The annual NHL Young Stars event takes place this upcoming weekend in Penticton, British Columbia. The event involves the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets in a four-team, round-robin tournament format.

Typically, the weekend doesn’t spark much interest from Oilers fans. The goal in Oil Country nowadays is winning Stanley Cups, not researching the next generation of Oilers. With that said, this year feels slightly different. Team management made a few moves that sparked interest from the fan base.

The additions of Matthew Savoie, via a trade with the Buffalo Sabres, and Sam O’Reilly, whom they drafted after trading up into the first round, have caught fans’ attention. Fans get their chance to watch them in Oilers jerseys for the first time this weekend. It’ll also be another chance to see Beau Akey, the Oilers’ second-round pick in 2023, after he missed the majority of last season with an injury.

The Oilers’ rookies will open the Young Stars tournament on Friday at 8:30 p.m. against the Vancouver Canucks before facing the Calgary Flames on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and the Winnipeg Jets on Monday at 12 p.m. When those games are on, here’s what you should be watching for.

Beau Akey and Max Wanner are the only defencemen signed by the Oilers heading to Penticton for the NHL Young Stars tournament. Akey, a promising young talent, was unfortunately sidelined for the majority of last season, managing to play only 14 games before being shut down due to injury. His absence has left many curious about how quickly he can regain his form and whether he can re-establish himself as a top prospect. On the other hand, Wanner has steadily built a reputation as a reliable presence on the Bakersfield Condors’ blueline, suiting up for all 68 games last season and showcasing his durability and consistency. As two of the Oilers’ most highly regarded young defencemen, Akey and Wanner are expected to stand out at the NHL Young Stars weekend, and they could very well be two of the team’s best performers, if not the best overall.

Matthew Savoie is arguably the most exciting prospect the Oilers have had since Evan Bouchard. He has an elite offensive package and the ability to drive his team to wins. There’s no doubt that he’ll be the Oilers’ best prospect this weekend and, hopefully, he can help elevate other players’ performance around him. Savoie also feels like a player who has a point to prove after getting traded away from the team that drafted him, Buffalo, which essentially means they didn’t believe he could reach the levels they expected him to. Edmonton fans, you should believe that one day Savoie can play an impactful role in the lineup because he is a top talent.

Teams won’t have enough prospects to fill out the entire roster when going to these events. Nine of the 25 prospects are camp invites, with two more (Ethan de Jong and Brett Brochu) under AHL contracts. Edmonton stayed in Western Canada with the majority of its picks: Rhys Pederson (Edmonton, Edmonton Oil Kings), Marc Lajoie (Edmonton, Edmonton Oil Kings), Hyde Davidson (Edmonton, Seattle Thunderbirds), Nate Corbet (Calgary, Medicine Hat Tigers), Brayden Boehm (Nanaimo, Medicine Hat Tigers), and Jesse Heslop (Nanaimo, Everett Silvertips). Outside of the WHL, Edmonton is bringing Vincent Desjardins (Mirabel, Blainville-Boisbriand), Frankie Marrelli (Markham, Ottawa 67’s), and Pier-Olivier Roy (Abstock, Rimouski Océanic). Don’t write these guys off either, because last season Brady Stonehouse, who is attending again, earned himself a contract.