If Max Wanner was entering his third pro season, I believe we would be hearing voices loud as thunder suggesting an NHL opportunity had arrived. Alas, he has a single season as a resume and I do think that’s not enough by plenty. Too bad, because he’s a fine young prospect and is on an NHL trajectory.
MAX WANNER
You are a dog with a bone with some prospects. I think Max Wanner is going to play in the NHL, possibly for a long time. Would you prefer I talk about a favourite prospect who won’t be an NHL player?
You did that with Marc Pouliot. Fair.
Why don’t you write about another hopeful? This is No. 5 on the preseason, following Noah Philp, Raphael Lavoie, Olivier Rodrigue and Phil Kemp. I wanted to write about Matt Savoie in this series, but I can’t see him making the team. Maybe I will anyway.
Maybe you should consider your readers. Sure. Do they dislike prospect talk?
The Oilers are trying to win Stanley and you’re rambling on about prospects. I can, and have, argued that inexpensive players who can play are more important now. The Oilers don’t have to cash on five at a time, but if (say) Savoie, O’Reilly, Wanner and Rodrigue develop into value contracts and NHL players, that will help.
Just grab a guy off waivers! I’m with you on that, but you can’t get what you need when you need it on waivers. Plus, of course, developing players also means developing assets for deadline trades.
Now you’re talking! Trade ’em all! I am always in favour of dealing picks at the deadline for a team with a chance to win, and would agree that names like Savoie and O’Reilly could be in play in exchange for players with term. However, a player like Savoie is close to helping the parent team, suspect he has as much value to Edmonton as any other team.
You’re addled. No doubt, but in this case (for me) Savoie could fill the slot both Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi occupied until both got too expensive. A skill winger making around $1 million is pure gold in the cap era.
Oilers have those slots covered. Veterans can get hurt and next up on RW is Connor Brown, left wing Adam Henrique (from the third line). Those are less than ideal options, especially Henrique who is ideally deployed as No. 3 center.
Trade Savoie at the deadline! I wouldn’t do it. Jeff Skinner is on a one-year deal, Viktor Arvidsson has an injury history, Zach Hyman is highly unlikely to repeat his offensive performance from a year ago. Nuge is a complementary offensive player (although I’d leave him on that No. 1 line as long as there is chem). Savoie is a fantastic insurance policy for injuries or struggles.
You are way ahead of yourself, sir. We’ll see. The Oilers have talked about moving Savoie to center, and if they decide to turn an undersized skill winger into a two-way pivot then I hope they trade him. Otherwise, I’m all-in on Savoie. All-in on Wanner, too.
Why? There’s no downside in keeping him. Wanner won’t be expensive for years, makes good plays and is on the upswing. I think he will be Vincent Desharnais’ replacement long-term, possibly as early as this time next year.
How? All Wanner has to do is continue his development and gain experience. His skill set is a team need and he could be the No. 3 RH defenseman for the rest of the decade. Smart teams solve problems with a five-year plan, poor teams go month-to-month.
Among the prospects currently in the system, how many are in your ‘no trade’ zone? There are 36 names, and I wouldn’t trade Savoie, Wanner, Berezkin, Grubbe, Rodrigue, Lavoie, Petrov, Philp.
Why? They are all either NHL-ready, or close.
A busy Friday on the Lowdown, noon to 2pm on Sports 1440. Steve Lansky, Tyler Yaremchuk, Oilers TC news, CFL, NFL, Declanations, it’s going to be a rock and roll show! I’m at Lowetide on twitter, in the comments section here and on the Sports 1440 text line at 1.833.401.1440 directly.
I would add Jarventie to the list. The only thing holding him back from the NHL is injury, IMO. He may be the 4C by Christmas.
For me the no trade list would be Savoie, Jarventie, Wanner, Berezkin, O’Reilly, Akey and Rodrigue. None of them are untouchable of course, but it would take a lot of value coming back to move these players.
Sounds like Woody is a guest of Torts at camp.
I’ve never heard of a CPTO (coach professional tryout)…..
Hardly took any time or effort. 😎
https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/ottawa-senators-reach-deal-with-ncc-to-buy-land-for-lebreton-flats-arena-1.2177048
Did Doug Armstrong’s son, just show Ken Holland a decent amount of respect?
There is no way STL offer sheets our prospects if Holland is GM.
I think your readers love prospect talk!
The Oilers and mid-level prospects are in the mutual “eff-n-run” era. One-night-stands.
One can risk paying elite prospects. And prospects that don’t move the needle will be cheap.
The mid-level prospect will be impossible to hang on too because the Oilers will be flying too close to the cap.
I am not investing any emotional energy into the prospects, because the mid-level ones who are interesting to follow their progress will not be long term Oilers.
Skinner over Broberg and Holloway. Cost-controlled Podkolzin over Holloway. Cost-controlled Emberson over Broberg.
Henrique over McLeod. Stecher and Brown over Desharnais.
We have seen Jackson’s team building preference. Nothing wrong with it. The boss has to do it his way. As a fan, just don’t become attached to the prospect pool.
Broberg leaving was a no-brainer for him. Holloway jumped on his like a dog on a bone and I believe it will cost him professionally and financially in the long run. Armstrong may not get the last laugh. It’s all about the crest players come and go but the crest always remains.
I am going to be in TO for the first time in a long time this week. Any recs for food/drinks around downtown? (I know there are tons but I generally trust LTers recs).
Right downtown(finance district) I find is a little scarce for food spots, especially now that Momofuku closed. But if you’re willing to get over to Kensington Market there’s dozens of great food spots in a couple block area.
Rasta Pasta is an Italian-Jamaican fusion spot that is fantastic, mhmm jerk meatballs and spaghetti.
Chinatown is just a block away from Kensington as well on Dundas so a plethora of options around there for dumplings, dim sum, hot pot, pho, sushi noodles etc.
Swing by Tasty Dumpling and get the soup dumplings if you can 🤤.
There’s a pretty hip cocktail bar too in the area that’s called Oud and the Fuzz. Armenian themed cocktail bar in one of the beautiful old row houses there. They have bands sometimes I hear.
Berezkin – slowed down a bit from his torrid early season (now 1G, 3A in 6 games) but I very much look forward to his signing in May.
I wouldn’t have Grubbe on my “no trade” list. I think that trade was made largely due to Philp leaving the org and, since the Grubbe trade, Philp has come back and they drafted O’Riley.
Big year for Petrov in his second year pro. He needs to show real progress and now “Bourgault” his second year. Showed some signs as prospects camp but, for me, as a player with a full year in the AHL behind him, I expected him to be more consistently and overtly impactful.
I really think Lavoie could excel on Henrique’s left wing but I think that Janmark starts there and Podz is locked in the 12F spot and, unless there is another injury, there is no room for Lavoie on the opening roster (unless they run 23 players, including Kane, and take their available cap space down to $100K and crater the accrual).
Of course, Ryan and/or Perry could/should be at risk but I don’t think either are to start the season – MAYBE Ryan.
I wouldn’t trade Grubbe. Not because he’s particularly valuable but because this team has been searching for a 4RHC with size who can check, PK and win faceoffs for 20 years. Ryan, Pederson and Philp may be ahead of him but this is a player type they’ve expended significant effort to find and he’s 22 while they are 26. They’ve also drafted or acquired Savoie, O’Reilly, Wakely, and Copponi while looking for another RHC. If someone made “an offer you can’t refuse”, obviously you take it but his value is low enough that I can’t see how trading a lefty instead wouldn’t be the correct call.
Fair enough – just noting the depth of prospect at the position that you reference. Since Grubbe was added, so have been Philp and O’Riley.
O’Riley likely the Henrique 3C replacement of the future and Philp being the 4C replacement of the future, maybe VERY soon.
I’m not saying to use Grubbe as a throw-in but I don’t have him close to a “no-trade list” – I know that Philp is 4 years (or so) older but Philp was so far ahead of Grubbe after their first years of pro its tough for me to imagine Gubbe passing Philp any time soon – Philp might be that 4C for the next 4, 5, 6 years.
Its interesting, and this was brought up yesterday – after the trade, a few people in the org confirmed they were going to start Savoie at center but, since then, we’ve seen him play wing with O’Riley for three games in Penticton and, yesterday, he was on the wing with Pederson as his center (and Lavoie – a potential 1st line in Bako).
The Savoie talk could of been plan C if Leon didn’t resign. Now they have a few years to whip O’Relliy into 3rd Centre line shape. I have a good feeling about O’Reilly they identified, chased and snatched him up. I think Hunter really likes and will pump this player all year in London. Savoie-Jarventie-O’Reilly have me super-excited about the future up front.
I think he’ll get the Dylan Holloway treatment. Play him wing in the AHL until he’s good, then switch to centre in the AHL but play him wing on his call-ups.
Of course all the prospects and picks are “up for trade” but I do think the org would require a slam-dunk return, and a player with term (and under control) in order to trade Wanner. It was the prior regime but they are reeling from the Michael Kesselring trade and I think Wanner is a year away, at most, from helping this team.
Wanner might be more “hands off” than Akey who likely has the potential to play higher in the lineup if he hits his potential. Wanner and Savoie, I think the org would be remiss to trade either of those players.
I think most Oilers fans are excited about the potential of Max Wanner to be an NHL player. We almost always see a adjustment period for “non-elite” prospects making the jump from the CHL to the AHL, in particular 20 year old d-men. Of course, Wanner had his ups and downs but he was a mainstay on the blueline from game 1 of the regular season – he showed that he belonged from the very beginning.
Oilers fans that haven’t seen this guy play are going to love him as he is an absolute bruiser out there – he likes to hit and he hits hard. I see alot of Jason Smith in this player.
I’ve posted before that I’m not sure Keith Gretzky is quite as enthused. Gretzky is more “honest” about the prospects when he’s on Oilers radio than Woody was or Chaulk or Pracey are but he does seem to almost go out of his way to talk about how raw Wanner is and how he has alot to fix in his game.
I’ll give some kudos to Cam Dineen on Wanner’s first year pro – that was his most common partner and they worked well together.
i have noticed this with KG and his discussions around Wanner… he never mentions other players as harshly. I wonder if this goes back to the suspension and whatever happened… it seems like he has something personal he cannot move past and is holding something against maximus.
For me it was Lavoie they rarely gave a kudos to this player. A N.H.L cup of coffeee with a cheque a few springs ago would of done wonders for his confidence and bank account. Just like Podkolzin Lavoie needs a new beginning he’s been overcooked by our management. Podkolzin and Lavoie seem to be equals yet Podkolzin was desired he’s been given a huge push he’s even been interviewed like he’s a rock star. I think Podkolzin seizes this opportunity like Kostin did. As for Lavoie he needs to show in camp and his agent needs to find a team for him when he hits the waiver wire.
Lavoie didn’t earn or deserve a call-up until around February 2023 and, by that time, the Oilers were batling for playoff positioning and in the stretch drive getting ready for the playoffs.
Lets not forget, until December 2022, Lavoie’s arrows were down. Chaulk helped change his game completely and he started to become a consistent impact player at the AHL level but that didn’t start until late December 2022/January 2023.
You keep talking about this call-up he should have received but I don’t think it was reasonable given the player’s small track record and what was happening with the NHL team – waiving someone on the NHL roster for this cup of coffee would not have been conducive to winning Stanley.
What I like about the philosophy from Kalle Larsson regarding development is that he believes the best players will show themselves anyway. Their goal is to shorten the track it takes for that player to reach their inevitable potential.
They recognize how much internal drive and discipline it takes. Injury luck is a factor, but the cream rises to the crop. Their plan is that it’s while in Oiler silks (and preferably on a cheap contract).
Wanner looks like he has it. Benson did too. We wait.
I think nobody expecting Wanner to break camp or do anything speaks to the depth of team (overall, not necessarily RHD), downplaying by the org, and a little bit about his style (no big boxcars).
This is a good thing. There’s always a runaway train that gets beat to death round these parts where they can never reach the expectation placed on them in spite of the repeated mantra here that AHL players are historically destined to be the 6’s, 7’s, and 9’s.
Benson before and Lavoie for the past few years. Many here want their guy to get his chance now so they can say ‘I told you so’. It’s part of the fun, but puts unrealistic expectations on the player.
Wanner, a 7th rounder, treading water and not being out of place in the AHL at 20 has covered the bet. Everything after this is a credit to the young man (and the org).
If the Oilers new modus operandi is how they operated last July 1, when they signed Jeff Skinner for one year, rather than sign Holloway and Broberg, then every decent (but not elite) prospect is going to be offersheeted out of the organization.
If one operates close to the cap, it means one cannot jackboot ones decent prospects, and demand they sign their name to a crap contract.
So the Tampa model comes into play, where one trades all the draft picks and prospects for cost-controlled younger players with an established level of play. One sells the upside call on one’s draft picks and prospects for certainty. But Tampa had a Cup or two under their belt before they started doing this, and they have not won a Cup doing this yet, although they are hanging with the contenders.
Prediction: All the prospects will be traded.
If Wanner is any good, then some team with cap room will duplicate the Broberg offersheet.
If one wants to keep Wanner, one has to resist the urge to sign the Jeff Skinner’s, and pay him enough not to go the offersheet route.
Most GM’s will end up doing what Brisebois does, trade the emerging player for an established young player with cost certainty.
The contending dilemma. Cost certainty and an established level of play VS buying the call (and paying the premium) on a prospects’ upside.
Tampa had zero Cups when they traded a first for Blake Coleman and another for Barclay Goodrow. Both players had affordable pacts with another year to run, & each won 2 Cups during their 1.2 seasons in Tampa,
It’s not worth posting facts. Godot theorizing in a post-factual universe.
“So the Tampa model comes into play, where one trades all the draft picks and prospects for cost-controlled younger players with an established level of play.”
I thought Tampa was following the Tanner Jeannot model where they trade all of their prospects and picks for a player without an established level of play or high ceiling.
A greater truth may never have been spoken.
After following the early development and subsequent careers of Hall, Gags, Cogs, I tend to agree that a winger is a winger.
Hall at centre talk lasted seconds (pre-McDrai), while previous success in junior kept Cogs and Gags miscast for half their time in the bigs.
Except it isn’t a move to center. By all appearances, Savoie played almost his entire WHL career at center (~2,400 faceoffs in 183 games played doesn’t happen for a part time center).
Guy Carbonneau was an under-sized junior and AHL scoring phenom who got himself into the hall of fame (along with 3 cups and 3 Selke’s) by becoming a great two way player, playing 3rd or 2nd line center.
https://www.hhof.com/induction_archives/ind19Carbonneau.shtml
I’m surprised we’re not getting Swiss-A Geneve Servette updates around here. MAP and Hartikainen are still both going strong.
Interesting. I feel like Savoie has a better chance of making the team than most of the other hopefuls.
High enough pedigree that if he performs in camp they might forego Bakersfield. Not that I expect him to make the team, but I would not be surprised.
In any case, IMO he would be a worthy inclusion in the TC Hopeful series.
The difference with Savoie is he is new to the organization so they likely want some observational/development time to see how he progresses. They don’t really know what they have yet.
And he is auditioning for a skill role, where there is currently less demand on the big club.
That’s true, but the team is set up better for 3 scoring lines (landing spots for Savoie) then they have been in quite some time.
Any injury to a forward would certainly open the door for him to stick. Likely he goes down. If he produces he likely gets a call up before Xmas. He has all the tools if he can stay healthy
Agree a call-up later in the season is more likely.
Actually LT just did write about Savoie. It started out about Wanner as the #5 but the content is mostly about Savoie. 🥸
And I agree with you. Not likely Savoie starts in Edmonton but not a complete surprise either.
Wanner looked pretty darn good to me in the game against Vancouver in Penticton – the only one I got to watch. If Emberson can’t hold 2RD and they are forced to make a trade I suspect Wanner is one of the pieces to go the other way.
You are indeed correct.
Very curious to see how he fares this season.
And Wanner would certainly be among the deadline trade possibilities but let’s hope not.
Emberson growing into a legit 2RD makes this team a cup favourite. Wanner growing into a 3RD by March takes care of all family business on the back end.
Probably too much to ask, but that would certainly be nice.
I think the plus for Wanner is that he will likely get opportunity. RHD is very thin. Knock knock.
If Emberson cannot hold or grown into 2RD then there will be a trade. I would think Wanner becomes part of that package with Emberson dropping down to 3RD.
You might be right. But I hope not. Wanner and Savoie are the only strong contenders for future value contracts. That said, the Oiler do not have many high value assets to snag a dman. Hopefully Emberson crushes it. That would solve a lot of problems.
Yup. Can Emberson grow into the 2RD spot is the story to watch for the first few months of the season barring major injury.
And I also hope to see Wanner & Savoie stay with the team. Maybe get some games after Christmas.
As I have argued before, youthful enthusiasm is a real asset during an 82 game grind and is something this team will be missing this season for the most part.
I was just looking at the broadcasting schedule and noticed that there is games on TVAS, can anyone fill me in on what that is? I googled the hell out of it and got nothing.
TVA sports, french Canadian sports channel, doesn’t seem to be an English broadcast on some of them dates. 🙁
Not sure which games you’re referring to but a few Oilers games will be exclusively on Amazon Prime Monday Night Hockey.
https://www.primevideo.com/salp/nhl