PROJECTED LINEUP: Oilers Rookies vs. Canucks Rookies

PENTICTON, BC – The Oilers Rookies will face the Canucks Rookies live on Oilers+ at 8:30 pm MT on Friday night in their first match of the 2024 Young Stars Classic at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

Oilers 2024 first-round pick Sam O'Reilly will centre wingers Connor Clattenburg and Matt Savoie on the top line, with the latter being acquired via trade by the Blue & Orange in the offseason from the Buffalo Sabres in a trade that involved forwards Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio.

"There's a lot of excitement," Savoie said. "There's a lot of buzz around the locker room right now and the guys are excited, the coaches are excited, so just getting ready to go for Game 1 tonight."

Savoie is one of six players on the Oilers Rookie roster with professional experience, having played six games for the AHL's Rochester Americans in '23-24 and made his NHL debut with the Sabres last November before he returned to the WHL and won the Ed Chynoweth Cup with the Moose Jaw Warriors.

"I think I'm just more comfortable this year being my third camp and kind of knowing what goes on at Rookie Camp," the St. Albert product added. "I think being older, you just have more confidence to be more vocal in the room and stuff. I'm a pretty easy guy to talk to I feel like, so whenever anyone has any questions, I'm always open and always there."

Matvey Petrov and Dalyn Wakely played two seasons together with the OHL's North Bay Battalion and will make up two-thirds of the Oilers' second line with James Stefan, who recorded 101 points (50 goals) in 67 games with the WHL's Portland Winterhawks to help earn him an entry-level contract with the Oilers in March.

Centre Jayden Grubbe, who made his pro debut in Bakersfield last season after being acquired from the New York Rangers and signing his entry-level deal, will be between 2024 seventh-round pick William Nicholl and Ethan De Jong, who's on an AHL contract with the Condors after registering 11 goals and 29 points in 41 ECHL games with the Fort Wayne Komets in '23-24.

De Jong is the oldest player on the Oilers Rookie roster at 25 years, 1 month and 23 days old and is the only player for the Blue & Orange who wasn't born in the 2000s.

Swedish centre Carl Berglund will centre the fourth line between a pair of camp invites in Jesse Heslop (Everett Silvertips) and Brayden Boehm (Medicine Hat Tigers) after spending time in both Fort Wayne and Bakersfield last season, recording 42 points in 51 games in the ECHL while also recording a goal and three assists in 12 AHL contests.

2021 seventh-round pick Max Wanner is the Oilers' only signed defenceman in Friday's lineup amidst a number of camp invites and will fill the top pairing for the Blue & Orange next to Frankie Marrelli, who played alongside Brady Stonehouse with the Ottawa 67's last season in the OHL, recording 25 points in 60 games.

Defenceman Beau Akey will not suit up for the Oilers Rookies at the Young Stars Classic this weekend, Coach Colin Chaulk confirmed on Friday morning, despite the defenceman travelling with the team and participating in Thursday and Friday's practices at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

Akey, Edmonton's second-round pick (56th overall) at the 2023 NHL Draft, played in 14 OHL games last season with the Barrie Colts and recorded nine points (four goals) before sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury.

Goaltender Nathan Day is expected to play the full 60 minutes during Friday's tilt against the host Canucks ahead of Connor Ungar, who'll get his first taste of action in an Oilers sweater this weekend since signing as an undrafted free agent with the club in the spring.

All of the Oilers Rookies' matches at the Young Stars Classic this weekend, along with additional features and content, can be seen on Oilers+.

View the full Oilers Rookies lineup vs. the Canucks Rookies below:

Forwards

Connor Clattenburg #64 - Sam O’Reilly #72 - Matt Savoie #22
Matvey Petrov #43 - Dalyn Wakely #59 - James Stefan #70
William Nicholl #56 - Jayden Grubbe #42 - Ethan De Jong #37
Jesse Heslop #63 - Carl Berglund #47 - Brayden Boehm #46

Defence

Frankie Marrelli #84 - Max Wanner #88
Hyde Davidson #73 - Marc Lajoie #77
Nate Corbet #71 - Rhys Pederson #80

Goalies

Nathan Day #40
Connor Ungar #32