How an Edmonton Oilers’ playoff run may dictate future of younger players

In his last 11 games entering the Thursday night showdown against the Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers rookie winger Matt Savoie scored two goals and 10 points. He’s thriving on the power play and penalty kill, and in recent days has moved up to the No. 1 line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. Since Feb. 25, he has posted 3.25 points per 60 at five-on-five. That’s impact level offence. For Savoie, this is the window of opportunity to establish himself as a top right winger on a skill line in Edmonton. He’s making the best of it. For the organization, Savoie’s success represents a successful bet. When general manager Stan Bowman made room for Savoie and Ike Howard last fall, there was both risk and opportunity. Savoie’s speed, intelligence and two-way acumen are exactly what the Oilers needed this season. The fact that it’s all wrapped around a value contract that helps the salary cap pressure is an added bonus. The final test for Savoie, and for Bowman’s bet, will come in the postseason. How will Savoie’s performance in the playoffs inform Edmonton’s future? Can the Oilers grow their own complete players, as management did 20 years ago with Shawn Horcoff and Fernando Pisani? Here’s a look. Since he arrived as general manager, Bowman has been adding younger players in an effort to bring more speed and aggressive checking to the forward group. Vasily Podkolzin was a plug-and-play addition in the fall of 2024, with Savoie getting the same opportunity last fall. Howard, a more one-dimensional offensive winger, made the opening-night roster but was eventually sent down to the AHL. Savoie survived, and then thrived, giving the organization youth, speed and value contracts. If it worked two years in a row, can it work again this fall? The salary cap is going up, so the pressure to find inexpensive contracts will ease a little for the Oilers. The need for speed will remain, and there are other areas of the roster Bowman may want to use the money on. Edmonton has some promising young forwards coming up behind Podkolzin and Savoie. The Bakersfield Condors debuted some impressive talent this fall, many of whom earned a recall to the big club. Howard made the team out of camp, while winger Quinn Hutson and centre Josh Samanski have also had opportunities. Samanski may be the next man up for the Bakersfield pipeline. He has exceeded expectations and remains on the roster. Here are the forwards who qualify as NHL rookies this season: This is a long and significant list of NHL rookie forwards. The last time the Oilers had six rookie centre/wingers was 2018-19, when Kailer Yamamoto arrived in the NHL. This isn’t a rebuild, but if enough young forwards can establish themselves, Bowman will have accomplished a reset in short order. For the Oilers, Savoie’s success may be difficult to repeat from the names above. Savoie’s offensive ability, combined with two-way ability and quick adjustments, makes him a fairly complete player, even as a rookie. The most pure talent among the rest of the group is Howard. He’s both a pure scorer and has impressive passing ability, but his work without the puck remains an issue based on reports from Bakersfield. Teams need forwards with a range of skills, and Howard owns the single most difficult skill (scoring goals) to procure, but it doesn’t mean he’s a fit for this coach and team. The Oilers will be in pursuit of the Stanley Cup next season. It’s possible the team moves on from Howard over the summer. Samanski was signed out of the DEL last spring and has been a revelation since the fall. His five-on-five goal share indicates a mature player, and he has also delivered some offence in his first trip around the NHL. For a team in need of two-way centres, grabbing one for only money from the German league was a major positive for the organization. Hutson also has a reputation for responsible play and could push his way to regular duty in the NHL next season. Colton Dach was acquired at the deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks; his numbers above reflect time with both Chicago and Edmonton. Dach is a physical forward who has some skill and could play a role down the stretch and into the postseason once he recovers from injury. Connor Clattenburg is a similar type, rambunctious with some surprising skill. All of the rookies who made an appearance this year should see action in 2026-27. As impressive as this group of rookies has been this year (mostly in small samples), there is a concern. Foot speed. NHL Edge has Howard in the 86th percentile, Savoie in the 77th percentile in max speed, Dach in the 69th percentile and the rest below 50 percent. Those two-way talents need to keep up, and Samanski appears capable, but he’s not a burner. The Oilers need for speed will drive a lot of the decisions made in the fall. More in the pipeline Edmonton recalled winger Roby Jarventie on an emergency basis Thursday. At the morning skate, it was uncertain whether winger Kasperi Kapanen would be able to play (he did), so Jarventie came close to seeing his first action as an Oilers player. He’s a rambunctious winger who can also play centre and has both passing and shooting skills. Jarventie brings plus speed and size (6-foot-3, 209 pounds) to the game. Oilers fans and players were served another reminder that even a depleted Panthers team has all the answers against Edmonton. The Oilers’ moves made in the offseason to get younger and faster with fewer no-movement contracts were necessary, but nights like Thursday are painful for all involved. One of the keys to improving this roster is to keep the pipeline moving. Podkolzin and Savoie will eventually replace aging veterans on the skill lines permanently, and Howard and perhaps Samanski will also have a chance to establish themselves. Savoie’s postseason may be key. If he can perform at a high level, management may be less tempted to sign another round of no-movement contracts with aging veterans. It’s vital for Bowman to add young players with a range of skills who can grow with the team, no matter how this year’s team finishes.