Entering the 2025-26 NHL season, the Edmonton Oilers welcomed many new faces into their everyday lineup. This included two highly touted rookies in Matt Savoie and newly acquired Isaac Howard.
Howard had just been acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning after capturing the 2025 Hobey Baker award as the NCAA MVP. Savoie, had been traded for the previous summer and had spent a year developing with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
The expectations and excitement were very evident and despite their best efforts, it has been an underwhelming start to their NHL careers. They have slowly started to pick up traction as the season has gone on and Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch may have finally found the right formula for his top rookies.
Oilers rookies look the best they have so far
After spending a stint with the Condors throughout the end of November and December, Howard was recalled to rejoin the Oilers at the beginning of January. It has not seen him score more having only just registered his first point since his recall, giving him one assist in his last seven games. On the season he has four points (two goals, two assists) in 24 games.
Savoie has seen his production jump a bit more as he has 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 49 games this year. Unlike Howard, he has not been sent down to the Condors and has yet to miss a game all year long.
Over the last few games, the Oilers coaching staff has went with a new third line putting Howard and Savoie on the wings with Jack Roslovic in the middle. Although a small sample, the trio has been great together, generating a lot of offensive chances with a 62.5 percent expected goals percentage according to moneypuck. Against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, they may have broken the dam as well as the line finally generated a goal together.
If the line can continue to dominate their shot attempts and expected goals, this may be the best combination for their pair of rookies. It should help give them a chance to not only produce down the stretch and throughout the playoffs but could give the Oilers the depth scoring kick they desperately need.
Oilers win first of back-to-backs
As their red hot third line finally scored, it helped lift the Oilers above the Canucks with a dominant 6-0 win. The blowout victory gave starting goalie Tristan Jarry his first shutout since being acquired by the Oilers last month as he stopped all 31 shots from the rebuilding Canucks.
His shutout brings Jarry's career with the Oilers to an impressive 4-0-1 with a 2.57 goals against average and .907 save percentage in five games since his acquisition.
As he scored two goals, forward Kasperi Kapanen continues his hot start since returning from injury with two goals against the Canucks, in total scoring seven points (two goals, five assists) in the seven games since his return.
The Oilers are set to face the St. Louis Blues on Sunday with Connor Ingram -- who has been living out of a suitcase in Edmonton -- getting the start. So far this season, Ingram has played eight games with a 4-3-1 record, 2.49 goals against average, and .907 save percentage.