Edmonton Oilers rank No. 31 in NHL Pipeline Rankings for 2025

The second-to-worst pipeline still has two legit pro prospects in Matthew Savoie and Isaac Howard, who should materially help the Oilers soon. The issue is that after them, there is next to nothing in this farm system.

2024 ranking: 30

2025 NHL Draft grade: C

Player Ranking

1. Matthew Savoie, C

January 1, 2004 | 5-foot-9 | 179 pounds | Shoots right

Drafted: No. 9 in 2022
Tier: Middle of the lineup player

Skating: Above NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average

Analysis: Savoie was impressive as a rookie pro as a top player for Bakersfield. He’s a great skater with a high skill level who makes a ton of difficult plays at very fast speeds. Savoie is both a strong playmaker and finisher who’s a threat off the edge. Savoie isn’t that big, but he can play in traffic and competes well. He’s talented, but Savoie probably doesn’t rise to the “special” level you want at a player that size. He does work hard enough, though, that you could see him as a middle-six winger in the NHL.

2. Isaac Howard, LW

March 30, 2004 | 5-foot-11 | 190 pounds | Shoots left

Drafted: No. 31 in 2022
Tier: Middle of the lineup player

Skating: Above NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average

Analysis: Howard was the top player in college hockey this season, winning the Hobey Baker Award. He’s a super-skilled offensive player who can make a lot happen inside the offensive zone. He sees the ice well, is a shifty skater and can create offense with good enough pace. He also has a very good shot that can finish chances from mid-range. Howard isn’t the biggest winger, can be pushed to the outside and doesn’t have the super high compete level you would ideally like at his size. He projects as a middle-six scoring winger.

3. Samuel Jonsson, G

December 15, 2003 | 6-foot-5 | 201 pounds | Catches left

Drafted: No. 158 in 2022
Tier: Projected to play NHL games

Skating: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average

Analysis: Jonsson had a promising season as the top goalie in the Allsvenskan as a 21-year-old. He has very intriguing NHL traits as a 6-foot-5 goalie who moves rather well for his size. He can make athletic, difficult saves with a high frequency. When Jonsson is economical in net, he can steal a game. His game can be a little noisy, though, with a lot of scrambles and bad reads. He’s trending in a positive direction with the potential to be a backup NHL goalie, and I can buy the argument that if everything goes right, he could be a starter.

Has a chance to play*

Beau Akey is a good skater with solid hands and hockey sense. I don’t think he stands out at either end of the ice, but he’s good enough that he has a realistic path to playing in the league. I was a fan of Eemil Vinni’s game in his draft season. He’s super athletic, but he’s been plagued by injuries and inconsistencies.

Beau Akey, D

February 11, 2005 | 6-feet | 183 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 56 in 2023

Paul Fischer, D

January 30, 2005 | 6-foot-1 | 201 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 138 in 2023

David Lewandowski, LW

February 20, 2007 | 6-foot-1 | 176 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 117 in 2025

Eemil Vinni, G

December 18, 2005 | 6-foot-3 | 187 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 64 in 2024

* Listed in alphabetical order

Player eligibility: All skaters who are 22 years old or younger as of Sept. 15, 2025, regardless of how many NHL games they’ve played, are eligible. Player heights and weights are taken from the NHL.

Tool grades: Tool grades are based on a scale with six separate levels, with an eye toward how this attribute would grade in the NHL (poor, below-average, average, above-average, high-end and elite). “Average” on this scale means the tool projects as NHL average, which is meant as a positive, not a criticism. Skating, puck skills, hockey sense and compete for every projected NHL player are graded. Shot grades are only included if a shot is notably good or poor.

Tier definitions: Tiers are meant to show roughly where in an average NHL lineup a player projects to slot in.

(Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic. Photo: Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images)