As I’m sure you’re aware by now, Jack Roslovic signed a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers for $1.5 million, circling back after he didn’t have any big-money takers before then. He signed on October 8 and didn’t get into the lineup until October 14 against the Rangers. His contract was a bit unusual in that it contained a No-Movement Clause until November 1, less than a month in, before reverting to a four-team trade list after that.

Regardless, he’s here now. Roslovic’s calling card has always been his ability to produce offense at even strength, although since joining the Oilers, two of his three goals have ironically come on the power play. Overall, Roslovic has been a solid addition, posting 3-5-8 in the early going (13 games at the time of this writing) with a respectable +4 rating.

He started out with a short stint in the bottom-six before being bumped up to the second line, riding shotgun mostly with Leon Draisaitl at center. He has since been moved up to the first line, bumping Andrew Mangiapane, the other big newcomer, down to the second line in the process. Offensively, Mangiapane has been good, but Roslovic has been better. Mangiapane hasn’t been as effective defensively, sitting at -6 as of this writing. Personally, I’m not too worried about that, as there’s always an adjustment period when joining a new team: new city, new coach, new linemates, new system, and so on. What happens from here on out will be key because that initial grace period is over, and his ice time will now depend on performance.

So, who else has been affected by the change?

The player most affected is probably Matt Savoie. As soon as Roslovic was bumped up to the second line, Savoie was pushed down to the third, and lately he’s been on the fourth line alongside fellow rookie phenom Ike Howard, who has been there for a while now.

Roslovic’s success coincided with Savoie cooling off. After picking up his first assist on October 21 against Ottawa and scoring his first NHL goal on October 30 against the Rangers, he hasn’t produced any additional offense in the first 15 games. Roslovic’s rise, combined with Savoie’s struggles, made this an easy call for head coach Kris Knoblauch.

We can probably toss that early Calder Trophy hype out the window, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It takes some pressure off Savoie and allows him to be treated like a normal rookie. I expect he’ll get better as the season goes on. By the halfway mark, he should be in a better spot, and by the three-quarter mark, even more so. The Oilers already traded away Ryan McLeod to Buffalo, where he’s become their second-line center. Nobody in Edmonton wants to see the team give up too quickly on the player they got in return.

Another player negatively affected by Roslovic’s arrival is David Tomášek. The older European rookie began the season in the top six while Zach Hyman was injured, but with more competition for roster spots, he’s been pushed down to the third line and has even been mentioned in trade rumors. I suspect this is simply other teams trying to pry a cheap scoring asset away from Edmonton and hoping to catch GM Stan Bowman selling low. Tomášek hasn’t been lighting up the scoresheet but has been solid, with 1-2-3 in 12 games and a -4 rating, which is about what you’d expect from a European adjusting to the NHL. Like Savoie, I expect Tomášek to improve as the season progresses. He’s waiver-exempt, so if the team needs to make room, a stint in Bakersfield seems more likely than a trade. For now, he’s centering the fourth line between Howard and Savoie, making for a true “kid line.”

Like several players on the roster, Frederic has been underwhelming in the early going, producing just one goal and a -3 rating through 15 games. He started the season on the first line at right wing next to Connor McDavid, but has since shifted between center and wing on the third line. The good news is that his shooting percentage sits at 6.7%, well below his career average of 11.2%, suggesting his offense should rebound. At his peak in Boston, he flirted with the 20-goal mark and posted 30–40 points while carrying strong defensive metrics, including a +28 season. At 27, Frederic should still have plenty left in the tank to rediscover that form at both ends of the ice.

Podkolzin is one of the few players who has benefited from Roslovic’s addition and from the struggles of several other forwards. He built great chemistry with Leon Draisaitl last season, but after starting this year in the bottom six due to low offensive output, he’s now back in the top six. He’s been playing on the second line next to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, with Draisaitl shifting to wing on the top line. Podkolzin publicly said at the end of last season that he wanted to produce more offense, and he’s doing just that. He’s opened the season with 2-4-6 in 15 games and a +3 rating. His shooting percentage is 7.7%, below his career mark of 8.9%, which means there’s likely more offense to come. At this pace, he’s on track for 11 goals and 32 points, both career highs and just shy of his rookie total of 14 goals with Vancouver. Coach Knoblauch clearly trusts him more, as his average ice time is up to a career-high 14:44 per game, reaching 17 minutes in several outings. It’s early, but things are trending in the right direction for Podkolzin.

The Oilers made another addition to their front office, hiring Andy Slaggert as Director of North American Recruiting. This move gives insight into how Stan Bowman envisions the organization’s future. He sees the Oilers as a perennial Cup contender, which means draft capital will continue to be limited due to trades and lower draft positions. The solution is to keep the prospect pool stocked through NCAA and college free-agent signings, an area where Slaggert will focus his efforts.

This is a smart, shrewd move by Bowman because it frees up his plate while effectively adding a full-time college recruiter to the staff. Since the college free-agent pipeline will become increasingly important for replenishing talent and managing cap space, this hire makes perfect business and hockey sense. It also plays to Bowman’s strength as an evaluator who finds talent in unconventional places and aligns with owner Daryl Katz’s commitment to providing the team with every resource needed to succeed.

Slaggert brings decades of experience, having spent 32 seasons in various coaching roles at Notre Dame. Recruiting players to Edmonton shouldn’t be a hard sell for him. He’ll be able to pitch a Cup-contending team, world-class facilities, and an ownership group fully committed to winning. It’s hard to imagine many prospects saying no to that.