The Edmonton Oilers unfortunately lost one of their best young forwards to an offer sheet from the St. Louis Blues this week, as the Blues were able to secure the services of Dylan Holloway. On top of adding Holloway, the Blues also snagged defenceman Philip Broberg, both of which were signed to brand new two-year deals. As for the Oilers, they will have to try and find someone to replace Holloway in their forward lineup as they look to make it back into the postseason. They went out and acquired Vasily Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a fourth-round pick — he could be a third-line addition and provide some offensive depth — but Holloway’s versatility throughout the lineup makes him hard to replace. However, two more young forwards could steal a spot on the opening-night roster.
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The Oilers acquired Matthew Savoie from the Buffalo Sabres in a shocking trade that saw them only move Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio in exchange for the potential future star forward. He is expected to become a key piece to their future and could make the lineup as early as this season. Raphael Lavoie, on the other hand, has been one of their top prospects for the past several seasons but hasn’t quite been able to break through and keep a spot at the NHL level. Both forwards have a chance to replace Holloway this season, but let’s take a look at who has a better chance of earning a full-time spot with the Oilers for the 2024-25 campaign.
Both Players Could Benefit From AHL Stint, But One Likely Starts In NHL
In terms of development, both Savoie and Lavoie could benefit from being a first-line player in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Bakersfield Condors to start the season. However, both of them are at a point where it makes sense for them to make the transition to the NHL. The only issue fans have with them is they should both be getting more ice time instead of being buried on the fourth line. Savoie played one game with the Sabres last season and barely saw the ice before being reassigned to the Western Hockey League (WHL). Lavoie played seven games with the Oilers after a series of injuries earned him a call up, but he was stuck to the fourth line. Neither player has registered an NHL point.
With the acquisition of Podkolzin making it near-impossible for both players to make the opening-night lineup, there is still a chance one of them could sneak onto the team if they have a good training camp. While anything can happen at training camp, it would be smarter to have Lavoie make the team and play on the third line while having Savoie spend a full season in the AHL dominating and building his confidence. Savoie’s size is a concern to many fans as it was to some scouts, but he utilizes his speed and quick hands to be a dangerous offensive producer.
The biggest concern in Lavoie’s game is his skating, and it has been the reason he hasn’t been able to make the jump from the AHL just yet. He has the shot, the hands, and the finishing ability for the NHL level, but his stride has held him back. I would love to see Savoie take the next step and make the Oilers’ roster this season, but I would lean toward Lavoie having an advantage. At 20 years old, Savoie only has one NHL game and six AHL games under his belt, so a full season in the minors would be beneficial and he could find the transition to the NHL a bit easier with that experience. It’s important to note though, that Savoie has five points in his six AHL games.
At 23 years old, Lavoie has 202 AHL games under his belt, having scored 71 goals and adding 60 assists for 131 points in that time (which comes out to a 0.65 points-per-game average.) I think it’s safe to say Lavoie is the early favourite over Savoie to make the opening-night roster, but anything can happen. Whoever comes to camp and earns the spot will have the spot, but they will also have to keep it knowing others are working hard to take it away.
