NHL Prospect Pool Overview 2024-25: At Least the Edmonton Oilers Now Have Matt Savoie

Next up in the NHL prospect pool overview series is the Edmonton Oilers.

Tony Ferrari examines the Oilers' system to evaluate notable prospects, identify strengths and weaknesses, and determine a player most likely to make the jump to the NHL next season. He also gives the lowdown on each Oilers prospect selected in the 2024 NHL draft.

A player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is no longer considered a prospect for this exercise, except in very specific cases.

First Thoughts

After a trip to the Stanley Cup final on the back of a historic performance from one of the greatest players in NHL history, Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers have their eyes set on a return to the final with a different result. 

But when NHL teams are at their competitive peak, their prospect pool is generally at its weakest.

The Oilers' prospect pool was missing a potential high-impact player at any position, but they addressed that as they looked to create some cap flexibility. The Oilers acquired Matt Savoie, the ninth-overall pick in 2022, in exchange for Ryan McLeod and wing prospect Tyler Tullio. Savoie certainly has the highest upside in the deal, but McLeod brings much more immediate help to the Sabres, who need a smart, reliable bottom-six forward to complement their talented group.

Savoie comes into the Oilers' prospect pool right as he enters what should be his first full pro season. It will be perfect as he should continue his development in the AHL with Bakersfield, and he’s just a call-up away if Edmonton needs some help in the middle six. 

He plays a highly skilled and offensive game, one that could mesh well with the Oilers' talented forward group. Savoie is undersized, though, and his defensive engagement can be lacking. That said, Savoie immediately becomes their top prospect because of his jaw-dropping offensive ability, even if there is some risk because of his lack of physicality and strength.

Edmonton wasn’t done there, though. They made another deal to send former top prospect Xavier Bourgault to the Ottawa Senators, along Jake Chiasson, for winger Roby Jarventie and a fourth-round pick. 

Jarventie is a shooter who moves well and finds pockets of space. There have been flashes of Jarventie riding shotgun with a high-end playmaker and finishing at a high level, but he hasn’t been able to find consistency or stay healthy over the last couple of years. It’s an interesting bet for a team that has guys to do the heavy lifting and could use some depth scoring.

Although he struggled in his first AHL season, Matvey Petrov remains one of the more interesting players in the pipeline. He has a very nice wrist shot, but he is at his best when he passes to teammates. There are times when he is passing into traffic or playing a bit careless, but when he does connect with teammates, Petrov can be a solid dual-threat offensive player. The 21-year-old must take a solid step this season.

Beau Akey lost most of last season to a shoulder injury that required surgery, which is unfortunate because Akey is one of the Oilers' few defense prospects of note. His game is built on skating, so thankfully, that shouldn’t be affected, but the loss of a very important season will hurt. His defensive game and passing ability should be on full display in the OHL this season, assuming he stays healthy.

There are players who bring some defensive ability, such as University of Vermont defender Luca Munzenberger or Russian blueliner Nikita Yevseyev, but neither stand out as prospects with much upside. They are long shots to make the NHL roster in any capacity.

U-23 Players Likely To Be on the NHL Roster

None

2024 NHL Draft Class

Round 1, 32nd overall - Sam O’Reilly, RW, London (OHL)

Round 2, 64th overall - Eemil Vinni, G, Jokipojat (Fin.2)

Round 5, 160th overall - Connor Clattenburg, LW, Flint (OHL)

Round 6, 183rd overall - Albin Sundin, RD, Frolunda Jr. (Swe.)

Round 6, 192nd overall - Dalyn Wakely, C, North Bay (OHL)

Round 7, 196th overall - William Nicholl, C, London (OHL)

Round 7, 218th overall - Bauer Berry, LD, Muskegon (USHL)

Edmonton traded next year’s first-rounder for the final pick of the first round this year to select hard-working winger Sam O’Reilly. The London Knights winger plays a steady, smart game with plenty of pro habits. He isn’t a highly skilled player, but he finds a way to be effective in all facets of the game. He played a depth role in London this year, which is fairly typical for the younger players on the team. Next year, as he is given a bit more of an offensive role, the Oilers hope to see him take an offensive step.

Coming into the year, Eemil Vinni was one of the more interesting names in net. The Finn is an athletic goaltender who moves well in his crease and looks to challenge shooters, especially on the rush. His aggressiveness can make him inconsistent at times, but he is as good a bet as there is in this draft class when it comes to netminders.

After Vinni at 64th overall, the Oilers didn’t make another selection until the fifth round, 160th overall, when they added overager Connor Clattenburg. The 6-foot-2 winger is almost a non-factor offensively, but he is a heat-seeking missile out on the ice. He loves to blow guys up and inflict pain on his opponents.

Albin Sundin was at development camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer after going undrafted, but in his second year of eligibility, the Oilers snapped him up. He split the year between the junior and top pro levels in Sweden, playing a fairly regular shift in the Swedish League playoffs. He isn’t a stud moving the puck, but he moves well enough and makes good decisions most of the time.

Drafting yet another overage prospect, Edmonton grabbed Dalyn Wakely, who saw his offensive production explode this past season. He plays with energy and brings some physicality. Wakley really seemed to find his groove this season, more than doubling his point totals to 104 from 49. His biggest step came as a playmaker, where he learned to use his board play more effectively, turning puck battle wins into passing opportunities.

Yet another player buried on the London depth chart, William Nicholl showed some nice flashes of play this season with a high pace brand of hockey. He was never able to truly get rolling, and there were stretches of games where he disappeared into the background, but in the seventh round, he might be a solid bet to swing on.

The Oilers made it a habit of targeting players who don’t bring much in the way of offense, and they finished the night with Muskegon Lumberjacks defender Bauer Berry. The 6-foot-4 blueliner loves to throw his weight around and make life difficult for the opposing team’s best offensive players. Berry may have limited upside and very seldom makes high-impact plays with the puck, but he could be a stopper on a third pair with some patience and development.

Strengths

Adding Savoie to the prospect pool was huge for the Oilers, and he is the strength of their prospect pool. The former Sabres draft pick is the best player in their pool. He’s truly one of the only players in the pipeline with a realistic shot at playing alongside the Oilers' best players, possibly acting as an offensive creator in the top nine. Savoie is the most skilled player in their system by a mile.

Weaknesses

The Oilers' prospect pool has many weaknesses. They’ve been selling picks and prospects for immediate help on the NHL roster for a few years now as they try to get McDavid and Draisaitl a Stanley Cup. 

The blueline is extremely bare, though. They have one legitimate NHL prospect at the moment, and he missed almost all of last season with an injury. The Oilers added Savoie up front, and that gives them at least one high-impact player. Otherwise, the entire pool is lackluster and among the league’s worst.

Next Man Up: Matt Savoie, C/W

The Oilers might need some scoring punch from their depth players this season, and with Savoie ready to turn pro, he could be in line for an opportunity. It may not be realistic for him to make the lineup out of training camp, but he could be one of the first call-ups if he can get off to a good start in the AHL.

Maybe Savoie is a third-liner who can provide some speed and skill lower in the lineup, or maybe he finds a spot on the wing next to McDavid or Draisaitl. There aren’t many players who are close to the NHL, with Savoie and the recently acquired Jarventie likely being the two closest.

Prospect Depth Chart Notables

LW: Roby Jarventie, Shane Lachance, Connor Clattenburg

C: Matt Savoie, Dalyn Wakely, Jayden Grubbe

RW: Sam O’Reilly, Matvey Petrov, Brady Stonehouse

LD: Luca Munzenberger, Nikita Yevseyev, Bauer Berry

RD: Beau Akey, Maximus Wanner, Albin Sundin

G: Eemil Vinni, Connor Unger, Samuel Jonsson

For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Future Watch and upcoming Yearbook print editions in The Hockey News.