New Oilers forward's roster spot may be in jeopardy with odd ice time usage
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Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch is entering his third season behind the bench, with virtually a new lineup that includes a number on players whose ice-time and roles have fluctuated considerably in the first three games.
In a recent article in The Atheltic hockey writer and analyst Allan Mitchell commented on one such inconsistency in playing time.
Newcomers roles uncertain in early going of new season
Tomasek is being faded at five-on-five, but getting a ridiculous push on the power play. What isn't known is if Tomasek's five-on-five time will increase once Hyman establishes himself on the power play again. If he doesn't see an increase in five-on-five minutes, his roster spot could be in jeopardy.
- Allan Mitchell
- Allan Mitchell
Of course, a player's ice-time will always depend on the quality of his performances and the level of his consistency from game to game. In Tomasek's case, if he can score a few goals before Zach Hyman's return from the LTIR he may continue seeing PP time past November.
Yet, the longer he goes without scoring, the more likely he will be replaced by Savoie on the powerplay.
Head coach considers roles for younger players
With the many changes to the lineup this season, the Oilers have gone from a veteran team to a predominantly young team, something Knoblauch has had to consider when building his lineups and games plans.
The Oilers are much younger now, and many of the auditions we are seeing with the 2025-26 group are because of the veterans are gone, players Corey Perry, Viktor Arvidsson, and Evander Kane.
For example, Savoie and Ike Howard have both been deployed in the first three games, but it's clear that Savoie spending the 2024-25 season in the AHL has prepared him for the NHL and his minutes reflect this fact, having spent time in top-6 roles.
Howard on the other hand, has been largely inconsistent and his experience and lack of development shows. His ice time in the first three games has decreased from 10:43 to 0:16, and just 7:30 in a tight road game - he will likely end up in Bakersfield.
Clearly, it will take Kris Knoblauch some games to establish roles and ice-time for the new forwards. All in all, he's done a great job juggling all the many personalities.
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