Aspiring NHLers will be looking to make an impression at the 2024 Young Stars Classic, which runs today (Sept. 13) through Monday (Sept. 16) in Penticton, B.C. at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
The annual four-team exhibition features the top prospects of the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, and Vancouver Canucks organizations. The Oilers Rookies play the Canucks Rookies on Friday, the Flames Rookies on Saturday (Sept. 14), and the Jets Rookies on Monday.
Related: Oilers’ Top 5 Players at 2023 Young Stars Classic
Oilers Rookie Camp began on Wednesday (Sept. 11) with players reporting for medicals and fitness testing at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The roster features 14 forwards, eight defencemen and three goaltenders. Here are five players to watch in the Oilers Rookies lineup at the 2024 Young Stars Classic.
Sam O’Reilly
Edmonton didn’t have a first-round pick going into the 2024 NHL Draft in June, but traded a conditional first-round selection in 2025 or 2026 to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for the 32nd overall pick so the Oilers could be in a position to call Sam O’Reilly up to the stage.
An 18-year-old forward with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), O’Reilly saw his draft stock soar when he finished third among OHL rookies with 56 points in the 2023-24 regular season, and then helped London capture the league championship and advance to the 2024 Memorial Cup.
O’Reilly is said to have a 200-foot game, great puck possession skills, and strong awareness and positioning without the puck. He’s also noted for his versatility, with ability to play both center and wing. The 6-foot-1 O’Reilly was a defenceman until transitioning to forward three years ago.
Matt Savoie
The younger brother of former Oilers prospect Carter Savoie, Matthew Savoie was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on July 5 in exchange for fellow forwards Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio. Carter played for Edmonton at each of the last two Young Star Classic events.
Matt was the ninth overall pick by the Sabres in the 2022 NHL Draft. While only 5-foot-9, the St. Albert product possesses incredible offensive talent. Last season in the Western Hockey League (WHL), he piled up 71 points in only 34 games split between the Wenatchee Wild and Moose Jaw Warriors.
The 20-year-old centre has been on an incredible ride the last 10 months, from making his NHL regular season debut with the Sabres last November, to representing Canada at the 2024 World Juniors during the holiday season to helping Moose Jaw capture the WHL championship in the spring.
Max Wanner
At 21 years and six months, Max Wanner is the oldest of the eight blueliners on the Oilers Rookie Camp roster. The 6-foot-3 blueliner, who played his junior hockey in the WHL with the Warriors, was drafted 212th overall by the Oilers in 2021.
Last season was Wanner’s first as a pro, in the American Hockey League (AHL). He played all 68 regular season games for the Bakersfield Condors, scoring seven goals, chipping in 10 assists and tying for the team lead with a plus/minus rating of plus-13. Wanner also suited up for both of Bakersfield’s postseason contests.
The Estevan, Saskatoon product is a veteran of the Young Stars Classic, having played in Penticton with the Oilers Rookies in both 2022 and 2023.
Beau Akey
Edmonton’s highest-selected prospect from the 2023 NHL Draft, taken at No. 56th by the Oilers, Beau Akey hasn’t played a real game in more than 10 months. The 6-foot defenceman underwent shoulder surgery last November, ending his season with the OHL’s Barrie Colts after just 14 games.
Going into the 2023 NHL Draft, the book on Akey was that he’s a gifted skater with the skill set to become a key offensive catalyst. Those traits were on display in his Young Stars Classic debut last September, when he had a goal and assist to lead the Oilers Rookies past the Jets Rookies.
In his first two OHL seasons, Akey nearly tripled his offensive production, going from 16 points in 2021-22 to 45 points in 2023-24. He was on pace for close to 45 points again last season before getting hurt.
Nathaniel Day
Oilers fans that are concerned about Edmonton’s lack of organizational depth between the pipes would certainly like to see progress out of Nathaniel Day, the 184th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
The 6-foot-3 goaltender appeared in 54 games for the Flint Firebirds in the 2023-24 OHL season, posting a 25-26-2 record with a 3.73 goals-against average (GAA) and .868 save percentage (SV%). Day, 19, started all four games for Flint in their first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the Knights, registering a 3.14 GAA and .894 SV%.
At the Young Stars Classic last year, Day made 13 saves and was credited with the win in Edmonton’s victory over the Flames Rookies.
Oilers Rookie Camp will wrap up following the conclusion of the Young Stars Classic. Select players will be invited to attend the Oilers 2024 Training Camp, which opens later this month in Edmonton.
