Jack Roslović’s tenure with the Edmonton Oilers may be classified as a “pilot” test by some insiders, but his on-ice play is becoming a strong argument for something more. The 28-year-old forward delivered his best performance in an Oilers uniform on Saturday, looking dangerous throughout and earning a promotion to the top line alongside Connor McDavid and Andrew Mangiapane. Roslovic did everything but score.
With a no-move turning into a four-team no-trade list in a few days, Elliotte Friedman noted on the 32 Thoughts podcast that the Oilers were looking hard at Roslovic until Nov. 1, when Zach Hyman is set to return. “It’s almost a test to see if everyone here is happy, and I assume the teams on that list are the ones who were also watching him.”
Roslovic was one of a handful of Edmonton forwards to consistently get on the attack in a 3-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken. He finished with three shots, one hit, one block and a plus-1 rating in 16:33 of ice time. He hasn’t scored a goal and he’s not wearing an Oilers uniform yet, but there’s something slick about his game that head coach Kris Knoblauch is starting to like.
According to the Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton JournalWhen Roslovic was on the ice, the Oilers outscored Seattle 11-4, with a 14-2 edge on scoring chances and a 5-0 edge on high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. His individual total – five scoring chances and three from top areas – led the team.
Does Roslovic deserve a place compared to other oil companies?
While the Oilers are struggling to score goals and their offense seems to be stagnating, the kind of minutes Roslovic is providing are exactly what Edmonton needs. The Oilers have struggled to find consistent 5-on-5 production, and Roslovic’s mix of speed and shot volume (three or more shots in four of seven games) could help close that gap.
If the Oilers don’t want to explore trading Roslovic and take advantage of his four-team trade list on Nov. 1, that means demoting another forward. Hyman’s return likely means Roslovic moves to the second line, with someone like David Tomasek, Ike Howard, Vasily Podkolzin, Noah Philp or another player coming out.
For Roslovic, he wanted a chance to prove he belongs in Edmonton long-term. At the very least, one of the four teams on his list would take note of his play and be willing to make a deal with Edmonton. He didn’t score, but he looked dangerous.
Is that enough?
Next: Oilers’ next contract signing could catch fans off guard
#Trial #Forwards #breakout #game #save #spot #Oilers