The Edmonton Oilers don’t have a deep prospect pool. It’s not surprising, since they’ve been a contender for several years, meaning they’ve drafted later and have moved out a ton of draft picks in trades to help improve their roster now.
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That said, management has made an effort to improve their prospect pipeline. They acquired Matt Savoie following the 2023-24 season, before picking up Isaac Howard from the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier this month. All of a sudden, they have two very solid prospects in the pipeline, along with a few others that have flown under the radar. Here’s a look at the top 10 prospects in the Oilers’ system.
10. Samuel Jonsson (G)
There is, indeed, a goaltending prospect in the organization worth getting excited about. That would be 21-year-old Samuel Jonsson, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2022 Draft and was signed to an entry-level contract in April. Jonsson still has a ways to go in his development, but has good size at 6-foot-3, and also possesses some solid fundamentals. He suited up for 24 games in HockeyAllsvenskan for Bofors IK last season, posting a dazzling 1.88 goals-against average (GAA) along with a .922 save percentage (SV%).
9. David Lewandowski (LW)
David Lewandowski, the 2025 fourth-round pick, played seven professional games in Germany’s DEL this past season, and spent the rest of the campaign playing with the Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League (WHL) as a rookie.
Lewandowski has a very high skill set and put up a respectable 15 goals and 39 points in 52 games with the Blades. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but there’s reason to be optimistic he can drastically improve his offensive stats in 2025-26 now that he’s more used to the North American style of play.
8. Paul Fischer (D)
Losing both Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to offer sheets signed with the St. Louis Blues stung and continues to hurt. There is no positive spin here, though the Oilers were able to get a decent prospect in Paul Fischer as a result. The Blues dealt Fischer to the Oilers for future considerations just after acquiring Holloway and Broberg, presumably as a sweetener after the Oilers decided not to match either offer.
Fischer is not a ‘can’t-miss’ prospect, but he has played two solid seasons with Notre Dame. The 2024-25 campaign saw him suit up for 36 games, scoring two goals and 21 points, numbers that are quite respectable for a defenceman his age. He’s a player worth monitoring in the coming years.
7. Quinn Hutson (RW)
Some in the Oilers organization are very high on Quinn Hutson. Edmonton landed the undrafted winger following his third season with Boston University, in which he scored 23 goals and a team-leading 50 points in 38 games. Hutson has potential, but he was not a point-per-game player in either of his first two college seasons.
Given that he’s already 23, it’s fair to question how much further his game will develop. If he tears up the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2025-26, he’ll move much higher up on the list. If he struggles, however, he won’t be viewed as much of a prospect at all.
6. Roby Jarventie (LW)
It would be much easier to get a read on Roby Jarventie and his NHL future if he could stay healthy. The Oilers acquired the 22-year-old from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for their former first-round pick Xavier Bourgault ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Jarventie has clear potential – his AHL numbers have been good throughout his professional career. The issue is that he’s struggled to stay healthy; he managed just two games last season with the Bakersfield Condors. If he can stay healthy in 2025-26, he has a shot to re-establish himself as one of the best prospects in the organization.
5. Joshua Samanski
Signing German forward Joshua Samanski earlier this year didn’t seem to garner a whole lot of chatter, but that may soon change. The 6-foot-5, 189-pound centreman could push for a roster spot as early as training camp this fall. Samanski is already well adjusted to the pro ranks, having spent the past four seasons playing in the DEL. He’s improved statistically in each season, including a career-best 14 goals and 40 points in 52 games with the Straubing Tigers last season. This could become a home run signing by the Oilers front office.
4. Beau Akey
The Oilers don’t have a ton of exciting young prospects that they drafted. One that is generating quite a bit of buzz, however, is 20-year-old defenceman Beau Akey, whom the Oilers selected in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Akey is a solid two-way defenceman who is coming off of a six-goal, 32-point season with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He also suited up for Team Canada at the 2025 World Junior Championships, though he played a limited role. By no means does he project to be a top-pairing defenceman, but he does appear to have NHL potential.
3. Maxim Berezkin
Maxim Berezkin appears to be NHL-ready, or very close. The question is whether he will ever come to North America. As each season passes, it seems less and less likely that the fifth-round pick from the 2020 NHL Draft will ever come overseas, though hope is not lost.
Berezkin is not only highly skilled, but he has the true makings of an NHL power forward, thanks to his 6-foot-4, 211-pound frame. He has the potential to be a great top-six option for the Oilers should he come over, as he’s already posting big numbers in the Kontinental Hockey League, with 15 goals and 42 points in 66 games with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv last season.
2. Isaac Howard
You can’t blame Oilers fans for being excited about the Howard addition. The 21-year-old is coming off a Hobey Baker Award-winning season of 26 goals and 52 points in 37 games with Michigan State University.
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Howard is expected to begin the 2025-26 season in the NHL, though his performance in training camp will be the determining factor. Should he stick, he will likely get a crack in a top-six role, where he’ll look to prove right from the hop that he is indeed NHL ready. Either way, he’s a big-time prospect for the Oilers.
1. Matt Savoie
The Oilers were somehow able to land one of the better prospects in the NHL a summer ago. Many questioned the Buffalo Sabres’ willingness to part ways with Savoie, now 21, in exchange for Ryan McLeod and prospect Tyler Tullio, but the Oilers were more than happy to pull the trigger on the deal.
The one concern over Savoie is his size, at 5-foot-9. However, his frame hasn’t been an issue at any level to date, including the AHL, where he put up a solid 19 goals and 54 points in 66 games as a rookie with the Condors last season. He should also make his NHL debut this season, and he will be worth keeping an eye on in training camp.
Oilers Fans Have Reason to Be Excited
Though the mood has been low, following a second-straight loss in the Stanley Cup Final, this prospect list, particularly Howard and Savoie, should give the fan base plenty of reason to be excited. Assuming Connor McDavid signs an extension, the team will be able to compete for several more Cups, and some of the players listed above will play a part in that.
