[KootenayFlamesFan]

Rinse and repeat.

It’s taken forever for Edmonton Oilers expectations to begin to rise again following the large letdown from the big buildup the year before. But it seems to finally be happening now.

While the degree of difficulty has been minimal in their first three pre-season games, they’ve all been wins and the players the organization and the fan base have been looking to impress have done so.

It’s the seeing that’s the believing and some fans are beginning to think they’re seeing why GM Peter Chiarelli decided to bet on bounce back seasons and go with the developing young players.

The cry all off-season was to find a right-winger.

Thursday Ty Rattie scored two goal and three assists and now has four goals and three assists in two pre-season games. He’s definitely going to open the season with Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in Sweden.

Meanwhile, Jesse Puljujarvi, who scored the Oilers’ first goal last night, his second of the pre-season, looks like he’s matured by a bunch.

And Kailer Yamamoto, supposedly ear-marked for Bakersfield, hasn’t watched his stock drop either with two goals and two assists.

Thursday night a reasonable facsimile of the Oilers’ start-the-season NHL team defeated a less-than-prime-time edition of the Winnipeg Jets 7-3.

Last year, at this stage, it was all excitement. Not this year. But there’s definitely some brewing.

https://edmontonsun.com/sports/hocke...ons-for-season