Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch knows tough roster decisions lie ahead, and he teased that several players could be cut prior to tonight's clash vs. the Jets. The Edmonton Oilers are preparing for their first back-to-back of the <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/winnipeg-jets/winnipeg-jets-announce-preseason-game-2-roster-vs-oilers-surprise-line-combos-revealed' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>2025 preseason on Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets</a>. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/OilersNation/status/1970480772374241523'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Their Head Coach, Kris Knoblauch, has tough personnel choices in front of him with 55 players still present in camp as the team gears up for a day off Thursday after their next two games and starts to cut its roster. There are going to be difficult decisions to make, Knoblauch said. A lot of guys are playing really well, and you've got roles and responsibilities to think about. One player might be a little bit better five-on-five, but if the other player serves more of a purpose, whether it's face-offs, penalty kill, physicality, speed, whatever we need a little more of, then maybe you go with that. But I think we've got a lot of difficult decisions coming up, and we're early on in the pre-season schedule right now, and it usually plays out and you get a better feel because usually one guy or somebody that you're not expecting very much out of has a really strong game. But you want to see that over several games rather than just making that rash decision because things are going to get a little more difficult, things are getting a little faster, and then we'll see if they're ready for the regular season. The Oilers began the preseason Sunday with split-squad contests against the Calgary Flames, beating them 3-0 at the Saddledome and losing 3-2 in overtime at Rogers Place. Edmonton hosts Winnipeg again on Friday before traveling to Vancouver on Sunday as part of an eight-game preseason schedule. <h3>The Oilers Made Their First Two Cuts on Monday</h3> Monday saw the first cuts made as forwards Tommy Lafreniere (Kamloops) and David Lewandowski (Saskatoon) were returned to their respective WHL teams. <a href='https://www.nhl.com/oilers/news/preview-oilers-at-jets-preseason-09-22-25' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>The rest of the shuffling will happen following the back-to-back against Winnipeg and Seattle</a>, with the home game against the Canucks on Saturday being Edmonton's final exhibition at Rogers Place. The Oilers finish preseason action with a pair of road games at Seattle and Vancouver before finalizing their roster. By next week, only a handful of roster spots should be up for debate, giving Knoblauch a clearer picture of his opening-night lineup Oct. 8 against Calgary. He is watching closely for consistency and versatility as players compete for roles, with emphasis on filling various holes beyond offense. While scoring and playmaking remain top priorities, Knoblauch values players who kill penalties, eat minutes on the bottom-six lines, and adapt when it is necessary. With a roster already stocked full of high-level offense, the Oilers' final cuts will be determined by who best complements that group. The next week will be telling, as Edmonton begins shaping not just its roster, but its identity heading into another season with championship aspirations.