The Edmonton Oilers are looking to make another deep playoff run this season after coming up just short in seven games to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final last season. After some strong deadline acquisitions , the Oilers seem ready to win their fourth straight first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. In this edition of Oilers News & Rumours, we look at the status of Trent Frederic, Jake Walman, and Evander Kane, the recent call-up of Derek Ryan, and the potential roster spot of Kasperi Kapanen.
On Friday (Apr. 18), the Oilers announced that they had called up forward Derek Ryan from the American Hockey League (AHL) to bolster their forward depth heading into their first game of the postseason. At their recent practice, they practiced with 16 forwards, eight defenders, and two goalies, which they’re allowed to do with an oversized roster for the playoffs.
The #Oilers have recalled forward Derek Ryan from the @Condors. https://t.co/VCTf32iMjr
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 18, 2025
Ryan, who is 38 years old, scored one goal and added five assists for six points through 36 games with the Oilers this season. In the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors, he scored three goals and added five assists for eight points through 13 games. He has 60 games of playoff experience under his belt, having scored three goals and added seven assists for 10 points in that time.
If the Oilers’ practice lines are any indication of the status of some forwards returning from injury, then it would be suggested that Kane and Frederic aren’t quite ready to return yet. According to several sources, both forwards practiced as extras and were in and out of reps with different lines.
The @EdmontonOilers practice in San Jose:
— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) April 18, 2025
Hyman-McDavid-Brown
Podkolzin-Draisaitl-Arvidsson
J. Skinner-RNH-Henrique
Perry-Janmark-Kapanen
Kane/Frederic-Ryan-Jones
Nurse-Bouchard
Kulak-Walman
Emberson-Brown
Dineen-Klingberg
S.Skinner
Pickard
It looks like Ryan, Max Jones, Kane, and Frederic will be the forward scratches for the first game against the Kings, with Cam Dineen and John Klingberg being the scratches defensively. Things can be altered before their first game on Monday (Apr. 21), and time will tell if anything does change.
All signs are indicating that Walman will return after missing some time due to injury, practicing alongside Brett Kulak on Friday (Apr. 18) would suggest he’s going to be in the lineup.
Walman, who was acquired by the Oilers from the San Jose Sharks at the 2025 Trade Deadline, has scored one goal and added seven assists for eight points through 15 games since coming over in the deal. Between the Sharks and Oilers this season, he has scored seven goals and added 33 assists for 40 points through 65 games.
Fans have been wondering what the Oilers’ lineup will look like heading into the playoffs and which forwards would find themselves on the outside looking in. Kapanen and Jones were two players who weren’t guaranteed to play, but it seems as though Kapanen will get his chance on the fourth line.
Kapanen, who is 28 years old, has 38 games of playoff experience under his belt, scoring five goals and adding eight assists for 13 points in that time. Jones, who was acquired from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline as well, has never played in the postseason. With the Oilers, he scored one goal and added one assist for two points through 19 games in the regular season. It seems as though head coach Kris Knoblauch is valuing experience this time around, but things can always change.
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