EDMONTON OILERS - CUT EIGHT PLAYER MONDAY - REGINA PATS JORDAN EBERLE SURVES CUT

By Jim Matheson - edmonton journal.com

September 21, 2009 6:10 PM

More players released from Oilers roster

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers cut eight players Monday after their fifth exhibition game in six days to get down to a more workable 34.

Three guys went on waivers - centre Ryan Potulny, winger Chris Minard and defenceman Dean Arsene - because they’ve played more than 160 minor league games. Arsene was the best of this group in his three exhibitions with Potulny, who led the team with AHL club with 62 points last year, and Minard who had 57 in the Penguins’ farm in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. both struggling. If they clear by 10 a.m. Tuesday and aren’t taken by another club they will report to Springfield.

They also sent defencemen Alex Plante, Jake Taylor and Bryan Young and centre Ryan O’Marra to Springfield and centre Milan Kytnar back to his junior club in Saskatoon.

The 34 remaining players include Finnish forward Toni Rajala, who is recuperating from a sprained knee and hasn’t been on the ice. He’s going to the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday. Defenceman Theo Peckham (sprained ankle) is also in the 34. He hasn’t played in pre-season.

Surviving the cuts was defenceman Taylor Chorney, who played two late-season games last year and isn’t that far away from being an NHLer as a puck-mover; wingers Rob Schremp and Ryan Stone and junior Jordan Eberle. They have nine defencemen including Peckham left, and three goalies. Tryout goalie Kurtis Mucha is deciding whether to return to the WHL (Portland) as an overage or go to Springfield to challenge Aaron Sorochan, Andrew Perugini and Bryan Pitton for the backup job.

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Edmonton Oilers have but three pre-season games remaining:

Wednesday, September 23 - Calgary vs. Edmonton

Thursday, September 24 - Edmonton vs. Tampa Bay at (Winnipeg)

Sunday, September 27 - Vancouver vs. Edmonton