The Edmonton Oilers and bad starts are like death and taxes – they’ve become an expectation. With a 2-3-1 start in the rearview, the team can focus on what’s in front of them. Earlier on Monday, October 20, 2025, the team announced they activated defender Jake Walman from the Injured Reserve. His return to the Oilers’ blueline should not be understated, as he is an incredibly valuable asset for the team.
However, their latest loss to the Detroit Red Wings has illustrated that a new approach is needed for who gets to play with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.
Oilers Can Learn From the Detroit Red Wings’ Rookies’ Deployment
Losing 4-2 to the Red Wings isn’t a bad thing, as they have been red-hot to start the season. However, the manner in which they lost and who their opponents leaned on should be a learning experience for the team, Kris Knoblauch, and his coaching staff.
Dylan Larkin led the way with four points in the Sunday afternoon game. But it was the play of Emmitt Finnie that stood out for the Red Wings. Finnie recorded two goals, one assist, four shots, and four hits while leading all Red Wings forwards in ice time, with 19:25.
Finnie has earned the trust of his coach, Todd McLellan. In turn, McLellan has put Finnie out onto the ice in key situations and in the right place to succeed.
The 20-year-old forward has spent the majority of his ice time on a line with Larkin. According to Natural Stat Trick, the duo have spent just over 79 of Finnie’s total 94 minutes on ice. At even strength, Finnie has spent 78.5 percent of his ice time on a line with Larkin and Lucas Raymond or with Larkin and Mason Appleton.
The Red Wings rookie has yet to see time on the powerplay, but has been trusted with penalty kill ice time. He’s only been on the ice for four shorthanded minutes, averaging 40 seconds per game.
Finnie currently has five points, 12 shots, 21 hits, four blocks, and seven takeaways in six games, averaging 15:41 per game.
How the Oilers Rookies Have Fared This Year
GettyIke Howard
This leads us to the Oilers’ rookies, Matt Savoie and Ike (Isaac) Howard. The two have not been gifted the same deployment as their fellow rookies in Detroit.
While Savoie has received better deployment than Howard, it’s not ideal for either player. Howard is averaging 9:46 per game in five games this year. He has no points, and his most common linemate is bottom-six pivot Adam Henrique.
Conversely, Savoie is averaging 13:10 in ice time per game. On the penalty kill, he is averaging the third-most minutes among Oilers forwards per game (1:30). Overall, he is playing the eighth-most minutes per game among the team’s forwards.
McDavid, Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Andrew Mangiapane, Jack Roslovic, Vasily Podkolzin, and Trent Frederic are the seven forwards who have played more per game than Savoie.
What the Oilers Can Learn From This
GettyEmmitt Finnie vs Mattias Ekholm
Moving forward, the Oilers must commit to their deployment of these rookies. For Howard, that could mean sending him down to the Bakersfield Condors, where he can play 22 minutes a night in all situations.
For Savoie, that means stapling him to Draisaitl or McDavid’s wing and keeping him there. The Oilers can only utilize their top rookies in a meaningful way if they are slotted where they belong.
But once they are there, they must stay there. That might be the toughest test for the Oilers’ coaching staff.
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