This is a list of 1990 rookies who played for the Oilers during the 1989-90 regular season. By this time in the 1980’s Oilers run, many of the best rookies were acquired by trading off star players. Martin Gelinas arrived that way.
Yesterday, we saw Matthew Savoie’s Oilers debut and it was one of the most impressive things about the game. Fans shouldn’t expect another Savoie from the AHL recall this spring, but even one impact recall can make a big difference. Savoie’s performance yesterday suggested he might have a say in the rest of this season, and beyond.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN FEBRUARY
- At home to: TOR (Expected 1-0-0) (Actual 0-1-0)
- On the road to: STL, CHI (Expected 2-0-0) (Actual 2-0-0)
- At home to: COL (Expected 0-1-0) (Actual 0-1-0)
- On the road to: PHI, WAS, TBY, FLA (Expected 2-2-0) (Actual 0-1-0)
- Overall expected results: 5-3-0, 10 points in 8 games
- February result: 2-3-0
- Oilers in 2024-25: 34-18-4, 72 points in 56 games
The Oilers have not played well lately, the Colorado game and yesterday’s tilt versus Philadelphia both suffering from rancid defensive play. Kris Knoblauch has shown great acuity in getting things back on track in a quick hurry and that would mean a far better effort today.
THE NUMBERS
I ‘saw him good’ players for me yesterday included Savoie (he is a smart player who can get the puck along the wall and send it to a good place, proved it on the Draisaitl goal); John Klingberg who followed up his goal with a smashing pass to Draisaitl on the next shift; Draisaitl, who is going to win the Hart Trophy; Ty Emberson, who is a smart player really settling in to his role.
Several veterans were poor. Evan Bouchard had an awful game with the puck, and is having a difficult season. I remain convinced of his brilliance and I know that drives people crazy at some level. Rest assured, I’m not being stubborn for the fun of it, but when I see a five-on-five goal share of 58 percent for the season, that’s my guy. He has a 55 percent without McDavid if that’s your next retort. The Oilers have a 49 percent goal share with Bouchard at rest, so you are damn right I’m going to defend this player.
Stuart Skinner didn’t play well enough to win, but the GA included at least three screaming errors that left the goalie stone alone. Skinner also made some huge stops on a night when the entire defense at times seemed to let off the gas because the other guy was going to get back in time. Putrid display, and I’ll not hang this loss on Skinner.
I’m of the opinion the Oilers should stay the course. I am also increasinly of the belief we will see a trade for a replacement starter before the deadline.
Why? Stan Bowman may look at this team and decide the strongest move he can make at the deadline is to acquire a veteran goaltender to support or supplant Skinner.
I wouldn’t trade him, he’s an inexpensive starter who owns a .917SP since November 23 (ranks No. 16) and backstopped the Oilers to Game 7 of the SCF one year ago.
Bowman may have only one pricey arrow in his quiver this spring. He may believe getting a veteran goaltender is the play here. I think that’s important to acknowledge.
New for The Athletic: Oilers’ recall possibilities lack strong prospect option with Matt Savoie in the NHL
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6152965/2025/02/23/oilers-matt-savoie-nhl-recall/
Yea the cupboard looks pretty bare….. Pretty hard to stockpile talent when you trade all your draft picks. Scouting needs to start looking under rocks to find some undrafted prospects.
Oilers have no jam as a team
Summarizing!
Nicholl did a thing whereby he notched his 17th goal of the year.
O’Reilly incurred no soup.
For some additional context, the Avs have lost in regulation to the Preds and Blues this weekend and scored 1 goal in each game.
Mcdavid needs to start playing like the best player in the world again. Because so far this season he’s not even a top 5 player
In case you ask
Hellebyuck
Draisatl
Mackinnon
Hughes
Werenski
and then I would put Kaprizov, Kucherov
Didn’t ask and don’t care for you trying to prove your case.
Move along then
Oilers season over season at five-on-five:
2023-24: 2.9 GF-60; 2.3 GA-60; 56 percent goal pct.
2024-25: 2.62 GF-60; 2.39 GA-60; 52 percent goal pct.
The GA-60 at five-on-five is up and the GF-60 is down. However, since November 23, it’s 2.86-2.33 per 60.
The Oilers are a fine team, they made the final one year ago. The team has been awful the last three games, and the last two game after a long break.
I know few who have posted today feel this way but for me this team is miles better than they showed on the weekend. I don’t think panic trades are wise. Remember the ‘Petrovic-Manning’ lost weekend?
Stay the course. Correct in summer if required.
I don’t think panic trades are a good idea. I would not make one. But I think Bowman will get a goalie. Not sure if that qualifies as a panic move.
I think this team is in a much better spot than last year.
I’m in the same spot as you are. I’m not sure it’s the play, but suspect Bowman will shore up that area with a more established veteran.
There’s opportunity cost here: often the cost of keeping one’s powder dry is discounted because it’s impossible to prove how another choice may have turned out. So the “do nothing” mantra is very difficult to discredit (the ability to prove a type 2 error in a complex system). A type one error, not keeping one’s powder dry and it turning out to be a poor move, is much easier to evaluate (or at least criticize).
I for one believe that there was an incredible amount of luck that goes into a SCF appearance. And you need to give your team every possible tailwind. When you’re in the heart of your window, I think it’s nuts to not go all-in (or at least spreading as many resources across the window).
The cupboard should be bare.
I think Bowman brings in a goalie because it’s the one move that could have the most impact. There will be better players dealt, but the Oilers don’t have the ability to acquire them.
UNLESS Savoie is available.
Jamie McLellan made the point on Got Yer Back today that EDM is too shallow at goal, as Rodrigue is “not an NHL goaltender.” True, in that last season EDM was three deep with Campbell in the AHL. McLellan feels an additional goalie is required regardless and that a goaltender like Vladar would be a reasonable acquisition, even though he acknowledges that CGY would not make that trade. Brown agreed with Noodles.
On the Cult of Hockey podcast, both Staples and McCurdy were of the opinion that EDM should be looking to upgrade in net. Although not specific it seems they were suggesting to upgrade on Pickard.
The analysts are starting to agree with the “crazy” fans.
I suspect the media is watching this play out and getting news from other cities about scouts and discussions, et cetera. I think we’ll see a move in goal. I’m not sure it’s the right call, as the Oilers have significant needs in other areas.
I do believe it’s the area of the roster that Bowman can impact the most with a trade.
I also know, because I’ve seen it, there are no guarantees a new goalie will improve the situation. We’ll see.
Agreed, it’s too late too fix the team at this point, but a couple of legendary moves wouldn’t be a bad thing
They are a fine team, but in the end that’s not good enough. How many elite players in any sport don’t win championships? How many generational players? How many teams with more than one elite player?
Almost all of those win at least one championship, and usually in prime. Connor and Leon are getting older and at the edge of prime
Bowman hasn’t had time, so we are at the point where leaders in the room need to figure things out. Ideal roster or not, show the way. And as Perry has said, you lead by example not mouth
It’s at that point. Leon is doing his best. Time for a bunch of others to show up and lead the way to winning play, game in and out. It’s not that hard given all any of these cats have done is play hockey , what don’t they know or get? It’s truth time about what they are as players and what their legacy is going to be . There is nothing left to learn about winning, they have had many lessons. Time to put that into action
Lets not forget, this team that needs to be “fixed”, this broken team, has slumped and fallen all the way to tied for 5th in the NHL (and the best goal differential of the tied teams) and has underperformed as individuals (many) and as a group all season long – lots of room for internal improvement.
I think the last two games all but guarantees Bowman gets a goalie before the deadline. The tandem has been serviceable but one would certainly like more consistency and less peaks/valleys.
Since returning from suspension, McDavid has played 8 games and:
- has 1 point at 5 on 5
- has 3 points as even strength
- is 5-14 goals at even strength
- is 3-12 goals at 5 on 5
Something is up here – is this just the greatest slump of his career?
Yes. I have said that the McD worries are overblown this season but the last ten games is definitely concerning. The last two games have been particularly rancid.
Could it be that, if he was one of the big proponents of 4 Nations, he simply was preoccupied leading up to the tourney?
And just having an emotional letdown post-tourney?
I sure hope he wasn’t thinking past his club team games – for a long period of time and is now having trouble getting back in to them.
Just throwing this out there, but managing goalies is tricky. In their attempt to manage the games for Skinner over the season, i.e. play him every 2/3 games, you are left with a starting goalie who has not started more than 3 games in a row all season, even when he was winning. This is nothing against Pickard, he has played well overall and is doing his job as a backup, because he has more experience in that role to manage gaps between games. If you have defined the roles, which it appears they have, you need to let your starter roll a bit and if he is struggling, he usually will work it out the more he has the net. The last two seasons, Skinner was not the defined starter at the beginning of the season, but then once he was given the net, he got on a roll. Last season, during the 8-game winning streak, he started 6 games in a row. During the 16-game winning streak, there were a couple B2B’s that had Picks slotted in every 3 games at first, but then Skinner started 5 in a row. I think this is particularly important to help prepare for the playoffs.
Skinner was given the starter’s role from the beginning of this season, which of course increases expectations, but I think there have been times where the closer management of his games have handcuffed him a bit, even though he has had success with consecutive starts before. The intention to manage fatigue has merit, but sometimes the consistency suffers. I’m not sure if this has anything to do with the current funk the Oilers are in, but starting goalies tend to become more consistent the more they play, so part of the answer might just be to roll with your starter for more than 3 games in a row to find that consistency in the net. That may also help the group improve their play in front of him.
I’ve always favoured strong skating teams. It’s so much easier to be able to do something even when it’s not going on. It’s also Oiler tradition
Stuck in the middle with you. If you’re not fast but are huge and tough and have a good roster, that can work – see Caps, sometimes the Bruins
When you aren’t big, tough, youthful or fast, that’s a lot of things to overcome if you aren’t playing well so that the puck is moving fast, even of a lot of the players aren’t. The nail in the coffin is having few or no momentum changers
Having a more aggressive bottom six can juice the team up when needed. Right now the skill players are left doing too much of that, or if they don’t only maybe Pod and Perry do regularly
They can and probably will play better, Cup better we will see. But Stan has his work cut out for him, deadline and onward. This roster needs an overhaul, and if it weren’t for trade clauses I think he might have really shaken the tree
Horrible 2-game stretch, and arguably longer than 2 games. Team has been flat with no spark over that period.
Rob Brown has been saying the team hasn’t looked good since beating Vancouver 6-2.
They beat some lesser teams, but the bad habits that have crept into their play continue.
I do wonder if the age of the roster, and running the forwards hard with few spare parts along has caught up to this group. The question is if it’s a slump, or just a roster that’s hit the wall.
McDavid is now 0-8 on-ice at 5-on-5 and 0-10 on-ice at EV in the team’s past 4 games. Not putting the blame on him completely, but that’s a rough total. Numbers for other notables are:
Ekholm 1-7
Bouch 1-4
Draisaitl 4-3
Hyman 1-5
Nuge 1-3
Well certainly match’s the eye test.
He needs help. Team’s are defending him better (layers) and he doesn’t have help.
Two changes worth considering. Move Savoie up with him. Give him a player with speed who can help, can get teams backing up. Then, put pre-beak JSkinner back w/Drai.
Move Arvidsson at the deadline. He’s doing nothing. His best shot is on the goalie logo. He’s small and easily knocked off the puck, get squeezed along the boards. There’s a reason Nashville and LA gave up on him. Great heart, but nothing left in the tank.
The suggestion of Savoie with McDavid is sin.
Thinking makes it so.
Eff off with that bullshit meant for me.
I post an opinion that Drai is likely a better center for Savoie complete with detailed reasoning based on months of taking the time to watch the guy play and you take it personally.
That pissed that Janmark was healthy scratched on pure merit?
This teams record against other playoff teams is abysmal.
They should be very busy at the trade deadline.
I gotta say. If Ovie breaks the record, and Washington wins the President’s Trophy along the way… I think there’s a pretty strong Hart argument there (as much as it pains me to say as a Leon die hard). Washington seems galvanized by the chase, and are outperforming all expectations because of it.
Jack Adams for the coach, and Chris Patrick for GM, but no single player on the Capitals is Hart worthy.
Logan Thompson is 25-2-5 with a 920sv he also makes over 3 times less money then Skinner.
Klingberg might be a good passer, but I’m not seeing him good in his own end.
Not to say that’s the only thing that needs fixing. Right now, they are lacking in details defensively. They don’t work back to pucks and turn too many over.
Some of these smaller forwards just aren’t going to help. They keep doing the same thing over and over and over.
That was one ugly baby.
Ya gotta see the baby!
That game was… breathtaking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG3v_kA0Stw
This team is hot garbage right now. Unwatchable. Trading futures at the deadline is not going to fix that.
Fire Dustin swartz please for the sake of the team. Hire cujo
I’ve been trying to think of a strong candidate to replace DS for a while.
Ranford was promoted in LA, so he’s unlikely to take a step down. Burke is employed in MTL, they missed the slim window where he was available. Korn and Allaire, both perpetually employed. Essensa has been in BOS forever (was coach to Tim Thomas when they last won the Cup). Guys who look like potential fits and as being available:
Not sure if I prefer any of these guys, goalies being voodoo, but I don’t have my finger on the pulse of that part of the game and the who’s who among rising stars.
I’ve been banging this drum since Mike Smith hired his own consultant during the off season and came back looking ten years younger. Well, I brought it up when Duby worked with Burke and rose from the ashes, but that fizzled out as there seemed little appetite for discussion. I think Chabot was fired for less. Schwartz has had his chance and not delivered. Time for change.
When Ovechkin goes to the White House for dinner will McDonald’s be on the menu? Will Gretzky be invited? Putin too?
Man, wild how there was ton of negativity around Ovi and Putin’s relationship, then bang, Gretz is a big trumper.
Russian players don’t really get a lot of leash to speak negatively about their leader (family at home, falling out of windows).
Fully supporting trump publicly is definitely a choice.
Why the goalie pull when down by three?
What the hell was the point of that.
Fire the coach.
Ovechkin may get the record before this game is over
Right I was about to type “the Oilers are trying to give all-time empty net merchant an empty-net hat trick” Ovechkin got the hat trick on an empty-netter.
Nice score off a forecheck.
Both goals this period involved pressure/creating mistakes.
Skinner trolling Knoblauch with another goal
Garbage time. Almost the entirety of Skinner’s career has been scoring in garbage time.
You should have no trouble providing facts to support such a statement, right?
Caps may let the Oilers get another to get an empty net for Ovie….
or pull the goalie down 3 – i HATED that decision.
A lost weekend. Remember that today’s Oilers are the same team that came back from 3 down in Colorado January 16
Massive goal by Skinner………
I’m not positive that Connor Brown with McDavid and Leon is the answer but here we are….
Hyman with a small effort on a forecheck, a bounce off Arvy and a nice finish by Nuge.
Klingberg was one of the few Oilers that I thought played well yesterday – he’s been worse than imaginable this afternoon.
Ty Emberson the Oilers’ best d-man this weekend…..
The mistakes continue. Have to start wondering if the players are not capable of fixing this. Odd man breaks continue and no response.
Last 2 teams they’ve played are making them look old and slow. PP not doing it, PK has been atrocious. Goalies not getting help – and not making saves.
It’s a team failure at this point.
Let’s completely ignore the fact they’ve been battling for the division lead while being one of the best teams since the horrid 1st week of the season.
They definitely can’t right the ship, should blow it up and shoot for the lottery lol
They’ve never come out of long breaks slow and stagnant only to turn it around hotter then sun. Never has happened, not once.
Washington is big and tough and can skate. Built for the playoffs. GM did a great job this Summer. Good goaltending as well. Oilers are the exact opposite with 2 sensational players that without would be in the bottom 6-7 in the league easily without those 2. If they are not scoring and producing this team is not good
If you’re Tulsky and you need to move Rantanen, Bouchard is a delicious looking return. If you’re Bowman, and you can get Rantanen and Andersen on a rental, and you think Klingberg can supplant Bouchard, maybe that expensive rental looks good to you.
1) Klingberg cannot supplant Bouchard (Klingberg was worse today than anything we’ve seen from Bouch)
2) Not trading Bouchard for any rental
Even if Bouchard does not find his game this season, he’s already shown us where his game can get to and will likely get to many many times in the next decade.
Just remarking. Not saying it will happen, or commenting on the likelihood other than to say it’s not impossible.
We may share Tulsky’s opinion on Bouchard. But I’m not convinced that Bowman does. He has said some supportive things about the player. But its pretty clear from the 4 nations selection that Bouchard’s talent is not something universally valued by NHL GMs. Rantanen’s on the other hand is.
The Taylor Hall trade should resonate as one where a newer GM traded a player that many fans considered to be on the no trade list.
Certainly, if Bowman feels that he can land a(nother) steady partner for McDavid – something that LT and others feel is needed – in Rantanen, and a goaltender for an important push, he could make a trade like this. Particularly if he feels his selection for right D is strong, Klingberg.
This would be especially true if he feels that he can make cap room for Rantanen and retain him. Which, given Bowman’s relationship with Andy Scott (the agent for both Rantanen and Draisaitl) may seem possible to him.
That is certainly not a fact. All that shows is the management team didn’t think his play to that point in the season warranted a spot on the team – a spot on a 3-4 game team.
That is certainly not to be extrapolated to the 32 GMs as a group and the evaluation of a player for a 3-4 game tournament is not the same as the evaluation of a player as part of an organization indefinitely.
A no-trade list and a no-trade for a rental are not equatable.
Its certaintly not trending that Klingberg is any sorts of replacement for the player that plays the most minutes on the team.
The management group of the 4 Nations cup team was Bill Armstrong, Don Sweeney and Jim Nill who likely represent the top echelons of NHL mangers.
They jointly decided that Colton Parayko was a better fit for the role required and were likely very aware of Bouchard’s history of erratic defensive play.
Given Bouchard’s contracts status, I’m pretty sure other GM’s would have some misgivings about offering him a pricey long term deal.
If the Oilers can get Bouchard signed at a reduced price, music! Young players do not develop in a straight line, and Bouchard has chaos in his game. That may reduce his market value, which would be a blessing for the Oilers. Sign the man!
Oh, I don’t think there is really any other option but am surprised it hasn’t already happened considering how much chatter there is about offer sheets with the rapid rise in the cap.
Bouchard turns 26 at the start of next season so I’m not sure “young player” is an apt description.
26 is very young on this Oilers team.
You cannot possibly honestly believe that the evaluation for a spot on a team for 3-4 game tournament over a two week tournament is the same as the evaluation of a player for long term value on a club team.
Please don’t embarrass yourself by trying to prove otherwise.
Bouchard would also be a rental.
right……
This team does not know how to start. 4 Nations means two opening nights for this club, suboptimal.
if Skinner is your starter, why do you start him against the weaker team on the b2b? Does he have a bad record against WSH or something?
Do you seriously think that had we swapped goalie starts it would have made a difference ??
No. I just want to know why they made the decision.
Seems teams tend to play the starter against the first team to try and ensure one win, while playing the weaker goalie on the second of a back to back to try and juice up the team to play for the backup.
How many teams play their backup goalie in game 1 after a long(ish) break? I’m betting few to none do.
My thought is because KK pulled Skinner against the Avs before the break, he wanted to give Stu the net right away, which is usually how you treat a starting goalie. Plus, even though Picks has played most of his games against the weaker teams, he does have some wins against the stronger teams, and Stu was tagged with the loss the last game against the Caps.
Also, just to add, these 2 games are more about the defensive lapses being exposed, plus the inability to generate any sustained offense. Probably could have had either goalie in net (and any other goalies people are looking for) and the results would be the same.
Good rationale. Thanks
I wouldn’t put anything more in to it than it was the first game after a 2-week break – you play your starting goalie.
Pathetic…
Right now, the Oilers look like they couldn’t organize a hunger strike at a fashion show.
Closed door meeting [clap clap clapclapclap]
Appears to be very little fight in these dogs……
Players only meeting led by captain Mcminus sounds pretty motivating.
5 goals on 20 shots
2 days in a row
Woof
The Oiler 8 wingers are invisible. Getting very little done. Our offence has been reduced to 29 + 97 and some contributions from the D. 97 has looked a bit off all season. Combine that with less than average goaltending and here we are. Obviously we are still a top 5 team but showing very little last 5 games or so.
Frickin oilers. Man they suck right now.
no way their winning a cup this year.
They’re not even close. Only one player having a great season and the rest are mediocre to downright terrible seasons. I’m ready to write this season off completely. Hate to say that but what is their record against top teams? They will lose the rest of this road trip games at this rate and may be out of a playoff spot soon enough the way they are playing. There is no one coming to save them. This is not on the goalies. I’m done watching.
Honestly their record against the top 8 teams is like 3-10-2.
Oilers aren’t just losing they’re propelling all their opponents to new heights.
Ugh that was bad Klingberg on that shift. Ugly
They’re laughing at us.
Just getting crushed all over the ice.
That was VERY VERY VERY poor by John Klingberg…..
Looked like a bad pass to me.
That idiotic PK system doesn’t work.
This road trip could get really ugly really fast
Could??
Imperative to get this kill to give themselves a chance…
Nope!
Might be really good for this team to get shit kicked 6 or 7 – 1 today. This is a sad performance. Lol 5-1. This team needs a whole lot more than 2-3 additions
So now the Nuclear option. Lol. With 30 minutes left. Which leaves no other lines that look doom at all today
Well back to McD with Podz and Kappanen
This team looks slow and old. They have pretty much looked that way for a month