For any rookie hoping to realize his big-league dreams, making an NHL team is like trying to hop on a fast-moving train.

For Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie, two high-end prospects the Edmonton Oilers hope can bring some much-needed youth to the lineup, it’ll be more like trying to jump on one of those Japanese bullet trains going full speed.

This isn’t a rebuilding team they’re trying to crack. They won’t have a year or two to work through their growing pains before their team is ready to push for a playoff spot.

The Oilers are a contender in Win Now mode and anything short of a Stanley Cup will be considered failure. If the 21-year-old forwards are going to be full time Oilers they’ll have to hit the ground running.

And that’s fine by them. They both realize the opportunity that’s in front of them — not a lot of 21-year-olds get a chance to be part of a Stanley Cup window — and plan to embrace the moment.

“That’s what’s so cool about this place, they want to win the Stanley Cup,” Howard said after the first day of rookie camp.

“The winning culture they have right now. They’ve been to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals. We’re on the hunt to win the Stanley Cup — coming into the league as a young guy, not everyone can say that. It’s a sweet opportunity.”

Having grown up in the St. Albert and watched the playoff runs from close range, Savoie knows exactly what to expect from the Oilers, as well as what will be expected of him. It’s not pressure he’s feeling right now, but rather a sense of excitement about just how close he is to something great.

“I think it’s just excitement for me,” he said. “Growing up around Edmonton and knowing what the city is all about, how big of a hockey city it is, the fans base, how much they rally behind the team adds more excitement for the guys in the locker room to go out there and do something special.

“Every guy in there is as motivated as can be. I’m looking to join the group and contribute as much as I can. It’s pretty exciting.”

As talented as these blue chippers are, it won’t be easy. It’s a tough league and the expectations in Edmonton are higher than anywhere else in the NHL.

The bright side is that the Oilers won’t be playing any games that really matter for another seven months, so the pair will have a little time to grow into their roles, but April is coming in a hurry and if they think the bullet train is fast in October …

“It’s a really big jump,” said Bakersfield Condors coach Colin Chaulk, who’s running the practices at Rogers Place. “With rookie camp and the exhibition games we’ll get to see where they’re at and from there they’ll make the decisions.”

Their pedigrees are impressive. Howard won the 2024-25 Hobey Baker Award as the best player in NCAA hockey on the strength of 26 goals and 26 assists in 37 games for Big Ten champion Michigan State. He also had seven goals in seven games (including two in the gold-medal game) in USA’s gold-medal win at the World Junior Championships.

Savoie, Buffalo’s ninth overall pick in 2022, came to Edmonton in the deal that sent Ryan McLeod to the Sabres. He won a WHL championship in 2023-24 with Moose Jaw (61 points in 52 regular season and playoff games). Last year he put up 54 points in 66 games with the Condors in making a strong transition from junior to the pro game.

“They’re dynamic offensive players and that’s difficult to teach and takes longer to teach,” said Chaulk. “That’s why Oilers management has brought in players like Savoie and Howard.”

Offence is one thing, but the Oilers need strong, well-rounded players to go four rounds deep in the playoffs. If Savoie and Howard aren’t reliable at both ends of the ice Edmonton will be looking at other options for this year’s post-season run.

“I think my game is winning hockey, that’s why I’m excited about this fit,” said Howard. “I’m ready to take this on, play both sides of the puck and play my game. I want to make a seamless jump to the NHL.”

And Savoie, they say, is already on his way.

“What we saw (in the AHL) was him blocking shots, him playing with two hands and being heavy on his stick, withstanding a heavier veteran with 400 or 500 games leaning on him,” said Chaulk. “It was him understanding when to takes risks and when to live to fight another day. That takes time.

“There are some older players in that (Condors’) conference, it’s heavier, it’s meaner and it’s harder. It’s exactly where you want your prospects to be playing, against that type of competition because there isn’t a lot of space in the National League and they need to feel that to develop.”

E-mail: rtychkowski@postmedia.com

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