Five takeaways from the Oilers’ 2026 training camp

Kapanen, on the other hand, played in two pre-season games and was very noticeable in both, especially last game. When he was elevated to the second line, he scored a marvellous goal, set up Ryan Shea for a tally, and was buzzing throughout the night. And based on the lines recently posted by Jason Gregor, it looks like that performance may have gotten him the inside track to start in the top-six this season.

Overall, the Finn’s skill set seems tailor-made for the aggressive style that Babcock wants his team to play, and as I previously wrote, playing for his former coach, under whom he had his best season, along with that familiarity and comfort, might just get Kapanen back to the 40-point plateau this season.

Oilers have some intriguing call-up options this season

With the pre-season games, I tend to pay more attention to the bubble players rather than the vets who are merely getting into game shape, and there were many impressive standouts from the bubble crew who caught my eye throughout training camp, like Atro Leppänen, Connor Clattenburg, Quinn Hutson, Viljami Marjala, Eduards Tralmaks, Damien Carfagna, and Tomas Cibulka.

Tralmaks was noticeable using his big 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame to protect pucks; Hutson’s offensive instincts were on display, while Connor Clattenburg did Connor Clattenburg-type things and flattened the opposition.

On the blue line, the pairing of Leppänen and Carfagna was one of, if not the best, pairings against the Winnipeg Jets on Sept. 22, with Leppänen scoring in that game. Both blueliners showed excellent mobility and puck movement, while Cibulka was solid in his one-game outing, making nice retrievals, using his body to protect pucks, and picking up an assist.

But the player who impressed me the most out of the fringe players was Marjala. Of course, when you bury an OT winner, you’re going to be in the spotlight, but it was his playmaking and subtle yet effective passes that really stood out to me throughout camp.

Nevertheless, the Oilers have done a good job of putting together some solid call-up options if injuries occur this season.

Mike Babcock is off to a good start in Edmonton

When the rumours of Mike Babcock signing with the Oilers first surfaced, there was backlash, and given the stories about the mistreatment of previous players, it was deserved. I was very impartial about the signing, but at the same time, in order to have a full perception of someone, you need the whole picture.

So, after his hiring, I made a point of seeking out the positive stories about Babcock because the negative ones are naturally the ones that spread faster.

I shared stories about how he was one of the first to truly recognize Zach Hyman’s potential, how he helped Frederik Andersen with his mindset when he was a young netminder, and how Kasperi Kapanen had his best season under him. I even spoke with accomplished coach Perry Pearn to gain some insight into what has made Babcock so successful.

Fast forward to the end of training camp, and we saw our first real look at Babcock with the Oilers. So far, the early returns have been quite positive.

In addition to being a walking quote machine and handling negative opinions from Mark Messier well, he’s also made his expectations clear to his players, stressing the importance of the little details, from in-game situations to routine drills in practice. And what we’ve seen so far from this Oilers squad is that they’re playing with pace, defending better, and competing at a high level throughout training camp.

Looking online, the feeling around Babcock has been mostly positive from fans so far, but most importantly, the players seem to feel good about it, with Hyman saying, “I think that you’re seeing changes on the ice, and it feels good as a player, and it’s all positive. It’s been really good.”

Nevertheless, now that training camp is done, I’d say Babcock passed the first step. But now, the real fun begins, and the pressure on him amps up, with the Oilers opening the season on Sept. 30 against the Canucks.

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