The Edmonton Oilers’ rookie camp starts on Sept. 11, main camp with veterans begins on Sept. 15, and late last week the team announced Matt Savoie, Frederik Andersen, Mattias Janmark and Alec Regula will not participate in training camp or the preseason. No team wants injuries, but they are expected, and I don’t think these injuries are a big concern.

Andersen has played 34, 22, 16 and 35 regular season games the past four seasons. I thought playing 30 games would be the high mark for him. You knew he would miss games this season, as did the Oilers, which is why they have Andersen, Tristan Jarry and young Devon Levi signed. I think that an injury, or a losing streak or a goalless streak early in a season is often overhyped. I understand the psychology behind why, but it doesn’t mean the injury, losing streak or drought is more impactful than one that occurs later in the season. In fact, I’d argue that usually they are less concerning, because you have a longer runway to make up for it. If Andersen was got hurt in April, that would be a bigger concern, but the harsh reality about him is that no one should expect him to be healthy all season. He turns 37 on October 2, and unfortunately injuries have become the norm later in his career. The Oilers hope he will be healthy for much of the playoffs, and this injury isn’t expected to be long-term (he’s likely out until late October or early November), so more rest is likely better for him.

Mattias Janmark had shoulder surgery in early March. Janmark played with an ailing shoulder the past two seasons, which might have contributed to him scoring only three goals in 123 games the past two regular seasons. Returning to action after surgery is always a projection. A player has surgery, and the team announces he will be out 4-6 weeks or 4-6 months or longer depending on the injury. You never know how a player will respond to surgery and rehabilitation. Janmark is a fourth-line player on the Oilers, and when he returns, he will have to battle just to be in the lineup. Not being ready for training camp and the preseason isn’t ideal for him, but from a team standpoint, they have other options who can fill a fourth line role.

Alec Regula was the eighth or ninth D-man on the depth chart depending how you view him and Spencer Stastney. His injury won’t impact the NHL roster, but it is another disappointing blow for Regula, who has struggled staying healthy. Regula missed the entire 2025 season with a knee injury. In his six pro seasons he has played 19, 56, 55, 55, 0 and 49 games split between the NHL and AHL. Now he begins another season injured. It is awful news for him, but not a huge blow for the Oilers as they have eight healthy D-men (when this was published).

Savoie is the biggest blow for the Oilers. He produced 19 points in 24 games after the Olympic break last season and looked like he had started to figure out the NHL late in his rookie season. Savoie was a lock to start in the top nine, and likely on the top two lines, but that will have to wait a few weeks. He isn’t expected to miss too much time. I was told a return in late October seemed likely, but missing training camp and the preseason is never great for a player, as it forces them to try and jump onto a moving train (the regular season) when they return. Some players make it look easy, but usually those are top-end players.

Overall, I view the injury announcement as more disappointing for the players than a massive concern for the Oilers.

The Oilers have a lot of depth. Even with Savoie and Janmark out, they have 13 forwards who played 20+ NHL games last season. They should be able to absorb those injuries without a negative impact on the team. It will impact Mike Babcock’s line combinations, but changing lines is expected during a season.

Savoie’s absence will open up around 13-15 minutes of ice time. He averaged 14:47/game last season, but he averaged 17:04/game in his final 24 games. Granted, Mike Babcock wasn’t the head coach while Leon Draisaitl missed 14 of those games and Zach Hyman missed five, which is why I think Savoie was going to be around 13-15 minutes a game.

Draisaitl, Hyman, Connor McDavid, Vasily Podkolzin, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Kasperi Kapanen and Jason Dickinson are my locks to be in the top nine minutes among forwards, but Savoie’s injury creates a wonderful opportunity for Isaac Howard, Trent Frederic and Colton Dach to play more minutes early this season. Howard and Dach have the advantage of being eligible to play in more than two preseason games. Veterans with 100+ NHL games can only play a maximum of two, but Dach (86) and Howard (29) will likely skate in three games, maybe four, but that would mean they play four games in eight days, so four might be a stretch. They will likely have more opportunity (games played) to make a good early impression on Babcock.

Howard had a very productive first pro season, scoring 24 goals in 47 games with Bakersfield in the American Hockey League. Howard produced five points in his 29 NHL games but only played limited minutes. He gained valuable experience getting firsthand knowledge of what it takes to play in the NHL. Just because he didn’t light it up, doesn’t mean those games weren’t beneficial. Leon Draisaitl produced 2-7-9 in 37 games as a rookie before going back to junior. I’m not saying Howard will become Draisaitl, but I won’t be surprised when he is more productive this year.

Frederic is looking to rebound after a dreadful 2026 campaign that saw him produce a measly four goals and seven points in 74 games. Last year was a write-off. Frederic was a very good third-line player with the Bruins in 2023 and 2024, scoring 17 and 18 goals, but he got hurt in 2025, and that high ankle sprain impacted his off-season training last summer, and he’s never looked comfortable as an Oiler. Savoie’s injury opens up a winger spot in the top nine, and the Oilers would love to see Frederic play like he did those two seasons with the Bruins.

Dach is my wildcard player. He’s tenacious. He’s physical, and he has good hands around the net. He brought some much-needed energy to the team last year, but unfortunately an injury limited him to only eight games with the Oilers. He did produce 2-2-4 in those eight games, and he’s had a great summer training at Rogers’s Place. Don’t underestimate how a good summer of working on skating, skills and off ice strength can help a young player. I’m intrigued to see how Dach looks.

Mathieu Joseph and Max Jones will benefit from Janmark’s absence. Joseph should get a look on the penalty kill and could have even if Janmark was healthy. Jones was in the third PK rotation with Anaheim in 2020 and 2021 but hasn’t killed much since. He’s big and fast, and we’ll see if he possibly gets a look on the PK with Janmark out. Jones needs to stay healthy. He started last season injured, and that forced him to start in the AHL. When he was recalled, he played well, but then he injured his left leg on April 11 vs. the Kings, and that ended his season. He was playing well. Jones’ biggest challenge has been consistency. He has the speed and skill to be a regular NHL player, but he’s struggled to bring those attributes every night. Late last year it looked like he’d figured out how to do that, and with Savoie and Janmark out, that opens up two roster spots and Jones will look to secure one of them.

Devon Levi will be a regular in the lineup with Andersen injured. I expect Tristan Jarry to be the starter, but Levi could make three, maybe even four starts in the first 10 games. He didn’t play in the NHL last year, so he will need to prove he can play, but the Oilers signed him due to his potential, and with Andersen starting the season on the IR, Levi will get a few more games, and that should help him.

Who do you think will grab Savoie’s spot and play well in the first month?

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