Oilers announce forward being sent to AHL, injured player nearing return

The move comes after Jones has made a real solid impression in his 8-game stint with the Oilers. He was bringing enough energy on the 4th line that some fans even thought he looked better than Trent Frederic. Considering ice time, Jones has even vastly outscored Frederic.

The Oilers officially announced the roster move of just the Jones demotion, but no other corresponding transaction.

Kasperi Kapanen has been taking part in practice again recently, so it's possible that he's nearing his return. He will need to be activated from LTIR to re-join the lineup, and that may not happen imminently.

Perhaps there's another roster move or trade incoming to fill the gap of Jones, but for now, the Oilers do have enough options to slot into the 4th line. In the short term, the most likely option would be Curtis Lazar.

However, the Oilers will need a few more roster moves to get their fully healthy lineup on the ice. The Oilers are deep into LTIR spending with Jake Walman and Kasperi Kapanen out, and will need to clear more cap space to activate both players.

Perhaps a trade for Andrew Mangiapane is getting closer, which could free up $3.6M in cap space for the team. It's unknown if the Oilers would even want a player in return for Mangiapane, or if clearing the cap space is the better fit.

In his 8 games, the former first round pick Jones did make a solid impression with his play. There's a real chance he's a leading candidate for a call up if the Oilers need a 4th liner.

The Oilers could be making more moves in the next few days, so keep an eye out here at OilersDaily for all breaking news.