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The Edmonton Oilers are a veteran team built for a long playoff run in the spring of 2025. The last strong run of rookies for the Oilers might have been in 2022-23 when Stuart Skinner , Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg all delivered their official freshman seasons. The rest of this decade could see fewer rookies playing a large number of minutes in the season they qualify as a rookie.
Advertisement Edmonton management used to draft a player in the first round and throw him on the ice for Game 1 that fall. The trend began with Sam Gagner and continued through Evan Bouchard , but has eased in the seasons since 2018. This is not a time for the organization to add in raw rookies who may make mistakes at critical moments in the game.
How many rookies this season? Probably more than most believe. Why? Age and injuries. In the month since we last looked at the issue, Evander Kane ’s situation has changed and there could be more news in the weeks to come.
On a roster built for April and May, some older legs may be in for a long December. The jobs If it was just a matter of choosing the most talented ( Matt Savoie ) or most noticeable (Max Wanner) prospect the job of identifying next year’s rookies would be easy. It doesn’t work that way.
The first step in identifying the prospects with the best chance of making an impression starts with focusing on areas of the roster that could be vulnerable to injury, slumps or advanced age of incumbents. In order of possible games available next season, here are the most prominent opportunities: • No. 2 right wing ( Viktor Arvidsson played just 18 regular season games in 2023-24).
• No. 3 right defence (uncertainty over Ty Emberson and Joshua Brown). • No.
4 centre ( Derek Ryan is the incumbent but there is plenty of competition). • No. 4 right wing ( Corey Perry is 39).
• No. 4 left wing ( Vasily Podkolzin spent 44 games in the minors one year ago). • Goalie injury or struggles ( Calvin Pickard picked up 23 NHL games last season after starting as the No.
3 goalie in the system). If any of these worries come to pass, chances are general manager Stan Bowman will cast about for a veteran option. What if he doesn’t find one? Let’s assume he doesn’t, and look at internal options for each dilemma.
Advertisement No. 2 right wing If Arvidsson is injured or falters, the organization could run Connor Brown at No. 2 right wing.
Kane might be healthy by the time a need presents itself, and he (or another left winger) could slide over on the Leon Draisaitl line. The obvious rookie option at right wing is Savoie. Oilers fans are right to be excited about his future.
This is a pure talent who was chosen No. 9 in the 2022 draft. He scored 51 goals in his final 72 junior games with three different teams.
In terms of high-end skill potential, no player coming to camp without an NHL job on a skill line has more to give than Savoie. The Oilers are not trumpeting his arrival as this training camp gets underway, but an injury or lack of chemistry to an established NHL winger could change everyone’s tune. The gap between Savoie and the next prospect skill forward in Edmonton’s system is the Grand Canyon.
No. 3 right defence Bowman will almost certainly go outside the organization if the coaching staff is unable to find a suitable partner for Darnell Nurse on the second pairing. Troy Stecher is likely to get most of the first half of this season to establish himself there.
The third pair could see a rookie emerge. Brett Kulak is a lock for the left side, with Emberson the first man up on right defence. After that, it’s men with NHL experience ( Josh Brown , Travis Dermott ) and then two rookies who could force the issue.
Phil Kemp has a story to tell. He’s an effective shutdown defender in the AHL and has been on the good side of even-strength scoring for years. At 25, his time is now and this might be his best chance to become an NHL player.
The pool of talent that hovers around the 5-6-7 spots on an NHL roster includes dozens who are making a living there and in the AHL. There’s a lot of luck involved in clearing that final hurdle for a player like Kemp. Advertisement Last season with the Bakersfield Condors, his 58 percent on-ice goal share at even strength ranked No.
1 on the team. In 2022-23, he finished with a 55 percent goal share, also best on the team. In 2021-22, as a pure AHL rookie, his 54 percent total ranked No.
4, behind Philip Broberg, Vincent Desharnais and Mike Kesselring. All three of those men are now in the NHL. Wanner is another hopeful, although at 21 he would have to blow the doors off the coaching staff in order to get the job.
Last season, as an AHL rookie, his even strength goal share (55 percent) ranked No. 3 behind Kemp and Broberg. Kemp and Wanner are long shots that could come in, and both will have a chance to impress in the early days of the preseason.
No. 4 centre This position will be won or lost over the entirety of the NHL season and begins with Ryan. He heads to training camp as the leader in the competition, but age is a major factor and he might be forced to right wing and eventually the press box.
Noah Philp missed a season and is likely ticketed for the minors to start the season. If he performs well, he could be a regular with the team by midseason. Several non-rookies, like Lane Pederson and James Hamblin , will also have a chance to secure the spot.
No. 4 right wing Perry’s ability to play every game is an open question entering training camp. That brings Raphael Lavoie into the conversation (Savoie isn’t going to play fourth line) and a lot depends on the rookie’s ability to kill penalties.
If you see Lavoie on the PK during the preseason games, that could indicate he is matriculating toward winning an NHL job. No. 4 left wing If Podkolzin struggles, that would mean Mattias Janmark jumps up to the third line with Henrique.
Lavoie could slide in on the left side, a position he has played often in Bakersfield. Advertisement Offseason acquisition Roby Jarventie , another rookie acquired from the Ottawa Senators , could also factor in to the left wing solution, although his health was an issue in the past. Goaltender Goalies never enter the conversation until they arrive on the roster.
For instance, Calvin Pickard was a distant bell until getting his chance a year ago and is now perceived as being a big part of the current club. Rookie Olivier Rodrigue is likely to be the Condors’ starter and has a great chance of becoming the backup goaltender for Edmonton in the future. It doesn’t look as though that opportunity will arrive this season, but goaltenders are a different vibe and things can happen quickly at the position.
Bottom line When we last looked at Edmonton’s possible rookies one month ago , Philp led the expected freshman in estimated games with 45 and Lavoie was the only other player projected to play 40 games. The concerns this close to the season are right wing and right defence. The issues on right wing are enough to put Savoie higher than previously projected.
The Oilers are planning to go with four right wingers who are over 30. Injury histories and historic performance bell curves for players this age also suggest Savoie could be a greater factor than suggested even one month ago. Why? The Kane surgery news.
It could be the beginning of a cascade in this area, opening up opportunity. The club added no right-handed defencemen on PTOs, and the one lefty (Dermott) can play right side but coaches prefer sticks along the wall in most cases. Kemp is well situated among rookies now because the organization appears willing to run with what it has entering camp.
If Bowman doesn’t make a deal for a right-handed defenceman in the first two months of the season, the window of opportunity could be significant. Jarventie is a wild card based on health but is another name to watch closely. Oilers fans should watch for Savoie, Lavoie, Philp, Jarventie and Kemp in camp.
Rodrigue won’t get a mention until he’s a big story..
