EDMONTON, AB - The Oilers open their 2018 pre-season schedule tonight in Calgary and the game will feature a lot of familiar foes.
With a good portion of the Flames team in China, Calgary is relying on a roster similar to that which just competed in Rookie Camp and the Oilers roster heading down south will be matching Calgary's offering.
Playing against familiar opponents will be a big benefit to Ryan McLeod and Evan Bouchard, who will be appearing in their first NHL pre-season games tonight.
"Going into a barn you've already played in, already have a feel for the ice and a feel for the rink (is an advantage) so I'm looking forward to it," McLeod began. "We lost two to them (in Rookie Camp) so the message is we want to beat these guys in the first pre-season game. Hopefully we can come out with a strong performance."
Bouchard talked about how much quicker the pace is already in Main Camp compared to Rookie Camp and how he doesn't want to try and do too much on the ice in this NHL contest.
"You just need to be yourself and know what you're capable of. Know what you're good at and doing it well gives you a little confidence," Bouchard began. "You see how hard the pros work out here. That's one thing I'm taking out of this."
CHIASSON DEBUTS
While tonight's Oilers lineup will feature two 2018 draft picks in Bouchard and McLeod, it will also feature Alex Chiasson, in camp on a Pro-Tryout Agreemen and a veteran of five NHL seasons. The 27-year-old winger knows that it's games like these which will really help him stand out as he's expected to get a lot of icetime and play in a lot of situations.
"I know there's competition here within the team. At the end of the day, I've just got to do better than some of the guys," Chiasson stated, adding that he brings a lot of experience including 16 playoff games with the Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals last season. "I've been around the League for quite awhile now and experienced something great last year in Washington so for me it's to bring that experience here."
Chiasson was asked about doing too much on the ice when needing to prove himself and he said that's not a big worry for him.
"Over time, you just learn to be yourself. As a player, I know what type of player I'm capable of being in the NHL. There's guys that come here and try to be someone they're not. There's only so many all-stars in this League and there's others who have to play a different role. I'm confident in playing that role and I think I can be effective."
Coach McLellan echoed Chiasson's thoughts.
"(For Chiasson) the nerves are different. He knows the environment he's going into, he knows what it's supposed to feel like. Each individual will react the best they can. We'll encourage them to make plays but not overplay. You can't system them to death yet where you paralyze them."
