After a brief vacation to Vancouver Island, I returned to find that Oil Country has been relatively quiet, but there was a noteworthy trade involving prospects. The Edmonton Oilers traded two right wingers from their 2021 Draft class, Xavier Bourgault and Jake Chiasson, to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for left winger Roby Jarventie and a fourth-round draft pick, which will bolster their 2025 selections.
Jarventie, a Finnish winger, was drafted a year before Bourgault but is only two and a half months older. Both players turned professional in the fall of 2022 and are in the final year of their Entry Level Contracts, with each needing a fresh opportunity to prove themselves.
Jarventie has some NHL experience, having played seven games last November, recording one assist and a -5 rating. He has also played 132 games in the AHL over parts of three seasons, tallying 36 goals and 47 assists for 83 points but also carrying a -20 rating. Unfortunately, his last two seasons were cut short due to a knee injury that ended his 2023-24 campaign in January. He will likely need some time to get back into form and into contention for a spot on the Oilers’ main roster, but he could become a part of the team at some point during the season.
Now, turning to the Oilers’ forward depth, let’s look at their extended roster, focusing strictly on the forwards. Thirteen forwards finished the season as full-time NHL players, though not all were with the Oilers the entire time.
The top nine players, highlighted by a black box, are almost certain to make the team come October. The first line, featuring Connor McDavid between Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman, was one of the best in the NHL throughout the season. They are key players on the powerplay and are essential to the team’s success.
Leon Draisaitl played a versatile role, switching between center and wing and playing with various linemates throughout the season. Two of his linemates, Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod, left the team recently. However, the signings of top wingers Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson on July 1st seem perfectly suited for Draisaitl to settle into the center position with skilled scorers on either side.
The third line, with Adam Henrique centering Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown, proved to be an excellent checking line with strong penalty-killing abilities. This trio logged the most ice time of any Oilers line during the Stanley Cup Finals. All three players were unrestricted free agents on July 1st but were re-signed and are expected to stay in Edmonton for the foreseeable future.
As the Oilers look towards the 2024-25 season, the fourth line remains an area of interest. With the top three lines relatively set, the competition for spots on the fourth line will be fierce. Players like Roby Jarventie, once he recovers and regains form, could be in the mix along with other prospects and depth players. The fourth line will need to bring energy, physicality, and reliable defensive play to support the team’s high-flying top lines.
Overall, the Oilers’ forward group is shaping up to be strong and versatile, with established stars, newly signed talents, and promising prospects all contributing to the mix. The coming season will be crucial for the team as they aim to build on their recent successes and make a deeper playoff run. The fourth line, while not as high-profile as the top three lines, will play an essential role in the team’s overall performance and depth.
