Welcome back.

It’s time to kick off Daily Faceoff’s second annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Skaters over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re looking at the Edmonton Oilers.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it: the Edmonton Oilers have one of the worst prospect pools in the league.

And that’s not a surprise to anyone who follows this organization closely. They’re built to win now, and they’re willing to move on from the future to make it work. But having said that, they’ve still found ways to build a better farm system in recent weeks.

It started with the big acquisition of Matthew Savoie, one of the most exciting prospects in the game today. Few players were better in the CHL over the past four years, and his play during his short AHL stint in Rochester was quite something. I can’t wait to see what’s next for him.

Then, the club moved on from Xavier Bourgault, trading him to Ottawa in exchange for Roby Järventie. Bourgault was Edmonton’s first-round pick in 2021, but two difficult seasons in the AHL left him on the outside looking in. He has a bit more pure skill than Järventie, but I like the latter’s odds of becoming an NHLer a lot more at this stage in the game.

Making all those moves after selecting Sam O’Reilly in the first round in 2024 is a good thing. But let’s not pretend this is a pipeline worth getting excited about.

Biggest Strengths

If there’s anything this system has, it’s size. Savoie isn’t included, but Raphael Lavoie, Maxim Berezkin and Järventie give the team some beef potential in the bottom six, while Max Wanner could be a smaller replacement for Vincent Desharnais one day. The Oilers already have defined roles for their offensive weapons, but down deep, they’ve got some wingers who can cause a bit of chaos, and you need that in the NHL.

Biggest Weakness

The only player that I feel confident will be an impact, everyday player for the Oilers is Savoie. I’m not completely sold on O’Reilly just yet, but his flexibility as a center and a winger helps him. Beau Akey might make it work, but the lost time due to injury this year means he’ll be playing catch-up in 2024-25. Beyond that, we’re mostly looking at support players. That’s not always a bad thing, but there truly aren’t many pieces worth getting excited about right now.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Jeff Jackson (interim)
Dir. Amateur Scouting: Rick Pracey
Dir. of Player Development: Kalle Larsson
AHL Affiliate: Bakersfield Condors
ECHL Affiliate: Fort Wayne Komets

*Matt Savoie (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Matthew Savoie, C, 20 (Bakersfield, AHL)

Acquired: Traded by Buffalo Sabres in 2024

What a pickup for the Oilers. They now have a top-40 prospect in the NHL, someone with legitimate top-six potential. I like Savoie, who, at 5-foot-9, is definitely on the smaller side, but his skill level isn’t. The first thing that stands out when watching Savoie is his playmaking. He plays the game at a high pace, which means making decisions on the fly under pressure. When the game’s moving slowly around him, he uses his patience to make the right pass at the right time. For someone who touches the puck as often as Savoie does, we don’t see him giving it up often or sending it to someone who isn’t ready. When Savoie makes a pass, he does it with a purpose. But the young center can also destroy you with his quick hands and flashy moves, especially in 1-on-1 breakaway situations. It’ll be interesting to see how the Oilers handle his development, but I think he should spend significant time in Bakersfield, focusing on becoming stronger and allowing him to learn how to beat older, stronger competition.

2. Beau Akey, RHD, 19 (Barrie, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 56th overall, second round in 2023

I really liked this pick last year because I was expecting a big season from Akey with Brandt Clarke leaving Barrie. Instead, Akey’s season was cut short after 14 games, just as he was starting to really show what he was capable of. Still, he’s been great in the OHL so far and think he’s a good enough two-way threat to be a long-term option for the Oilers. He’s a right-handed defender, something the team really needs, too. Some people think he could challenge for an Oilers roster spot in 2025-26, but I’d like to see him hone in on his defensive game and become more responsible in his own zone.

3. Sam O’Reilly, RW, 18 (London, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 32nd overall, first round in 2024

*Sam O’Reilly (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

The Oilers must really like O’Reilly, given they traded up to get him. O’Reilly was one of the biggest movers for the 2024 draft due to his play as a smart, two-way center. He had a solid playoff run, too, playing a great secondary role. O’Reilly was playing Jr. B with the London Nationals last year, but it didn’t take him long to get acclimated to the speed and tenacity of the OHL. He put up better numbers than Easton Cowan did last year and just below Denver Barkey, so that’s a good sign. O’Reilly is toolsy, which is important for a player his age, and I love how well he plays with the puck on his stick.

4. Maxim Berezkin, RW, 22 (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL)

Acquired: Drafted 138th overall, fifth round in 2020

I’m not sure what type of role he’ll have when he comes over, but I do think Berezkin can become an NHLer. He’s 6-foot-4, 212 pounds and is very difficult to contain when he’s at speed. He also has a good shot that he put on display often during the playoffs, where he seemingly played his best hockey of the year. There are times when I think Berezkin needs to be a bit more selfish and stop relying on his teammates to shoot the puck because he has the pure skill to make it happen himself. But as a whole, I think the Oilers should do everything possible to bring him over after his KHL contract ends this spring.

5. Olivier Rodrigue, G, 24 (Bakersfield, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 62nd overall, second round in 2018

Rodrigue had an excellent season in Bakersfield and could have easily taken over as Stuart Skinner’s backup instead of Calvin Pickard. Rodrigue hasn’t played an NHL game yet so his lack of experience didn’t help, but he was a standout in the AHL last year with a career-best record of 19-21-5 and a save percentage of .916. Rodrique has excellent footwork and does a good job of reading passes, allowing him to get ahead of quality scoring chances. There isn’t a clear path forward for Rodrique to take the next step in his NHL career, but I think he has played well enough to warrant at least a chance to play a few games if one of Edmonton’s other goalies goes down with an injury.

6. Roby Järventie, RW, 21 (Bakersfield, AHL)

Acquired: Traded by Ottawa Senators in 2024

From a skill perspective, Bourgeault is a better prospect than Järventie. But from an NHL viewpoint, I think Järventie is going to have a better shot at making it work out. From my viewings, I love how hard Järventie works for the puck, how well he anticipates plays, and how he uses his 6-foot-2, 214-pound frame to win battles. Injuries have limited his game output the past two years, but he still played at around a point per game with the Belleville Senators last year. I also thought Järventie was one of the best players at the Buffalo Prospect Challenge tournament last September, too, just getting himself in the way of the puck at all times. I see some bottom-six potential for Järventie, and I think he’ll thrive in a role like that.

7. Max Wanner, RHD, 21 (Bakersfield, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 212th overall, seventh round in 2021

Many people I’ve talked to are really impressed with Wanner’s progress. He’s primarily a shutdown defenseman, but scoring seven goals as a rookie defenseman who has never been too offensively inclined is quite solid. He’s big and mobile and has already played significant minutes despite being one of the youngest players on the Condors. I expect him to play at least another year in Bakersfield, but I think he could step into some NHL games this year without being a liability. The fact many think he could go from being a seventh-rounder to an impact NHLer shows how far he has come in his development.

8. Raphaël Lavoie, C/RW, 23 (Bakersfield, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 38th overall, second round in 2019

*Raphael Lavoie (Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports)*

I really wanted to like Lavoie – a big, 6-foot-4 forward with a great shot. The Oilers took him 38th overall in 2019, but he just hasn’t panned out. He’ll be 24 once the regular season begins and he only has seven NHL games to his credit, failing to register a point last year. He’s a good AHLer, having set a career-high of 28 goals and 50 points this past season, but I just don’t see enough to suggest he’s NHL material in any meaningful way. I have seen improvement, especially with his skating and defensive reads, but I still feel like he’s too much of a perimeter player at this point. Consistency has been an issue at points, but less so last year, at least. Lavoie needs to take a big step forward this year if he’s going to have a shot at being more than just a complementary player.

9. Matvey Petrov, RW, 21 (Bakersfield, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 180th overall, sixth round in 2021

After two excellent seasons with the North Bay Battalion, many were intrigued to see what Petrov could do in his first year of pro hockey. He finished with just nine goals and 14 points in 53 games, but he mainly played in the bottom six and saw next to no power-play time. For a high-end junior producer like him, that was definitely a change, but I can see him scoring 15-20 next year once he’s given more responsibilities. He’s still young with little pro experience to his credit, but I think he has the puck skills to be a real asset for Bakersfield. His skating and lack of physicality don’t help him, though.

10. Paul Fischer, LHD, 19 (Univ. of Notre Dame, NCAA)

Acquired: Traded by St. Louis Blues in 2024

Fischer is an interesting prospect because you saw someone with such little offensive upside from the time watching him at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. But with 16 points in 34 games as a freshman at Notre Dame, Fischer seemingly exceeded all expectations. I then was really impressed with how engaged he was at both ends of the ice with the USA at the World Junior Summer Showcase, and he should be in the hunt to make the team this December. But the real driving force behind Fischer’s game is his defensive play. He doesn’t get lulled into pinching or overcommitting and doesn’t make a ton of mistakes with the puck. Fischer is best when you don’t notice him or when he’s keeping puck distribution simple from his own zone. I think Fischer is far from a guarantee to make the NHL, but he’s safe enough that coaches won’t have to worry about him being too accident-prone.

Other notables: James Stefan, RW (20), Jayden Grubbe, C (21), Brady Stonehouse, RW (19), Connor Clattenburg, C (19), William Nicholl, C (18), Dalyn Wakely, C (20), Matt Copponi, C (21), Joel Maatta, C (22), Shane Lachance, LW (20), Maxim Denezhkin, C (23), Tomas Mazura, C (23), Berry Bauer, LHD (18), Albin Sundin, LHD (19), Nikita Yevseyev, LHD (20), Luca Munzenberger, LHD (21), Connor Ungar, G (22), Nathaniel Day, G (19), Samuel Jonsson, G (20), Eemil Vinni, G (18)

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