Among the most frequently mentioned criticisms against the Edmonton Oilers this past season was the lack of youth across their roster. <a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/61/edmonton-oilers">Per Elite Prospects</a>, the 2024-25 Oilers held an average age of 29.4, the highest in the NHL.

Though they were just two games away from winning the Stanley Cup, it was reasonable to point out nevertheless. The team&#8217;s age was likely a contributing factor as to why the Oilers as a team were slower in 2024-2025 compared to 2023-24, and it raises concerns about the length of their championship window.
However, Edmonton’s current offseason now gives them the chance to somewhat reverse this narrative surrounding their age.
While the Oilers’ defence and goaltending have remained intact (so far), the front office has made multiple changes to their forward core this summer. <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/evander-kane-most-memorable-highlights-with-edmonton-oilers">Evander Kane</a>, Viktor Arvidsson, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/jeff-skinner-season-trying-find-steady-role-with-edmonton-oilers">Jeff Skinner</a>, Connor Brown, and Corey Perry have all left the organization via trade or free agency. Keep in mind that the former four are in their early-to-mid thirties, while Perry just turned 40 this past May. 
The only major forward that the Oilers have added this summer is Andrew Mangiapane, who has 123 goals and 243 points over 498 games in his NHL career. They also signed former <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/curtis-lazar-time-with-edmonton-oil-kings">Edmonton Oil Kings Memorial Cup winner Curtis Lazar</a> and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/david-tomasek-role-with-oilers">top Swedish Hockey League forward David Tomasek</a>, though Lazar is a fourth-liner at best, and although Tomasek is an unknown with some potential, it seems highly unlikely he will be anything more than a bottom-six player at the NHL level.
But, this free-agent approach may not be as big of a concern as two other notable forwards now have a strong chance to fill those holes in Edmonton&#8217;s forward lineup — 21-year-olds Matthew Savoie and Isaac Howard.
Savoie was drafted 9th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2022 and was traded to the Oilers in the summer of 2024. He primarily played with the Oilers’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, in 2024-25, putting up 54 points in 65 games, but he did play four games in the NHL with Edmonton, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-expected-to-recall-matthew-savoie-top-prospect-skating-with-leon-draisaitl-at-practice">showing some flashes next to Leon Draisaitl</a>. In the season prior, he led the entire Western Hockey League with a points-per-game rate of 2.09. 
Howard was selected 31st overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning (also in 2022) and was recently dealt to Edmonton in exchange for Sam O’Reilly. Howard is coming off an excellent 2024-25 season in the NCAA, racking up 52 points in 37 games with Michigan State University, which earned him the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/scouting-report-isaac-howard-newest-edmonton-oilers-forward">Hobey Baker Award</a>. In contrast to Savoie, who is more of a playmaker, Howard is a natural scorer, racking up 26 goals in 37 games last season with 21 of them at even-strength. These are two young, talented players with a lot of upside.
Of course, it is important to pump the brakes here. Savoie and Howard aren’t indisputably elite prospects by any means, and especially in Howard’s case, it is indeed a large jump from the NCAA to the NHL. But the reason that I have some significant hope for these two is due to the way the Oilers&#8217; forward core is constructed. There&#8217;s quite a lot of room and opportunity for them, especially higher in the lineup. We already mentioned Edmonton roster departures earlier, but let’s dive into this even closer.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-178415 size-full" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/oilers_expected_wingers.png" alt="" width="955" height="577" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/oilers_expected_wingers.png 955w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/oilers_expected_wingers-300x181.png 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/oilers_expected_wingers-768x464.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 955px) 100vw, 955px" />
Edmonton has roughly eight wingers that played significant minutes in the NHL in 2024-25 and are expected to play in 2025-26 (this includes Ryan Nugent-Hopkins). And, not one of them had a higher 5v5 points per hour rate than the average top-six forward last season (calculated by taking the average rates of the 192 highest-ranking forwards in TOI/GP).
Of course, some context should be taken into account here. For one, Zach Hyman is obviously still a strong top-six winger, and his goal per hour rate and raw production results were indeed higher than the average top-six forward. Additionally, Mangiapane&#8217;s production rates may have been unimpressive this season, but as I wrote in detail in<a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/analyzing-what-edmonton-oilers-expect-andrew-mangiapane"> my article last week</a>, several signs indicate his production could be much higher next season alongside McDavid and Draisaitl.
But, considering that Hyman is 33, combined with the fact that he&#8217;s coming off a significant wrist injury, there&#8217;s a decent chance his production starts to decline considerably from here on out. He already saw a significant dip in 2024-25 compared to 2023-24, with his goal total cut exactly in half. The story is somewhat similar for Nugent-Hopkins, who is 32 at the moment and whose 5-on-5 production rates have been steadily declining year after year, to the point that they were well below top-six level in 2024-25.
Mangiapane is certainly not a sure bet either, especially considering the troubling trend in his production rates following his shoulder surgery in 2023. From there, Vasily Podkolzin and Trent Frederic are useful middle-six players, but neither really possesses high upside, while all of Kasperi Kapanen, Mattias Janmark, and Curtis Lazar are firmly bottom-six players.
You can expect Hyman to start the season on McDavid’s right-wing, while Mangiapane likely starts on McDavid&#8217;s or Draisaitl’s left-wing. But the other two spots are completely wide-open, particularly considering the fact that there has been considerable talk around RNH spending more time at 3C next season.
Simply put, the Oilers are in desperate need of young, productive, cost-effective forwards with top-six potential, players that can make an impact in the short-term while also having the ability to replace players like Hyman and RNH in the long-term. In a tight cap world, players who make an impact on their ELC are invaluable. 
This is precisely where players like Savoie and Howard could come in.
<hr />
<figure id="attachment_178419" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-178419" style="width: 2522px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-178419 size-full" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/USATSI_24303489.jpg" alt="" width="2522" height="1681" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/USATSI_24303489.jpg 2522w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/USATSI_24303489-300x200.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/USATSI_24303489-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/USATSI_24303489-768x512.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/USATSI_24303489-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/USATSI_24303489-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2522px) 100vw, 2522px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-178419" class="wp-caption-text">Sep 22, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers Forward Matt Savoie (22) battles with Winnipeg Jets forward Markus Loponen (65) while keeping an eye on a loose puck at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure>
<hr />
I believe there is significant potential for Savoie on Leon Draisaitl’s right-wing. Savoie’s offensive creativity, tenacity, and defensive play could all make him a superb fit on that line. And, he doesn’t have much competition at all in that regard; after Hyman, the Oilers’ best NHL right-shot winger at the moment may be Kasperi Kapanen or David Tomasek, players Savoie can easily beat out.
As for Howard, again, the jump from the NCAA to the NHL will be large. But, McDavid’s left-wing spot remains completely open especially considering RNH’s lacklustre 5v5 production. And, if Savoie is to play with Draisaitl, I’d presume the Oilers would prefer not to have both Howard and Savoie – two rookies – on Draisaitl’s wing at the same time, meaning there’s a solid chance it’s Mangiapane who plays as Draisaitl’s LW. Thus, that opens up a spot on McDavid’s LW that Howard absolutely has a chance to compete for.
It’s also worth noting that the Oilers have 23-year-old Quinn Hutson, another forward prospect who was signed by Edmonton back in April and put up 50 points in 38 games with Boston University last season. Hutson doesn’t have the ceiling of Savoie and Howard, but his scoring abilities could absolutely give him the chance to be a useful bottom-six player for this team. Even Noah Philip is an option, a young-ish centre who played 15 games with the Oilers last season and could compete for the fourth-line centre spot.
The current structure of the Oilers’ forward core in 2025-26 does create some uncertainty. There are many large question marks for this group heading into next season. But at the same time, it also creates a significant opportunity for Edmonton’s younger prospects to come in and make an impact. This is a team that has numerous similarities to the 2010s Pittsburgh Penguins, a squad that had two star veteran centres surrounded by a multitude of unproven, but skilled, young players.
Of course, there should be a lot of pressure on head coach Kris Knoblauch this upcoming season. The fact that there’s room for Edmonton’s young players is one thing, but whether they get that chance in the first place is another. 
One of my biggest qualms with the Oilers’ coaching staff over the years has been their handling of younger players. Far too often, Edmonton’s coaches resorted to the “safe” option, either consistently playing known quantities with McDavid or Draisaitl or simply loading up those two on the same line. There has not nearly been enough line creativity, risk-taking and giving of chances to younger players with genuine upside. It’s a critical reason as to why they lost Dylan Holloway, and how he wound up flourishing when given a proper opportunity on a different team. With McDavid and Draisaitl heading into their 30s, they mustn’t repeat this sort of situation.
Will Edmonton’s younger forward prospects step up and make an impact in 2025-26? Only time will tell.
Find me on Twitter (<a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/NHL_Sid/with_replies">@NHL_Sid</a>)
<hr />
<h2><a href="http://LitcoLaw.com">Presented by Litco Law</a></h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-173686" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/02/LitcoLaw_Logo_Original-1-1024x161.png" alt="" width="1024" height="161" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/02/LitcoLaw_Logo_Original-1-1024x161.png 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/02/LitcoLaw_Logo_Original-1-300x47.png 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/02/LitcoLaw_Logo_Original-1-768x121.png 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/02/LitcoLaw_Logo_Original-1-1536x242.png 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/02/LitcoLaw_Logo_Original-1.png 1650w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
Litco Law has been serving Edmontonians and all of Alberta for over 50 years. A family-owned and operated company, their purpose is to balance the power for people who find themselves having to navigate the complex legal system. They can help with personal injury claims (like car accidents), employment matters (such as wrongful dismissal or severance package reviews), or if you’ve been denied long-term disability benefits. Litco Law is known for being experienced, responsive, and genuinely caring. You might not believe Lawyers You’ll Love™ exist—but they do. To learn more or book a free consultation, visit LitcoLaw.com.

Among the most frequently mentioned criticisms against the Edmonton Oilers this past season was the lack of youth across their roster. <a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/61/edmonton-oilers">Per Elite Prospects</a>, the 2024-25 Oilers held an average age of 29.4, the highest in the NHL.



Though they were just two games away from winning the Stanley Cup, it was reasonable to point out nevertheless. The team's age was likely a contributing factor as to why the Oilers as a team were slower in 2024-2025 compared to 2023-24, and it raises concerns about the length of their championship window.

However, Edmonton’s current offseason now gives them the chance to somewhat reverse this narrative surrounding their age.

While the Oilers’ defence and goaltending have remained intact (so far), the front office has made multiple changes to their forward core this summer. <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/evander-kane-most-memorable-highlights-with-edmonton-oilers">Evander Kane</a>, Viktor Arvidsson, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/jeff-skinner-season-trying-find-steady-role-with-edmonton-oilers">Jeff Skinner</a>, Connor Brown, and Corey Perry have all left the organization via trade or free agency. Keep in mind that the former four are in their early-to-mid thirties, while Perry just turned 40 this past May. 

The only major forward that the Oilers have added this summer is Andrew Mangiapane, who has 123 goals and 243 points over 498 games in his NHL career. They also signed former <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/curtis-lazar-time-with-edmonton-oil-kings">Edmonton Oil Kings Memorial Cup winner Curtis Lazar</a> and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/david-tomasek-role-with-oilers">top Swedish Hockey League forward David Tomasek</a>, though Lazar is a fourth-liner at best, and although Tomasek is an unknown with some potential, it seems highly unlikely he will be anything more than a bottom-six player at the NHL level.

But, this free-agent approach may not be as big of a concern as two other notable forwards now have a strong chance to fill those holes in Edmonton's forward lineup — 21-year-olds Matthew Savoie and Isaac Howard.

Savoie was drafted 9th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2022 and was traded to the Oilers in the summer of 2024. He primarily played with the Oilers’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, in 2024-25, putting up 54 points in 65 games, but he did play four games in the NHL with Edmonton, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/oilers-expected-to-recall-matthew-savoie-top-prospect-skating-with-leon-draisaitl-at-practice">showing some flashes next to Leon Draisaitl</a>. In the season prior, he led the entire Western Hockey League with a points-per-game rate of 2.09. 

Howard was selected 31st overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning (also in 2022) and was recently dealt to Edmonton in exchange for Sam O’Reilly. Howard is coming off an excellent 2024-25 season in the NCAA, racking up 52 points in 37 games with Michigan State University, which earned him the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/scouting-report-isaac-howard-newest-edmonton-oilers-forward">Hobey Baker Award</a>. In contrast to Savoie, who is more of a playmaker, Howard is a natural scorer, racking up 26 goals in 37 games last season with 21 of them at even-strength. These are two young, talented players with a lot of upside.

Of course, it is important to pump the brakes here. Savoie and Howard aren’t indisputably elite prospects by any means, and especially in Howard’s case, it is indeed a large jump from the NCAA to the NHL. But the reason that I have some significant hope for these two is due to the way the Oilers' forward core is constructed. There's quite a lot of room and opportunity for them, especially higher in the lineup. We already mentioned Edmonton roster departures earlier, but let’s dive into this even closer.

<img class="alignnone wp-image-178415 size-full" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/oilers_expected_wingers.png" alt="" width="955" height="577" />

Edmonton has roughly eight wingers that played significant minutes in the NHL in 2024-25 and are expected to play in 2025-26 (this includes Ryan Nugent-Hopkins). And, not one of them had a higher 5v5 points per hour rate than the average top-six forward last season (calculated by taking the average rates of the 192 highest-ranking forwards in TOI/GP).

Of course, some context should be taken into account here. For one, Zach Hyman is obviously still a strong top-six winger, and his goal per hour rate and raw production results were indeed higher than the average top-six forward. Additionally, Mangiapane's production rates may have been unimpressive this season, but as I wrote in detail in<a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/analyzing-what-edmonton-oilers-expect-andrew-mangiapane"> my article last week</a>, several signs indicate his production could be much higher next season alongside McDavid and Draisaitl.

But, considering that Hyman is 33, combined with the fact that he's coming off a significant wrist injury, there's a decent chance his production starts to decline considerably from here on out. He already saw a significant dip in 2024-25 compared to 2023-24, with his goal total cut exactly in half. The story is somewhat similar for Nugent-Hopkins, who is 32 at the moment and whose 5-on-5 production rates have been steadily declining year after year, to the point that they were well below top-six level in 2024-25.

Mangiapane is certainly not a sure bet either, especially considering the troubling trend in his production rates following his shoulder surgery in 2023. From there, Vasily Podkolzin and Trent Frederic are useful middle-six players, but neither really possesses high upside, while all of Kasperi Kapanen, Mattias Janmark, and Curtis Lazar are firmly bottom-six players.

You can expect Hyman to start the season on McDavid’s right-wing, while Mangiapane likely starts on McDavid's or Draisaitl’s left-wing. But the other two spots are completely wide-open, particularly considering the fact that there has been considerable talk around RNH spending more time at 3C next season.

Simply put, the Oilers are in desperate need of young, productive, cost-effective forwards with top-six potential, players that can make an impact in the short-term while also having the ability to replace players like Hyman and RNH in the long-term. In a tight cap world, players who make an impact on their ELC are invaluable. 

This is precisely where players like Savoie and Howard could come in.

<hr />

[caption id="attachment_178419" align="alignnone" width="2522"]<img class="wp-image-178419 size-full" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/USATSI_24303489.jpg" alt="" width="2522" height="1681" /> Sep 22, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers Forward Matt Savoie (22) battles with Winnipeg Jets forward Markus Loponen (65) while keeping an eye on a loose puck at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images[/caption]

<hr />

I believe there is significant potential for Savoie on Leon Draisaitl’s right-wing. Savoie’s offensive creativity, tenacity, and defensive play could all make him a superb fit on that line. And, he doesn’t have much competition at all in that regard; after Hyman, the Oilers’ best NHL right-shot winger at the moment may be Kasperi Kapanen or David Tomasek, players Savoie can easily beat out.

As for Howard, again, the jump from the NCAA to the NHL will be large. But, McDavid’s left-wing spot remains completely open especially considering RNH’s lacklustre 5v5 production. And, if Savoie is to play with Draisaitl, I’d presume the Oilers would prefer not to have both Howard and Savoie – two rookies – on Draisaitl’s wing at the same time, meaning there’s a solid chance it’s Mangiapane who plays as Draisaitl’s LW. Thus, that opens up a spot on McDavid’s LW that Howard absolutely has a chance to compete for.

It’s also worth noting that the Oilers have 23-year-old Quinn Hutson, another forward prospect who was signed by Edmonton back in April and put up 50 points in 38 games with Boston University last season. Hutson doesn’t have the ceiling of Savoie and Howard, but his scoring abilities could absolutely give him the chance to be a useful bottom-six player for this team. Even Noah Philip is an option, a young-ish centre who played 15 games with the Oilers last season and could compete for the fourth-line centre spot.

The current structure of the Oilers’ forward core in 2025-26 does create some uncertainty. There are many large question marks for this group heading into next season. But at the same time, it also creates a significant opportunity for Edmonton’s younger prospects to come in and make an impact. This is a team that has numerous similarities to the 2010s Pittsburgh Penguins, a squad that had two star veteran centres surrounded by a multitude of unproven, but skilled, young players.

Of course, there should be a lot of pressure on head coach Kris Knoblauch this upcoming season. The fact that there’s room for Edmonton’s young players is one thing, but whether they get that chance in the first place is another. 

One of my biggest qualms with the Oilers’ coaching staff over the years has been their handling of younger players. Far too often, Edmonton’s coaches resorted to the “safe” option, either consistently playing known quantities with McDavid or Draisaitl or simply loading up those two on the same line. There has not nearly been enough line creativity, risk-taking and giving of chances to younger players with genuine upside. It’s a critical reason as to why they lost Dylan Holloway, and how he wound up flourishing when given a proper opportunity on a different team. With McDavid and Draisaitl heading into their 30s, they mustn’t repeat this sort of situation.

Will Edmonton’s younger forward prospects step up and make an impact in 2025-26? Only time will tell.

Find me on Twitter (<a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/NHL_Sid/with_replies">@NHL_Sid</a>)

<hr />

<h2><a href="http://LitcoLaw.com">Presented by Litco Law</a></h2>
<img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-173686" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2099/02/LitcoLaw_Logo_Original-1-1024x161.png" alt="" width="1024" height="161" />
Litco Law has been serving Edmontonians and all of Alberta for over 50 years. A family-owned and operated company, their purpose is to balance the power for people who find themselves having to navigate the complex legal system. They can help with personal injury claims (like car accidents), employment matters (such as wrongful dismissal or severance package reviews), or if you’ve been denied long-term disability benefits. Litco Law is known for being experienced, responsive, and genuinely caring. You might not believe Lawyers You’ll Love™ exist—but they do. To learn more or book a free consultation, visit LitcoLaw.com.

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