After a brief period of sadness, the mood amongst Edmonton Oilers fans has risen. Despite a recent Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final, many believe this team will win it all this coming season. In fact, they are viewed as the favourites on many different gambling sites.
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The biggest reason for the even bigger hype surrounding them are the free-agent acquisitions of Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson, both of whom are expected to play in their top six. Pair that with guys like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and you have a team that should be able to score at will in 2024-25.
Despite how loaded the top of their roster is, however, there are still some questions surrounding a few spots lower in the lineup. There are a few younger players who, with a good training camp, could find themselves on the opening night roster. In the same breath, some veterans risk getting cut if they aren’t at their best. Here’s a look at five who will need to impress in training camp.
Raphael Lavoie
The time is now or never for Raphael Lavoie in the Oilers organization. The 23-year-old is an excellent two-way player in the American Hockey League (AHL) and has been for a number of seasons now. Unfortunately, his questionable skating, along with the Oilers’ deep lineup, has prevented him from getting many opportunities in the NHL.
The problem for Lavoie is that he doesn’t skate well enough to be an energy player in the bottom six, but also isn’t talented enough to bump any current Oilers players off the top two lines. That said, if he can improve his skating this summer, he may be given an opportunity out of the gate in 2024-25.
Matthew Savoie
The Oilers shocked the hockey world earlier this month when they announced that they had acquired Matthew Savoie from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Ryan McLeod and prospect Tyler Tullio. Many fans had soured on McLeod, and were both shocked and overjoyed that somehow the return was Savoie, a player who was selected ninth overall just two years ago.
Savoie is set to enter his first season of professional hockey, meaning the Oilers may want to place him in the AHL for some seasoning. That said, a strong training camp could go a long way in proving to both management and the coaching staff that he’s ready for the NHL.
Derek Ryan
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