Barring any sudden trades or transactions, the Edmonton Oilers will kick-start the 2024-25 season as the NHL’s oldest staff.
Not way back, the Oilers routinely iced the youngest groups within the league. Now a perennial Stanley Cup contender, they’re recognized for his or her age and expertise somewhat than the slew of prospects of their group and their potential. Usually over-shadowed by their staff’s play on the ice, Edmonton’s present crop of prospects isn’t robust – however it additionally isn’t as weak as many imagine it to be. In reality, the Oilers not solely possess younger expertise at every place on the ice, however many – equivalent to Matthew Savoie – may deal important injury this season as they pursue their NHL desires.
Up entrance, the additions of Savoie and Sam O’Reilly have dramatically bolstered Edmonton’s offensive potential and their prospect pool as a complete. On the blue line, a bounce-back marketing campaign from Beau Akey may place him as one of many Oilers’ most intriguing prospects forward of the 2025-26 season. And lastly, within the crease, Connor Ungar’s first skilled season following a stellar marketing campaign with Brock College may very effectively afford Oilers followers their first glimpse of the group’s newest goaltending hopeful.
With issues in regards to the power of Edmonton’s prospect pool beginning to swirl and the 2024-25 marketing campaign on the horizon, let’s take a look on the Oilers’ present top-five prospects and some honourable mentions.
Oilers’ Prime 5 Prospects
#5: Beau Akey (Protection)
Chosen by the Oilers within the second-round of the 2023 NHL Draft, Beau Akey is a smooth-skating defenseman who efficiently blends each offence and protection into his recreation. He recorded 47 factors in 66 common season video games with the Barrie Colts through the 2022-23 season forward of his choice, however solely suited up for 14 contests due to a shoulder damage. With a nagging damage in his different shoulder as effectively, the choice was made for Akey to have double shoulder surgical procedure. With the Colts arming themselves to grow to be a reliable contender this coming season, a breakout season from Akey may show to be precisely what Barrie must push themselves to the subsequent stage.
Akey isn’t eligible to play within the AHL till the 2025-26 marketing campaign, so a strong return to kind this coming marketing campaign could be the perfect state of affairs for each Akey and the Oilers as he begins to construct momentum in direction of the beginning of his skilled hockey profession. Elusive and offensive-minded two manner defenders are extremely wanted within the NHL at this time – if Akey can return from damage and discover his recreation, he may very effectively develop right into a top-four defenseman for Edmonton within the years forward.
#4: Shane Lachance (Left Wing)
In the event you’re unfamiliar with Shane Lachance, his is a reputation you’d do effectively to comply with over the approaching years. At 6-foot-5 and 220-pounds, it’s exhausting to overlook him on the ice with Boston College of the NCAA. In his freshman marketing campaign this previous season, he netted 13 targets and 27 factors and shortly turned a fixture inside BU’s lineup. Recognized for his heavy shot and skill to guard the puck, he’s additionally a pure chief and was not too long ago named as his staff’s captain forward of the 2024-25 season.
If Lachance continues to enhance this season and leads his staff on a deep playoff run, he may very well be a candidate to signal his entry-level contract with the Oilers subsequent offseason and bounce into the AHL to start the 2025-26 marketing campaign. Nonetheless, as a result of signing an expert contract would instantly finish his profession at BU, it’s extra seemingly that he turns into an choice to Edmonton in just a few years’ time. A towering, two-way ahead is an asset that NHL groups search lengthy and extensive for, so if the Oilers want to attend a pair extra seasons for Lachance’s arrival, it should have been time effectively spent.
#3: Sam O’Reilly (Centre)
Sam O’Reilly loved a breakout season with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 2023-24, scoring 20 targets and accumulating 56 factors as a rookie. A wonderful defensive centre who performs the sport exhausting but responsibly, O’Reilly’s hard-working nature and detail-oriented play made him a transparent goal for Edmonton and their first-round decide. Also known as an agitator, O’Reilly performs a heavy recreation and likes to shut down his opposing staff’s prime gamers with efficient stick work and strong physique checks. His mere 34 penalty minutes in 68 common season contests final season is a testomony to his means to play as much as the road, however not over it.
As an 18-year-old, O’Reilly will return to the high-flying Knights of the OHL at some stage in the 2024-25 marketing campaign. Since London is a perennial powerhouse, it’s tough to successfully assess O’Reilly’s offensive recreation. With 13 drafted gamers on their roster, the Knights can rating targets at will and offense is unfold extensively all through their lineup. If O’Reilly can produce at a point-per-game fee this coming season or higher, will probably be a real indication that his offensive prowess is enhancing alongside his high quality defensive play.
#2: Roby Jarventie (Left Wing)
When the Oilers traded former first-round draft alternative Xavier Bourgault and Jake Chiasson to the Ottawa Senators this offseason in alternate for Roby Jarventie, it was a transfer that left many Edmonton followers scratching their heads. Nonetheless, the fact of the state of affairs is that the Oilers might have stolen a top quality winger from the Senators in what may quantity to an underwhelming return. At 22 years outdated, Jarventie was a point-per-game participant within the AHL final season and skated in seven video games with Ottawa, registering one level in restricted ice time.
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Coming into the 2024-25 season, Jarventie can have the chance to grab a job inside the Oilers’ bottom-six. Whereas it’s extra seemingly that he’ll start the 12 months with Bakersfield within the AHL, Jarventie’s fast-paced recreation and skill to generate offence off of the frenzy make him a wonderful candidate to push for ice time because the season unfolds and accidents happen. And, at 6-foot-2 and 215 kilos, the native of Tampere, Finland has the flexibility to play a bodily and gritty model of recreation – traits which can serve him effectively if he’s in a position to crack the Oilers’ roster out of coaching camp.
#1: Matthew Savoie (Centre)
Initially drafted by the Buffalo Sabres within the first spherical of the 2022 NHL Draft, Savoie is an electrifying offensive expertise who has persistently produced staggering totals all through his Western Hockey League (WHL) profession. Acquired in alternate for Ryan McLeod and Ty Tullio, Savoie collected a whopping 71 factors in a mere 34 common season contests in 2023-24, and added one other 24 factors within the postseason en path to a WHL championship with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Not solely is Savoie an elite-level playmaker, however he has the innate means to make his teammates higher gamers on a nightly foundation.
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Slated to start the approaching marketing campaign with the Bakersfield Condors, Savoie will probably be afforded each alternative to show himself as not solely the Oilers’ prime prospect however as a teen able to thriving in skilled hockey at a younger age. If Savoie’s earlier expertise within the AHL is any indication of his potential – he recorded 5 factors in six video games with Rochester final season – the Oilers and their fanbase ought to count on a robust season from Savoie, and one which can seemingly see him rewarded with sporadic taking part in time in Edmonton all through the marketing campaign as their seek for depth-scoring continues.
Honourable Mentions
Whereas these prospects aren’t essentially family names, don’t doubt their potential or chance of skating in NHL video games. Every of those three children are unbelievable gamers, and will very effectively take pleasure in breakout seasons with their respective groups through the 2024-25 marketing campaign.
Matvei Petrov (Winger)
Matvei Petrov exploded onto the OHL scene in 2021-22, scoring 40 targets and 90 factors with the North Bay Battalion as a rookie earlier than including one other 27 targets and 93 factors in his second marketing campaign with the staff. Standing 6-foot-2 and tipping the dimensions at 195 kilos, Petrov is a extremely expert winger who performs with an edge alongside an electrifying ability set. He totaled simply 14 factors in 53 video games within the AHL final season, however may develop right into a constant contributor on the skilled stage if afforded extra taking part in time this season.
Connor Ungar (Goalie)
Though his path to skilled hockey has been lengthy and winding, netminder Connor Ungar’s play has been nothing aside from constant. After three terrific seasons within the WHL, Ungar tended the twine for Brock College this previous season the place he was named the USports Rookie of the Yr and Goaltender of the Yr (OUA West). Inked to a two-year deal by the Oilers, he’ll seemingly cut up time between the ECHL and AHL through the 2024-25 marketing campaign, the place he’ll look to determine himself as a reliable netminder on the skilled stage able to competing for NHL ice time.
Dalyn Wakely (Centre)
After going undrafted in his first 12 months of eligibility, Dalyn Wakely exploded in 2023-24 and was nabbed by the Oilers with the 192nd choice within the 2024 NHL Draft. A centre for the North Bay Battalion of the OHL, he notched a whopping 39 targets and 104 factors in 66 common season video games and added one other 23 factors in 16 playoff contests. At 6-feet and 200 kilos, he’s a deadly scorer who additionally performs a bodily and aggressive two-way recreation. Whereas he’s eligible to play on the AHL stage, a return to North Bay and one other terrific OHL season to earn himself a contract with the Oilers is extra seemingly.
Oilers’ Prospect Pool Outlook
As we’ve seen, the Oilers maintain quite a lot of intriguing prospects who’ve confirmed that they’ll thrive and overcome the stiff competitors they face on a nightly foundation. Though not all will skate in NHL video games and even fewer will grow to be influence gamers at hockey’s highest stage, it’s clear that Edmonton’s top-five prospects maintain the potential essential to grow to be game-breaking gamers on the skilled stage in the event that they proceed their present programs of growth.
Whereas Savoie will certainly see time with the Oilers this season, the trail to the NHL for his fellow prime prospects will seemingly be a protracted and winding one. With a forward-heavy pool of prospects and some of the formidable offensive lineups within the NHL, alternatives to crack and safe a spot inside the Oilers’ lineup will certainly show extraordinarily tough to return by for years to return. So, whereas Edmonton’s pool of prospects may actually be stronger, it could be unwise to miss their present crop of younger gamers – many stand poised to take pleasure in terrific seasons in 2024-25 and past.
