“Savoie was a dominant producer in the WHL and continued that success to the AHL,” Ellis wrote. “He made Bakersfield much, much more dangerous every time he touched the puck – simple as that. He blends high-end playmaking with loads of skill, and I like his skating, too. As a smaller forward at 5-foot-9, the odds will always be against him, but I have always been a Savoie believer and that hasn’t changed in the slightest over the past year. I think he’ll have some tough competition to beat in training camp, but I think he has a realistic shot at making the Oilers this year.”

“It was a dream season for Howard, who had nothing left to prove at the college level. Howard has an excellent shot release and his skating is a serious positive. Scouts are worried that he won’t thrive unless he’s paired with a center who could take away some of the defensive responsibilities, but the Oilers definitely have the manpower to do that. And before you get too excited – players who have won the Hobey in their upper-class years have rarely panned out over the past 15 years. Hopefully for Edmonton, that’s not the case.”