Oilers' top prospects expected to finish ahead of NHL's 1st-overall draft pick in 2025
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With the 2025-26 NHL season just around the corner, analysts and podcasters have been making their pre-season predictions and rankings, several of which have two Oilers' prospects competing for a Calder Trophy.
The question, however, is how will Matt Savoie and Ike Howard compare against the top 2025 draft picks, who will no doubt have a say about who wins Rookie of the Year.
Are the top-3 picks from 2025 NHL Draft ready to make jump to NHL?
Matthew Schaefer was selected 1st-overall by the New York Islanders. In 2024-25, he only managed 17 games with the Erie Otters because of an injury to his collarbone. In those games, the skilled defenseman scored 7G and 15A.
At 17-years old, is Matthew ready to compete against men? He signed a 3-year entry level deal this month, which suggest Islanders' GM Mathieu Darche believes he is. And so does Schaefer.
"I mean me, personally, I want to play in the NHL," Schaefer said in a recent interview. "Other people would always ask me 'where do you want to go?' But for me, I am so dialled in on wanting to play in the NHL. And when I set goals for myself, I work as hard as I can so I can get to that point.»
The 2nd-overall San Jose draft pick in 2025 was center Michael Misa, himself only 18-years old. In 2024-25 with Saginaw Spirit, he scored an astonishing 62G and 72A, setting franchise records for goals and points, and winning the OHL's MVP award.
Selected 3rd overall in 2025 by Chicago was Anton Frondell. Playing in Sweden in 2024-25, he recorded 17G and 18A in 44 games played. He is also 18-years old, and of the top-3 picks, is perhaps the least-likely to win the Calder Trophy, in my opinion.
When compared to these top-3 picks, both Savoie and Howard match-up nicely. Howard scored 26G and 26A in 37 games, playing with Michigan State University; he plays a similar skill-game to Michael Misa's.
Matt Savoie last year played with the AHL Bakersfield Condors, and has the most pro-experience of all the Calder-candidates. In 69 games, he scored 19G and 35A.
«As a coach, I think the most difficult part of our job is giving players opportunity to play," coach Knoblauch said of Savoie and Howard. "We're expected to have two young players in our lineup and for players like that to be in the lineup, they have to have a significant role, whether that's on the power play or penalty kill.»
That means an opportunity to play alongside McDavid and Draisaitl. Combined with their skill, they have a better-than-good chance to keep pace with next year's crop of top rookies.
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