Edmonton Oilers make first preseason roster cuts, release four players

Rookie camp is officially in the books for the Edmonton Oilers, and that means roster trimming has begun.

On Tuesday the club announced they released three players from their Amateur Tryouts, cutting forwards Weston Cameron and Olli Wahlroos along with defenseman Kyle Heger.

At the same time, goaltender Ryan Cameron was reassigned to his junior club, the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL.

None of these moves should come as a surprise to anyone who followed camp closely.

All three released skaters came in on tryout deals rather than standard contracts, and ATO invites are almost always a short audition rather than a real path to an NHL job this early in September.

Wahlroos, an 18 year old Finnish winger, is expected to suit up for the Oil Kings this season after being taken in the CHL import draft, while Heger heads back into the WHL ranks.

Cameron, an 18 year old center, also returns to junior hockey after getting a look from Oilers brass.

Ryan Cameron is the more notable name of the group since he was an actual Oilers draft pick, taken in the seventh round back in July.

Sending him to Sioux Falls keeps his development on schedule as he works toward a future NCAA commitment, and it is the kind of routine transaction that still tells you Edmonton is being patient with its goaltending pipeline.

With the tryout group thinned out, the Oilers can turn their full attention to the players still in the mix heading into the main training camp battle.

Expect more moves in the coming days as Edmonton continues shaping its lineup before the preseason schedule ramps up and real evaluation begins for jobs that actually matter.

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