The Oilers' best prospect since Evan Bouchard is on the doorstep of the major leagues.

It's hard to stay on top.

Every team faces this problem during its contention cycle: How do we supplement our core with cheap players as that core becomes more expensive? 

The answer is prospects. The Boston Bruins have stayed at the top of the league for years because David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman rose up to replace Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, and Tuukka Rask. The Dallas Stars are on their third such wave of prospects as Wyatt Johnston, Thomas Harley, and Logan Stankoven make their names in the NHL.

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It hasn't quite gone that way in Edmonton, as evidenced by the fact that none of their first-round picks since 2019 are still in the organization. That's why they traded Ryan McLeod for Buffalo Sabres prospect Matt Savoie over the summer, and it looks like it's about to pay off.

As the Oilers returned from the break for their first practice on Tuesday, they were joined by their best prospect since Evan Bouchard. With three players still at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Savoie and the recently sent-down Derek Ryan were invited for big league practice.

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"It's really exciting, just to see where I can potentially play," Savoie said after practice. "It brings a lot of excitement, and I want to push myself as much as I can to get to that next level and be a contributor."

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Savoie's invite to practice was about more than just giving him a cool experience. The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman reports that Savoie will be recalled "soon," likely playing a few games during their upcoming five-game road trip.

With the trade deadline looming, the Oilers could be hoping Savoie can be an internal addition to bolster their scoring depth, similar to how John Klingberg's signing is expected to help on defence. 

"He's progressing and playing really well," head coach Kris Knoblauch said on Tuesday. "We want to look and see how he fits into our lineup, whether there's a fit with somebody. He's earned it."

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If the 21-year-old can stick at the NHL level, maybe even in the top six, it would solve a lot of problems for the Oilers now and in the future. Not only is Savoie on a cheap deal this year, but he'll make just $886,666 for the next two years as well. 

That kind of low-cost production is what wins Stanley Cups, especially with looming raises for Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard.

First, of course, Savoie has to make his Oilers debut.

"He's absolutely earned it," Knoblauch said. "We're looking forward to seeing him play."

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