Off his impressive Edmonton Oilers training camp, Matt Savoie will start the season on right wing on their second line but before we unwrap that development, some light housekeeping news.
Defenceman Jake Walman, bothered by an upper-body issue, didn’t practice Sunday and likely won’t be ready to play with Darnell Nurse in their second pairing for the opening game against Calgary Flames Wednesday. He might start on the injured reserve list. And winger Mattias Janmark has not one but two injuries (likely lower body) and could be out for two weeks, almost certainly on injured reserve to start.
Winger Max Jones predictably was put on waivers to get his one-way, $1-million contract buried on the AHL farm in Bakersfield. And, we might see waiver exempt forwards David Tomasek and Ike Howard sent down in a paper move Monday for cap reasons but recalled for the opener, with Zach Hyman going on long-term injury reserve for at least 10 games and 24 days as he rebabs his wrist surgery.
Oh, there’s also nothing to see here from a heavier housekeeping perspective with Connor McDavid’s extension, so move along now. Still negotiating, likely on a two-, three- or four-year extension for 97, with the clock ticking furiously to announce something substantive prior to Wednesday’s face-off with the Flames at Rogers Place. The team won’t be skating Monday but will practice again Tuesday, so a presser is still a possibility although the Hall of Fame room at Rogers Place is tied up at noon Tuesday with a Cross Cancer Institute Toast of the Town 2026 honouree announcement.
The Oilers currently have 22 healthy players — 13 forwards with Curtis Lazar the extra and Noah Philp centering a 3A or 3B line at practice Sunday and seven defencemen with Alec Regula likely the odd man out for the Flames. Neither forward was put on waivers Sunday, nor was the Regula, the surprise of camp. Walman could be the maximum 23rd body on the opening roster while Janmark is on injured reserve, but both count against the cap to start the season.
Back to Savoie
Now, back to Savoie who has supplanted Howard in the top 6, for now on a line with centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and left-winger Andrew Mangiapane.
What did Savoie pull from this year’s camp after being on the bubble last fall after his trade for Ryan McLeod? He probably had to play his way off the team this time. His speed and his tenacity to get to pucks, to create plays, to keep plays going, was evident throughout in the second go-around.
“I really didn’t have many expectations coming in this time…I just wanted to show them that how hard I worked in the summer (in the gym) would show up on the ice,” said Savoie. “Last year in the American League was a great learning step, the comfortability in pro hockey. This time I was just more confident in myself.”
He did play four NHL games last season but it was only a look-see. “It was kind of a whirlwind right after the 4 Nations, coming to a top-end team with aspirations to win. There was a lot of nervous energy. More calmness this year,” said Savoie, well aware that call-ups play on the edge, not wanting to give the puck away or lose their check, rather than be noticed for good plays.
“Yes that’s the mindset… don’t make mistakes. But you have to do the things well that get you to this level. That’s my speed, that’s my big asset,” he said.
The Edmonton Oilers’ Matt Savoie (22) battles the Winnipeg Jets during first period preseason NHL action at Rogers Place, in Edmonton Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. Photo by David Bloom
Knoblauch notices
Kris Knoblauch has certainly noticed a different Savoie this fall.
“We had a different (older) team last year and for Matt to come in and push guys out, that was more difficult,” he said. “Not that he wasn’t good enough (skill-wise) to be in the NHL last year but going to Bakersfield for the entire season, learning the game (playing on the first line, on the power play and most importantly killing penalties) and learning pro habits… he just got better. I don’t think he’s had a bad day, whether in practice or games at this camp. He’s come with a lot of juice and provided a lot of excitement for our team.”
Now, clearly a line with Mangiapane (183 pounds) and Savoie (179 pounds) on the wings with Nugent-Hopkins, and both listed at 5’10” isn’t scaring anybody physically. But, the wingers fore-check hard, and keep plays alive.
“Matt doesn’t shy away,” said Knoblauch. “With those little guys, if they use their body appropriately, they can get in and underneath the hands (of opposing players). It’s hard to check them. Their (shorter, lighter) size can be an advantage.”
“Savoie makes plays. In practices we do a lot of small area games, supporting the puck, short passes and he excels at that,” said Knoblauch.
Knoblauch looks like he will have interchangeable bottom six lines. No defined third line and, say, a fourth with some penalty kill people. Off Sunday’s practice here’s how it looks:
Vasily Podkolzin-Philp-Kasperi Kapanen
Howard-Adam Henrique-Tomasek.
Podkolzin and Kapanen are hitters. Philp is a right-shot centre with more scoring pop than Lazar, who is more versatile, but he seriously has to get better than high 30s percentage on draws. Henrique, their second best face-off guy after Leon Draisaitl, could be on the first penalty kill unit alongside Nugent-Hopkins and also on the second unit power play for 25 to 30 seconds.
As for Tomasek he’ll get some extra minutes as net-front in Hyman’s absence until early November, a fellow righty, and he can score from distance with his shot. He also gives them a right-shot face-off guy if need be.
Philp didn’t make the final cut last fall after a good camp, but he has this year.
How do you get better at that, apart from taking 100s of draws before practice or at morning skates? “A lot of it is timing on the draws, knowing what the linesmen are doing. The veteran centremen have been doing it so long, they’re able to cheat. The more games under your belt, the linesmen allow that. As a young guy you have to pay your dues and rookie NHL centermen like Noah and Tomasek should be working on taking draws every day,” said Knoblauch.
So, how come the 10-year veteran Draisaitl, one of the NHL’s best on draws, keeps getting thrown out then?
He’s a vet with close to 13,000 face-offs? Hasn’t he bought respect?
“I guess there’s an amount of cheating you can get away with. Maybe he’s a marked man. I guess the linesmen are watching him,” laughed Knoblauch.
Now back to Walman and Janmark’s medical situation.
“Jake’s had a bit of a setback (after practising Friday). Him being out this long? Yes, that’s longer than we first thought. We thought he’d be able to play on Wednesday but that’s questionable. We’re hoping for Saturday (Canucks),” said Knoblauch, who had his normal 6-7 D Stecher play over 20 minutes as Nurse’s partner in the last exhibition in Vancouver. He did a nice job, so he probably has the inside track to be in the opening lineup.
But, Knoblauch was playing coy on that Sunday.
“The pair of Troy and Darnell, we’re comfortable with that one. But I believe Regula, Ty and Stecher all played the same number of exhibitions,” said Knoblauch.
True, but Emberson could be Brett Kulak’s partner in the first game.
Janmark doesn’t appear to have any long-term issues, but he’s got two concerns. “He had an MRI and they found a new thing in the same area,” said Knoblauch, who said the additional testing might actually be a good thing because they have a fuller picture.
Not having Janmark off the hop takes their second-pairing penalty kill forward out of the mix. But the Oilers, whose penalty kill was a problem last season and certainly was a major toothache in the playoffs, do have a good number of PK alternatives in Podkolzin, Kapanen and Savoie. They’ve also experimented with a McDavid-Draisaitl combo late on the other team’s power play to scare the opposition a little.
This ‘n that:
Knoblauch says there the plan is for Hyman to be with the (main) team for practices and pre-game skates in a few days but when the team goes to New York to kick off their first road trip after Thanksgiving weekend, he’ll likely stay behind to continue his rehab here. How does a hard-driving player like Hyman stay out of contact in practices? “That’s the responsibility of T.D. (athletic therapist Forss),” chuckled Knoblauch.
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