The importance of Oilers' playoff healthy scratches, now and in the future

New York Times

2 days ago

In the years leading up to this spring's playoff run, the Edmonton Oilers deployed several rookies in prominent roles. Stuart Skinner played in 12 playoff games during his rookie season (2022-23), Philip Broberg played in nine games that same spring. Inexperienced players like Ryan McLeod, Dylan Holloway, Klim Kostin and Vincent Desharnais also occupied important roster spots in recent postseasons.
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Fans watching this year's Oilers in the playoffs may have noticed there are no rookies, no players who lack experience in the lineup.
There are unproven talents available to the team, but most have been healthy scratches during the postseason. Why would the Oilers keep players like Matt Savoie, Noah Philp and Olivier Rodrigue around?
The present, and the future.
In the final game of the series against the Dallas Stars, Edmonton's list of scratches counted 14, compared to five for the home team. Here are the names, and the reason each is still with the big club:
There are three 'future' talents in Matt Savoie, Noah Philp and Olivier Rodrigue. The chances these three players dress for a game in the Stanley Cup Final are close to zero, but they're with the big club, soaking in the excitement and intensity of a playoff run, and getting a taste of their own possible future.
It might not seem like a big deal, but the experience may offer inspiration for all three men. What's more, the Oilers have superior options with more experience. So, the players who haven't been through the rigours of a playoff run get an up-close view of the sacrifice required, while the organization isn't forced to insert unready players into impossible situations.
Throwing kids into the breach is not a formula for success.
In the 2006 final versus the Carolina Hurricanes, Oilers coach Craig MacTavish entered the pivotal Game 7 with some difficult decisions to make. He went with youth on the blue line (Matt Greene over Marc-Andre Bergeron), a decision that offered more toughness and less chaos. A more experienced defenceman, with no chaos, would have been a welcome choice, but was not available.
In the 2017 series against the Anaheim Ducks, coach Todd McLellan was forced to use youngsters Oscar Klefbom and Darnell Nurse in higher-profile roles due to a devastating injury suffered by wily veteran Andrej Sekera. The Oilers had a pile of young defencemen who were scratched during the series, but only Griffin Reinhart saw action against Anaheim.
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Not every young player stumbles in the playoffs. It's a risk most NHL coaches would rather not take.
Coach Kris Knoblauch may be forced to deploy some of the healthy scratches during the series to come against Florida. Connor Brown is a lock, as soon as he's cleared to play. His importance to the team, at five-on-five and on special teams, makes him vital to team success. Jeff Skinner, who has played just two games this spring, would be the likely scratch when Brown is ready.
Troy Stecher and Ty Emberson have played during the postseason. Their insertion into the lineup at any time during the final wouldn't come as a surprise.
Most of the group that populates the healthy scratch list should be considered unlikely to play in the final.
Savoie is here because he is the future. A high-end skill winger, Oilers fans will see him in the fall. His debut season, spent mostly in the AHL, gave every indication he was ready for NHL work on one of the top two lines.
Philp is the one future player whose skills suggest there's an outside chance of NHL work in the final. He's a right-handed centre, can win faceoffs, plays with grit and can kill penalties. His insertion into the lineup would require more than one injury, as Derek Ryan has a similar skill set and plenty of NHL experience.
Rodrigue played two NHL games this season and was the starter for Bakersfield much of 2024-25. He was the backup to Stuart Skinner when Calvin Pickard was out. It would be a massive ask for him to step into an NHL playoff game. It's possible Collin Delia, who has NHL experience, would be the next man up in case of injury. Based on Florida's performance during the playoffs this spring, it's appropriate to at least broach the subject of a goaltender injury. That said, chances are Rodrigue and Delia don't see NHL ice this spring.
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The rest of the scratches are Zach Hyman (gone for the season) and AHL veterans who flourished in the minors while helping prospects develop. Their presence is an acknowledgement of that performance and serves as an extra layer of insurance against further injury.
James Hamblin is an undersized left-handed centre who impacts the entire game when in Bakersfield. He's a fearsome forechecker, can PK and win some faceoffs, but he doesn't have NHL scoring ability.
Josh Brown, Phil Kemp and Cam Dineen all delivered quality play for the Condors, with Brown and Dineen seeing limited NHL action during the regular season. Kemp has been NHL-ready for some time, but the organization has always enjoyed better options. His recall might be a thank you from management ahead of a pleasant goodbye. Kemp is a Group 6 free agent who would do well to find another NHL team more in need of his services.
Among the men who didn't play the final contest against Dallas, Brown is the most likely to appear in the final. After that, all of the names listed above will need some luck to see playing time against the Panthers.
The key point: Edmonton's scratch list is a damn good one. There's real NHL talent here.
The secondary point: The future is here, but it is not in the lineup yet. The lessons of Greene and Reinhart have been learned, and general manager Stan Bowman has given Knoblauch and his staff more than enough veteran depth to hold back the water on unproven players.
If you're disappointed in not seeing Savoie, Philp or Rodrigue, you won't have to wait long. All three should return and see more NHL time next season.
The organization correctly estimated that reliance on the kids would be unwise this spring. Now is not their time. It will come.
(Photo of Matt Savoie and Connor Brown: Andy Devlin / NHLI via Getty Images)