Top Insider Delivers Bad News: Oilers Lose Two Key Pieces Until Late October

The Edmonton Oilers had a bomb dropped on them today: both Frederik Andersen and Matt Savoie will miss training camp. Add Mattias Janmark and Alec Regula to the list, and suddenly the competition battles that were already tight just got even more complicated.

The immediate question when the news broke was simple — how long? Andersen was brought in to stabilize the crease after winning the Stanley Cup last season, and Savoie was penciled in as a full‑time fixture on Connor McDavid’s wing following a terrific post‑Olympic stretch. Losing both is a gut punch.

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Rishaug Drops the Timeline — And It’s Not Pretty

Ryan Rishaug may have given us the first real indication of how long the Oilers will be without two of their most important pieces. And while it could’ve been worse, it’s still far from ideal.

“Sounds like Savoie and Andersen will be available late October or so.”

Or so is doing a lot of heavy lifting there. Bob Stauffer added that Savoie is dealing with a lower‑body injury — the kind that can linger, nag, and derail momentum. Best‑case scenario? Late October.

By Halloween night — October 31st against the New York Islanders — the Oilers will already have played 14 games. That’s roughly a sixth of the season gone for both players. For a team desperate to avoid another slow start after three straight years of stumbling out of the gate, this is a nightmare.

What Now?

Replacing Savoie

The Oilers will almost certainly explore external options to patch the hole in the top six. Names still on the market include Vladimir Tarasenko, Michael Bunting, and Eeli Tolvanen — all viable fits.

Internally, this could open the door for Isaac (Ike) Howard to get a real look alongside elite talent, which would be massive for his development. Quinn Hutson is another candidate who could see a bigger opportunity than expected.

Replacing Andersen

This is where things get dicey.

The pressure now shifts directly onto Devon Levi. Tristan Jarry has plenty to prove, and if he can’t rebound, Levi becomes the de facto starter. Andersen was supposed to insulate the crease — and Mike Babcock was almost certainly going to lean heavily on him given their familiarity.

This is a huge opportunity for Levi. The Oilers need him to run with it.

Could this open the door for a Connor Ingram reunion? Maybe. But Edmonton already has a logjam of goalies. Matt Tomkins could start the season in the NHL, or the Oilers could use this chance to give Connor Ungar an early look — something they’d be wise to explore sooner rather than later.

The Start Just Got Harder

Savoie and Andersen are two major pieces of Edmonton’s season plan, and losing them before camp even begins is a brutal blow. The start of the season was already under a microscope — now it’s a full‑on storyline.

Janmark and Regula missing camp hurts too. Janmark was looking to bounce back after missing half of last season, and Regula was fighting for a spot in a crowded blue‑line battle. The Oilers have built enough depth to survive this, which hasn’t always been the case, but it still stings.

Mike Babcock already had his work cut out for him. Now the job just got a whole lot tougher, with two core pieces ripped out of the lineup before he’s even had a chance to put his fingerprints on this roster.

Next: The Missing Piece: Why Michael Bunting Might Be Exactly What the Oilers Need