The Oilers second and third games of the pre-season occurred on Monday evening in a set of split squad games against their Alberta rival, the Calgary Flames.

The upside of this idea was many of the Oiler prospects in camp got to play an NHL. The downside was the two games were at the same time and 300km apart — okay, that’s a me problem. In all honesty, the bigger problem was the results of each game. In Calgary, the Oilers lost 6-1. In Edmonton, they lost 6-3.

For this article, we will combine the assessment of the prospects that played. However, it should be noted that those playing in Calgary had a much weaker lineup. Adam Henrique, Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner all played in Calgary. On defence, the group consisted of Troy Stetcher, Josh Brown, and Travis Dermott, along with a group of AHL players, including Max Wanner and Ben Gleason. The group in Edmonton had the top line intact, along with Leon Draisaital. On defence, the tandem of Bouchard and Ekholm also played. It was a stronger group on paper than the one in Calgary. With that noted, let’s take a look at the prospects.

The best prospect from either game was Lavoie. The big winger led all Oilers in both games with seven shots on net, including three high-danger chances. Lavoie was on a line with Vasily Podkolzin and Leon Draisaitl, looking a little unsure about playing with the hulking centre to start the game. That went away quickly, and he started to take over his shifts. While Draisaitl contributed to Lavoie’s good performance, Lavoie also created a lot of opportunities. Watch this clip where he gets a pass from Draisaitl. There isn’t much room, but Lavoie uses his size to create a nice chance.

Here is another chance for Lavoie off a great outlet pass from Evan Bouchard.

Lavoie was consistently a threat all night. His cause would have been helped had he scored like he did in his first game, but that was a challenge for the Oilers all night.

Lavoie’s linemate, Podkolzin, was also good. He was less dynamic than Lavoie regarding chances, but he is very solid defensively. His read of the game when he doesn’t have the puck is excellent. Watch this play that led to his best chance of the night.

This is the same type of play I saw from Podkolzin in the AHL, as he is very reliable on defence. What is less sure is whether he can replicate his 14-goal season with the Canucks in his rookie season. He has a shot and is a powerful skater, but his ability to attack and create isn’t high-level.

It will be interesting to watch Lavoie and Podkolzin for the next week. While not perhaps competing against each other, each player offers different elements. Lavoie is likely to create and score more, but can be a bit more high-risk defensively. Podkolzin will be more defensively oriented, even playing some penalty kill, but offering less offence.

Another fine night from Philp. It is quite amazing to see his performances, given the time away from the game. No question, Philp is quicker. This was a part of the game that was the only holdback on his advancement to the NHL. His strong defence and ability to win faceoffs as a right shot is intriguing. Against the Flames, I liked the offence he showed. Take a look at this movement and creativity by Philp in this clip.

Philp ended the game with four shots on net and looked explosive again. It should also be mentioned that Philp played with Corey Perry and Matvey Petrov for most of the night, making his performance even more notable.

I thought Savoie was the best prospect in the Calgary game.

Given both the calibre of the teammate and the quality of competition, it is arguable that Savoie might have been close to the best prospect on the night. Savoie was quick on every shift, and his creativity was undeniable. What I am most impressed with is Savoie’s 200-foot game in these first two games. Take a look at this shift, which combines everything.

The only part of this clip a coach won’t like is the turnover. However, Savoie hustled back and was part of the solution to get the puck out of the zone. The next step with Savoie is to put him with some NHL skill and see what he can do. He thinks the game at a high level and makes quick plays. I would also like to see how that translates with someone with those offensive capabilities.

I had mentioned about 30 minutes through the game in Calgary that the battle for the 6/7 defence spots was a rough one. Each of Troy Stetcher, Josh Brown and Travis Dermott were having their challenges as all were on for two goals against at 5v5. What I failed to mention was Phil Kemp in Edmonton. Kemp has an outside chance to play in a 7D role in Edmonton, and he got his first game action last night. Kemp was paired with fellow AHLer Noel Hoeffenmeyer last tonight. He played a solid and unspectacular game. He made one bad turnover, but overall was ok on a night when his goaltending was not. It should also be noted that he got a better roster, so that needs to factor into the assessement.

Wanner had his first exhibition game of the year in Calgary. He was paired with Ben Gleason, and the duo were the best defensive pair in Calgary. Gleason was the best defenceman on the night. Wanner played almost two games in one. His first half was very good. He played strong defence and transitioned the puck well, despite faltering in the last half of the game his puck skills becoming a bit of an issue. On a couple of occasions, the Flames pressure forced him into turnovers. Wanner will be headed back to the AHL for his 21-year-old season, but this part of his game needs the focus. That is what will help him play NHL games.

Petrov played on a line with Philp and Perry. Petrov has been very quiet in this camp, and it is disconcerting. The player has all the skills needed in the NHL, but his mental game sometimes gets the best of him. Here is what that sometimes leads to on the ice.

I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he was sent out as one of the first cuts because his performance here has not been inspiring.

Rodrigue was under siege most of the night in Calgary. He let in five goals on 25 shots, but honestly, I can only fault him for one goal. His play looked a little scrambly and I wonder about fatigue having played most of the first game of the pre-season and then travelling. However, he still has a penchant for letting in goals from distance on his glove side. That needs to get better and fast if he is expecting to be a suitable replacement in the NHL this season in case of injuries.

That’s it from games two and three of the pre-season in terms of prospect highlights. I’ll be back after the Winnipeg game on Wednesday. See you around the rink.