With the Edmonton Oilers so close to the upper limit of the NHL’s salary cap, the team can barely afford to make many new additions to the roster. As a true Stanley Cup contender, the Oilers have lofty expectations to improve on last season’s results nonetheless.
Perhaps the biggest reason for optimism comes from the upward mobility of internal development. There are young players that are already significant contributors on the roster who might take a step forward, but there are also a number of players who have yet to impose themselves into major roles who will be looking to do just that in 2023–24.
With that in mind we asked our readers the following poll:
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Dylan Holloway
Leading our poll is Dylan Holloway. Last season, Holloway burst onto the scene during training camp, forcing his way into the opening night roster after a dominant preseason performance.
Despite capturing the imaginations of his coach, GM, and Oil Country as a whole, the hype was short lived, as it didn’t take long for Holloway to start sliding down the lineup. The confidence and assertiveness of his play faded in extremely limited minutes heading into the 2023 calendar year. Anecdotally, Holloway did start to regain his form, particularly in generating more shots, but the Oilers were no longer convinced, eventually sending Holloway to the AHL.
With the likes of Klim Kostin, Kailer Yamamoto, and Jesse Puljujarvi all moved on from the Oilers, there are certainly some minutes up for grabs in the forward group. The opportunity combines with a belief that Holloway is ready to take the next step by establishing that he is worthy of a top nine spot.
More than an outburst of offensive production, a Holloway breakout campaign would likely revolve around a strong two-way game, controlling the flow of play. While shifts with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl would be beneficial to his individual scoring, Holloway likely won’t be a factor on the power play. While we might still project a higher offensive upside in Holloway’s future, expecting more than 15 goals and 40 points might be optimistic.
Instead, we should hope to see Holloway making any line he plays on better, starting with a strong forecheck. At his best, Holloway creates havoc in the offensive zone, creating turnovers and generating scoring chances off of those. Fans are clearly confident that Holloway will be able to put it all together, asserting himself as an NHLer with a breakout 2023–24 season.
Philip Broberg
Finishing in second with a quarter of the votes in our poll is Philip Broberg. The left-shot defenceman is a year older than Holloway, meaning either that voters are recognizing the burdens of their respective positions, or voters have started to wane on Broberg’s prospects.
After an early injury last season, Broberg started the year in the AHL when he was healthy enough. Some might have seen this as a disappointment considering expectations that Broberg might have had the inside track on a role in the top six. Broberg quickly showed he had little left to prove in the AHL, dominating in his short stay with the Bakersfield Condors.
As fall 2022 turned into winter, Broberg found himself playing quite well on a sheltered pair with Evan Bouchard. Once the Oilers added Mattias Ekholm, the young duo was broken up, leaving Broberg largely as the seventh defenceman rotating through the lineup. While Bouchard was clearly ready for more icetime than Broberg should be expected to at this point, Broberg showed quite well serving as Bouchard’s defensive conscience.
This season the plan should be to give Broberg a regular spot on the third pair, if not an ideal partner. Broberg can still grow into his physical prowess, though the raw tools exist given his frame and his skating skills. Perhaps it is but experience and confidence that is missing for Broberg, meaning this season could be a significant inflection point for his development.
Raphael Lavoie
In third place in our poll is a player yet to see NHL action, Raphael Lavoie. Lavoie recently signed a two-way deal that has some fans thinking it less likely that he will be able to make the team out of training camp for cap related reasons.
Lavoie has been inconsistent, mercurial almost, along his development path, something epitomised nicely by the Jekyll and Hyde nature of his 2022–23 season. Lavoie was not a factor early on in the season, a worry trend that threatened to cast his projected ceiling into doubt. Once the calendar changed to 2023, Lavoie started scoring at his most consistent pace, becoming the focal point of the Condors offence.
This roller coaster ride is something that many forwards with harsh offensive slants to their game’s experience. This might be the battle for icetime in the NHL as well, as Lavoie needs to be deployed in offensive situations to succeed. For many players of this ilk, a second line spot needs to be earned to justify their place as an NHLer. Lavoie might have a leg up here, as he might be an effective linemate for either McDavid or Draisaitl get double shifted.
At the very least, the offensive upside for Lavoie is higher than the rest on this list, providing Lavoie is ready to capitalise on the opportunity before him. Lavoie will need to score over a 15 goal season’s pace to stay in the NHL.
Lane Pederson
In a distant fourth in our poll, Lane Pederson is in something of a different class than the others on this list. Although there might be other prospects in the Oilers system that have a greater long term outlook, Pederson fills an interesting void.
Oilers GM Ken Holland admitted that the team might still be looking for a fourth line centreman at the NHL level. In the same interview, Holland did describe Pederson as a first line AHL signing. The best laid plans are all for naught, and at some point Pederson might be next in line for a call up. Pederson, at 25 years old, has 71 NHL games across parts of three seasons, already with the Arizona Coyotes, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, and Columbus Blue Jackets. Going back to four seasons ago, Pederson has produced at an elite level in the AHL, yet is still stuck at four NHL goals and seven NHL points across his 71 NHL games.
Naturally, a breakout season for Pederson would not likely see any significant NHL production. Rather, if Pederson can maintain a regular shift on the fourth line. While this might be a more limited upside than the rest of the players in this poll, every contributor can make the difference between winning and losing. Our voters have spoken clearly that a Pederson breakout is unlikely, but it is still possible that the fourth line centre Holland seeks to fill already exists in house.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
