November 3, 2025 by Ryan Lotsberg

The biggest gripe that Edmonton Oilers fans have had with head coach Kris Knoblauch’s ice time distribution among his forwards is how little the less experienced players have played, most notably rookies Matt Savoie and Ike Howard.

Related: McDavid and Draisaitl: Together or Apart?

Savoie proved that he’s NHL ready with a great campaign for the Bakersfield Condors last season and a solid training camp this past September. The 2022 ninth overall pick scored his first NHL goal on Thursday night to go along with his one assist so far this season. He hasn’t been lighting up the scoresheet, but he has been involved in a couple of overtime game winning plays and he has impressed with his defensive details.

Howard, the 2025 Hobey Baker Award winner, wanted to come to the Oilers for a chance to play in the NHL this season. He’s getting that chance, but he has been a staple on the fourth line rather in the top six, which is where many fans were hoping he would slot in. Howard has two goals this season, and there are many more in the tank.

Savoie is averaging 11:05 of five-on-five ice time per game, which is tenth among Oilers forwards this season. He was on one of the top two lines in four games this season, including the first three games of the season and the game against the Montreal Canadiens. Prior to the Canadiens game, the team’s eighth of the season, Savoie was averaging 11:01 per game. Here is the five-on-five ice time that he got as a top six forward in those four games with his rank among Oilers forwards that night in brackets:

The Montreal game was a clear outlier. He was on a line with McDavid and Draisaitl that night, but he was with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Andrew Mangiapane for the other three games. The lines got juggled in the third period of that game. Savoie actually ended up with MORE five-on-five ice time than Draisaitl that night, and he was only two seconds behind McDavid.

Savoie’s usage against the Vancouver Canucks wasn’t anywhere close to what it was against the Habs, but it was technically top six usage. He actually had 1:03 more five-on-five ice time than his listed linemates that night.

That’s only two games where Savoie’s usage aligned with what many Oilers fans have wanted to see though. Aside from that, Savoie has had two other games where he got over thirteen minutes.

Howard getting a bump to McDavid’s line was a part of the line shuffling that happened in the third period of the Canadiens game. He was listed on that line to start the next game in Seattle. Howard only got 10:46 of five-on-five ice time in that game against the Seattle Kraken, which was eighth on the team. That did not reflect top line usage. Keep in mind that there was more line shuffling done late in that game as well.

The question is why aren’t Savoie and Howard getting more ice time? The popular hypothesis is that Knoblauch hates young players. Younger players getting less ice time than veterans is generally considered normal; but Oilers fans are upset by it, especially in the wake of having lost Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg.

Let’s dive into it and see if there’s any evidence to suggest that Knoblauch hates young players. I’ll compare his usage of Savoie, Howard, and Holloway to how previous Oilers coaches deployed Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi. I’ll also look at how other playoff calibre teams around the league are deploying their rookies this season.

Dylan Holloway

Holloway left Knoblauch’s Oilers debut with a knee injury that kept him out from November 13, 2023 until January 20, 2024. The Oilers surged during that time. They had a good thing going, which made it difficult to warrant any significant change to the top of the lineup. Holloway’s task of getting back into the lineup when he got healthy was a tall task. Holloway was tenth among Oilers forwards with 11:14 of five-on-five ice time from his return until the end of the regular season.

Holloway was sent to the Condors for most of March 2024 and the first ten days of that April. He was impressive in the final six games of the regular season after his return, notching five points in six games down the stretch.

He played 45:24 in 37 games with Draisaitl in the regular season versus 374:39 in 38 games without Draisaitl. In the 2024 playoffs, that rose to 131:46 in 25 games with Draisaitl versus 151:18 without Draisaitl. Holloway’s average five-on-five ice time in the playoffs rose to 11:19, which doesn’t suggest much of a bump in ice time despite getting a much more even distribution of ice time with Draisaitl versus without him. Here is Hollway’s five-on-five ice time totals for each series in the 2024 playoffs with his rank among Oilers forwards in brackets:

He was barely used in the first round. His ice time peaked in rounds two and three, which is when he got the most ice time with Draisaitl. Holloway’s usage fell in the Stanley Cup Final as line shuffles needed to happen since the team fell down 0-3 in the series.

Holloway had rightfully earned a middle six role by the time the 2024 playoffs ended. Had Holloway not had so many injuries or such a short leash, it could be argued that he could’ve earned that middle six role with the Oilers sooner, which would’ve made signing him before an offer sheet could be presented more of a priority. It could also be argued that he didn’t earn that ice time until after his final stint with the Condors though. The fact that Knoblauch gave Holloway top six usage in rounds two and three tells me that he didn’t hate him though.

We now know that he went to the St. Louis Blues and put up 63 points in 77 games last season. We also know that Evander Kane ended up missing the whole season and that Jeff Skinner didn’t take hold of that open top six left wing spot. The opportunity was there for Holloway, and the Oilers should’ve seen it more clearly.

Kailer Yamamoto

Kailer Yamamoto was recalled by the Oilers ahead of their 2019 New Year’s Eve game. He was immediately placed on a line with Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins. The DRY line was born, and they became the hottest line in the NHL. Yamamoto put up 26 points in 27 games that season. In those 27 games, he was third among Oilers forwards with 15:29 of five-on-five ice time. Then Oilers head coach Dave Tippett wasn’t scared to give his young former first round pick that much ice time. 

Yamamoto wasn’t technically a rookie since he had 26 NHL games to his name prior to the 2019-20 season, but that was when he established himself as an NHLer. Yamamoto was ninth among Oiler forwards in five-on-five ice time per game (11:31) under Ken Hitchcock in seventeen games during the 2018-19 season after being seventh (13:23) during his nine games in 2017-18 before being sent back to junior.

That’s more than what Savoie is getting now, but we also have to remember that the Oilers missed the playoffs in 2017-18 and 2018-19. They were a worse team than they are now. Roster quality is a factor as well.

His point-per-game pace was clearly unsustainable, but Yamamoto ended up operating at essentially 0.5 points per game in the next three seasons after breaking into the league. The ice time he got in the 2018-19 season didn’t hurt his development.

What did hurt his development was suffering a concussion in a preseason game against the Vancouver Canucks prior to the 2022-23 season. Unfortunately, Yamamoto was never the same player again after that hit. He ended up being traded to the Detroit Red Wings for “future considerations”, where he was subsequently bought out. The Seattle Kraken picked him up, and he got sixteen points in 59 games for them in 2023-24. Then he went to the Utah Hockey Club last season where he only got three points in twelve games before being sent to their AHL affiliate. He’s back in Utah with the Mammoth this season, where he has two points in six games.

Jesse Puljujarvi

The way that Jesse Puljuarvi, the fourth overall pick in the 2016 draft, was handled by the Oilers was a complete mess. He was twelfth among Oilers forwards with 10:18 per game in his rookie season, and the consensus among most Oilers fans and pundits was that he shouldn’t have been in the NHL at all that season. 

Puljujarvi started the next season with the Condors, where he played ten games before being called up to the Oilers. He played 65 games that year and averaged 12:32 of five-on-five ice time (9th among Oilers forwards). Puljujarvi had 20 points that season, and fans thought the former fourth overall pick could’ve gotten more had he been given more of an opportunity.

The way that Puljuarvi was handled in the 2018-19 season was a debacle. He started the season with the Oilers, but he was a healthy scratch for five games straight before being sent down to the Condors. Then head coach Todd McLellan was fired and replaced by Hitchcock on November 20, 2018. Hitchcock was a big supporter of Puljujarvi’s. Hitchcock demanded that Puljujarvi get recalled immediately upon his being hired. Despite Hitchcock’s consistent praise of Puljujarvi, the big Finn still averaged just 11:22 of five-on-five ice time per game after Hitchcock was hired, which was tenth among Oilers forwards.

We know how the rest of the story played out. Puljujarvi went back to Finland to play for a season before returning to the Oilers. He got more of a chance in the top six, but it just never turned out to be a fit. Puljujarvi was eventually traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, and has since played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Florida Panthers. Most of his time with those organizations was spent at the AHL level. He’s currently enjoying success playing for Geneve Servette of the Swiss league where he’s getting big minutes in a scoring role.

Takeaways

Holloway is the only one of these forwards that went on to play a significant role for another organization. It’s impossible to know whether or not things would’ve played out differently for any of these players if they had been given more ice time at a younger age. The reality is unless you’re someone like McDavid, you get gradually broken into the league. The players that get elevated up the lineup get there by doing something with the limited minutes they get. Puljujarvi didn’t do that, and Holloway didn’t do that until the end of his last season with the Oilers.

Yamamoto’s ice time stands out compared to Holloway and Puljujarvi’s. Yamamoto got 13:23 in a nine-game audition before getting sent back to junior, and his breakout year came in his draft plus three year. Yamamoto and Puljujarvi were drafted a year apart, so they were coming in around the same time, much like Savoie and Howard are now. Yamamoto was clearly favoured over Puljujarvi, and their career results have proven that to be the correct assessment. They got more ice time than what Savoie and Howard are getting now respectively, but the Oilers are a better and deeper team now.

Other 2025-26 Rookie Forwards

It’s one thing to go back and look at other recent examples of Oilers first round picks, but it’s also important to understand how Savoie and Howard’s deployment compares to some of their current peers.

Easton Cowan of the Toronto Maple Leafs is a great example. He was drafted 28th overall by the Leafs in the 2023 draft, and he made the Leafs out of camp this season. Once Cowan got into the lineup, he immediately started on their top line, where he stayed for four games. He played on the second line in one other game. Here’s his five-on-five ice time and where he ranked among Leafs forwards in that category in each of his nine appearances thus far:

Not once did he place in the top three in five-on-five ice time while he was playing on the top line. He was fourth in two of those games, but he got third line usage in the other two games. The game against the Blue Jackets was clearly an outlier because the Leafs got spanked 6-3 and some of the top players clearly took a seat that night.

In the four games where he was not on a scoring line, Cowan didn’t even get ten minutes of five-on-five ice time. Cowan has received more average ice time than Savoie and Howard thus far, and he has had more time on scoring lines; but he has also only played in nine games whereas Savoie hasn’t missed a game yet and Howard has been a healthy scratch just twice. I’d argue that they’re getting more of an opportunity than Cowan is.

The Canadiens have a dynamic top five pick playing his rookie season this season. Ivan Demidov came over from Russia at the end of last season. The 2024 fifth overall pick has ten points in twelve games this season and has been consistently on the second line; but he’s tenth among Habs forwards in five-on-five ice time (10:53). Yes, Savoie is averaging more five-on-five ice time than Demidov.

Jimmy Snuggerud (2022 23rd overall) is playing on the top line for the St. Louis Blues, but is eighth among their forwards in five-on-five ice time per game. Ryan Leonard (2023 8th overall) is listed on the second line for the Washington Capitals, but is tenth with 11:07 of five-on-five ice time per game.

Takeaways

One observation that I’ve had is that being listed on a scoring line doesn’t mean that a player will get top six ice time at five-on-five. The coach typically has an idea of how much time he wants to give to each player. That isn’t just an Oilers thing. That became more clear when looking at how other teams are using their current rookies as well, especially teams that aren’t rebuilding. All of the teams that I analyzed rookies from made the playoffs last season. 

Being listed on a scoring line is usually associated with an ice time bump, but that isn’t always the case. As much as I want to see Savoie and Howard on scoring lines more often, I realize that the outcome will still be them getting bottom six usage in most cases.

Most importantly, other rookies on other good teams are getting similar treatment to what Savoie and Howard are getting; so I have a hard time concluding that Knoblauch hates young players based on how other teams are treating their rookies.

Wrap

The fact that this isn’t just an Oilers thing tells me that it isn’t a matter of Knoblauch hating his young players. I don’t think Knoblauch would’ve given Holloway top six minutes in the second and third rounds of the 2024 playoffs if he truly hated young players. I also don’t think he would have Savoie on a regular penalty killing pairing and on the second powerplay unit if he hated young players. Howard also wouldn’t be on the second powerplay unit if Knoblauch truly hated young players.

The Oilers are a team with championship aspirations this season, but they’re also at a point where they need to break in young players like Savoie and Howard not just for cap reasons, but to equip the team for success over the next decade. The amount of ice time they’re getting on a quality team is normal from everything that I can see.

The other quite real factor at play here is the Oilers’ schedule. They played five out of thirteen games at home in October. That included a five-game Eastern road trip which essentially turned into an eight-game road trip spanning the width of the continent because they got one home game before heading to Seattle and Vancouver. The grind of the NHL travel schedule is real, and it’s an adjustment for young players like Savoie and Howard. It only gets worse in November with ten out of fourteen games on the road including a six-game Eastern trip. 

I expect Savoie and Howard’s ice time to stay low through November and potentially rise after that. However, the Oilers’ top six forward group appears to be becoming more set and there won’t be more room in that group once Zach Hyman returns. I think Savoie and Howard’s ice time will rise after November, but not by much.

They face the same reality that Holloway faced when he was trying to break in with the Oilers. He made his debut in the 2022 Western Conference Final. The Oilers were a good team then, and Holloway had to fight through the competition to get a roster spot. You can argue that he should’ve been given more of an opportunity, but he never truly stole a spot and made it hard for the coach to bench him until the end of his draft plus four season. His wrist injury might’ve accelerated that by a year, but we can’t know for sure. 

The mistake the Oilers made with Holloway was not doing more to make him a part of the plan going forward after the 2024 playoff run. They have already made Savoie a part of their plans in his draft plus four season. That shows me that the Oilers have already learned from their mistake with Holloway.

Related: Knoblauch’s reliance on McDavid and Draisaitl

Savoie and Howard both have the tools and the skills to develop into quality NHL scoring wingers, but they’re not there yet and that’s okay. As much as I want the future to be now and for these two kids to be lighting it up beside McDavid and Draisaitl right now, that just can’t be the reality, especially since Jack Roslovic arrived and earned a top six role.

So no, I don’t think Knoblauch hates young players. Just like with any other good team, the young players need to earn their ice time, and Knoblauch is making Savoie and Howard earn it.

*All five-on-five ice time data is from Natural Stat Trick.