Oilers reveal lineup for preseason game and have major test for youngest player

There's now only 4 games left in the preseason, and the Oilers will be showing most of their fringe NHL players fighting for a roster spot tonight. Players like Noah Philp, Raphael Lavoie, Lane Pederson, and Mike Hoffman are in the lineup - but Sam O'Reilly has drawn the biggest assignment. The 18 year old will be centering the Oilers fourth line wingers in Podkolzin and Perry.

There's a full on battle for a spot on the Oilers fourth line this season, as the team may not want to play two veterans in Derek Ryan and Corey Perry on the same line. Sam O'Reilly wasn't expected to take a major step forward this year, but his play in training camp has led Knoblauch to assigning him a bigger opportunity tonight. O'Reilly may now have a chance to make the opening night roster, and getting some time with Podkolzin and Perry as his prospective linemates is a great sign for him.

Through training camp, O'Reilly has played an extremely mature 200 foot game, and hasn't looked out of place one bit. In the last preseason game against Winnipeg, O'Reilly was matched against the Jets top players and passed the test with flying colours. Coach Knoblauch raved about O'Reilly's play after the game, and reiterated that he's earned an extended look around training camp.

The Oilers clearly saw something in O'Reilly when they traded into the first round of the draft to select him. The 6'1 right shot centreman is an asset itself, but O'Reilly also played defence and wing late into his minor hockey career. It looks like that experience has translated into incredible awareness all over the ice, a great asset to have in a young center. Last season he only scored 20 goals and 61 points in 68 games, but he was buried in the bottom six on a stacked London Knights team. If he returns this year, he'll get more opportunity and could take another huge step.

O'Reilly is still a long shot to make the opening night roster, but it's not out of the realm of possibility that his play warrants a look in regular season games. No matter what, it seems that O'Reilly's stock as a prospect has skyrocketed since the draft. The Oilers definitely got a good one here.