Edmonton Oilers' AHL roster for 2025-26 coming into view
Advertisement
At five-on-five, Desharnais delivered an on-ice goal share of 66 percent (68-35 goals) on a team that managed to score only 52 percent of the goals when he was off the ice. That impressive season, along with coach Jay Woodcroft's belief in him, allowed Desharnais to progress to an NHL career. He did not have a great draft pedigree, signed an AHL-only deal before he got an NHL contract (in March 2022, after most of his breakout season was in the books).
Desharnais was 25 in 2021-22 and was already mentoring some of the younger defenders (notably Dmitri Samorukov) on the roster.
The 2024-25 Condors did not have a Desharnais available on defence, but rookie Matt Savoie had a similar impact on even-strength outscoring for the team. He was 20 when he did it.
In many ways, it was a lost season in California for Oilers prospects. Injuries, wayward trades and recalls left the team at times threadbare in important spots. Savoie thrived despite the chaos and became the runaway top prospect in the system. He did so despite injuries to top-end AHL centres like Lane Pederson and an NHL recall for pivot Noah Philp. Pederson as his centre for a full season might have forced a recall by Christmas, so in a way, Bakersfield fans were fortunate to see Savoie for most of the season.
Savoie doesn't represent a typical AHL prospect. He was chosen top 10 in the 2022 draft. Desharnais wasn't a typical impact AHL player either, with little draft pedigree, turning pro much later than the average player, and climbing from an AHL-only contract to the NHL in a matter of months. No matter how the organization finds him, the Condors need another one. Now.
Colin Chaulk took over the head coaching job with the Condors midway through the 2021-22 season. He coached several players who are now in the NHL, including Desharnais, Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg and Mike Kesselring.
Advertisement
During the last four years, the team has also seen disappointing results from names like Xavier Bourgault, Raphael Lavoie and others. Most of the prospects whom Chaulk has coached in recent seasons were not high picks, but Bourgault was a first-round selection in 2021, and Lavoie was a second-round pick two years earlier.
This is an important year for Chaulk. Prospects the organization believes in must find traction.
None of this is Oilers general manager Stan Bowman's fault, but it is his problem. His offseason moves that will directly impact the Condors include adding a veteran AHL starting goaltender (Matt Tomkins, who finished No. 20 in save percentage among starters a year ago) to the roster. Tomkins will get plenty of work this winter, with youngsters like Samuel Jonsson, Connor Ungar and Nathan Day attempting to steal playing time behind him.
What Bowman and Chaulk need to avoid is the same kind of performance dive in goal witnessed after Dec. 1 a year ago. At the beginning of the season, Condors starter Olivier Rodrigue posted a .925 save percentage. After Dec. 1, the young goaltender's percentage fell to .886 for the rest of the year. Rodrigue is without a contract at this time, and the final months of last season are most certainly the culprit.
The step into an elevator shaft wasn't limited to stopping shots. The team slumped badly on the power play, but did deliver the strongest even-strength scoring season over the last three years. However, all of the scoring progress at even strength was given back at the other end.
All numbers via the AHL.com
The numbers here show just how difficult the journey was for Bakersfield when Savoie's line was off the ice. When the rookie was deployed at even strength, Bakersfield outscored opponents 55-30 in the metric (65 percent). When he was off the ice, the Condors won the even-strength share by an eyelash, 132-130 (50 percent).
Advertisement
In his way, Savoie had a similar impact to Desharnais, and did it as an AHL rookie at 20.
There is no obvious Desharnais or Savoie in this group. Finding a play driver will be key for Chaulk and his coaching staff this fall.
(Photo of Matt Savoie: Leila Devlin / Getty Images)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Makai Lemon named to 2025 Biletnikoff Award watch list
There is no doubt that USC football star Makai Lemon is one of the most electrifying receivers in college football. Given his production last year, expectations are getting even higher for him. Lemon last year put up great numbers without constant stability at the USC quarterback position. He used his versatility to make big plays for the Trojans every Saturday. Last season Lemon led the Trojans in receptions (52) and receiving yards (764). His big play ability was not limited to just the offensive side of the ball. He was also a reliable threat in the return game. Makai Lemon fielded 19 kick returns for 514 yards, with his longest return reaching 80 yards, solidifying him as the sixth-best kick returner in the country. Makai Lemon was named to the 2025 Biletnikoff Award watch list. He can also be a candidate for the Paul Hornung Award in 2025. It could be a really special season filled with accolades and success. Lemon wants to establish himself as a first round receiver in next year's NFL draft. Makai Lemon has the talent to be great. With an offseason full of building chemistry with starting quarterback Jayden Maiva and Ja'Kobi Lane -- another talented receiver on the opposite side of the field -- last season's impressive stats should only be the beginning for what Lemon will do in his career. This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football's Makai Lemon is recognized as one of best receivers
Chicago Tribune
16 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Jen Pawol will be MLB's 1st female umpire. Here are other women who have broken officiating barriers.
This weekend, Jen Pawol will make history by becoming the first woman to umpire a Major League Baseball game. She's set to work the series between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves. The 48-year-old from New Jersey has worked spring training games over the last two years and in the minors since 2016. Here's a look at other female officials who were the first on the floor, court or the field in prominent men's leagues. Shannon Eastin became the first female official in NFL history when she was a line judge during a preseason game in August 2012 between the Green Bay Packers and the Chargers, who were then in San Diego. A month later, she became the first woman to be an official in an NFL regular-season game when she worked as the line judge in the Rams-Lions game. Eastin was among the replacement officials hired by the league during a lockout of the regular officials. The first woman to get a full-season job was Sarah Thomas, who was a line judge in 2015. Thomas also became the first woman to work a Super Bowl when she was part of the seven-person crew on Feb. 7, 2021, when Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9. Thomas was already the first woman to officiate a major college football game — and to work a bowl game. Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner were hired by the National Basketball Association for the 1997 season. Palmer made her NBA debut on Oct. 31, 1997, when she was on the floor for the season opener between the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks. Palmer worked that night with Bill Oakes and Mark Wunderlich. Kantner's first game was Nov. 5, 1997, when Atlanta beat Philadelphia 93-88. Kantner worked alongside Ron Garretson and Ed Middleton. Palmer retired in 2016, and Kantner is still officiating women's NCAA basketball. The NHL has yet to have a female on-ice official for a regular season or Stanley Cup playoff game. In the mid-1990s, Heather McDaniel received some national attention for officiating men's minor league games for the Central Hockey League and West Coast Hockey League. Two decades later, the NHL selected four female officials to work on the ice at the 2019 prospect tournaments. Katie Guay and Kelly Cooke served as referees, while Kirsten Welsh and Kendall Hanley worked as linesmen. It marked the first time women have officiated at the pre-training camp prospects tournament level. There was a subtle change made before the 2023-24 season when 'linesmen' became 'linespersons,' with women in the American Hockey League working their way up. French referee Stéphanie Frappart made history in 2022 by becoming the first woman to be in charge of a men's World Cup match. The game between Germany at Costa Rica was held in Al Khor, Qatar. Working the game with Frappart were two female assistants — Neuza Back of Brazil and Karen Diaz Medina of Mexico. Melanie Davis was the first woman to officiate a Division I NCAA men's tournament game when she was on the floor for a first-round matchup between San Diego State and Illinois on March 15, 2002. Leading into the historical game, Davis had officiated men's contests in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
AI can't be stopped! Ammonia inhalants, a.k.a. smelling salts, are not banned by the NFL after all
When is AI not artificial intelligence? When it refers to ammonia inhalants, aka smelling salts. When are these AIs in the news? When it was reported that the NFL banned their use, San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle protested, and the NFL walked back the ban a day later. The league's players association clarified that players can still use AIs as long as teams don't provide them. Got it? The NFLPA sent a memo to players on Wednesday saying that the ban only prohibits team employees from distributing AIs during games. That must have pleased Kittle, who when under the impression that AIs were banned completely, grabbed a microphone on an NFL Network broadcast to say, 'I honestly just came up here to air a grievance. Our team got a memo today that smelling salts and ammonia packets were made illegal in the NFL, and I've been distraught all day.' Read more: 'Most impressive athletic feat ever': 16-year-old Texan sets world record in 800 meters The five-time All-Pro tight end said he used the substances for an energy boost before every offensive drive and joked that upon learning of the ban he 'considered retirement." Except that it isn't a ban. Kittle will just have to bring his own AI stash to ballgames. "To clarify, this policy does not prohibit player use of these substances, but rather it restricts clubs from providing or supplying them in any form," the NFLPA memo said. "The NFL has confirmed this to us." The use of AIs by NFL players has been under the radar despite apparently being a common practice. Their primary use is to prevent and treat fainting, with the Federal Aviation Administration requiring U.S. airlines to carry them in the event a pilot feels faint. The ammonia gas irritates the nasal membranes, causing a reflex that increases breathing and heart rate. That can keep a person from fainting, and apparently can also help a person block and tackle. Read more: Ex-NFL player convicted for operating dogfighting ring... again. Now he faces up to 30 years in prison In short, an AI — which has been described as smelling like cat urine — is a performance-enhancing substance. The NFL, however, cited a warning from the FDA that AIs can mask symptoms of a concussion and have not been proven to be safe or effective simply to increase energy. "In 2024, the FDA issued a warning to companies that produce commercially available ammonia inhalants (AIs), as well as to consumers about the purchase and use of AIs, regarding the lack of evidence supporting the safety or efficacy of AIs marketed for improving mental alertness or boosting energy," the NFL memo to teams stated. "The FDA noted potential negative effects from AI use. "AIs also have the potential to mask certain neurological signs and symptoms, including some potential signs of concussion. As a result, the NFL Head, Neck, and Spine Committee recommended prohibiting the use of AIs for any purpose during play in the NFL." Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield — who says he uses AIs — said the logic behind the NFL no longer supplying them is convoluted. Read more: NFL is expected to take an ownership stake in ESPN 'I think the reasoning was that it masked concussion symptoms,' Mayfield said on "Up and Adams." 'But if you get knocked out, which is the whole purpose of smelling salts — to wake you up — you're not allowed back in the game. "I think it was a quick trigger to ban them, just to kind of CYA [cover your ass].' Maybe NFL officials figure that by no longer supplying AIs and forcing players to bring their own batch to games, their liability in case of concussions or other medical complications is reduced. 'You just got to bring your own juice to the party, got to wake up ready to go,' Mayfield said. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
