The Edmonton Oilers open training camp today and will be starting with six goaltenders.
The big story this fall is whether Cam Talbot is truly ready to take the reins as a starting goalie in the NHL. Yet the question that has the most implications on how the depth chart evolves is the battle between Ben Scrivens and Anders Nilsson for the backup job.
Before getting into that, here are some other names to talk about before getting into the camp roster.
Related: Edmonton Oilers 2015-16 Training Camp Guide: Defense
Keven Bouchard
A notable who won’t be attending main camp this season is Keven Bouchard, a seventh-round choice in 2014 who will return to the QMJHL for his last year of junior eligibility.
Bouchard was traded this summer to Baie-Comeau from Val-D-Or and has struggled since being drafted. He had a tough season, posting a 3.85 GAA and 0.872 SV% in 36 games last year.
It’s a big year for Bouchard who still is without a ELC contract from the Oilers. It’s entirely possible with the number of goaltending prospects in the system that the Oilers don’t offer an ELC to Bouchard unless he shows great progress this season.
Zach Nagelvoort
Another name to watch is Zach Nagelvoort, 21, a fourth-round pick from 2014 who will enter his third year at the University of Michigan. Nagelvoort has had strong numbers in college despite a step back last season. It’s still unclear where he sits long-term. He’s a bit of a long-shot projection, but at 6’2 190 lbs, he has NHL size for a goaltender.
Jordan Papirny
Undrafted goaltender Jordan Papirny had a strong rookie camp and is going to be a capable starter on a contending team that the Oilers will be keeping tabs on. He’s one of four players being returned to Brandon Wheat Kings.
There are some moving pieces on the depth chart in goal and it’s entirely possible that Papirny, with a strong year and a deep playoff run, could garner quite a bit of attention this year. If he does get a deal it might be similar to the same minor pro contract as Ty Rimmer got before him.
NHL
The battle in the NHL training camp really comes down to three goalies; Cam Talbot, Ben Scrivens and Anders Nilsson.
Talbot enters camp as the defacto starter and will be given every opportunity to become a capable number one.
Behind him Scrivens and Nilsson battle for the backup job.
It’s entirely possible, because of the waiver wire, that the Oilers start the year carrying three goaltenders, but it’s not the desired situation, as three-headed monsters just make everything more complicated for everyone involved and limits game time.
One of Scrivens or Nilsson will not be in Edmonton at the end of the season and training camp will be a big indicator of where the organization sees Scrivens’ future with the club.
| # | Name | HT | WT | Age | 2014-15 Team | Cap Hit | Years Remaining |
| 30 | Ben Scrivens | 6’2 | 181 | 29 | NHL – Edmonton Oilers | $2.30M | 1 (UFA) |
| 33 | Cam Talbot | 6’0 | 195 | 28 | NHL – New York Rangers | $1.45M | 1 (UFA) |
| 39 | Anders Nilsson | 6’5 | 227 | 25 | KHL – Ak Bars Kazan | $1.00M | 1 (RFA) |
AHL
However the dominos fall between Scrivens and Nilsson at the NHL level, it’ll have an impact on the roles Laurent Brossoit and Eetu Laurikainen down in Bakersfield.
The duo is pegged to be a 1A/1B pairing, with Brossoit likely getting a few more starts.
Laurikainen enters his first season in North America and it’s inevitable that he shows warts.
Brossoit is still learning the game and is still a year or two away from having an impact on the NHL roster.
A stronger and more consistent season from Brossoit is what he needs to show in another development year.
| # | Name | HT | WT | Age | 2014-15 Team | Cap Hit | Years Remaining |
| 1 | Laurent Brossoit | 6’3 | 202 | 22 | AHL – Oklahoma City Barons | $659K | 1 (RFA) |
| 35 | Eetu Laurikainen | 6’0 | 185 | 22 | SM Liiga – Espoo Blues | $640K | 2 (RFA) |
ECHL
With Scrivens and Nilsson both having to clear waivers, it is entirely possible that if one of them is exposed, he wouldn’t make it to the AHL but there is the likelihood that the loser of the backup competition ends up in the AHL. The Scrivens/Nilsson domino does have a minor trickle down affect to the minor development system.
The goalie who will be on the short end of the stick ultimately will be Ty Rimmer who is on a minor pro contract but has been trying to turn that into a two-way NHL deal with the Oilers.
Rimmer, 23, had a decent junior career in the WHL most notably with the Lethbridge Hurricanes but is still trying to find his place in the pro ranks.
If one of Scrivens or Nilsson clears waivers they’ll be pushing Laurikainen down the depth chart and into the ECHL which means less starts for Rimmer.
The plus side will be Laurikainen joining the ECHL club and becoming the starter. If anything, that would boost his development, as he would get more playing time.
Sending goaltenders to the ECHL for development is nothing new for the Oilers, who have done this with goaltending prospects Devan Dubnyk, Jeff Deslauriers and even Brossoit spending time in that league before springing into starting jobs in the AHL the following year.
Here is the full list of all six goaltenders attending Oilers training camp:
| # | Name | HT | WT | Age | 2014-15 Team | Cap Hit | Years Remaining |
| 1 | Laurent Brossoit | 6’3 | 202 | 22 | AHL – Oklahoma City Barons | $659K | 1 (RFA) |
| 30 | Ben Scrivens | 6’2 | 181 | 29 | NHL – Edmonton Oilers | $2.30M | 1 (UFA) |
| 33 | Cam Talbot | 6’0 | 195 | 28 | NHL – New York Rangers | $1.45M | 1 (UFA) |
| 35 | Eetu Laurikainen | 6’0 | 185 | 22 | SM Liiga – Espoo Blues | $640K | 2 (RFA) |
| 38 | Ty Rimmer | 5’11 | 170 | 23 | ECHL – Bakersfield Condors | Minor | 1 (UFA) |
| 39 | Anders Nilsson | 6’5 | 227 | 25 | KHL – Ak Bars Kazan | $1.00M | 1 (RFA) |