Edmonton Oilers fans have not been excited about potential clients for some time, but with Matthew Savoie and Isaac Howard joining, they hope to move forward next season, hoping they can be stars and can help the Oilers maintain a considerable number of seasons among their contenders. Head coach Kris Knoblauch talked about fans’ expectations for the duo earlier this month and mentioned that he wanted them both to look in the top six forward team, but learned there would be trouble along the way.
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Howard was awarded from the Tampa Bay Chargers earlier this month in exchange for forward Sam Orillie. Some fans questioned why the Oilers were trading one of their highest prospects, but Howard had a resume at the NCAA level, abandoning the promising youngsters of former Hoddy Baker Award winners was a wise investment.
Howard, 21, spent his first two seasons at Michigan State University in the NCAA. He won the Hobey Baker Award last season, winning 26 goals this season and 52 points in 37 games, earning 26 assists, and 26 assists, and winning the award for the highest NCAA player. Before the season, he scored 36 points in 36 games. It was revealed that he would not sign a contract with Lightning, and trade rumors were rampant until he was eventually traded.
Savoie, also 21, won the NHL action for the first time last season, playing four games and getting assists. Last summer, he was acquired by the Buffalo Saber Oilers in exchange for Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio and is widely regarded as one of the NHL’s highest prospects.
Last season with the Bakersfield Condors in the American Hockey League (AHL), Savoie scored 19 goals and added 35 assists in 66 games to score 54 points. It was his first full professional hockey season and it was believed he will play the NHL’s first full season next season.
Predictions for next season
Both players have played a meaningful role in the top six games to start the 2025-26 campaign, but things may change. The Oilers have the ability to take some depth of risk, but if neither of them find their own game early in the season, there are also some players who can back down. It’s hard not to be excited about what to do next season, but expectations should be lowered and fans shouldn’t rely on them for 100 points per piece.
In fact, it is fair to expect both of them to have a strong rookie sports. I guess Savoie immediately played a huge role with Leon Draisaitl. He played a little with him last season and looked solid, and his tough pre-censorship tendency made him perfect for the second line. If I had to predict the score, I would like Savoie to score 16 goals and add 45 points to the assists next season.
Howard is fun. There is a lot of hype following him, and some fans are not very good at him because he seems to be a little confident in their preferences. However, his swagger may be good at the NHL level, especially if he can be confident from the NCAA. I guess Howard finished the season with 20 goals and 13 assists, scoring 33 points and moving up and down in their roster.
Depending on the preseason situation, both players can start the bottom six season, but once they show any signs of confidence, they can get some look. Knoblauch is willing to open up and reward them, the fact that if they perform well is positive, but time will tell what will happen to the rookie.
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