Oilers Fans Should Watch Out for Two These Young Forwards

There’s a lot on the radar for Edmonton Oilers fans heading into the 2026-27 season. Leon Draisaitl‘s health is a big one. Mike Babcock’s first year behind the bench is going to get plenty of attention too. And of course, there’s the question that never really goes away — can this team finally string together another real playoff run? But there are a couple of younger guys who might end up mattering more than people expect: Matt Savoie and Isaac Howard.

Nobody’s asking either of them to step in and replace Connor McDavid or Draisaitl. That’s obviously not the expectation. What Edmonton actually needs from these two is way simpler. Just become useful NHL players who give the team some extra offence and depth without costing a fortune.

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Savoie Might Be Ready for a Real Opportunity with the Oilers

Matt Savoie isn’t a total unknown to Oilers fans at this point. He came over from Buffalo in the Ryan McLeod trade and had a solid opening season in the AHL, putting up 54 points in 66 games. Edmonton even gave him a taste of the NHL: four games and an assist. In a small sample, he didn’t look out of place.

Now there’s a real opportunity opening up for him. The Oilers lost some forward depth over the summer, with Corey Perry, Jeff Skinner, and Connor Brown all moving on, which means there are minutes sitting there for the taking. Savoie’s got a legitimate shot at grabbing some of them, and honestly, Edmonton needs him to.

With a cap hit under $900,000, Savoie could turn into exactly the kind of player this team needs more of. He’s young, cheap, and able to actually contribute. He doesn’t need to score 30 goals for this to work out. If he just becomes a reliable everyday guy who chips in offensively, that’s already a win for Edmonton.

Howard Could Be the Oilers’ Wild Card

Then there’s Isaac Howard, and this one’s especially interesting. Edmonton gave up Sam O’Reilly — one of its better prospects — just to land him from Tampa Bay. That alone tells you how much they believe in the youngster. Once you look at the numbers, it makes sense. Howard scored 26 goals and put up 52 points in only 37 games at Michigan State, and he took home the Hobey Baker Award for it — college hockey’s top honour. Not bad for a guy who hasn’t even suited up for an NHL game yet.

What makes it even more interesting is that Howard probably won’t get much time to ease his way in. The expectation is that he’s in the opening-night lineup with a real shot at a top-nine role. That’s a lot to ask of a rookie, but it’s also a huge opportunity.

The Oilers Will Give Savoie and Howard Room to Develop

Here’s what I like about both of these guys: neither one has to turn into a superstar for this to pay off. If Savoie becomes a dependable NHL forward and Howard brings some legit scoring touch, Edmonton suddenly has more depth to work with and doesn’t have to lean quite so hard on McDavid and Draisaitl every single night. For a team that’s spent years asking its stars to carry everything, that could end up being a bigger deal than it looks on paper.

Related: Three Things to Watch From the Winnipeg Jets This Season