Alex Formenton scored again Saturday, and the Edmonton Oilers rolled to a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets.
"It was nice to get a goal, but it was nice to get the legs moving and get back up to pace," Formenton said after the game.
That's a player clearly still working his way back into game rhythm, even as the results keep coming.
"It was a good, well-rounded team effort," Formenton added, crediting the group rather than just his own night.
Formenton's return to the NHL has drawn plenty of attention this preseason, and back-to-back scoring efforts are giving Edmonton real reason to feel good about the signing early.
Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck remains suspended and hasn't reported to Winnipeg's camp, a situation that's overshadowed the Jets' own preseason so far.
Winnipeg finished 35-35-12 last season, 26th overall, and a 5-2 loss like this one only adds to the questions already surrounding this roster heading into the year.
Why Edmonton's depth signings are already paying off
Formenton was part of a deliberate offseason overhaul of Edmonton's bottom six, brought in alongside Mathieu Joseph as a low-cost free agent addition.
Two goals in these early preseason games is a small sample, but it's exactly the kind of contribution GM Stan Bowman was hoping to get from his retooled depth group.
Head coach Mike Babcock already showed this preseason he isn't afraid to bench even his top players for mistakes, which makes Formenton's early consistency stand out even more by comparison.
A well-rounded team effort, as Formenton called it, is precisely the identity Babcock has been preaching since taking over behind the bench.
Edmonton still has to prove this depth scoring translates once the regular season actually starts counting, but two straight results like this are a strong early sign.
For Formenton personally, getting his legs under him again may end up mattering more long-term than any single goal from these preseason games.
Will Alex Formenton keep producing at this pace once the regular season starts?
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