 and has at least 45 points in five straight seasons.
By The Numbers
Wednesday’s game will mark Edmonton’s first of four games against Vancouver this season and the first of two at home… The next time these teams will meet is December 23 in Edmonton… The last time these teams met was on April 29 in Edmonton, with the Oilers winning 3-2 in a shootout… Tyson Barrie and Brett Kulak scored for the Oilers, while Devin Shore shored the shootout deciding goal… Connor McDavid leads the team with 54 career points (17G, 37A) against Vancouver and has a team leading 37 assists against the Canucks… McDavid is tied with Leon Draisaitl with a team high 17 goals against the Canucks…
Edmonton Ranks seventh in the NHL for highest points percentage in season openers with at least 10 games played (.595)… The 2022-23 campaign marks the fourth consecutive season in which Edmonton and Vancouver will meet in each club’s first game of the season… The Oilers hold a 2-1-0 advantage…
Video: RAW | Connor McDavid 10.11.22
The 2021-22 campaign saw McDavid lead the League in points (44G, 79A in 80GP) for the second straight season, giving him the opportunity to become the first player to win three consecutive Art Ross trophies since Jaromir Jagr (1997-98 – 2000-01)… A 100-point campaign in 2022-23 would mark McDavid’s sixth, tying him with Sidney Crosby for the most among active players and trailing only Wayne Gretzky (15x), Mario Lemieux (10x), Marcel Dionne (8x), Peter Stastny (7x) and Mike Bossy (7x) atop the all-time list…
Injury Report
OILERS – Tyler Benson (F), Vincent Desharnais (D), Oscar Klefbom (D), Raphael Lavoie (F), Carter Savoie (F), Mike Smith (G)
CANUCKS – Travis Dermott (D), Ilya Mikheyev (F), Tyler Myers (D)
— Jamie Umbach, EdmontonOilers.com
This news is republished from another source. You can check the original article here