The Oilers got a good look at draft picks, camp invitees, and free agent signings at the 2023 Development Camp.

Many Edmonton Oilers drafted prospects and camp invitees were looking to prove themselves as players coming into this season’s development camp. Each player has a different story coming into the rink whether it was batting injuries or just being an underdog looking to prove it to the management. One of the most appreciable stories is surrounding Carter Savoie.

Carter Savoie Making A Comeback For The Oilers

Savoie, who was drafted in the 2020 NHL draft in the fourth-round, who is also the brother of Buffalo Sabres prospect Matthew Savoie, is looking to rebound after a year of injuries in his first professional season with the Edmonton organization. "Yeah, obviously there were ups and downs last season. I had a couple injuries there and didn't play as many games as I would've liked to," But it's a good learning step for me”, Savoie stated in an interview with the Oilers.

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Savoie is one of the Oilers most intriguing forward prospects in the system. His best attribute is his knack for the offensive side of the game. Adjusting to your first-season as a pro can be a challenge in itself, especially when you're dealing with injuries. But even in a season where Savoie struggled consistently, he still showcased his elite shot, being one of the best players on the Bakersfield Condors in shooting percentage.

Fan favorite Tyler Tullio is looking to showcase even more skill coming into his second pro season with the Condors. In his first season he posted 26 points in 63 games. Tullio has showcased to the Oilers organization that he wants to get better and prove he can play as a top player on the roster. Throughout last season he did just that, as in the beginning of the season he was towards the bottom of the lineup and at the end of the year he was playing top line minutes.

Xavier Bourgault is another player who will be looking to make an impact this season with the AHL club. Bourgault showcased elite offensive skills and will continue to do so this upcoming year. Bourgault is a player who could realistically have some playing time with the Oilers in 2023-24. Jake Chiasson, Beau Akey, Matvei Petrov, and Jayden Grubbe were among other signed and drafted prospects at camp.

New Prospects Getting A Shot

Akey is the newest Oiler to the organization. Drafted in the second round in the recent 2023 draft, Akey played this past season with the Barrie Colts of the OHL. Akey is a valued right-handed defenseman who can play a strong two-way game. Grubbe recently signed an entry-level contract and will start the season with the Condors. A defensively intelligent forward, Grubbe can be a notable point producer. In the past four seasons (194 games) with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL, he notched 39 goals, and 95 assists for 134 points. Grubbe should slot well into the Bakersfield lineup.

The Oilers invited 14 free agent signings and invites to development camp. Camp invite Will Zapernick has some experience playing alongside prospect  Savoie with the Sherwood Park Crusaders. The 23 year-old forward from Edmonton has played the past three seasons with the University of Vermont. Defenseman Mike Brown out of Merrimack college who was a camp invite is a teammate of newly drafted forward from Massachusetts, Matt Copponi. Definitely nice to see teammates coming together to display their skills in front of an NHL club.

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Carl Berglund is an intriguing free agent signing. He appeared in six games with the Condors last season after playing four years with University of Massachusetts-Lowell, recently serving as team captain this past year.

Defenseman Noah Van Vliet has an interesting story. After playing junior B in the OJHL, he earned a shot in the OHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs. He played his first full season with the team this year posting three goals, 12 assists for 15 points. The left-handed defenseman can play a strong game. That strong game earned him an opportunity to an NHL development camp. One of the younger camp invites was Medicine Hat Tigers defenseman Josh Van Mulligen. Van Mulligen played in his first full WHL season this year. While he went undrafted in the recent 2023 NHL draft, earning a camp invite is an honor in itself. He plays a smart game and can skate very well with the puck up ice.

Another 2005 born camp invite was goaltender Zachary Bowen from the London Knights. In 26 games with the Knights, Bowen posted a 3.10 GAA and a .899 save percentage, with a 17-4-0 record. Quite the impression for his first OHL season.

All in all, it was a successful development camp for all involved. It will be exciting to see what prospects will make an appearance at the Oilers training camp. 

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