As August draws to a close the regular season is on the horizon. The Edmonton Oilers have reached the final frame two seasons in a row, only to fall short. The past is the past, and the team will have to re-forge an identity this season around.
Despite a great deal of continuity, the Oilers will be debuting some new additions in the season ahead, with them the chance for more this time around. With that in mind we polled our readers, which new addition will have the most points this upcoming season?
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Fans have high expectations for Mangiapane
By far the most established of this quartet, perhaps it is no surprise that Andrew Mangiapane wins this vote. With a 35-goal season under his belt, there has been production in the past. To some degree Mangiapane represents a baseline for this exercise.
On the other hand, Mangiapane is coming off of a down season, notching 14 goals and 28 points last season. While it is true that his role with the Washington Capitals was limited to bottom-six usage, the truth is that his career average is a lot closer to this than his 35-goal season. With a career high of 26 assists, Mangiapane averages about 40 points per season. From that perspective, him finishing first in this poll might be a sign of trepidation for the other options.
Fans expecting more from him might be a bit ambitious. While his point totals are one thing, Mangiapane is usually a strong possession player, and should be thought of as a two-way winger more than he is a scoring winger. Fans might point to the chance to play alongside Leon Draisaitl or Connor McDavid as a reason for more production, but this hardly did any favours for Viktor Arvidsson last season.
Hopeful for Savoie’s production
For the second straight season Matthew Savoie is the Oil Rig’s top rated prospect. Acquired from the Buffalo Sabres for Ryan McLeod, expectations for Savoie have been high throughout his Oilers tenure. His first professional season saw Savoie spend most of his time in the AHL, where his scoring really picked up in the second half. In all, Savoie finishes second in our poll, which might be underselling it.
Some across Oil Country might have grown a bit weary or impatient, expecting more from Savoie. That said, Savoie showed there is more to his game than offence, as the winger held down a key penalty killing role in the AHL. While Savoie has not proven anything in the NHL yet, he is positioned as well as one can be to take hold of a regular spot. Add in the fact that he could theoretically hold down a spot on a checking line, and he is even more likely to hold onto a spot all year.
Could Howard surprise fans?
In a close third, there is some fan confidence for Isaac Howard. Like Savoie, Howard still has to prove anything at the NHL level. Still, coming off of a Hobey Baker Trophy winning season in the NCAA, the former first-round pick is well positioned to make the jump.
Howard has a bit more shooting talent than Savoie, which could make him a threat to score more goals. Assists might be an easier way to accumulate points, which might give Savoie a bit of an advantage over Howard.
Still, both rookies are primed to be full time Oilers this season, and Howard’s offensive style might force him into more usage than Savoie. The votes clearly suggest some trepidation for the unknown, but Howard joins Savoie as likely candidates to outpace Mangiapane’s career average in points.
Low expectations for Tomasek
The ultimate wild card is 29-year-old rookie-to-be David Tomasek. There is not necessarily a vast catalogue of successful late 20s rookies in NHL history, so the skepticism from fans is well warranted. Still, Tomasek comes into the NHL on as much of a high as possible. Last season Tomasek led the SHL in goals, assists, and points en route to an MVP.
Like Howard, Tomasek is an offensive leaning player, and might not provide as much defensively as either Savoie or Mangiapane. While this might sound like a bad thing, it might earn him more time alongside McDavid or Draisaitl. A big differentiator between these four is that Tomasek is the biggest of the quartet. Tomasek will need to leverage this to an extent to be at his best.
As much as he is more experienced, there is no guarantee that Tomasek will stick in the NHL. Obviously the Oilers professional scouts hope that he will, but his salary is fully bury-able and his one year deal is not a huge commitment. It is hard to find a baseline for how he might perform, meaning Tomasek will be an interesting watch in the preseason.
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