There could be a disconnect brewing inside the Edmonton Oilers organization. Analyst Allan Mitchell recently warned that if general manager Stan Bowman and head coach Kris Knoblauch aren’t fully aligned on how to handle rookies Matthew Savoie and Ike Howard, the consequences could be serious.
For a team chasing a Stanley Cup before its stars age out, Edmonton simply can’t afford internal friction.
“The Oilers can ill afford another era where the coach and general manager are not on the same page. Not now,” Mitchell warned, pointing to the potential clash between Bowman and Knoblauch over how these two highly touted forwards should be used.
Oilers top rookies Savoie and Howard are NHL ready
Bowman made a clear statement this offseason by acquiring Howard and keeping Savoie in the fold signaling that both are expected to be immediate contributors. Their resumes back that up. Savoie recorded 37 points in 45 AHL games last year with Bakersfield after previously putting up 90 points in the WHL, while Howard dominated at Michigan State scoring 26 goals and 26 assists in 37 games. These are offensive players meant to drive scoring, not simply grinders destined for depth duty.
Knoblauch, however, recently confirmed that Savoie and Howard will begin the season in the bottom six. On the surface, it is a cautious approach meant to ease them into NHL pace. Yet it also carries a familiar risk.
“Coach Kris Knoblauch is hesitant to trust youth, and that’s been a theme for exactly one forever with this organization. It’s a battle hockey men in Oilers offices have been fighting for a decade, and sometimes (Ken Holland with Philip Broberg) a single manager is arguing both sides of the dilemma,” Mitchell noted.
In the past, Edmonton has deferred to veterans at the expense of youth leaving talents like Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway struggling to carve out consistent roles. Mitchell’s warning is clear: the Oilers cannot afford to repeat that mistake.
Oilers aging core demands younger talent up front
The timing makes the situation even more pressing. Connor McDavid turns 29 in January, Leon Draisaitl will be 30 in October, Zach Hyman is already 33 and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is 32. Even depth forward David Tomasek will be 30 by spring.
The team’s forward core is aging and without meaningful minutes for younger talent, Edmonton risks entering decline while its Stanley Cup window remains open. McDavid’s future in particular looms over these decisions. Pointing this out, Mitchell wrote:
“How is this going to turn out? There’s comedy in that question, because we all know what happens when old people get older. The question for Oilers management is will they adapt, or die?”
If the Oilers cannot demonstrate that they are replenishing their core with youth, it will raise questions about the long-term environment he is willing to commit to.
Knoblauch did show last season that he can work younger players into the lineup, giving Vasily Podkolzin an opportunity but Savoie and Howard represent arguably the most important youth assets the Oilers have had in years. Bowman expects them to be impact players and their skill sets demand more than sheltered minutes.
If the coach and GM are not aligned, Edmonton risks wasting both prospects at the very moment when the team can least afford it.
For a franchise still chasing its first Stanley Cup in decades, how Edmonton handles Savoie and Howard this season could shape not only the rookies’ futures but also the fate of McDavid, Draisaitl and the entire Cup window.