Kraken @ Oilers PRESEASON PREVIEW: Can we just go easy?

The Need to Knows

• The Time: 6:00 pm PT / 9:00 pm ET
• The Place: Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta
• Where to Watch: KHN, KONG
• Where to Listen: Kraken Audio Network on KJR 93.3 FM

Know Your Enemy

So, just how lethal can a preseason roster be when a team is facing up against the Western Conference Champions who also happen to have a Conn Smythe winner? It can’t be that bad in preseason, right? The Edmonton Oilers are going to be a team laser-focused this season on making it back to the Stanley Cup Final to finish the job this time, but preseason hockey is a bit like Whose Line is it Anyway where “the points don’t matter.” It’s not about wins or losses just yet, it’s about evaluating what kind of team you’ve got. They still need to evaluate their rookies and fringe players, so it’s not like they can be out there icing a full-strength squad yet.

Also, do the Oilers need to ice Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl just to reconfirm that they’re two of the best players in the NHL? The Kraken are going to have to face them up to four times this season, so could Edmonton please grant them some mercy just this one time when there are no stakes at hand? Let those two get their reps in against Vancouver instead, thanks.

Game Preview

As the Kraken enter the back-half of preseason, the line-up you see tonight is slowly going to take further shape into what’ll be expected on opening night (or should I say opening day, since the Kraken will be playing their first game at what is 1:30 pm in Seattle). Even prior to last night’s game against the Canucks, the Kraken announced they reassigned 8 players to Coachella Valley, bringing the training camp roster down to 33 skaters and 4 goalies. There’s always a chance for even more cuts as well between the time I’ve published this and the time the puck drops.

I don’t have a crystal ball to confirm anything, but I have a few guesses as to tonight’s line-up. The most reliable prediction I can make is that it won’t be Joey Daccord in net, since he was the starter in last night’s game. I also assume that we’re not going to see a majority of last night’s roster play the back-to-back either. Part of that is the general nature of preseason and needing to rotate your players in and out to evaluate everyone, but also, why force anyone to do a back-to-back with travel if they don’t have to right now? Save that stress for when the team is in the actual grind of the regular season.

Again, the end results of the game aren’t what matter. It’s about seeing what the young players are capable of, seeing how new acquisitions fit onto the team, as well as letting the established Kraken players get used to playing under Dan Bylsma. This is the time to shake off the rust, so if they drop more preseason games than they win, it’s fine. (It’s if McDavid turns on the jets and crushes the confidence of some poor rookie that it’s not fine.) Just sit back, relax, and enjoy that Kraken hockey is back on our screens on a Saturday night.