I wrote this in 2017 and it still applies today. Only the names change year over year. We track young players, discuss their strengths and possible futures, while also acknowledging the things that could keep them from the NHL. I was thinking about this part of franchise building yesterday, reminded by the club about some of these players via a recall of several Condors.
What was the distance between Ryan McLeod and Raphael Lavoie? Dylan Holloway and Matt Savoie? We don’t know what we don’t know, but we can use some tools at our disposal to gain a more accurate knowledge of what has come before, and what is in store.
AHL PTS-GAME AT 20

I should be able to say “if you score .60 points-game at 20 in the AHL, you can play in the NHL” but the Ryan McLeod outlier dashes that statement. McLeod did post 8 points in his final 16 games as an AHL rookie, and had three assists in five playoff games 2019 spring. Still, he’s an outlier and is either the best or second best player on the list at this time. McLeod’s playing time that season (2019-20) was suppressed due to a strong group of AHL centers on the team. Still, the numbers be the numbers.
What was the gap between McLeod and Savoie at 20? Offensively, Lavoie had the better season. What gives?
Maybe it’s foot speed. NHL Edge has McLeod in the 82nd percentile for straightaway speed, Lavoie at 78th percentile. What the actual hell?
Some of it has to do with opportunity and positional utility. McLeod is a center, and that helped. Lavoie is a first-shot scorer, but the Oilers had a pile of those. If he was 21 this fall, and still in the Edmonton system? Well you never know.
For what it’s worth, Lavoie led the Henderson Silver Knights in goals this past season, 17 hammers in about half a season. McLeod had a fine season for the Buffalo Sabres, and with his foot speed probably plays into his late 30’s in the NHL. No doubt in my mind McLeod was the better prospect, no surprise he is having a successful NHL career. Lavoie? We’ll see. That waiver claim last fall cost him, zero doubt in my mind. I hope he gets a chance someday.
New for The Athletic: Could the Edmonton Oilers pull off a surprise late-summer signing?
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6503746/2025/07/20/edmonton-oilers-signing-marc-andre-fleury/
I think more of a trade than a signing.
Perhaps a depth pick and prospect for DiPietro – not sure he lasts until 24 on the waiver wire.
The org would need to be comfortable that he can provide solid back up goaltending as well as Pickard. They would be acquiring him for potential upside but there is risk that he’s not at Pickard’s NHL level and they’d be acquiring with knowledge of risking Pickard on waivers.
I have him much higher that Silovs – he’s got a much longer track record of AHL success. Really good numbers for multiple full seasons consecutively.
DiPietro could make the Bruins. I think he’ll show well given the chance, and Boston is casting about looking for a backup to Swayman. Looking at their team, getting DiPietro on the roster, at his age, probably has some appeal. Inexpensive, young and good is a strong mix.
They have Korpisalo…..
One or the other is bound to shake loose from the Bruins. DiPietro’s cap hit would be more palatable for the Oilers. But it may also be more palatable for the Bruins. Then the question would be, does Edmonton want Korpisalo?
I think maybe not. If you’re going to take on $2 million, needs to be more of a difference imo.
No interest in Korpisalo.
At $3 million AAV. If DiPietro outplays Joonas, it’s an easy call.
The other thing to consider is that it’s a contract year for Skinner. There’s a ton on the line this season for Skinner, it may even define the rest of his career. He’s going to want to step up or crumble into obscurity.
Sure but they may feel locked in to the vet back-up and be willing to move the younger player ahead of losing him on waivers.
The Jim Rutherford/Patrik Alvin strategy (although they move Podz to make room for non-NHL youngsters).
Highly unlikely MAF abandons retirement for EDM…but if he did, he would become the 7th first-overall pick (2003, PIT) to don Oilers silks, joining:
J. Murphy (1986, DET)
Hamrlik (1992, TB)
Hall (2010)
RNH (2011)
Yakupov (2012)
McDavid (2015)
Wouldn’t he be a great goalie coach / mentor for Skinner? …..I wouldn’t get my hopes up though.
“First shot scorers” might have a range of definitions to different people but to my mind it is what the Oilers have lacked for a very long time. Young Eberle was a first shot scorer. I would begrudgingly grant the title to McDavid and Draisaitl because they have the ability but their problems are 1.) they think pass first, second, and third, and to shoot is like a QB having to check down to his fourth option (one timers are a completely different category). 2.) they both have an frustrating aversion to going roofdaddy.
I’ve been impatiently waiting for the Oilers to have a true first shot scorer who loves to fire the biscuit in the top six. Dream of Howard being that guy.
LT messing with us using Savoie and Lavoie interchangeably
LT, is that a Fairport Convention reference? Great band and great title for today’s post.
Yes. Love that song so much. All the versions.
Fun fact: Their singer, Sandy Denny, also sang on “The Battle of Evermore” by Led Zeppelin. It was the only time Zeppelin used vocals from outside the band.
Though they often used music from outside the band! -)
It’s alright that we don’t know what we don’t know, as long as we know that we don’t know what we don’t know.
What’s worrisome is when we don’t know that we don’t know what we don’t know.
I know eh.
It could all come down to finding out about what we don’t know about Howard, Tomasek, Leppanen & Regula. We know what we know about Savoie. But if two or three of those other guys show up in a positive manner, I’d say things will look tremendous.
Jarventie is another one.
The more the merrier.
And especially worrisome when our opponents know that we don’t know that we don’t know what we don’t know, and clearly choose the cup in front of us.
McLeod’s speed, ability to transport the puck through the neutral zone and defensive game (bad partially on speed) created a floor at the NHL level.
Lavoie was mainly a shooter at the AHL level. When he “popped” it was because he starting using his size to bully the league and get himself and the puck to the net.
He was never able to find the big body gear at the NHL level and was not able to get himself in spots to use his shot.
Maybe he was not used properly in his few opportunities in Edmonton and that stinted him.
Then again, he’s not been any more successful in the lauded Vegas organization.
Actually, his scoring rate (goals-per-game) increased from .35 to .40 with the Silver Knights. Pure goal scorers have value. McLeod was the better prospect from the get-go, but Lavoie’s story isn’t over imo. He could still catch an NHL career.
Not so sure I have that .05 bump as material at age 24.
Pure goal scorers have value if they can score at the NHL level. 0-0-0 in 16 games is a thing. JFJ is intrigued.
Lavoie is big has speed with a decent shot he should of been given a legit opportunity years ago. It’s obvious to me Lavoie was never in Holland’s plan he should of been traded like the Bourgault-Jarventie swap instead they let him die on a vine.
He’s certainly not dead on a line, he’s part of the VGK organization. We can watch to see if he sinks or swims.
He killed himself on the vine.