Edmonton Oilers Coaching Staff Facing Criticism From Media for Their Treatment of Young Players

This summer was one of change for the Edmonton Oilers, with the team seeing the departures of Evander Kane and Corey Perry, with the front office hoping they could be replaced by the youth.

That youth included Matthew Savoie and Ike Howard, both of whom made their NHL debuts early this season, and now, the Oilers media is seemingly calling out the team for their handling of those young players.

While things haven't been terrible for the Oilers early in the 2025/26 season, it hasn't looked perfect either, with the team struggling to find the right lines beyond the natural success that having both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl bring.

Now, the team have been called out for how they've handled Savoie, Howard and Noah Philp, all of whom have been chopped and changed around the lineup as the Oilers have started 3-3-1 early in the year.

Obviously, there's plenty of time for them to find lines that click, especially when Zach Hyman makes his return from injury, but as of right now, it's safe to say some fans are underwhelmed with how the season has begun.

Ultimately, it's not about how the season begins but how it ends, and we've seen the Oilers battle poor starts to make Stanley Cup Finals runs for two straight years, and if they can find the right way to deploy their young stars, things could turn around in a big way.