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It’s time for Daily Faceoff’s third 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 (Ivan Ivan, for example, spent more time in the NHL than AHL last year, making him ineligilble for this list). Players over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re breaking down the Edmonton Oilers.

Shoutout to the Oilers. Over the past two summers, they’ve made a pair of moves to acquire Matthew Savoie and Ike Howard just in time to make their pipeline a bit more dangerous.

Granted, that’s not a high bar – their pipeline is near the bottom in the NHL. They’re focused on winning now and the future has taken a hit as a result. That’s normal. But adding one of the most dominant CHLers in recent years, and now the reigning Hobey Baker Award winner, is a nice haul without having to give up too much to get it.

There have been plenty of changes in Edmonton’s pipeline over the past year. Sam O’Reilly was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning to get Ike Howard. Beau Akey fell a few spots after a so-so season. Olivier Rodrigue didn’t get a new deal with the Oilers. Max Wanner was traded at the deadline. Raphael Lavoie bounced on waivers for like two weeks straight before ending up in Vegas. Matvey Petrov struggled in the AHL. And that’s all just in the top 10.

It might not be a deep pipeline, but it’s better than a year ago, that’s for sure.

Biggest Strength

The best way to put it – “guys who can be difficult to play against in the bottom six.” You look at the Florida Panthers and everything that has made them to dangerous. They’ll grind you down to the death, and the Oilers know that better than anyone. In Edmonton’s system, they have Maxim Berezkin, Roby Järventie, David Lewandowski, Tommy Lafrenière and Josh Samanski. All of them have different skillsets, but they all make themselves difficult to play against by either beating you with their work ethic or their brute force. Even if just two of them make it, that’ll be a bonus.

Biggest Weakness

There are a few ways to go here, but there isn’t a single defenseman I feel confident about. I’ve become less of a Beau Akey fan over the past two years (his injuries haven’t helped), and I feel like Paul Fischer maxes out as a No. 6/7 defenseman. I don’t really believe in any other defender in the system. The Oilers keep trading away all their picks, so it’s hard to stockpile the blueline. But they need to bolster their back end sooner rather than later.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Stan Bowman
Dir. Amateur Scouting: Rick Pracey
Senior Dir. of Player Development: Kalle Larsson
AHL Affiliate: Bakersfield Condors
ECHL Affiliate: Fort Wayne Komets

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

*Ike Howard (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

1. Matt Savoie, C/RW, 21 (Bakersfield Condors, AHL)

Acquired: Traded by Buffalo Sabres in 2024

Savoie was a dominant producer in the WHL and continued that success to the AHL, where he had 19 goals and 54 points in 66 games. He made Bakersfield much, much more dangerous every time he touched the puck – simple as that. He blends high-end playmaking with loads of skill, and I like his skating, too. As a smaller forward at 5-foot-9, the odds will always be against him, but I have always been a Savoie believer and that hasn’t changed in the slightest over the past year. I think he’ll have some tough competition to beat in training camp, but I think he has a realistic shot at making the Oilers this year.

2. Ike Howard, LW, 21 (Edmonton Oilers)

Acquired: Traded by Tampa Bay Lightning in 2025

Perhaps one of the biggest stories of the summer was the deal that sent Howard from Tampa Bay to Edmonton in exchange for Sam O’Reilly. Both were among their respective teams’ top prospects, despite playing significantly different styles and being at different points in their development. Howard is coming off winning the Hobey Baker Award as the top college hockey player, and he also snagged a gold medal with USA at the World Championship. It was a dream season for Howard, who had nothing left to prove at the college level. Howard has an excellent shot release and his skating is a serious positive. Scouts are worried that he won’t thrive unless he’s paired with a center who could take away some of the defensive responsibilities, but the Oilers definitely have the manpower to do that. And before you get too excited – players who have won the Hobey in their upper-class years have rarely panned out over the past 15 years. Hopefully for Edmonton, that’s not the case – and it was definitely a trade worth making.

3. Samuel Jonsson, G, 21 (Bakersfield Condors, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted: 158th overall, fifth round in 2022

Jonsson has turned out to be quite the value pickup. I preferred Finnish-born Eemil Vinni a year ago, but he struggled this past season. Jonsson had a fantastic year in the second-tier Swedish league, posting a 17-6-0 record with a .922 save percentage through 24 games while sharing the crease with Norwegian veteran Lars Volden. Now set to come to North America, the 6-foot-5 Jonsson looks set to take his game to Bakersfield this season. He’s very quick for his size and doesn’t give up many poor rebounds. He also has a quick glove hand, allowing few poor goals on that side. I could see Jonsson having a potential future as a backup, but I’m really happy with his progress over the past season as a whole.

4. Beau Akey, RHD, 20 (Bakersfield Condors, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 56th overall, second round in 2023

*Beau Akey (Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports)*

It’s been an interesting few years for Akey, who has had to overcome a pair of shoulder injuries in recent seasons. Drafted in the second round in 2023, Akey made a great first impression with the Oilers at development camp shortly after the draft but then had to make up for lost time. He made Canada’s World Junior team this past year, but seemed to get outplayed by Kashawn Aitcheson in Barrie. Akey still finished with 32 points but was tracking for 50 at one point. I’m less convinced he’s an NHLer now, but he has a perfect opportunity for a fresh start in Bakersfield this year. He needs a lot of ice time – simple as that.

5. Maxim Berezkin, RW, 23 (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL)

Acquired: Drafted 138th overall, fifth round in 2020

Berezkin had his best KHL season to date, scoring 15 goals and 42 points in 66 games en route to a KHL championship. He played a big part on Yaroslavl, showing value as a great puck handler and passer. He’s also 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, which is also a major positive. He turns 24 in the fall, and with another year left on his deal, next spring will be the absolute right time to bring him over and potentially add some extra value for Edmonton’s playoff run. Is he a good enough skater for the NHL? We’ll see, but I still think the Oilers love the value they got out of the fifth round half a decade ago.

6. Roby Järventie, LW, 22 (Bakersfield Condors, AHL)

Acquired: Traded by Ottawa Senators in 2024

*Roby Jarventie (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

A few months ago, it looked like Järventie’s NHL dreams were over. He signed a contract with Tappara in Finland after playing just two AHL games due to injuries this season. But a month later, the Oilers inked him to a one-year extension, giving the Finnish winger one last chance. Injuries have sadly impacted Järventie’s career, having played just 71 games over the past three years (primarily within the Ottawa Senators’ organization). He’s been excellent in the AHL and looks like a true bottom-six threat. But it’s hard to feel truly confident in his health given how much time he has missed. If he comes out swinging in the AHL next year, I could see him earning some time with the big club. But this might be his last real chance to prove himself.

7. Josh Samanski, C, 23 (Bakersfield Condors, AHL)

Acquired: Signed as a free agent in 2025

The more I watch Samanski, the more I like him. The big center battles like he’s got something personal against everyone, and he uses that to his advantage in front of the opposition’s net. When I first saw him play in the OJHL half a decade ago, he struggled to handle the speed and physicality he went up against most nights. He’d hit, but he got hit – a lot. This past year, he honed in on his offensive game in Germany, and he’s at a point now where I like him as a depth energy forward. At 6-foot-3, and with the ability to play center and the wing, there’s a lot to like.

8. David Lewandowski, LW, 18 (Saskatoon Blades, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted 117th overall, fourth round in 2025

I know Lewandowski was taken after Tommy Lafreniere, but I liked Lewandowski more prior to the draft. The German forward was excellent at the World Juniors and I thought he was good at the U-18s to close out the year. Albeit, I was hoping for a bit more offense – but his off-puck play was great, at least. He’s good around the net, using his muscle to outwork players and get into scoring lanes. The Saskatoon Blades forward feels like a future breakout candidate – someone who has the raw talent, but just needs to put it to use every single night. I’m definitely not sold on his NHL potential, but I think a big season or two could really thrust him into the conversation.

9. Tommy Lafrenière, C, 18 (Kamloops Blazers, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted 83rd overall, third round in 2025

Lafrenière had an excellent WHL rookie season, scoring 24 goals and 56 points. He was a bit of a late-bloomer, having gone in the eighth round of the 2022 WHL Draft and having not played a full season until 2024-25. Still, his pace is excellent – he rarely seems to slow down. I don’t think he’ll be a producer in the NHL, but if he makes it, I love his potential as an energy guy. He’s an easy guy to root for, too – he’s always smiling and always making his line more difficult to play against. The Oilers might have a lot of potential fourth-liners, but Lafrenière plays with more pace than any of them.

10. Paul Fischer, LHD, 20 (University of Notre Dame, NCAA)

Acquired: Traded by St. Louis Blues in 2024

*Paul Fischer (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Fischer is an interesting prospect because you saw someone with so little offensive upside when he played for 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. Last year was even better, improving to 21 points as he continued to play a big role. 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.

The rest: Quinn Hutson, RW (23), Viljami Marjala, LW (22), James Stefan, RW (21), Jayden Grubbe, C (22), Connor Clattenburg, C (20), Brady Stonehouse, RW (20), Matvey Petrov, LW (22), Aidan Park, C (19), William Nicholl, C (19), Dalyn Wakely, C (21), Matt Copponi, C (22), Joel Maatta, C (23), Petr Hauser, RW (21), Asher Barnett, LHD (18), Bauer Berry, LHD (19), Albin Sundin, RHD (20), Damien Carfagna, LHD (22), Nikita Yevseyev, LHD (21), Connor Ungar, G (23), Nathaniel Day, G (20), Daniel Salonen, G (19), Eemil Vinni, G (19)

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