Oilers Holding Roster Auditions Rest of the Regular Season

The last 15 games will be all about who goes where...

Corey Perry said it best in a recent interview: “You have to check your ego at the door.” From a player perspective, it doesn’t matter where you play or how much ice time you get in the playoffs as long as the team is winning. Each member of the Edmonton Oilers’ postseason roster should be contributing to the best of their ability in whatever role deemed necessary by the coach.

On the other hand, for head coach Kris Knoblauch, where players play matters a great deal.

It’s the job of him and his coaching staff to find the right combination of players, identify chemistry, and place forwards, defensemen, and goaltenders in the right places. It’s critical not to overplay someone, ask them to take on a role they can’t handle, or place them with someone where the production is non-existent. Getting it right should lead to success. Failure to do so could mean an early playoff exit.

With that in mind, the rest of the season is huge for a handful of players. Let’s focus on a few: