The Edmonton Oilers concluded their preseason schedule with a 4-2-2 record 3-2 Losses in the extension To the Vancouver Canucks in Rogers Arena on Friday (October 3).
In general, this was a fairly solid preseason for the oilers. Although the team may not look so prepared for the regular season if some fans prefer, the game of Edmonton’s prospects about these eight games gave reason for excitement in the oil country.
Of the veterans who were in the mid -season to the aspiring -nhlers who made a huge impression, here are the top five players of Edmonton of the 2025 preseason.
Kasperi Kapanen
After playing his best hockey like an oil in the last part of the Stanley Cup -Play -offs from 2025, Veteran -attacker Kasperi Kapanen seems to have worn that momentum through the summer.
Kapanen arranged at or near the top of many statistical categories for the oilers This preseason, binding for the team leader with three goals, binding for the second with 10 shots and at the front with 20 punishment minutes. He showed crowds and intensity from the opening of the Edmonton prescription schedule on September 21, when he planted the game winner against the Calgary Flames.
The 29-year-old winger was one of only three players who are suitable for a team-high six games, and the other two were young prospects Quinn Hutson and Isaac Howard. That can indicate how important the oilers find it for Kapanen to start strong, after a Rocky 2024-25 campaign that he had trouble getting on track after being claimed exemptions From the St. Louis Blues.
Darnell nurse
Under the larger names on the Oilers, Darnell Nurse was easily the sharpest and hardest working player during the preseason. On average just under 23 minutes of ice age, the 30-year-old defender was everywhere on both ends of the ice and attacked the game with play-off energy.
Nurse was Edmonton’s unlikely co-leader for goals in the preseason and scored three times in four games to bind with Leon Draisaitl and Kapanen for the first time in the team. He also led the oilers with 17 shots on goal, including six against the Canucks on Friday.
During his four performances, the nurse had a total of 13 blocks and 10 hits. Against the Flames on Rogers Place on September 21, he had five blocks and five hits, something that the veteran of 11 NHL seasons did only four times in 716 career matches in the regular season.
Noah Philp
Noah Philp was perhaps the top of the oilers about the first few games of the preseason. The 27-year-old center was particularly impressive in the 3-2 victory of Edmonton over the Winnipeg Jets on September 23, when he recorded two primary assists (including setting up Ty Emberson for the game-winning goal), four hits, a blocked shot and went 8-7 in the FaceOFF circle.
Although Philp did not stand out so much towards the end of the Edmonton schedule, he still finished the preseason with four points in five games, so that the team leader was bound in assists (three) and plus/min rating (Plus-3).
After he appeared in 15 games with the Oilers last season, Philp certainly played in battle for a place in the team’s season opening. He is a well-completed player who has shown the utility skills, ideal for a bottom-six role.
Alec Regula
The surprising preview of Alec Regula may have created the most difficult decision for the oilers, because they decide whether they want to include the 25-year-old defender in their season opening schedule or run the risk of losing him on exemptions.
Related: Oilers are confronted with a heavy decision with defender Alec Regula
Nobody totally knew what he could expect from Regula, who had not played a single match for competitive hockey since March 2024 after he had recovered from the knee operation the entire last season, but Michigan’s product made a huge impression about five pre -season performances.
Regula registered almost 19 minutes per game and showed a great puck-moving skill. He played smart and healthy hockey and looked like someone who has much more than his 22 games from NHL experience in the regular season. But in perhaps the biggest proof of his readiness, Regula skated with four different defensive partners and they narrowly narrowed them.
Matthew Savoie
This season there is a lot of pressure on Matthew Savoie, who is expected to make the jump of the American Hockey League (AHL) to the NHL full-time and plays an important role for the oilers in 2025-26. But based on what he showed during the preseason, the 21-year-old center is able to meet those exalted expectations.
While he only scored once every five games, Savoie demonstrated a great two -way match that did all the little things. He has speed, is a good passer -by, wins puck fights and kills punishes. Savoie also finished in second place in the team with 10 shots on goal.
But above all he looked like a veteran. Savoie owns huge hockey IQ and always seems to be in the right place. He proved that he is ready for the NHL and has the potential to bloom one of the best all-round players that the oilers had in a long time.
Edmonton starts his 46one Season in the NHL with a home game against the Flames on Rogers Place on Wednesday (October 8).
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