The Edmonton Oilers have made a small roster move following Monday night’s disheartening 3-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils.
After a brief two-game stint in the NHL, forward Drake Caggiula has been loaned to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors this morning. The 30-year-old was called up to the Oilers alongside Noah Philp the day after captain Connor McDavid went down with an ankle injury.
The team announced the move on social media.
The #Oilers have loaned forward Drake Caggiula to the @Condors. pic.twitter.com/5lVLk6qxFW
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 5, 2024
This was the first time that Caggiula had appeared in NHL games since the 2022-23 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the first time since 2018-19 that he had worn an Oilers jersey.
He didn’t look too bad in his brief stint. Caggiula was brought in to bring some speed and energy into a bottom-six that had lacked both those elements early in the season. He was rewarded with an assist against the Nashville Predators on Corey Perry’s game-winning goal last week.
Perry finds the back of the net to take the lead! 👀 pic.twitter.com/SS2QQZOEXb
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 1, 2024
While he didn’t look bad, it appears the Oilers have seen enough from Caggiula for now. This also may be a good indication that McDavid is progressing well and may be able to jump back into the lineup as soon as this weekend.
A timeline for the captain’s return has not yet been solidified, but McDavid himself did give reporters an encouraging update after participating in an optional skate on Monday morning.
We’ll see soon enough if this roster move is related to McDavid’s eventual return to the lineup.