After a brief period of sadness, the mood amongst Edmonton Oilers fans has risen. Despite a recent Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final, many believe this team will win it all this coming season. In fact, they are viewed as the favourites on many different gambling sites.
The biggest reason for the even bigger hype surrounding them are the free-agent acquisitions of Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson, both of whom are expected to play in their top six. Pair that with guys like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and you have a team that should be able to score at will in 2024-25.
Despite how loaded the top of their roster is, however, there are still some questions surrounding a few spots lower in the lineup. There are a few younger players who, with a good training camp, could find themselves on the opening night roster. In the same breath, some veterans risk getting cut if they aren’t at their best. Here’s a look at five who will need to impress in training camp.
Raphael Lavoie
The time is now or never for Raphael Lavoie in the Oilers organization. The 23-year-old is an excellent two-way player in the American Hockey League (AHL) and has been for a number of seasons now. Unfortunately, his questionable skating, along with the Oilers’ deep lineup, has prevented him from getting many opportunities in the NHL.
The problem for Lavoie is that he doesn’t skate well enough to be an energy player in the bottom six, but also isn’t talented enough to bump any current Oilers players off the top two lines. That said, if he can improve his skating this summer, he may be given an opportunity out of the gate in 2024-25.
Matthew Savoie
The Oilers shocked the hockey world earlier this month when they announced that they had acquired Matthew Savoie from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Ryan McLeod and prospect Tyler Tullio. Many fans had soured on McLeod, and were both shocked and overjoyed that somehow the return was Savoie, a player who was selected ninth overall just two years ago.
Savoie is set to enter his first season of professional hockey, meaning the Oilers may want to place him in the AHL for some seasoning. That said, a strong training camp could go a long way in proving to both management and the coaching staff that he’s ready for the NHL.
Derek Ryan
On the other side of the coin is Derek Ryan. The 37-year-old is a phenomenal story, having logged his first NHL game at the age of 29. He has suited up for 569 more since, and for the vast majority, has been an excellent bottom-six centreman who is capable of providing some solid secondary scoring.
Age seemed to take its toll on Ryan this past season, however, as he managed just five goals and 12 points in 70 games. Never the quickest skater, he looked slow at times, particularly in the playoffs. With a cap hit of just $900,000, he is at risk of being placed on waivers and potentially assigned to the AHL if he struggles in camp.
Troy Stecher
The Oilers surprised many when they chose to re-sign Troy Stecher to a two-year, $1.575 million deal. The 30-year-old was brought into Edmonton at the trade deadline, but served as a healthy scratch more often than not before undergoing season-ending ankle surgery while the Oilers were in the second round of the playoffs.
To Stecher’s credit, he wasn’t given much opportunity last season, and will now have all training camp to show the Oilers coaching staff what he can do. Given that he’s a veteran, he likely has the upper hand over some younger prospects in the organization, but if he struggles, he could find himself placed on waivers.
Josh Brown
In an even more surprising move, the Oilers announced on the opening day of free agency that they had signed defenceman Josh Brown to a three-year, $3 million contract. This was viewed by many as a replacement for Vincent Desharnais, who signed a deal with the Vancouver Canucks. Both are physical players who provide some grit to their respective lineups.
Grit is about all Brown provides, however, as he is one of the worst defencemen in the NHL in terms of analytics. As a new face, he may be given an opportunity on the opening night roster regardless of his camp, but he is a player that won’t have a ton of leash once things actually get underway.
Majority of Roster Locked In
While there are a few spots up for grabs as seen above, the vast majority of the Oilers roster is already decided on. They will be an elite team once again in 2024-25, thanks largely to their forward group. That said, their blue line is better than often credited for, and Stuart Skinner proved himself to be a true number-one goalie this past season. Put all that together, and you have a team that is very capable of hoisting the Stanley Cup.
