4 Oilers rookies who could challenge for NHL spots this season
The Edmonton Oilers are set to open up training camp this week and all eyes will be on players battling it out for NHL spots.
Following such an incredible run to the Stanley Cup Final last season, the pressure on the team to finish the job this year is higher than ever before. Plenty of changes were made to the roster, with a few key players added and subtracted.
Camp starts tomorrow‼️😁 pic.twitter.com/GduUrwX4Eg
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 17, 2024
This will leave a few spots for a select number of players to compete for, some of which could wind up being handed to some rookies if they manage to impress the coaching staff at camp.
The Oilers may be one of the oldest teams in the entire league right now, but these four rookies will try their best to help lower the average age:
1. Matthew Savoie
There is no doubt that summer trade acquisition Matthew Savoie is the best bet of all the Oilers rookies at camp to win a spot on the NHL roster to open the season.
Acquired in a trade that saw Ryan McLeod be sent to the Buffalo Sabres, Savoie is a former ninth-overall pick from the 2022 NHL draft and is coming off two seasons in the WHL where he absolutely torched the competition.
He managed 47 points in just 23 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors last season and added 23 more points in 19 playoff games en route to a WHL championship. Savoie is a bit undersized at five foot nine, but there is no question that he possesses some elite offensive abilities.
The ideal spot may be in the top six, which will be hard to crack on this Oilers team, but if the team wants some firepower in the bottom six, Savoie may be the best bet.
2. Maximus Wanner
Edmonton’s revamped defensive corps will have at least two spots up for grabs on the right side as the team tries to fill the voids left by the departures of Cody Ceci and Philip Broberg.
There are NHL options available for the team to play in those spots with the likes of Troy Stecher, Ty Emberson, and Josh Brown, but all three players aren’t exactly world-beaters when it comes to their reputations.
As such, none will be guaranteed a spot in the NHL club heading into camp, giving 2021 Oilers’ seventh-round pick Maximus Wanner a better opportunity to show what he is capable of.
The 21-year-old has done quite a bit to raise his stock in the past few years and is now one of the team’s most promising defensive prospects. He is more known for his defensive abilities than his offensive chops, which is exactly the type of player Edmonton needs in that bottom-four group after Evan Bouchard.
3. Noah Philp
It may seem like a long shot, but if Noah Philp can pick up where he left off before taking a year-long break from hockey, he may have an outside shot at playing some NHL games this season.
The former University of Alberta player looked good in his first full pro season in the AHL back in 2022-23, notching 37 points in 70 games. He sat out the entirety of the 2023-24 season due to personal reasons but has resigned with the Oilers to make a return this year.
He will be battling for the fourth-line centre spot alongside NHL veteran Derek Ryan, sophomore James Hamblin, and journeyman Lane Pederson. Philp does hold a size advantage over all these players.
4. Roby Jarventie
Acquired by the Oilers this offseason in a deal that sent former first-round pick Xavier Bourgault to the Ottawa Senators, Jarventie is another interesting young player who could surprise in training camp.
The 22-year-old Finnish winger has had some success since turning pro. He put up around 30 points in his first two AHL seasons, got seven games in the NHL last season and was just under a point-per-game in the AHL before injuries limited him to just 22 games.
Jarventie’s health will be a question going into camp, but if he can impress, he may be able to grab a depth role in the Oilers’ bottom six or, at the very least, be a call-up option in case of injury.