In an Edmonton Oilers news and rumors update, Brandon Sutter has been released from his PTO with the team and has officially retired. Meanwhile, the Oilers get ready to take on the Seattle Kraken in pre-season and as Connor McDavid takes a spot on the top line, there are questions about how much he should be penalty killing. When with the Oilers get Mattias Ekholm and Ryan McLeod back into game action?
Brandon Sutter Retires After PTO With Oilers Ends
NHL veteran center Brandon Sutter has officially bid farewell to professional hockey after his departure from the Edmonton Oilers’ Professional Tryout (PTO). The 33-year-old forward, boasting an impressive track record of 770 NHL games spanning three different teams, made the announcement on a Sunday.
Contrary to initial reports suggesting a team-driven decision, it has emerged that Sutter’s retirement was entirely his choice. According to Mark Spector of Sportsnet, Sutter took the initiative to convene a meeting in Seattle with Oilers GM Ken Holland, head coach Jay Woodcroft, and trainer TD Forss. During this meeting, he candidly expressed his inability to continue with the PTO due to health concerns. GM Ken Holland disclosed, “He had some health concerns and he just felt that he was going to end his career.” This unexpected turn of events marks the end of a remarkable career in professional hockey for Brandon Sutter.
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As for who gets the final roster spot in the Oilers’ forward mix remains to be seen. Raphael Lavoie looked like the odd man out, but this news is good for his prospect of possibly making the roster. He’s played well in pre-season thus far and is getting another look on Monday night. If he impresses again, that could go a long way toward him being on the opening night roster.
Are Ekholm and McLeod Returning Soon?
Jason Gregor tweeted that both Ryan McLeod and Mattias Ekholm are progressing well and at this time Oilers are expecting they play one or two preseason games. Neither are expected to play against the Kraken.
For the Oilers, considering the immense value of having a fully recovered Mattias Ekholm for the entire 82-game regular season, the decision to risk his participation in a meaningless exhibition game seems unwise, given his seasoned veteran status. That doesn’t mean the Oilers could stand to benefit from his being in the lineup and taking reps with Philip Broberg, who is expected to be his playing partner.
In contrast, a young player like McLeod could greatly benefit from some game-time practice before the season kicks off. McLeod has been diligently recovering from a “soft tissue” lower-body injury and has shown positive progress. The plan, as soon as he’s ready to go might be to play him in whatever remaining pre-season games he’s able.
How Much Should McDavid Be Penalty Killing?
The panel from the Got Yer’ Back podcast got into an interesting debate about how much Connor McDavid is used in a penalty-killing role for the team. Head coach Jay Woodcroft started to use him there last season with fantastic results, but Jason Strudwick wonders if there’s a risk of playing McDavid too much. He pointed out that McDavid was used more than the combined total of the other top nine scorers on the team.
There is certainly an argument that can be made for having him out there and other teams have started to play some of their best offensive players in that role to turn the penalty kill into a power kill. But, what are the risks? Could the Oilers tire McDavid out? Does his chance of an injury increase?