The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are wrapping up in a week with the NHL regular season set to kick back into full gear right after. The Edmonton Oilers entered the Olympic break in a tough spot, especially with multiple teams right on their heels in the Pacific Division standings with games in hand.
The trade deadline is shortly after the season kicks back in and then it is the final stretch of the regular season before the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This provides a great platform for different Oilers players to step up and stand out down the stretch run.
Tristan Jarry
The Oilers starting goaltender Tristan Jarry has struggled mightily in recent starts before the Olympic break, at least in terms of box score stats. Looking at his underlying numbers, it paints a slightly different picture of how his season is trending, especially when looking at his numbers at even strength.
Many Penguins fans seem to be running with the narrative that they fleeced the Oilers in the Jarry trade for Stuart Skinner. Jarry has the opportunity to confidently run with the Oilers starting job should his advanced stats start to even out with the results. He has shown he can provide sound and secure goaltending at the NHL level, something Edmonton desperately needs down the stretch and into the playoffs, as they hope to make another deep run.
Josh Samanski
Recent Oilers recall Josh Samanski has the opportunity to provide the Oilers with strong depth, especially at centre. Before the break, Samanski played five games with the club, notching two assists while playing third line centre primarily alongside Jack Roslovic and Matt Savoie. He has followed this impressive play up with a great performance at the Winter Olympics for Team Germany.
Samanski has been playing legitimate minutes for Germany throughout the top nine. There is likely hope that he can carry this momentum forward after the Olympics, back with the Oilers and be an important piece moving forward. He possesses good size and has a history of being a productive player at every level as a two-way pivot.
Matt Savoie
His rookie season has been up and down for the Oilers top prospect, he has gone through dry spells but with some stretches that give a glimpse of his true potential. All-in-all, it has resulted in him scoring nine goals and nine assists for only 18 points in 58 games. These numbers put him on pace for 25 points over an 82-game schedule. He has not lived up to expectations so far, but that does not mean he will not.
One major point of optimism is his chemistry on that same third line with Samanski and Roslovic. The combination of him and Roslovic has resulted in positive results in terms of shot attempts, goals, and expected goals according to moneypuck.com. So far, it is the best use of the rookies that head coach Kris Knoblauch has come up with this season. It leaves plenty of optimism for the last stretch of the season if the coaching staff keeps that line together after the Olympic break.